Old Town  Penobscot 174 Canoe

I bought it last year and was so glad I did. A very large friend and I took our boys up north to hit the Manotowish chain of lakes WI, and it works perfectly. The high freeboard proved essential on the open lakes and kept the waves at bay and it tracked well too. On the fast moving river parts it was stable and predictable. A good thing as we didn't dump at the one bend, while our boys did. Woohoo, score one for the adults! Also, the capacity allowed us to pack it all, even with my large friend (although it made steering from the stern a challenge with all the weight up front). Although Poly canoes are not the lightest, they are pretty much maintenance free and I don't have to white knuckle that rock up ahead that my friend didn't see. The ash seats and thwarts still give it a classic ish look. My only contention is there is no place to tie on a painter so I had to add an eye to the bow and stern as I didn't want the rope to get in the way of the deck handle. This also makes strapping to a roof rack a challenge as I don't like to rope through handles as they are not made for that kind of forces (other canoe broke the front handle when I tied down through it, the result was not pretty on the highway as you can imagine...)

Great boat. I grew up using a royalex discovery 169 and was honestly a big hesitant to try a vinyl canoe but so far I have been very happy. We've taken a family of 4 and all the gear down the Smith river in MT in very low rocky conditions and had no problems. The Penobscot was by far the fastest boat on the water and carried 6 days of gear no problem. I Iove the high bow and stern for riffles and rapids and it tracks great on the lakes. We've taken some good hits from rocks and have suffered no punctures or deformities. My only gripe would probably be the weight but it is a big ol' boat. Can't really think of a better hull shape for a do everything boat for daily use or expeditions. I will be in the market for the same thing if a good alternative to royalex ever materializes.

Used this model of canoe for decades to take boy/girl scouts canoeing in Canada. Although they try, this canoe is next to indestructible. It slides over rocks, can be used as a plow to get tree branches out of the way, can go down a waterfall even if it doesn't want to! Dents pop right out. Easily fits 3 average size canoers(or 2 large adults) and their gear. The weight is on the heavy size, but remember, I said indestructible. This canoe definitely has its place canoeing history.

Wanted to do a canoe trip to the boundary waters area - so ordered the penobscot 174 to be picked up at the flagship Minneapolis store... and flew to MSP- grabbed a rental truck... and the folks at REI even helped me get it on the roof (Also ordered a canoe car kit). We took it out for a few short runs to get the feel of it prior to loading it full of gear and heading out. Worked like a champ... I have two minor complaints on the boat... 1. Heavy... its over 80 pounds... so keep that in mind if you portage.. which we had a few short ones.... 2. Would have liked some handles or tie downs at the front and back ... ive seen people who have drilled their own on this model... would have made it easier... Seats are comfortable... I like the material- didnt show many scratches after a weeks use. Seems very durable. It was a stable boat- especially with the gear.. I would recommend it .. I After our trip- I stored it at a friend of mines resort near voyagers for the winter... it was outside- upside down in sub zero temps- then the next summer - picked it up and dove it home.... Its been two years since then and I still enjoy taking it out... its a little long- over 17 feet- so keep that in mind when storing it... make sure your garage has enough room!!! :-)

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I still have my 1984 tripper 17,4 I installed kevlar skid plates as soon as I got it home. still performs well, but at age 67 I need help to get the yoke on my shoulders.

In 1984 Old Town delivered this canoe to me in Florida where I was working as an Everglades wildlife biologist. Upon returning to my Maine home I began doing loon photography/research. This particular Old Town 174 has been my only watercraft for all those years. check out my loon and Monarch butterfly work here: www.itsaboutnature.com. thanks for having a. look :) Pros: Very durable! The advantage of a vinyl gunwale is that the canoe can lay outside (excepting winter!) on the ground, throughout the season, upside down with the gunwales contacting the ground, year after year, with no damage to the gunwales. Tny. that with ash. The color has not changed over the years. Stable: I can lean to lower heavy camera gear over the side and there is no fear of capsizing. Secondary stability? I don’t need it. The initial stability is strong, unquestionable. Con: The one big disadvantage of this canoe is its weight. I bought it when I was 38 years of age when I had no problem hoisting it overheard and walking up the steep banking from the Presumpscot river. I am 76 years of age now and this canoe is just too heavy for me.