I own an SK manufactured…
Submitted by:
paddler1247865
on 3/3/2021
I own an SK manufactured 1975. It's still going strong on fast, rocky rivers and creeks. I paid $350
I hate to be picky, but your…
I hate to be picky, but your pictures for the 1750CSK are woefully in error. The top picture is a profile of a typical 'double-ender' canoe, length unknown. I can live with that. However, the bottom picture is of a square stern hull designed to handle an outboard motor, again, length unknown. But more to the point, the seats are completely different and even more critical, the Grumman “whitewater” shoe keel hull has seven (7) ribs rather than the standard three. This is what makes them tanks. This is why they were the premier craft until “plastics” evolved. One sad day they will be too expensive to produce and a lot of folks will wail “I wish I'd bought one back when...”
My five (5) stars won't add much to hundreds of testimonies. I'd just like y'all to properly depict the agile rock-bustin' beast as it is.
so great tools to use for photographying in nature where quiet moves needed, very fine to navigate with
I have a friend of the family…
I have a friend of the family who has a Grumman but I don't know the exact model due to the data plate missing. After doing a lot of research this is the closest model I can find that matches his. We often borrow his when we go on outings because of the room his has. Ours is a different brand but I don't really want to try and do a comparison between the two here so I'll leave it nameless. I will say it is another aluminum 17' canoe. We like to take his out because it's lighter and actually handles better in the water. It has just as much space and still carries as big a load as any canoe I've ever used. My only complaint would be that the medal seems to be thinner and in an aluminum canoe that seems to create more noise when you move around as the medal will flex more.
This 17ft. Grumman is the…
Submitted by:
paddler236772
on 5/19/2016
This 17ft. Grumman is the last boat I'll ever buy. They are built to last and are smooth in the water. The ideal camping machine. I will never sell this canoe. I will pass it down when I'm gone.
I started out in a Grumman 17…
I started out in a Grumman 17 over forty years ago, have gone through most of the materials and hull types since then, and have come full circle back to a Grumman 17. I rate them a solid 10, but others are as well. Rx, fiberglass, kevlar, all have their 10 qualities, but for my purposes, the Grumman fits best. Everyone knows that alloy is sticky on rocks, is noisy, is a heat sink, and is ...heavy??? No. It isn't heavy. A typical Rx 17 is heavier, as are some well made fiberglass boats. There are superior hull designs for touring long distances and for anything over Class 2 waters, but I prefer the Grumman for other aspects, namely, for the rigidity of the hull, the almost indestructible material, and for the ability to modify the boat to suit my needs - which is at this time, sailing it as a fast trimaran. Aluminum will take drilling and fastenings that could compromise other materials, which are already more flexible. For sailing, you need a very stiff hull, especially with outriggers taking the hits from waves in the two foot range. And, when I'm not sailing, I can un-bolt the accessory parts and clamp on my self made row kit and really fly across the water into a good campsite. Paddling, to me now, is for younger guys, and is now only the method to maneuver my self in close or to get away from the landing. If you haven't tried sailing your Grumman, you should. I don't know of any other canoe maker that made their own kits, which can be found in many local c-list markets.
I've canoed this boat many…
I've canoed this boat many times over the years. They are great boats if your needing something that is maintenance free, tough as nails, and that can haul a lot of gear. My only complaint is that they are noisy and can make fishing a little more challenging.
The only reason I am making…
The only reason I am making the rating an 8, instead of higher, is all the reasons that aluminum canoes get bad-mouthed. They're heavy, they're noisy, they're too hot or too cold, they hang up on shallow rocks, etc. Yes, all true, but still not enough to over look all the great qualities of the Grumman boats.
Like many, I learned to canoe (and earned the merit badge) at Boy Scout camp in this 17 foot Grumman wonder boat. My current boat is a 30 pound skin-on-frame delight, but I would add any of the Grumman aluminum boats to my tiny fleet, especially the 1750CKS, if I can find a nice used boat at a good price. Yes, it will never match the handling of my current boat, but that doesn't matter. Aluminum boats are dead tough, easy to maintain, and will out last any current 'plastic' boat. It is a classic, but be aware of it's limitations, and you won't be disappointed.
I consider myself to be one…
Submitted by:
paddler236331
on 7/6/2015
I consider myself to be one of the luckiest owners of a Grumman 1750 CSK. I found mine about 6 years ago sitting at a flea market with a sign that said $400. The canoe had very few dents. Even though I had no idea of just how great a deal I had found, I knew it was practically a give away at that price.
I had got big into racing in a local event every year. (Jack Barker Memorial canoe race) I had recently bought a Mad River Synergy 14 to race with. However I wanted a canoe to play around in. For the first couple years I only had the canoe out a couple of times.
This thing rides nice in the water. It has a smooth glide, and a great secondary stability. It will feel a little tippy at first, but once you get used to the secondary stability you will find this the be a very comfortable ride. I've had this canoe in the shallows a number of times. I does well until you snag a rock. Aluminum canoes grab rocks like velcro. No bump and scrape to it, they just stick.
After 5 years of racing in the one man division and placing second once and third twice, I found the competition to be getting to fast for my Synergy. I was being put up against kevlar racing boats. It was getting frustrating to paddle twice as hard and barely be able to stay up with the people finishing before me. My friend who had been at every race, but never participated voiced an interest in taking part. I saw my chance to finally get a first place plaque from the race! I asked my friend to join me and put my Grumman in the race to race in the standard class. We now have raced 4 consecutive years together. We have taken two first place and two second place plaques. We are the only team to continually show up, so we are looked at as the team to beat every year. We work hard, but it also has a lot to do with having such a quality canoe to race in.
It is not light, so take off is slower than some. However once it is coasting it glides very well. It is a real smooth ride.
My family and I have used a…
Submitted by:
mrvrtis
on 9/3/2014
My family and I have used a 17' Grumman Canoe for years. It has performed well under any circumstance we have paddled into. It truly is surprising how much weight a 17' Grumman aluminum, we have loaded all of our camping gear, fishing gear, three adult paddlers, & a dog, while paddling the canoe through boat wakes on the lakes surrounding Phoenix, AZ. Paddled all the way into the back waters of the area lakes and never felt insecure about the canoe once.
If you want a canoe that will last your family generations I would recommend a Grumman Aluminum Canoe without hesitation!
After trying out a friends…
Submitted by:
paddler235744
on 7/13/2014
After trying out a friends fiberglass canoe I purchased a beautiful, used Grumman STD17. It's a dream for family camping! We just got back from a week at Indian Lake Islands in the Adirondaks, which is boat access only. No problem fitting two adults, two nine year olds, one Labrador and all our gear.
So stable the dog can jump out and be lifted back in without tipping. When unweighted it sits high and can really grab the wind.
Durable. Beautiful. Practical.
An Aluminum TANK! I've…
Submitted by:
JohnEd
on 4/3/2014
An Aluminum TANK! I've dragged this canoe over a life time of log jams, hauled truck loads of crap, crashed into and stuck to many a rock, dumped it and humped it. This baby is Boy Scout proof and nearly bomb proof. Old school to the Max! Stable, tracks well, hull is surprisingly dent proof yet can be hammered out and if ever broken can be welded, screwed and patched. A TRUE Redneck dream! AND if it is ever totally destroyed, the scrap aluminum has value!
I highly recommend this boat, Grumman is a fantastic aluminum canoe, IF you can ever find the light weight racing model, CALL ME!
This was our first good canoe, after a 17' Smoker Craft. I bought it in 1975, and it is still going strong. The 17 shoe keel boat, with 7 ribs, was the original white water canoe. It turned reasonably quickly and could take a lot of abuse. By today's standards, it is not much of a WW boat, and it doesn't paddle as nicely on lakes as other 17ft boats, but it requires almost zero maintenance and we aren't afraid to let our friends borrow it. They really can't hurt it, as long as they don't wrap it around a rock.
It is a far more capable canoe than a Coleman. It really does paddle pretty well and is quite stable, probably a little too much. My biggest complaint is that it is cold and noisy. The seats are too low for comfortable kneeling, and it is not as easy to modify them as in my Old Town Appalachian or Navarro canoe.
The most amazing thing about this canoe is the sail rig. I have the sliding gunter rig which is 75 sq.ft. That is a lot of sail on a canoe. It is the same sail area as a Laser, although it is a lot lower aspect rig. In a good wind, it will plane, and it is very exciting to sail, sitting on the gunnel, with your feet under a thwart, hiked out to weather like a Laser sailor. While it is not quite as fast as a Laser, it is no slouch, and it great fun to sail. The sail rig was well thought out and very functional. It is not very sophisticated, but everything on it works well. As a point of comparison, it is a far better sail boat than a Klepper Arius with a main and jib rig.
I have a 17' foot standard…
Submitted by:
paddler234652
on 7/11/2012
I have a 17' foot standard that is a hand-me-down my stepdad bought in 1983. This boat is nearly 30 years old and paddles as beautifully today as the day we brought it home when i was a child.
Excellent flat water tracking, large capacity. I've gone on several week-long trips with this canoe and it handles well loaded with all our gear, including a large cooler full of beer and food. The only knock is that it's not that great to fish out of since turning around in the boat is tough, and the lack of a portage thwart.
Overall, sensational boat that I plan to have the rest of my life
I have paddled hundreds of…
Submitted by:
paddler234518
on 5/4/2012
I have paddled hundreds of northern river miles over the years in my 17 foot Grumman. This weekend I am at the Wisconsin Indianhead governor's fishing opener event in Spooner. For the first time I will use my sidemount with a 4 horse Evinrude. I tested it out a couple of times this week. It tracks and turns beautifully, and it feels as stable as ever. Most of my paddling is alone, with a few big rocks and my Trek bike up front and me with my double blade Caviness in back. I paddle as long as I care to and then pedal back to the van. Nice balanced workout in a solid, classic canoe
