Penobscot 164

We have owned 2 Penobscot 164's for 5 years now and used it as a beginner to an intermediate paddler on mostly rivers but some lakes. It handles class 2+ rapids well and we have ran a class 3 full of gear after gaining some white water experience. On lakes it tracks very straight. The hull is very durable, we have hit some rocks hard it has held up well. We store the canoes inside and the hulls haven't warped or oil canned. A couple weak points about it is it doesn't hold a heel as well or easy as a prospector hull and it's about as heavy of a canoe I would portage. Its a good jack of all trades canoe, we've done multiple float plane trips with it and it's never let us down.

The canoe is made of Polylink 3, which is a polyethelene plastic with a foam core. It is a very tough and stiff material that works well if you are able to load and unload a 75 lb canoe. If not, consider spending the money on a composite boat.

The Penobscot has a arched or v bottom profile that gives good secondary stability. As the boat heels over to one side, resistance to heeling further is increased. This is at the expense of primary stability or the feeling that the boat is not tippy when sitting flat on the water.

The bottom shape on the Penobscot causes the boat to handle well and it turns easier when edged (heeled over during a turn).

The boat has excellent tracking and decent maneuverability.

The Penobscot is a great boat when one considers the price point. This boat can easily haul enough gear for a weekend or several week long expedition.

The difference between the Penobscot and the Discovery 158 is slightly better handling and tracking of the Penobscot at the expense of primary stability. The Discovery has more primary stability and feels less tippy. That said, when the Discovery is heeled over it does not have the significant increase in resistance to heeling further that the Penobscot has.

Though there are canoes out there that are lighter, faster and more maneuverable, they are much more expensive. For this reason I give the Penobscot a 10 and think it is an excellent choice for a low budget tripping canoe.

It is a fantastic boat for extended trips because it has a huge capacity for gear. It does not lose much in responsiveness when fully loaded down. Unfortunately, I don't find it to be ultra responsive to begin with (for whitewater purposes). I do not recommend this boat for Class 3 without float bags because it is a beast to horse out of a rapid when swamped and it will swamp easily due to the shallow rocker. This is a great boat for flat-water and rapids up to Class 2 but is best kept out of the Class 3 unless you are well experienced and equipped. It has proven to be very durable and as an "all around" boat I still give it an 8.