Recently purchased a 1991 Radisson 14 foot double-ender. The purchase from original owner included all the ancillaries: two 60" paddles with oarlocks, two microcell foam "seats", motor mount and nylon "anchor rope." The hull had a few scrapes and very shallow dents, but for a 25 year-old aluminum canoe it appeared to be in good shape. Not so the foam seats, which were brittle and crumbly. The foam lining and sponsons were all still flexible, however. Had they not been, this would have been a deal-killer, because their replacement cost is between $3- to $500.
We took the canoe out for a short (2 hour) paddle last weekend. To my pleasant surprise, the canoe paddled quite well. (One may read all sorts of flaming horror stories about how this isn't a real canoe, it won't track, it allows like a tub, it's fragile like a pop can, ...) My plans for the canoe were to rig it with oars and a trolling motor so my wife and I could take it fishing with our TT. Using it as a CANOE, actually, was only a dim 'plan B'.
Well, it's a canoe.
Let me pause to mention that I grew up in the canoing Mecca of NYS- equidistant from the Adirondacks and Finger Lakes on the Susquehanna River. Two of my cousins raced in the Gen Clinton. Paddling and shoveling snow are thus embedded in me pretty firmly.
This is not a racing canoe. This is not a whitewater canoe. This is not a tripping canoe. This is not a rental/beater canoe. It is an affordable alternative to the legendary guideboat. It is easy to repair, easy to portage, easy to paddle (or motor or row), stable for fishing, high payload sporting canoe.
If you don't mind the look of the thing, don't have self-image issues and you want to paddle and fish a little, go ahead and check one out.
