Otter

When reading a review, it is good to get an idea of the reviewer's perspective. I have owned and paddled a bunch of canoes since I was a kid. More than 10, some great some not so great,made of everything from ABS to cedar strips. My longest river trip was 66 miles, I am by no means a guide or outfitter. Just a 55 year old with a wife that likes to get out and see lakes, ponds and slow moving rivers from a canoe. We lost 2 canoes and a kayak to an ice storm at Christmas time,(btw don't store canoes under trees) and I decided it was time to get a forever boat. We wanted something light fast and easy to handle. The Ranger Otter is perfect! Michael was a huge help through a the entire buying process. He made it easy, and the day we picked it up and it was shining away in the workshop was incredible. His advice on paddles has also made a huge difference. He got us a pair of Fox worx bent paddles. They are light and amazing to paddle with. Now to the boat itself, I was nervous about a lake canoe without a keel. Would it track well, or handle wind. Michael's design is amazing. It is stable getting in and out. Just came back from a trip with a 10 to 15 kt wind from the east, on a river that is fairly wide and meanders, so we had wind from all directions. Didn't matter to our Otter, it just went where I aimed it. Something about the efficiency of the hull that when you get going it wants to keep going. Makes everything easier. Then when I get to the ramp it is so nice to flip it onto my shoulders from the water so the bottom only ever touches water or air, don't want to scratch that incredible shine. Thank you again Michael for our forever boat.

A couple of months ago I found Ranger Canoe while searching the internet for Kevlar canoes in New England, where my husband and I were planning a late summer road trip for some canoe camping and backpacking. After speaking with Michael, and reading the reviews, I placed an order for a green Otter. Michael responded quickly to all my questions, even sending me photos of previous canoes he'd made so I could decide on the color. He was ready with our new canoe when we arrived from North Carolina, encouraging us to try it out in Squam Lake first--even using his truck to take the canoe to the water at his own private dock.

We then drove up to Lake Umbagog, at the border of Maine and northern New Hampshire, for a 3 day canoe camping trip. In spite of fairly heavy winds and choppy water, the canoe tracked beautifully and quickly with all our gear. We have canoed for years with our Old Town Penobscot 16, which would have had a hard time making headway under the same conditions. We will still use our Penobscot for river trips, but for flat water and lakes, the Otter is far superior.

Another plus: we drove 750 miles back to North Carolina with the canoe on top of our Subaru Outback, and barely noticed any wind resistence. Our mileage was mildly affected when travelling on interstates over 70 mph, but not at lower speeds or on secondary roads--I assume that's due to the smooth finish and streamlined shape.

Thanks Michael!

We own Otter 16 canoe since 2015. This is the perfect boat. Good looking, great combination of technology and handcrafting. It can handle very rough water and heavy load. Fast and stable. Light enough to carry it on the shoulders. Over the years, I called manufacturer few times and always got help I needed. Recently, I had a pleasure to meet creator of this canoe personally. What a great experience! After rough winter storage, I had to do some restoration. I called Mike and after quick diagnostic with photos, I brought my boat to the shop. Two (!) days later I had my canoe fully restored with brand new gunnels and solo seat. Looking like new again. Mike spent extra time to show how to take care of the boat. Perfect canoe, great experience.

The Ranger Canoe (Otter 16) boat is outstanding. It moves smoothly, tracks well, and turns on a dime. And from an aesthetics perspective, you'd struggle to find a better looking boat (eg, look at the trim!) that has all the functionality of this one. I wanted a quality tandem boat that could be paddled solo as well, and researched/contemplated various canoes for a year - I'd be very surprised if there exists a more versatile, high-quality, thoughtfully designed canoe. It is well worth the trip to Ashland, NH to buy directly from Michael, an expert builder with a wealth of knowledge and experience. He takes the time to talk about the boat, paddling, and transporting (even showed me a better way to strap to my rack). I highly recommend Ranger Canoe to anyone looking for a quality canoe - tandem or solo. (And, by the way, with the third seat installed by Michael, it outperforms popular solo boats I've paddled.) I don't think there's a higher-value tandem/solo boat out there, and certainly not at the price and with the the experience of buying directly from the builder that you get with Ranger Canoe.

I purchased a beautiful16 foot ranger canoe in 2013.

i've taken it to many lakes all over northeast US over the years , and it has held up fantastic.

Everyone who sees it is amazed at its beauty, and the canoeing in it is great.

I recommend this canoe very greatly for recreational canoeing.

I have had my Ranger Otter 16 for six weeks now and it is terrific!

People on rivers and in parking lots have stopped me to say how good it looks.

The handling is excellent, both solo and with a passenger.

I do not know much about canoe construction, but my brother is a composites engineer, and he was impressed with the workmanship with the Kevlar layup and the many weight-saving details of the design.

I also like the weight saving details- I can put the canoe on the roof of my car by myself without a struggle. I am seventy years old and got this canoe because my plastic tandem kayak was getting too heavy for me to transport.

It was a pleasure working with Mike. He answered the phone when I called and patiently answered all my questions. Be sure to ask him about the wooden paddles which he sells. The paddles are light and beautiful.

Recently purchased a beautiful Ranger Canoe from Mike...builder/owner of Ranger Canoes. My My wife and I paddled in our younger days and are now getting back into it once again. Wanted something lighter to haul and beautiful to enjoy. We found it...handles very well, very fast compared to our old White Canoe and we are very pleased. Mike was great, thoroughly explaining the materials and construction process. Five Stars !

I had an outfitters shop in WV for 13 years. We sold Old Town and Mad River canoes. We paddled mostly white water rivers but now at 70 years old decided we needed a light weight flat water boat that we could paddle tandem or solo and was light enough for us to load and unload easily. After a lot of research and finding out that the Henrys were no longer involved with Mad River I found Michael, at Ranger Canoe and I’m glad I did. After spending considerable time talking to him about the Otter we place an order for an Otter with the optional solo center seat installed and picked the boat up in Ashland, NH. This boat paddles more effortlessly than any canoe I have ever been in, and I’ve been in a bunch of canoes. The hull is very stiff without the usual flex I was accustomed to. With the shallow V/shallow Arch design it tracks straight as an arrow. Roll it up on a flat and it turns very nicely. At 52 pounds my wife and I can easily manage the canoe. Micheals customer service is the best I’ve seen in the industry! Thus, 5 Stars for Ranger Canoe and Michael! Thank you Michael!

I bought a seventeen year old Ranger canoe that had been stored outside and had seen a bit of wear. The canoe I have is Kevlar. Having canoed all my life this is by far the lightest canoe I have ever used. Some of the gunnel had rotted. I got a hold of Michael up in Ashland NH. He replaced the gunnels, thwart and cane seats. The repair was completed in three days time. Not only was the canoe repaired but he instructed me on the best way to care for and transport that canoe. The instruction alone was well worth the hour and a half trip north for me. I highly recommend Ranger Canoe

This canoe is near and dear to my heart. I made the drive to Ashland last spring while I was in the midst of planning a thru-paddle on the Northern Forest Canoe trail. Mike was great, helped me load the canoe, and gave good advice on maintenance and repair supplies. Our canoe survived the 740 mile journey and performed like a champion. She was a speed demon on glassy lakes, could handle herself in wind blown conditions, and was tough enough for class III rapids, strenuous upstream travel, and the more than occasional scraping through low water. And her light weight made the hundred plus miles of portaging a little easier. And when we crunched her on a rock coming through the rapids in Plattsburg and chipped her gel coat Mike was more than happy to take multiple calls and help walk us through the repair process. We've since relocated to Colorado and can't wait to take her through her paces on western waters. The Otter is a versatile craft, and Mike knows his trade and is happy to help his customers.

Bought a Ranger Canoe last year mid-summer, and got out on the water nearly every weekend exploring ponds, lakes, and rivers in Vermont. It was great to be able to buy from a local business, and work with a real person, Michael, owner-builder. We have extensive paddling experience in the Boundary Waters and multiple Canadian Provincial Parks, but for this purchase were looking for something primarily oriented to day-trips on local lakes while also being able to handle the occasional short camping trip. Ranger fit the bill. I've built several cedar strip canoes, so know a bit about canoe design and construction, and appreciated talking with Michael about his build techniques, materials, etc.

Unfortunately, we found gel-coat cracks after winter storage, but Michael was great to work with and promptly offered to provide a repair. He did great work to carefully repair the gel coat where it had cracked, and we're back on the water.

If you seek quality craftsmanship from someone who knows canoes and truly stands behind their work, you can't go wrong with Ranger Canoes.

Patrick, Vermont

Simply a beautiful boat.

From looking at its fine woodwork in the garage, to carrying it to the van on a yoke comfortable without padding, to gentle strokes across a sunset-soaked lake, to zipping down a quick river this canoe is just plain enjoyable.

BMW's mottos have been 'Ultimate Driving Machine' and 'Designed For Driving Pleasure' which focus the driver's joy. Ranger canoes do the same on water.

Overall I prefer the versatility of a canoe over a Kayak; cargo, passengers, fishing, camping and under a variety of paddling conditions, the Ranger Otter 16 does them all well.

Disadvantages are mainly due to it's smaller dimensions meaning that paddling next to a 17 or 18 footer it's a little more challenging to keep up, and it does not have the capacity to handle trips much longer than 10 days. It's capable of shooting rapids, but not specialized as a white water boat. I've given it plenty of good bumps/scratches and moved it down some questionable river sections - but you should do so with the care one would take in any kevlar boat.

Concluding here, this boat has outstanding value - maybe the best at $1,500. I would recommend it for all but for the most extreme tripper who may need more space or those focusing on running rivers and rapids. Mine is primarily for moderate trips in the 7-10 day range on lakes and rivers where portaging needs to be accomplished at a minimum effort. No shame - I'll skip most rapids over a class 2 to avoid damage.

When we arrived, Mike brought us into his workshop and pointed out all the features of the boat. I have been around canoes my whole life as my parents have been avid paddlers since the early 70's and never have I seen a boat with such a perfect blend of a versatile and touring canoe. The incredible design aside, the overall craftsmanship is amazing. Mike has great attention to detail from bow to stern! After we decided to purchase the boat, Mike took the extra time to explain and physically show us the little ins and outs for the proper maintenance on the boat to keep it in tip top shape for years to come. He also talked to us about paddles….We have always used straight shaft paddles and honestly thought that the bent shaft were for racing only. Mike explained how much more beneficial the bent shaft paddles are, but we wanted to try first hand. Mike let us borrow his own paddles and utilize his dock on Little Squam Lake to try out the paddles (and the new canoe!).

The canoe handled even better than we ever would have expected, both in the quiet water and out in the middle of the lake with power boat wake and strong winds. Never once did the boat feel unstable, it excelled in tracking, and glided through the water with ease. And to add, what a difference the paddles make! We ended up purchasing 2 bent shaft paddles before we left as the type Mike has available far exceed the quality you will find elsewhere.

We can't say enough positive things about the canoe and our entire experience with Ranger Canoe. The canoe far exceeds that of a Mad River Explorer (my parents have one they bought when the company was still in Vermont) and blows the old Grumman out of the water! We love our new canoe and would recommend a Ranger Otter canoe all day. The owner/builder has a wealth of knowledge, makes you feel welcome and the boat speaks for itself within 5 minutes on the water.

Normally I don't leave reviews but I hope this review has and will help many other paddlers looking for a tip-top canoe and an unbeatable price. The drive to get there is worth it and then some (there was even a family from Florida and Canada looking at the canoes the same day as well)! I myself do my research and read reviews before purchasing so I know how important a detailed review is.

The Otter (fiberglass layup) is clean, appealing to the fussy, strong in areas that need it, and minimal in areas that count for a light weight boat. Shouldering the boat (50lbs) is appreciated getting it to and from portages or the racks. The ash wood is finely fit and sanded to a quality furniture finish. The boat is eye candy.

Paddling it solo is a pleasure. Mind you, the boat had an added third seat for specific purpose. Also nice as a makeshift table when two up paddling. Head to wind the boat likes it's nose up, what boat doesn't? In 1 foot chop, 8 knots of true wind, I felt confident and unthreatened with 35lbs of gear. Padding for the knees would have been helpful while kneeling/bracing against the sides. A few creaks here and there from the new wood settling into the fitment, but after wet, it all went away.

This Otter by Ranger was a nice find. Made in NH by a "REAL" artisan, hell yea USA! and reasonable. Yep reasonable, I'll repeat it once more, "reasonable" cause a comparable boat of the same quality, add another grand. Shooting photography from the water, well, lets say there's nothing to shoot? Then shoot the boat, it's that nice.

A great find and a passionate Builder, Michael from Ranger and his Otter is well worth a consideration for purchase.

In virtually all other respects, we LOVE this boat and are thinking about moving up to the kevlar model. We've had it out on wide lakes with strong winds and 2-foot waves with no problem. Have also bounced off a few rocks in some riffles in light river rapids. In flat water it tracks like a dream.

After all the flat-bottom beasts of my youth, we also found it a little tippy at first, but quickly got the feel for it.
Great boat, great value.

I ordered my Otter in January of 2013, and had Michael install the optional middle seat as I paddle mostly alone. I took delivery in April 2013 and immediately put her in the water. My initial impression was very good, although I was only on a small pond. Shortly thereafter I packed up for an extended trip to the Turtle-Flambeau flowage in northern Wisconsin. I was there from the time that the ice was just going out (May 1st.) until August 1st. I camped and lived out of this canoe for three months, going to town to resupply every 10 days- 2 weeks. I had this canoe in every type of water from 3ft. heavily windswept waves to perfect glass (no whitewater- she's a lake canoe), and she performed wonderfully in every situation.

There is plenty of room for all my gear even though I always take a lot of bulky "luxury" gear that I really could do without. I think if pressed I could stay out for 1 month in this canoe and at 16ft., 34" beam, 52lbs., it is not a big boat. She almost effortlessly glides through the water,and with a tailwind you're really making time. With a quartering headwind you need only to hold your bearing, and she's easy as pie directly into the wind. The Otter is a dream to fish from and absolutely no problem to load alone. I had an absolutely awesome trip and highly recommend the Ranger Otter to anyone looking for a tripping canoe. I am going back in late September/October for some autumn fishing and class 1 river floating, and am really looking forward to getting her in the water again.

I could have spent a lot more money on a lot less boat and am absolutely in love with my Ranger Otter! Thank you Michael! Happy paddling to everyone!

I cant help myself. I need to comment about the review that rated it 3. That's bizarre. He couldn't hear his buddy 8' away over the creaking? Extremely tippy? I've been paddling with my 55# dog. She wasn't too crazy about it at first... We've managed to slip up to geese, mergansers, ducks, painted and snapping turtles. I've never heard a creak, or thought it was tippy. Ranger hasn't stayed in business nearly 50 years by building 3 star canoes. If you disregarded that review, as well as mine, it would get a rating of 9.66/10. That's pretty good.

We have been quite happy with this purchase. The canoe has taken everything that we could throw at it. It does quite well with big loads (camping gear, two adults, and one child) and is an excellent canoe for our short, local excursions and fishing trips. It tracks quite well. It is fairly maneuverable, but it is a long boat so it is not going to win any slalom races. So far it has held up quite well, and the owner was very fair and nice to us!

Also, it is a beautiful boat. We still get comments on it, and it is still in great shape. I highly recommend this boat and this manufacturer.

Growing up all we had where allumacraft beasts, used during all three trips to canada, my first when I was 13, since I have been in various rentals, and friends canoes of various models, and hands down the Ranger beats them all... 1st trip yesterday, with my buddy, and some fishing gear, seemed real tippy at first, and alls I thought was I made a mistake, then when you get used to it and the motion of her, man is she amazing! Cut through the water like a fish man, tracked great, and we even fished out of her no prob. At one point we both leaned right, and paddled right hard, and had her almost vertical with the water brushing the gunrails, and she still didn't tip!

So then I wrote a review today and was concerned about upkeep and some of the inner fibers seeming dry and rubbing off a bit, just a few, but that doesn't really belong here, and besides after getting wet the fibers on the inside are fine, and stuck back like glue, must of just been dry from not being in the water for a year.

I took her back out today solo, just after a storm front went through, we had tornado warnings so you know the kinda day I'm talking about, but I thought hell. lets really put her to the test.. So I took her out on Lake Normandy (Tennessee) with 1'+/- waves with small white caps, not another soul on the lake, and man did she shine! again, best canoe ever! cut cross wind, against the wind, back with the wind with straight broad side against the waves, I pushed her, and No oil canin, no wobble, it was gorgeous! I am hooked and a Ranger man for life! great boat... Can't wait for the trip this summer!
Rating 9 1/2 out of 10 because I haven't had her in rapids yet....

What makes a Ranger such a wonderful craft is it's versatility. It handles beautifully as a solo, but is also a fine wilderness tandem canoe. It turns well, glides straight ahead at brisk pace and in general is a responsive, elegant boat. My unique wood/canvas solo canoe is my favorite cane of all I've ever owned or paddled - but the Ranger holds a special place in my heart - and in my memory, given all the places I've paddled it. And it's a pretty QUIET canoe!!