Profile

In 1970 my mom bought my dad a Grumman 15' canoe for his 40th birthday. Dad is no longer with us, but the canoe is. The 15 footer is now mine. I have sailed it, camped out if, partied out of it, and raised my children in it. In 1990 mom and dad bought a Grumman 17' canoe for my brother to celebrate him earning his PhD, it now belongs to me (still as good as new). In 1993 I was loaned a 13' Grumman canoe to do a research project for my Master's thesis. Unfortunately, I had to return that 13 footer when my project was completed.

I fell in love with the Grumman 13 footer, I have paddled several since my first experience, and have have been looking for the right one to buy ever since. Yesterday (11/02/2020), I bought my dream boat, my first Grumman 13 foot canoe. Finally, I own my own.

Small boats have been in my blood for 50+ years, fiberglass, Kevlar, ABS, wood canvas, geodesic snowshoe, polyethylene, and aluminum. I have also been building, wrecking (so sad, but true), and restoring canoes and kayaks since the early 1980's. I currently (2020) have a combination of 9 different canoes and kayaks - I like to paddle with friends!

I have a little bit of experience with paddle craft.

Since I first paddled one, the Grumman 13 footer is my choice of all round canoe. It's durable - they last decades. They require minimal maintenance - I can leave it in the backyard year round (or for several years!) and all I need to do before I use it is just hose it out - you can't do that with a wood, fiberglass, or plastic boat because they degrade quickly if left outside for too long. They are very stable - I have no problem standing while paddling the 13 footer. They are great for solo paddling, and they are (relatively) light weight. I can car top the 13 foot with great easy. It's not too little, and it's not too much. The 13 footer is the perfect balance of what I need in a go-to canoe. I am really glad I now have one.

You will not be disappointed if you get one too. Good luck. JS