Canoe stabilizers/outriggers needed?

[JBplusThuy]

One last (I hope :-) question in the canoe Vs. small boat consideration process: if you own a canoe or kayak, what do you think of stabilizers/outriggers? Helpful? Not helpful? Couldn't live without it? Does taking kids out in the canoe affect your answer?

If you like them, what brand do you like? Spring Creek's look pretty good, so far as I can tell. Any others that should be on the short list?

Thanks!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Ive never used them, so cannot speak to their effectiveness. In my mind, they should improve the cargo capacity to some degree. At the same time, I cannot believe they would help the excellent handling characteristics of a canoe - either in or out of the water. That is the vessels' main strong points, IMHO.

With kids, well.... that's a very good point. Outriggers might be useful in that regard.

As an aside, when I was a kid ( and with my own children) there was but one way to be in a canoe: Wearing your PFD, sitting dead STILL amidship in the  bottom of the boat. A firm, white-knuckle grip on the thwarts was also engouraged. Doing otherwise would soon get you a brisk paddle whack on the head, and seamanly instructions to get back in your place...

For what it's worth, I dont recall any upsets occurring for doing it that way. 

Today, child discipline methods are, well... a bit more 'touchy feelie,' shall we say. Such practices are likely to be frowned upon as restricting a child's development... or something like that. Better you spend more money than to expect the little darlings to sit still. 

[JBplusThuy]

I like that paddle-whack on the head thing, but yeah, trying to get my kids to sit still is something like telling the wind to stand still :p

[Lord of the Fly , Rods]

Canoe ? small boat? why not the best of both worlds , a stable canoe.My fishing buddy has a 13 ' Gheenoe and he loves it, If you can find a used gheenoe, I bet it would fill all your needs,look it up on the net.   LOFR

[JBplusThuy]

I guess people love those things, there's only one on eBay and one on boat trader, both on the east coast. Looks like they have no authorized dealers beyond the midwest, so I have no great hopes of running across one in California.

They are kind of interesting looking, but are also just heavy enough that I'd probably have to trailer it, since I'd need to be able to handle it alone or with a nine year old.

Pricewise, they are in the same range as a Pelican Predator or KL Waterquest 10.2 (actually, can probably get those for cheaper). 

Strongly leaning towards a KL Waterquest 156 squareback canoe at this point because it's really my only option that wouldn't require a trailer. It's no featherweight at 95 pounds, but with the help of a throw rug, I should be able to get it on top oy a minivan by myself.

The one other option might be if a Bass Baby would fit into the back of an Odyssey (possible, since a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood will fit) but that might be kind of messy on the way home from the lake lol.

I really need a truck, but I'm sure that's out of the question :-)

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

The Gheenoe is something of a boutique boat. Their production has been on and off over the years and those that do have them like them. I've been trying to get my ex-BIL to sell me his for some time! He has had several strokes and cant be out in one, but he wont turn it loose. They've always been made in Florida, as far as I know, so are probably hard to find outside the SE US.

There are others like them, though. One of the members here, Troy, fishes from a similar boat around Augusta, GA. I cant recall the name oif his boat but it is just like a Gheenoe.

Personally I wouldn't let trailering a boat like this hold me back. Their weight is negligible and they are easy to launch. I used to fish from one in Florida... the same one my ex-BIL owns!

[dick tabbert]

I had a friend who had a canoe up north it was so tipsy he needed outriggers so he wouldn't tip. He actually made a pair of outriggers out of i think 6" pvc.