Grumman canoes

silenthunterstudios

silenthunterstudios

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A friend of mine mentioned Grumman canoes. I plan on getting a metal canoe before December of this year, and plan on getting a ride on top kayak within the next two years. I've been reading several canoe magazines, and would like to get some more ideas from the knuts here. I'm also in the market for a center console type boat, which I hope to get in the next 3 years. I'd like to get a Boston Whaler, but I'm looking at other models. I've been lurking on boat forums (no, I haven't been posting at all there :)), and learning a little bit. Thanks in advance.
 
When I lived in Fl I had a ride on top kayak with huge storage compartments front and rear, for a solo person it beat a canoe hands down.
 
We had a Grumman canoe in the late 70s and it was an okay canoe, but there is better. We replaced it in the mid 80s with an Old town tripper of the same 17 foot length.

The aluminum was noisy, unforgiving, stuck to rocks like a magnet, and in cold weather was like sitting in an ice tub. With companies like Old town, Mad River and a few others you can get a boat better than the metal grumman. ABS laminate hulls will give you a better design shape.

I think the Grummans are not even made anymore, are they?

Since the kids are grown and gone we have downsized to kayaks and are having more fun with less to lug around.
 
Gruman canoes have a full length keel that will get you into trouble on a river, they are fine in a lake, but if you hit an eddy fence wrong on a river you will flip (personal experience). My mom has an Olt Town discovery 16' canoe, will handle any water including class 4 rapids with ease (provided there are one or two skilled operators at the helm). Old Town are much better boats, lighter and bounce back into shape if you bounce off of a rock (you might have to rent space in a freezer to make it go back into shape, but it will). Personally I am going to buy two "Outcast" "Fishcat 9" inflatable catamarans with rowing frames around the 15th of this month. Good luck in your boat purchase
 
I've run rivers from NYS to the Yukon. I agree with the above 2 posts. I'll also add i can repair (and have) my Old Town a hundred miles from a road and keep on running the river. Also a canoe tracks the best when the widest part is a little to the rear of center. Aluminums are made with the widest part in the center. That way they only need one set of machines to stamp out one set of parts and just flip one over to make the two sides. Cheaper for them harder for you. But hey swimmings fun too !
 
I see no advantage to aluminium canoes,they are noisey and require built in flotation compartments which take up valuable storage space.

I owned an Old Town Camper for 12 years and gave it away and replaced it with an Old Town Osprey 4 years ago.
In both cases the dealer also carried Mad RIver canoes but the Old Towns more exactly met my wants and needs.The Mad Rivers were slightly more expensive but that was not a factor in my case.
I would highly recommend either brand.
 
Gruman no longer makes canoes, on a side note, my wife used to work for Gruman in the IT dept, she used to get the occasional calls from people looking for Gruman boats/canoes. BTW I think it used to be called Gruman Aluminium.
 
Well they may not be ideal, but I have great memories of a Grumman aluminum from thirty years ago and more. That same canoe is still around today. I haven't been in it in forever but maybe with this thread as inspiration, this year I'll take it out for a spin.

Funny story about it, back then my Dad was career Army, which means "moved a lot." The Army wouldn't pay to move a boat, but they would pay to move Dad's seventeen foot aluminum "planter." That planter came camping with us all over the place. -Never was much good at growing flowers though. ;)

Thanks for the memories.
 
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