End of the season outfitter Canoe sales

[eyesonly]

Id like to try to purchase my first kevlar canoe at the end of the season from an outfitter in either Ely or the Gunflint. How fast do they go? There never seems to be anything left anywhere by November ive noticed. Would this be a good way to purchase a decent Canoe At a fair price ? How often do resorts and outfitters turn their inventory of rentals over ? I don't suppose one side or the other of the boundary waters has better deals than the other. Thanks a lot for any feed back that you can offer.

[Stick in Mud]

I haven't actually purchased a used canoe from an outfitter, but I've tried. In my experience, the best deals go pretty fast...a lot of them seem to be purchased right on October 1st or thereabouts, right when they come up for sale. If you can be first in line with first choice, you can do alright. Keep in mind, though, that those boats get USED.

Maybe take a look at factory blemishes. The blem canoes can be steals. I got a brand new Wenonah MN2 "blem" canoe in 2012 for $1800. And Souris River sells its blems in the spring at shows for something like $400 off retail. That'll put you back a bit over $2000 (depending on model, material, etc.), but if you take care of the canoe, you can sell it four or five years later for, I dunno, around $2000, give or take a few hundred. A friend of mine paddles nothing but almost brand new canoes; he buys blems, uses them for two or three years, and then sells them for sometimes a bit more, sometimes a bit less than what he paid for them. Folks online pay a lot--too much, sometimes--for barely used kev canoes.

[eyesonly]

I think your right stick. Id bet you have to be in the front of the line. My boy and I are going to try somthing different for Rifle season this year and paddle back to the lake Four area with a canvas tent and a wood stove and spend the week deer hunting and of course bit of walleye fishing this year weather permitting. We are really looking forward too it so maybe id find a deal then if I'm not too late. never thought of factory blemishes. Thanks for the tip. The MNII seems like an awesome tripping canoe and on my narrow list for this fall.

[chaffmj]

I'm not 100% sure but I think most outfitters turn them over every year. You don't have to be first in line there are enough canoes and outfitters to find a decent one.Check out the outfitters up in Ely like Spirit of the Wilderness. I know them but I'm sure the others up here are good too. The other thing to remember is that depending on the weather a lot of the outfitters close up for the winter in October.

[Stick in Mud]

Some outfitters turn them over every year, and some don't. Just have to call around.

Another option: I'm not sure if every outfitter does it, but sometimes you can rent a canoe and then, if you're happy with it, buy the same canoe minus the amount you've paid to rent it. So if the canoe will be on sale for $1800, and you pay $400 to rent it, you can get that canoe for $1400. Of course, if you don't like the canoe, then you're not getting any equity for that $400.

And good point, chaff, about the time of year.

[delcecchi]

Id like to try to purchase my first kevlar canoe at the end of the season from an outfitter in either Ely or the Gunflint. How fast do they go? There never seems to be anything left anywhere by November ive noticed. Would this be a good way to purchase a decent Canoe At a fair price ? How often do resorts and outfitters turn their inventory of rentals over ? I don't suppose one side or the other of the boundary waters has better deals than the other. Thanks a lot for any feed back that you can offer.

Piragis and maybe other outfitters list their used canoes on their web site.

[CigarGuy]

Try googling redrockstore, they have some used ones listed now.

[eyesonly]

Thanks Del. Ive been watching all the websites pretty close but I know I'm a tad early right now. Ive done 3 bdub trips now and I'm completely hooked. Would you guys mind throwing out your choice of a tripping canoe. Im stuck between the 17 and 18 ft. For a 7 day base camp trip the 17 ft seems a bit tight and fishing is always my favorite part of my trips. I really like the MN II but man they sure didn't leave the bow paddler much leg room if I'm thinking of the right boat.

[eyesonly]

Try googling redrockstore, they have some used ones listed now. [/quot

Thanks. I'm goona look right now. !

[Stick in Mud]

Thanks Del. Ive been watching all the websites pretty close but I know I'm a tad early right now. Ive done 3 bdub trips now and I'm completely hooked. Would you guys mind throwing out your choice of a tripping canoe. Im stuck between the 17 and 18 ft. For a 7 day base camp trip the 17 ft seems a bit tight and fishing is always my favorite part of my trips. I really like the MN II but man they sure didn't leave the bow paddler much leg room if I'm thinking of the right boat.

Asking canoeists about the "best" tripping canoe is asking for a fight.

Honestly, all the big brands make awesome, awesome boats. And each boat is going to come with its own set of pluses and minuses. The MNII is incredibly fast and light...but it can feel tippy to some people, and the lack of any rocker makes it more difficult to turn than other boats. The Souris River boats are very durable (they're made with more than twice the kevlar than Wenonah boats), but they're heavier.

Before figuring out which canoe to buy, first figure out what exactly you want in a boat. Stability? Speed? Load capacity? Roominess? Etc. etc. Each model of boat, no matter the maker, is going to have strengths and weaknesses. When you know what you want, then you'll be able to shop around more efficiently. You'll probably have to compromise a little bit (tough to get awesome stability and speed, for instance), but you'll get something closer to what you want.

[eyesonly]

Thanks Stick. Sound advice. I think im in the camp of stability and the amount of gear I can carry more than speed and agility. As I said I love to basecamp and usually bring more fishing gear then I should most of the time.

[Powerstroke]

I see this has been hashed out quite a bit so far, but I'll offer my two cents.

I bought a kevlar brand new and my friend bought the same boat used/refinished from the same outfitter the next year. I saved $300 by purchasing it ordering it off-season and having it delivered the the sportsman show in the cities so I did not have to pay to drive and get it or have it delivered. My buddy picked his up at the outfitter when he chose a 1yr old rental boat that was refinished. He saved $800 off new and the boat looked new.

Both of our boats are Souris River Quetico 17. I chose it after testing several boats. I did the paddle day here in the metro put on my REI and I also went to paddledaze in Ely where they bring more boats than you could ever care to try and paddle on Shagawa lake (I think).

The SR boats are more durable for the same weight and uses a different resin which makes it more flexible and easier to refinish.

The SR Quetico 17 is the same weight as a MNII and one pound heavier than the Wenonah Boundary Waters. The MNII is 1.5ft longer and thinner while the SR is wider. The BOundary Waters is a a copy of the SR design, but with the Wenonah kevlar layup. Apples to apples, this becomes a tough call when comparing the SR and the BW. In this case I prefer the heavier duty SR for the extr 1 pound.

Wenonah is a great boat and has a strong following based on their history. I just felt the MNII was too "tippy" for me and my wife and we are both 6' tall so room in the front is important to both of us.

As far as a boat that handles well loaded down, we have used our SR Q17 to take me, my wife and our two daughters at ages 10 and 7 and a springer spaniel all in the same boat for a 3 day BWCA trip. We paddled that boat across Lake Vermillion in some rougher than I would've liked waves and we hardly got a drop of water in the boat. I can't imagine needing more room, but I like to pack light. We routinely take 1 week trips.

I would say to try as many boats as you can. It will be worth it in the long run. The other boat I liked was a Bell, but they were hard to come by. Try a few boats and then look for a deal. I paid almost full price because I knew what I wanted and I still have that same boat 9 years later. I refinished it once and it looks brand new.

[Powerstroke]

I was leary of used boats because I know what kind of abuse a rental boat can take. I do not baby my boat and it showed after the first few years.

Now that I have seen the condition the boats can be with some TLC after the season, I would not hesitate to buy a used boat as long as I got to view it first and take it out. After seeing the amount of money my buddy saved, I probably could've waited another season.

If you know what you want, feel free to call some of the outfitters early, Money talks in small towns and if you'll offer the money ahead of time, the boat won't even make the for sale list.