How fast will a canoe go?

[Drowned Rat]

Anybody have an idea how fast an Old Town Discovery, about 110 lbs, canoe will go with a 5 hp motor on it. Or does anyone have a canoe with a motor this big on it. Just trying to get an idea how fast it will go and if it will plane or not. Thanks.

 

[18rabbit]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

It doesn’t matter how much the canoe weights or the hp of the motor. The only thing that matters is the height of the waterfall you are going over. Regardless of weight, all objects fall at the same speed. <br /><br />Sorry...too many cartoons as a kid.

 

[JB]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

A canoe is a classic example of a displacement hull, DR. Beyond a certain speed it would be unmanageable and very dangerous.<br /><br />I would think that 5 to 7 knots is about as fast as you can go, regardless of power.

 

[GatorMike]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

My answer to how fast will a canoe go would be It depends on how fast you can paddle.

 

[CCrew]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

I was thinking more like "Pretty fast if you're going over a waterfall!"<br /> <br />-Roger

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

Ok JB. I understand the displacement hull max speed formula, but here's a twist. Running this same canoe upstream on a river where the current is say 7 mph, which isn't that fast, and my canoe will make at best 5-7 mph, would I not make any headway at all. I can't imagine that 5 hp would not push hard enough to overcome the current even if it get a little squirelly. A 55# thrust Minn Kota pushes this same canoe about 4 mph and thats maybe 1 hp with low RPM and low pitch.

 

[Solittle]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

Years back I had a 17' square stern Grumman with a 5 hp on it. I never was able to go WOT with it. It got very damgerous very quick. Ran just fine with relatively low rpms. Don't even think about trying to go fast in a canoe. You will be upside down in a heartbeat.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

Thanks SoLittle. Yeah I don't really care about going fast, but I do want to be able to motor up stream against a stiff current. How do you think the canoe would handle this. With a 5 mph current your speed through the water might be 10 -12 mph, but your speed made good, over ground, only about 5-6. Do you still think the canoe would be unstable in this scenario? I know what you're thinking, get a real boat. I would, but I need the shallow draft, high load carrying capacity and portageability of a canoe, because there are serious rapids on this river.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

Which Discovery do you have ??????<br />There are Several Models,+ the bottom configuration is different on each 1.....<br />Some of the Disco's are Just Too Round Bottomed to put Any motor on......<br />I used a 45# Ele. motor on an Old Town Discovery 158,+ it went at a pretty good clip,atleast it was putting up a good Wake.... Problem is, Without Dagger boards of some sort, you Can't Turn.....<br />Later I tried a Disco 160, This is a Keeled,+ Chined hull.... It handled better, But Still needed Daggers....<br />5hp Sounds Awlfully Large......<br />3hp sounds Much Safer.....<br /><br />BTW, I once took a Wild Ride, at the end of a 50' rope,in a canoe, Behind a speed boat with a "Friend" at the wheel...... <br />Probably not over 35mph, But it Felt like 100MPH !!!!!!!!

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

Hi Bondo, This is a Discovery Sport 17' Square back, and it is rated for a 5 hp. Very wide, very flat bottomed. I'm sure that haveing this thing on plane would be dangerous if it would even do it, but shouldn't I get more than 5-7 mph before it wants to plane, or dive, or whatever it's going to do?<br /><br />So did the canoe plane while being towed?

 

[Ralph 123]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

bondo - is there anything about boats you don't know? Your breath of knowledge and experience is amazing! <br /><br />I would pay to see a canoe plane

 

[Bondo]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

I Know Exactly what the 17 Sport is.... <br />Ralph, You'd better Anty-up.....<br />Old Town does/has made the Sport in 13'@92lbs, 15'@110lbs,+ 17'@119lbs....<br />Cross-Linked Poly.. All Most Indestructable... Floatation is In the plastic, No Chambers....<br />The Square-Stern Canoes are Actually a Semi-Displacing Hull......<br />They'll Plane Quite Well....<br />I'm Really Guessing here, but you should see 8/12mph or More.....<br />What is the motor you intend to use ????<br />After reading your other post, I think you Might want to look into a small Outboard Jet...???<br /><br />And, Ya, the Canoe was Planeing..... Flying was More Like It.....

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

Thanks for the knowledge Bondo, I plan on taking the canoe upriver from lake mead into western Grand Canyon. The water is deep in most areas even through the few rapids I would have to run. The bottom is 100% soft silt, so I'm hopeing if I should hit it wouldn't do much more than polish the prop. I've got a honda 5hp water cooled and one of those new Briggs and Stratton engines which I've only had on the lake so far, just not on the canoe. The canoe is new and I have not had a chance to try it out.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

I've never been on the Colarado, So I have No Idea what kind of Water you're talking about....<br />You're not going to get up over much of a Rapid...<br /><br />At Least None of the 1s I've seen on TV.....<br /><br />Be Careful, because it Doesn't Sound Safe......

 

[kd6nem]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

DR, remember the bottom line about the stability of your canoe in terms of how fast assume proper loading and water speed. Stability could not possibly care less about how fast the bank seems to be going by. I've run mild rapids in a canoe before. I'd prefer to be in something wider and more stable than most canoes. Can be done, but at max speed going upstream?.... Sounds frightening to me.

 

[Drowned Rat]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

Here is a picture of the "rapid" I'm talking about. It's actually not more than a riffle. All the bigger ones are further upstream and I would portage them.

 

[Maximerc]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

Have pulled a canoe behind a speed boat I think we hit about 18 MPH we tied the rope around the hull and pulled from about 1/3 back from the frontfrom the bottom to keep the bow up . sat in back and ruddered it smooth lake no one around very short distance ! very tippy. throws water really neat from the bow though. younger days !! LOL

 

[rodbolt]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

Hello<br /> we used to use them to surf waves here when I was young. was wild if you were on the bow hung out in front of the wave. had some killer wipeouts. I think the fastest I ever saw a canoe was about 80mph. it had just left the roof and was following my buddies car very nicely down I-35 outside of waco TX.<br /> good luck and keep posting.

 

[Bondo]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

I think the fastest I ever saw a canoe was about 80mph. it had just left the roof and was following my buddies car very nicely down I-35 outside of waco TX.

Ya,<br />But was it Planing ?????<br /><br />Ralph's Gotta Know....

 

[lilthundr]

Re: How fast will a canoe go?

I think your biggest problem will be to try and keep the nose of the canoe out of the water. Like another reply stated, a canoe has a displacement hull and is not capable of planing.<br />If you can overcome that little issue, you can go as fast as your nerves will allow you.<br />Also, I would add a Stingray or Doelfin to the motor for extra stability and handling.<br />Check with the Guiness World Record to see how fast a canoe can go.<br />(Sorry, I could not resist that one)