Canoe News- Merrimack Canoe Company - limited edition handcrafted canoes and accessories

"News and items of interest about the Merrimack Canoe Company"

- July 2010 -

WOW- Father and son team of David and Bo Lester have just finished paddling the entire Mississippi river in their Merrimack Traveler "Budmaster".... in less than six weeks! Visit their wonderful website for great pictures of their trip, and the story behind the trip. We congratulate them for an amazing accomplishment! Visit their website: budmaster.org

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Now offering shipping to Rotterdam , Netherlands ! We have made special arrangements and can now offer delivery to Rotterdam for only $295 (U.S.). Shipping originates in Houston, Texas. We will handle the arrangements! Email Jim for more information.

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Hi Jim,

Yesterday, Sherry and I launched our Tennessean on the Lower Suwannee River a little upstream of Manatee Springs Florida. We had a wonderful day on the River. The Tennessean is the perfect Canoe for us.

This time of year, the River is generally running higher and faster than normal We began our maiden voyage paddling upstream with a slight headwind. I am pleased how nicely the Tennessean tracks. You sized our cherry wood "Beaver Tail" paddles perfectly for us. The seats are very comfortable. Sherry loves her seat back and really enjoyed turning it around facing me on our return down river paddle.

I am pleased how nicely our Tennessean transports on the roof of Sherry's Honda. I had no problem portaging to and from the River bank; in fact, I was quite comfortable with the lightweight Tennessean on my shoulders.

Sherry came home loving our new Merrimack Tennessean every bit as much as I do. We plan to take our Pup Philby with us next week. We are headed to the Okeefenokee Swamp in Georgia.

Thank you Jim, for your patience in helping Sherry and I with our selection. You have a fine company with a rich tradition. Merrimack Canoe Company, as I see it, typifies that which is best about American Enterprise. We wish you continued success and hope you enjoy the pictures of our memorable day on the River.

Tom and Sherry L. Feb. 2010

(Tom & Sherry run a first-class rental and guide service in Cedar Key, Florida.

Visit them here: http://www.kayakcedarkeys.com/ )

Tom and Sherry with new friend

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This just in from Ben R. of Lafayette, LA:

"First and foremost, it was a real pleasure doing business with the Merrimack Canoe Company. I searched through just about every canoe ever made looking for something in preparation for a Boundary Waters trip that I could also use in the Louisiana swamps. I couldn't be more pleased with my Merrimack Prospector.

I've just returned from a two week expedition in the BWCWA and I've been using it solo in the swamps every weekend. My double kevlar hull was a dream to portage, even over back to back 100-200+ rod portages, and handling it solo in the swamps is cake. I even had added weight while portaging due to an unexpected benefit of Merrimack's construction. The inner and outer gunwhales leave small slits between the cherry ribs; perfectly sized for velcro straps which I used to secure my paddles and fishing rods to the boat while portaging.

She swallowed up the biggest, heaviest packs of 2 weeks worth of gear for 4 people no sweat, and as is told in the description, the more weight, the better she tracks. We were amazed how she cut right through the waves. The flip side of that is the canoe's only weakness. Paddling solo with no weight, she's harder to handle in the wind than others. But you can't have your cake and eat it too, it's a deep boat. An experienced paddler can manage.

As far as durability, my Prospector definitely has some "character" now after the Boundary Waters, but nothing like the gouges and planing we started noticing on the keel of my buddy's Royalex hull.

The large seats are so comfortable, we never even once thought about sitting on life jackets or other padding. And of course the sheer beauty of the thing is sure nice for the ego as she's admired everywhere I go.

Bottom line, for those deterred by the price, my Prospector was worth every penny and more."

Ben R. and friends July 2009 Merrimack Prospector

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Actor Kevin C.

paddling his Merrimack at home in Colorado.

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Ken Geiger/National Geographic

Want to take pictures like this?

We recently received this stunning photo from Merrimack Osprey owner Ken Geiger. Ken is a Senior Editor at the National Geographic magazine. He also hosts the Digital Photography blog at National Geographic.Com. If you have an interest in photography, and to see how Ken set up for this shot, check this out !

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(new) Seat backs! See them here. Paddle Bags! See them here

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See our newest print ads here !

These ads are currently running in various national and regional publications:

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New Feature: "Meet Merrimack Canoe Owners" our "refrigerator door" collection of pictures of our customers with their Merrimack canoes.

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Fish Tale :

"Hi Jim, here are a few pictures of my recent trip to Austin, Texas to visit my daughter and son-in-law. My Osprey rode on the top of my car like a champ. It is 700 miles to Austin and I had no problems at all. Drove the 70mph speed limit.

My son-in-law Tom and I fished for several days. The first day was a 9 mile canoe float down the Colorado River, which flows right through Austin. Tom would stand in the front of my Osprey and sight and cast for fish. Once found, we would either fish from the canoe or wade in the shallows.

The second day we fished a small isolated pond. The banks were covered with vegetation. My Osprey allowed us to access fishing spots that couldn’t be reached from the banks. We caught large mouth bass, huge brim, and Guadalupe Bass which are only found in the Texas hill country. Several times both Tom and I stood in our Osprey at the same time to fish. Not once did we fall or tip over! The Osprey was certainly the right choice for this type of fishing.

We had a great time and the Osprey made the trip just that much more fun."

Phil Johnson

Phil and Tom in Austin

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Just released: "Beginner's Guide to Paddling" This free, downloadable 26 page guide was jointly produced by PaddleDogNation.com and the American Canoe Association (ACA). Check it out here: Beginner's Guide to Paddling

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We got this note from a long-time Merrimack owner recently and wanted to share it:

"I bought my Osprey more than twenty years ago as a replacement for an old 13 foot wood and canvas canoe I had used for many years. I fell in love with the way it looked when I first saw it. Like my old canvas covered boat, it looks the way a canoe is supposed to look. I have owned several other canoes over the years, but none have matched the Osprey for performance as a fly fishing boat. It is light and responsive, easy to paddle, easy to carry, and the extra beam makes it very stable. I have been caught out on large lakes in heavy weather a number of times, and this little boat brought me safely to shore every time. I have two daughters in their thirty's who learned to canoe in this boat, and two teenagers at home now who like it so well they want me to buy another one. I also want to mention how happy I am with the people at Merrimack. Like I said, it's been more than twenty years since I bought my boat, but when I called about getting some materials needed for a cosmetic repair I was treated like I bought the boat a week ago. Thanks, Andy Fults"

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Are you a bird-watcher? Check out this very interesting article titled "Birding by Canoe" by Larry Rizzo, on the Missouri Department of Conservation's website:

"Birding by Canoe"

Check This Out :

Very resourceful and clever Merrimack owner Larry Graubner turned his Traveler into a sailing canoe, and he shares with us how he did it ! Complete with detailed photos.

Click here: Sailing Merrimack

Canoe sailing