Old Town Discovery 169

Summary

I have owned one for about 20 years and don't have any complaints with the exception that it is too heavy. It has proven to be a dependable and durable canoe. The abs hull is very tough and slides over rocks instead of sticking to them. It is nice and stable (initial stability) yet can handle class 3 rapids. An excellent canoe for river canoeing and camping.

I've owned a Discovery 169 for over 20 years. It has proven to be a durable canoe. The thick abs laminate plastic is strong and has a memory. If you get a dent in it you can lay it out in the sun or heat it with a hair blower and the hull returns to it's original shape. I haven't put any dents in mine so I can't attest to that.

It does slide over rocks in the river while the aluminum and fiberglass boats tend to stick to the rocks. It has very good initial stability and seems roomy and comfortable (for a canoe). I have run class 3 rapids the the canoe, did very well both solo or tandem. I have plastic gunwales and ash thwarts, yoke and seats (cane seats or plastic webbing).

The webbing seats seem to last longer than the cane seats. I have had to replace both front and stern seats. I used it on a lake system similar to the bwca only on a much smaller scale. We went back to the most remote lake which required an all day portage and some carries at almost 2 miles. I got back there but I won't do it again unless it's a lighter canoe.

This canoe is best suited to river canoeing and camping. It holds plenty of gear. I have used this canoe every month and never had any trouble with it.