Hornbeck(Lost Pond) Boats

[Peakbagr]

We finally sold our 17' Mad River Explorer canoe. Too big, too heavy, and too much space in the garage for us. My spouse wants a kayak, but I'm thinking about an alternative for me...Been looking at Hornbeck boats for a long time. At 10' to 12' and weighing 12 to 15 lbs, a boat that would be perfect for ADK ponds and lakes. Carry it in to Flowed Lands, etc, and better to fish out of than a kayak. Good to access some trails and moutains on the other side of lakes(Henderson, Duck Hole). I picked up their Black Jack in the ADK warehouse the other day. 12 lbs. Could lift it like a small bag of groceries.

I know there are a few here who have a Peter Hornbeck boat. Care to comment on how you use them? How do they turn on slow moving rivers?
Paddle with dog or gear? How manuverable are they?

Thanks,

 

[Nessmuk]

We finally sold our 17' Mad River Explorer canoe. Too big, too heavy, and too much space in the garage for us. My spouse wants a kayak, but I'm thinking about an alternative for me...Been looking at Hornbeck boats for a long time. At 10' to 12' and weighing 12 to 15 lbs, a boat that would be perfect for ADK ponds and lakes. Carry it in to Flowed Lands, etc, and better to fish out of than a kayak. Good to access some trails and moutains on the other side of lakes(Henderson, Duck Hole). I picked up their Black Jack in the ADK warehouse the other day. 12 lbs. Could lift it like a small bag of groceries.

I know there are a few here who have a Peter Hornbeck boat. Care to comment on how you use them? How do they turn on slow moving rivers?
Paddle with dog or gear? How manuverable are they?

Thanks,

I have the first generation carbon/kevlar that Pete started making before the all carbon BlackJack. 16 pounds 10.5 feet and it's a bit stiffer than either the original kevlar or the newer BlackJack. I use it with a Knupac backpack, with a rigid rod connecting from the bottom of the backpack to the gunwale near the stern. This gives me a hands free rigid backpack mount and good visibility ahead. I bushwhack/pondhop and find it very easy and comfortable to carry long distances. There's nothing like reaching a beautiful remote pond after a long hard bushwhack. The best part is you can actually enjoy being out in the pond instead of swatting bugs stuck on the shore.

Last year I paddled, bushwhacked and trail portaged solo 185 miles from one side of the Adirondacks to the other, Boonville to Lake Champlain. I traversed an incredible variety of conditions on land and all types of waters. The system held up and performed very well.

I find the boat to be both straight tracking and highly maneuverable. It's all in how you handle it, how you lean your turns and control your paddle blade. It is not as fast as a longer canoe of course, but if I'm not terribly overloaded I don't have any trouble keeping up with most tandem rec paddlers. I often carry a heavy backpack which slows things down a bit. Usually I'll split the load, carrying most of it behind me and a small bag up in the bow for better weight trim. I don't think a dog in the 10.5 foot canoe is a good idea, but maybe in the 12 footer it would be ok.

The biggest problem I have is on open water in moderate waves. The boat cuts through waves just fine, but it sits so low in the water that any spray tends to be blown back inside. Carry a sponge to sop up any accumulated water. For my trip last year on big water I made a spray cover using coated nylon, snaps, and foam tube "noodles". It worked great and kept the spray outside where it belongs.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

You might also consider the Hemlock Canoe Works Nessmuk.

I have no experience with either company, but I am aware of Hemlocks excellent reputation for building quality boats.

 

[Waumbek]

I have the same version Nessmuk does. I don't portage with it, just throw it in the back (not on top) of the pickup and head out to a pond or lake. No need to tie it down. It takes a bit of getting used to in order to track it straight. Mine wouldn't handle anything but the very best behaved dog, however. It does ride low in the water. The beauty of it is that you don't think twice about the hassle of taking it along=you use it more often. It soon becomes the first boat you go for. Newer generation models are no doubt superior and hopefully less expensive.

 

[Peakbagr]

Thanks for the great replies.

Nessmuk, how did you attach the cover to the gunwales? What are the foam tube noodles you referred to?

Thanks,
PB

 

[Nessmuk]

Thanks for the great replies.

Nessmuk, how did you attach the cover to the gunwales? What are the foam tube noodles you referred to?

Thanks,
PB

The noodles are those flexible 2-3 in diameter solid foam tubes for kids. Find them in any kids toy section. I use them to form a dam barrier against water spilling on me at the edge of the cover. For the front one I inserted a small wooden dowel to keep it stiff. The rear one bends over my pack, as you may be able to tell from the photo. I used heavy duty snaps, much like those on a jacket, to fasten to the wooden gunwales. Find them in the hardware store. Since they are screwed into the gunwales, the wood screw kind wouldn't work on the rolled carbon edge gunwale of the BlackJack. Maybe velcro would work but glueing full strips of it would be messy. There is some guy in Michigan who fabricates covers for the Hornbeck. He charges $295 and it is not custom fit for any pack that may extend above the level of the gunwales, as mine does. I made mine for about $30 in materials (mostly for the snaps). When not needed or when portaging, both front and back sections roll up together and are stored in a bag fastened with velcro in the bow.