We design compact canoes for exploring with ease
Watching the folding-canoe/kayak market evolve since that first "Mycanoe" prototype in Knoxville TN has been a wonderful experience, and with this latest version, Mycanoe absolutely has a winner! Took me 5 mins to get from folded-up "suitcase" into the water my 2nd time out, and she handles great, packs up well, and is MUCH easier to carry around on commuter rail, bus, and subway than other folding boats I've tried. And she has the easiest build of all of them (I've tried three brands of folding boats, plus an inflatable.)
Mycanoe, you have a winner! Congratulations.
I just purchased 2 Solo2 canoes. It really does only take 3 minutes to put together! Also very easy to disassemble.
Highly recommend adding a trolling motor. Less than $150 CAD at Bass Pro. Easier to handle alone in a bit of wind with a motor and the battery as ballast in the middle. To turn sharp drag a paddle. When it's too windy to paddle use the motor to go upwind then retract it and drift back. Silently. No sore arms or shoulders the next day. No blisters. Go out every nice day to a different spot and change of scenery. We use Coleman stadium seats with back support that roll up.
Added a 30 lb thrust trolling motor for near silent, effortless gliding along at 2.5 mph for 2+ hrs with a sealed AGM battery. Very zen. 4 mph top speed. Motor can be mounted on either side.
Motor bracket is made from 1x4 (0.75" x 3.5") 48" long red oak from Home Depot. Cut 7" off and cut in two for clamps. Motor block is 7"x3.5"x1.75". Marine varnish on wood. Galvanized angle brackets are 3"x.75" cut and bent into a U shape to clip below gunwales diagonally. 5/16" threaded rod, nuts and loctite to wingnuts tighten motor bracket to gunwales. Threaded rod contacts and presses on 1.5" square mending plate on top of wooden motor bracket.
Regular canoes are tough to transport and handle alone. Mycanoe is no problem at all. Fantastic way to enjoy the water. The battery weighs more than the canoe. May get an LFP battery that is half the weight and twice the energy for twice the endurance. 5-10X the life of lead acid. LFP is much cheaper per energy stored and much easier to handle with half the weight. Will not overheat or catch on fire even if punctured. Long life is much better environmentally.
Canoe is assembled on grass and the motor bracket attached. Check the angle brackets are clipped under gunwales all the way. Then lift the canoe and bracket and put it in the water beside a dock so your feet don't get wet. Load the battery first to counteract the weight of the motor on one side then the motor and the rest from the dock. Outrigger floats aren't needed.
I'd been looking for over a year for a portable canoe or kayak that would hold two adults and a medium-sized dog. The MyCanoe Duo is better than I had hoped! Each time I set it up it goes a little faster; at this point having done it 5 times, I think my wife and I have it down to about 7 minutes. It's convenient to fit in the trailer storage of our 5th-wheel, and it handles just like the aluminum canoe I grew up paddling. We've been on lakes and even an ocean inlet in northern California, and even with some choppy water, it handles like a rigid canoe. My only regret is that I didn't find this sooner!
Shipped out fast but UPS let it sit at there transfer point in my state for 5 days. Got it in time for our camping trip with our small gasser Class A
To my shock I was able to stow it over a pass through with no wiggle room or any tolerance. Took a bit of figuring without reviewing the manual or utubes but that's my way. Was a long hike to and from the boat launch but we made many stops to and from and less effort to pull across the thick grass. I will making a strap on wheel set. The rowing clamps are a amazing design as the boat. Using the ores as canoe paddles are good but as rowers I was able to pretty much double the speed with muck less effort. The connection holes in the ores seem to be too close to the hand grips and smack together every stroke so it's a timing issue to keep pace. It will be difficult to retrofit the adjustment. Overall after countless small boat hours umder put seats both my wife and I beyond happy with this great addition to our RV'n adventures.
Received it yesterday and had to try it - so after I put it together at home to learn, I went down to the place to canoe and went on a careful paddle even though it was windy and the water was choppy.
Stability isn't perfect but it's not bad - I didn't get the extra seat attachment, so it will be an adjustment to get used to where the center of gravity sits in this.
It feels like sit on top kayak but sitting up higher.
Legs got a bit tired in the positions possible- can't switch to kneeling with the seat in. More stable when sitting cross legged.
Used a kayak paddle. Got wet/water in the boat, but not a big deal.
The wind/sideways choppy waves felt a bit more thrilling than ideal - the material is very light. But it wasn't worse than a sit on top kayak.
It's not hard to put together but the folding makes some crunching noises that I hope don't mean it will wear out!
If it holds up well, this thing is going to be incredibly fun for my casual paddles. I don't have a roof rack or big vehicle, and I'll often go alone on short paddles without easy vehicle access, so this is really simple. Can't wait to take it to Lake Louise!!
I'm not sure this is the #1 item for a die-hard multi-day scary river kayak paddler or someone who wants the most serene canoe ride on earth. But if you want something that isn't inflatable and just is tons of fun... as long as this is durable (time will tell), then woo. Wish the warranty was a little better after folding it a few times but I'll try to be gentle. This is a massive lifestyle upgrade for me.
Note: I shipped it to Calgary, Canada. Shipping was fast but customs broker fees & tax cost $147 CAD and that was a bit of a shock.
Considering the fact that I have not had a day off in two and a half months, and I was only able to pick up the package from the mail room, this is the review as I see it now.
Pros;
Clean, straight edges
Nice square corners
Structural integrity seems adequate
Nice color scheme
Cons;
Does not like water
Now, I have seen my share of boxes, a lot of boxes! But this box seems to be superior to most of them. I. Love. This. Box!
When I actually get some time to open my lovely box up, and see what the product inside is like, I may revisit this. But until then, I highly recommend this box!
I have been enjoying my new canoe very much in the 1st week I have owned it. Putting it together and dissembling it has been like wrestling an alligator but aside from the cursing, I have reminded myself it will get better and that it's not about strength, but leverage. That's been a help. It's quite a workout, but gets me ready to paddle! Being a 68 year old out of shape woman isn't the boats' fault! =:D
The boat feels very stable and solid when I'm paddling. The first few times out, it pulled to Port, but by concentrating on my paddling stroke and also bending the bow and stern "fin", this has been eliminated.
It's a great addition to my flotilla of boats. I own inflatables, a hard shell kayak and another foldable, a TUCKTEC kayak, so the concept is not new to me. It's great to have a bigger boat to take friends and family along with me.
Wow, I received my Solo 2 canoe a couple of weeks ago…what a marvel of simplicity! Once I got it out of the box and unfolded I was amazed that the folks at OriCanoe had figured out how to eliminate the black plastic slide on gunnels. This makes the Canoe so much lighter. simpler, easier and faster to set up, and launch! I was impressed with the Duo that I purchased last spring, but the Solo 2 is truly amazing.
Speaking of the Duo…to be fair the slide on gunnels are not that much of hassle to put on and take off. The sides of the Duo canoe are much longer and need the rigidity to prevent the sides from buckling out or in under pressure! The dual seats help there as well. I can bring a friend or two along and/or pack extra gear and supplies for longer trips in my Duo. I’ll just bet the OriCanoe folks will figure out how to eliminate the slide on gunnels on the Duo too! Hummm…DUO “2”. Repetitive?
Both canoes are great when bringing my Cheeweenie dog for a float. She loves checking out the various wildlife (aka people) and animals along the shoreline. (Oh wait, or is it the other way around?)
If you’re thinking about buying an OriCanoe or an OruKayak kayak (now that’s repetitive!) but aren’t sure about the quality, longevity or convenience; well worry no more! Quality is outstanding, convenience is amazing and real, but as for longevity, I haven’t had mine long enough to speak to that. But with 20K…that’s 20 thousand folds, that’s pretty reassuring that my OriCanoes are going to be around for a long long time!
Well, I hope this helps anyone thinking about buying one of these great and practical canoes or kayaks. Well worth the price for what you get! IMHO.
Received everything in a timely fashion, and all questions were answered promptly. Can’t wait to go canoeing!
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Mine arrived last week and I've used it twice on the lake. I only went out in calm water but it worked great. Fairly easy and quick to assemble. The folds are kind of stiff, especially if it's cold. It's so much lighter than the mycanoe duo that I have. I know someone asked about using it with a large dog. I don't think I would have room for my 40 lb dog and me and still be able to paddle comfortably. I am about 6'4 and #200. If you are smaller you might be able to make it work but I will use the duo with my dogs.
I have a small car and wanted a foldable boat. The Solo2 was the right price and a lot cheaper than other foldable boats. Everyone made fun of me, until I got it unfolded, in the water and took off. With the seat rest and a solid kayak paddle I was able to feel safe and comfortable out on the water. Haven’t tried it with any kind of waves- but in a very flat Lake Erie- it was perfect!
In terms of speed, I was left at the back of the pack. But when it came time to stability, no waves were able to scare my friend and I. The two of us were able to stand inside at the same time with ease while another two friends nearly tipped 5 times with the same waves. Barely needed to counterbalance when fishing!
Assembly and disassembly is super easy. You only need to practice it twice and you will be a pro at it. After folding the joints a couple of times, it practically folds and unfolds itself.
Cleaning is barely a chore. Using the disassembled cover as the floor is genius as I can just dip it in the water and any dirt just lifts off.
Field Tested
Canoe & Kayak tests out MyCanoe in tough
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Safety Tested
MyCanoe boats are TUV-Safety Certified and designed for open water paddling.