“Nice and light!”

“The Charles River Canoe is a factory 2nd. Practically speaking, that meant there was a 3-inch overlap fold in the Royalex Material at the bow along the gunwhale near the "Charles River" name. So that was a bit disappointing, but the flaw has no performance effects or real usage concern. Additionally, some of the gunwhale rivets were loose near the fold because of the issue, and perhaps may be repair work in the future. The boat itself was shockingly light in my view. It says it's 62 lbs. and that may be, but at 16'2", compared to my Old Town Royalex Camper at 16', the Charles River feels significantly lighter for some reason. Generally, I really like the boat. It's beautiful, and easy to paddle, and responsive enough for a recreation type boat. However, if you're interested in a boat with speed or whitewater capable arrangement, I would consider the Charles River more of a stable family boat, or river-camping/fishing boat more than an efficient speed racer-which normally is offset by tippy instability or secondary stability. Nonetheless, the boat itself, in my opinion-especially in red, is the most beautiful canoe on the market. That to me is an extra, but a nice extra. I myself am predominantly a canoe camper with week's gear, and at most, I run class II rapids in the canoe with all my stuff. If I want Whitewater, I'd grab a different boat.”