Nova Craft Prospector 16 SP3

Hello. Here I have (very reluctantly) for sale my green Nova Craft Prospector 16 SP3 canoe. This is an absolutely marvellous canoe, which is currently retailing for over £900. I have had this canoe for about 4 / 5 years, when I first started canoeing, and it has never let me down on performance. In fact this canoe has seen me from rank beginner, right up to 4* standard on white water! Canadian manufacturer, Nova Craft produce some of the finest canoes in the world.

The quality of this canoe is superb, with a lovely deep-dish carrying yoke and well spaced seats. The length of the canoe is just under 16 foot long. Since I have owned this canoe, I have undertaken several modifications (outfitting), to improve the usability of this canoe. This has included: - Fully lacing the canoe. On the inner side of the canoe, I have added plastic sheathing to the lacing, so that it can be used to clip gear securely into the boat.

- Added bow and stern air bags. These will come with the canoe, and provide added buoyancy. - Added bow and stern painter. These are lengths of floating rope, which can be used to tie up the canoe. - Added a quick release kneeling thwart.

I have mainly paddled this solo (although it makes for an excellent tandem canoe), so installed a kneeling thwart towards the centre of the canoe. To minimise the risk of entrapment whilst paddling on white water, I made this thwart 'quick-release', which you can see in the photos. So its an added safety feature, just in case you capsize... Please note that this canoe has been well used, so there are a lot of scrapes on the hull from river running. None of these are deep or through to the core material, and certainly don't affect the performance of the canoe. However this canoe has been well loved.

It has always been stored in my garage out of the weather and properly hung from the roof of my garage on its gunwales (upside-down), so no risk of damage from incorrect storage. Scratches aside, the overall condition of the canoe is perfect! The wood is clean and well preserved and there is no oil-canning to the hull (These tough Nova Craft canoes do not oil-can, which can be a real problem with canoes where the canoe has an inverted bulge in the hull). There are no holes, and there is absolutely no leaks or cracks etc. This canoe is nigh-on bullet proof!

As I have said, this canoe is well suited to solo paddling and tandem paddling. I have also had three people in the canoe and occasionally two adults and two children, so this would also make for an excellent family boat. I and my family have loved this canoe and will really miss it. The only reason why I am selling it is because I now have another prospector, so don't have a justification for two! Manufacturers description:Our new SP3 canoe is a combination of the toughest Superlinear polyethylene available and an expanded foam core.

The exterior Skin provides incredible impact and abrasion resistance while the foam core provides exceptional stiffness without adding as much weight as a single layer canoe. The foam core also has the added bonus of making the hull naturally buoyant and providing insulation from cold and noise. One tough package that’s now available in our classic Prospector shape at an affordable price. Specifications (and a host of reviews) from:http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php/1560-Nova-Craft-Prospector-SP3-review Length 15’6”Width 35” Depth 14.5” at centerBow & Stern Height 23”Rocker 2”Weight 80lbCapacity 900lbs Uses Recreation, River Tripping, and Whitewater If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. Due to the size and weight of the canoe, this will be a collection item only... I also prefer cash on collection.

Happy bidding!