Just saw this post.
Thanks for the reference bhchdh.
This is what I do:
This photo show everything set up to hit the road; except my helmet which is on the cooler in the middle of the boat. The taillights on the boat are mounted to a PVC pipe |____| (extended U) that I made specifically for that purpose. That thing hanging down off the stern of the boat is a red rag that I use for a towing flag.
This photo shows everything set up to hit the river. The trailer and related items are packed in the black canoe pack which is packed in the canoe on the far side of the rear wheel of the bike. The green backpack is my tackle box/fishing related stuff.
One thing about carrying the bike this way is if windy conditions are encountered the bike acts like a sail, which can make handling the boat a real PITA.
The bike is an Electra Townie3.
I think more gears closer together would be a better choice. But this is the most inherently stable bike in my small collection, so gets the nod for towing one of the canoes or kayak. This isn't what I had in mind to be using this bike for when I bought it. If I had this to do over again I would probably go with a Townie8i, or consider a Surly Pugsley.
The trailer is a Wike Woody Wagon.
http://www.wicycle.com/canoe_woody_w...le_trailer.php
One slight modification that I made was to lengthen the top of the "T" of the drawbar to fit the with of this canoe where I like to position the drawbar.
When I got this trailer I also opted for the alloy wheels and canoe pack.
This is a very modular trailer. It breaks down to fit in the canoe pack with room to spare. The downside to this trailer being so modular is that there is no good way to lock it up and leave it where you put in.
If I were going to do this over again I would look at trailers that attach to the bike at the rear axle rather than the seatpost for stability while towing.
The canoe is an Old Town Guide 147.
http://www.oldtowncanoe.com/canoes/g...guide_147.html
This canoe weighs in at 74 lbs. With another up to 75+ lbs. of gear for one of my hunting/fishing trips; it tows fairly smoothly if I load the canoe so the trailer tows a wee little bit bow heavy. Too much weight either way will make the bike handle pretty squirrelly.
If I were going to buy another canoe specifically for this I would want the same size, or maybe a little larger, but I would consider a lighter weight boat.
My kayak is lighter weight than this canoe, so tows easier, but, not having as much room, is less versatile. When I take the kayak I have to put in somewhere I can leave the trailer without worrying about it. There just isn't room in the kayak to pack up the trailer and take it with me like I can in the canoe.