Wabash Valley Merlin

[wingnut]

http://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction...ID=15&confID=1
About 3/4 of the way through this thread Kona posts some pics of a Kunz designed merlin. This is a really nice looking boat does anyone know what happened to this design?

 

[Jim Dodd]

Saw one of these sell at MidWest's auction today. Way cheap in my book !

There are still original plans floating around. NorthWest Canoe's plans are not copies, but very similar, maybe better.

Jim

 

[wingnut]

It seems that there are a lot of Merlin variations out there. I've read that Kunz Designed some boats that Northwest canoe has plans for but I'm not sure about the Merlin. It looks like they used 3/8" x 3/4: for the gunnels on this boat and hung the seat from them.

 

[kona]

I sold that Merlin early this summer (mine was not the one at the MWM Auction). It was a very fast boat with hard hard tracking, zero rocker, bubble sided tumblehome, and cool Wabash Valley Canoes history. I wanted something more maneuverable and enjoyable to my taste (landed a 1991 Blackhawk Zephyr). I know the NWC plans have added rocker, plus ~6" length and maybe other changes. The most authoritative information I could find on the original Kunz Merlin (aside from plans that do circulate) is here:

 

[wingnut]

Thanks for the link Kona, It was a good read. I'll try to get in touch with Baldpaddler. I've seen him post on the Northwest canoe site.