Recent content by Tryin'

*inserts tongue in cheek* Fantastic, Glenn. Excellent selection of easy DIY procedures to alleviate common canoe tripping gear maladies. Remember kids, getting the right gear the first time can help save repair time and effort down the road. But sometimes, no matter what issued equipment you...

Yes, I don't think the integrated gunwales would support much weight hung. The tumblehome is another consideration. For instance, the Encounter cannot be shipped with a hung seat because of the extreme "bubble" on the sides of the hull. I have one, and even in the beefy Flex-Core layup, it has...

Not to beat the dead horse, but I got a partial reply back from Swift. Question: Second, what seating options might be available beyond the sidewall pods and pack-style model that was at the show? The pods are much too low to be suitable for large or large-footed paddlers to kneel, and...

Yes, so far, the Polaris is the closest to ideal I have used. I would like it a bit narrower in the paddle station, as I do not find heeled-over paddling to be my strong suit. I will look at the Ursa Minor, great suggestion.

Hey, thats a great idea. I will have to see if I can get the schedules lined up.

Great suggestion! Buttttt, 😄😄 That was LAST year's disappointment... I was set to buy a copy of Jeremy Vore's at canoecopia and Bill told me that it would be great empty, but it wouldnt be right for a tripping load. Thats when he first hinted at the upcoming P15 Solo. He also asked if I had...

Bummer. I was pulling for Josh to keep things going.

Maybe I'm crazy (and definitely ignorant) but what needs to happen to get the weight specs up? Are my wish-list specs too optimistic? Where are these optimum weight rating coming from? Yes, the answer is displacement. But how can we optimize that displacement to produce a good hull? (Uh-oh, I...

The Shearwater is a delight to paddle! My son uses it as his primary canoe with 210# man weight plus 65-85# gear weight. Empty, it works well for me at 270#, but throw another 80# of gear in it and there is not much freeboard left for moving water.

The Polaris IS very close, and maybe that should be good enough. I just wish it were *teeny* bit smaller. I know, wish in one hand.... 😁 I have not paddled a Starfire. I dont kneel all the time, I flip back and forth as my knees and back prefer. Rivers are great for that: sit on the flats...

Ha! I couldn't figure out why we were recommending whitewater playboats, but Gamma set me straight with the stripper comment. I remember the build thread. Raven I thought we were talking about: https://www.esquif.com/en/canoe/raven/ I dont have the time or space for a build right now, but...

I am hoping to stop by their place on our big American road trip this September. I spent some time with them on the phone last year, but its another one I have yet to find in the wild. Great reminder though, because their specs are almost bang on what I think would be perfect, other than the weight.

The Starfire is a bit short/wide, definitely a tandem-turned-solo feel to it. Not a bad compromise, but very clearly a compromise. The Eaglet is the closest, if a bit shallow, looking at the specs. Unfortunately, I've never seen one in person.

Well, for me, this boat was the biggest disappointment of the show. Its NOT a big man's solo, unless that man is a dedicated sitter, and a pack boat sitter at that. The bench seat is about 6-7" off the floor, making it impossible to get my feet underneath, even in sneakers. Swift had a packseat...

Esquif brought one to 'Copia. The two extra inches in depth is more visually striking than I would have imagined. It looks like a very different hull.