The Adirondack Canoe Company. Boreas is the model and comes in at 27 pounds. It's a 14' Carbon fiber canoe. But, it has 3 other hull material options with Kevlar being one of them. It's narrower than I'm used to so I will test paddle it and any other canoe I'd consider purchasing before I commit. I'm a flat water paddler and stick close to the shore. I don't take any unnecessary chances on large open water crossings.
Good idea to paddle. Give it a good go. If you fish, try casting and rebaiting, changing lures. Pull a fish in if you can. Elbow room and stability are important. Getting into a backpack, removing and stowing a shirt, lots of things you want to be comfortable doing.
Hey Tim, arthritis hit me a couple of years ago especially in the spine. For me, alternating between sitting and kneeling keeps me paddling, so I am limited to canoes with a hung seat now under 30 pounds. All my boats are outfitted the same, with Back-savers that help keep my spine aligned when seated. If you are looking for a solo in the 14 foot range, there are a plethora of models available. Many folks find the Boreas with a hung seat pretty tender, which you will be able to assess for yourself with a test paddle. I did not care for the scuff pad that they paint on the hull after it is out of the mold (hopefully that has changed). If your budget is in the $2000 range you might consider a used boat, as there are many that come up for sale during the season and you are located in a great part of the northeast for used canoes. If you take a day trip to Rochester, you can test paddle many solos at Oak Orchard Canoe, Bay Creek Paddling and Hemlock Canoe to get a feel for your preference and then keep a watch in the used market for a deal.
it's in storage for the winter, but basically instead of being hung directly from the gunwales, it has a 3" drop that is angled at about 30° towards the seat, and was installed with me sitting on the seat with my legs at full extension so my leg muscles don't need to be used to hold me in place, I just lock my knees
I've used UL kevlar Swift Kippawas (-40lb) extensively for my personal boat as well as my teaching fleet for over 20 years in Northern Ontario granite country, and found them more than capable for it- the fact that the have more flex in their layup where it counts helps as does strategic use of reinforcing layers in the stems and football, in fact they perform better than the old expedition layups did (+55lb) because they flex a little under a hard hit and absorb the forces, rather than the rigid expedition models that invariably cracked instead of flexing. we even ran them on the French and the Moon rivers which are notorious for wrecking canoes in their hard rock swifts and class 2/3's where the razor sharp rocks can do in weaker boats in minutes.
you can make your life easier by picking up one of those small 1/2gal hand-held pump sprayers and keeping it filled with a 10% bleach solution- just pull the boat up on shore (not on the grass, you'll kill it) spray it down inside, flip it over, and spray down the outside. Now stop for a coffee and let it dry some before picking it up (unless you like wearing white). Any CO coming by can easily smell the bleach and knows your boat has been "sanitized "
I do appreciate the offer. But, that would be a little more than I'd like to tackle. I did start making a traditional beaver tail paddle today. I purchased this book and made the patterns. I also roughed out the pieces for a laminated version in Ash and Walnut as they were the best choices of wood I have on hand.
Thanks for your input @snapper. I have looked at Hemlock Canoes, both models you mentioned. If the right used canoe comes along they would be on my short list. I love the area you're from. I used to ride my motorcycle out that way on day trips. No destination, just head in a general direction and turn back after 4-5 hours.
Thanks for your input @Cruiser. If money were no object. I would go test paddle and pick up a new Swift canoe today. It appears they are the best built canoe I've looked at so far. With any luck I'll find a great used one.
I have been building my own so long that I was shocked at the cost and rental fees TBH. I like the Keywadin series enough, that took the lines off a K pack 14 and have built a 15' version, with a 17' imminent ..... I wish you luck on your hunt
The cost surprised me too. Other than the OT Sanranac. My last boat was a "V" hull fishing boat. It was a 14" Sea Nymph with a 15hp Suzuki outboard and trailer. It was used. But, that only cost $2300.00
