Anyone Have a Esquif Prospecteur Sport?

[lowangle al]

Randy, you seem to like the stability of the larger tandems and don't like the instability of the solos. One thing to think about is that you can learn to handle the larger boats in the wind, but I'm not sure if a tippy boat ever gets more stable over time. If you haven't studied or been instructed on how to paddle in the wind and don't know how it affects your boat or how trim affects things, you should. You just might find that with a little instruction that it isn't so bad paddling a tandem canoe solo in the wind, and you CAN have your stability and maneuverability too.

The Esquif P Sport looks to me like it was designed to be a solo WW tripping boat (judging by the orientation of the carry yoke) but can also be used tandem. Don't expect straight tracking though.

 

[Randy Stouder]

Randy, you seem to like the stability of the larger tandems and don't like the instability of the solos. One thing to think about is that you can learn to handle the larger boats in the wind, but I'm not sure if a tippy boat ever gets more stable over time. If you haven't studied or been instructed on how to paddle in the wind and don't know how it affects your boat or how trim affects things, you should. You just might find that with a little instruction that it isn't so bad paddling a tandem canoe solo in the wind, and you CAN have your stability and maneuverability too.

The Esquif P Sport looks to me like it was designed to be a solo WW tripping boat (judging by the orientation of the carry yoke) but can also be used tandem. Don't expect straight tracking though.

I’m getting the hang of working into the wind. My paddle strokes are getting better. I have thought about installing a sliding bow seat that would allow me to move more toward center when soloing while allowing for tandem paddling. At 36” wide in the middle the NCP is still a bit wide for soloing, but I have enough reach. Everyone has said install a kneeling thwart for soloing but my ankles cant take prolonged kneeling. I do kneel when approaching/in rifles and rapids, but pop back up to the seat for the flatwater.

 

[lowangle al]

Have you tried putting some weight in the front of the boat to hold it down.

 

[Randy Stouder]

Have you tried putting some weight in the front of the boat to hold it down.

Yes

 

[billconner]

FWIW there is a new Huron on auction at North Forest Canoe Trail.

 

[lowangle al]

How long is your paddle? I generally use a 60" but always have a 72" with me as a second. It used to be more for standing but now I use it more for wind. Maneuvering in the wind is almost all about leverage. If you can't move forward in the boat try a longer paddle.

 

[Randy Stouder]

How long is your paddle? I generally use a 60" but always have a 72" with me as a second. It used to be more for standing but now I use it more for wind. Maneuvering in the wind is almost all about leverage. If you can't move forward in the boat try a longer paddle.

My first was a wenonah wood 56” paddle i bought based on advice from Canoe Colorado where I purchased my prospector. Then I added a Aquabound Edge Whitewater 58” synthetic paddle—I use that paddle now for everyday. I also carry a bending branches double blade in a 280 length for power, speed and battling wind/adverse conditions.

 

[lowangle al]

I've never used a dbl blade in a canoe. I can see some advantages to it, but I don't think extra leverage is one of them. I'm sure you can get good leverage for a power stroke but unless you change your grip and move your lower hand up, extending your reach, you're not getting the extra leverage you need for sweep strokes. The more leverage you have for sweeps the easier time you will have, especially when the wind is somewhat broadside.

 

[Jordan Doner]

This is a better way of asking my question. Thanks!

Hey, sorry never responded!

To be honest, yes it will be a bit slower on flatwater because of the rocker and more fuller bow.. but it will be more capable on the river. For me, I'd rather have a slower boat on the lake and make up for that loss of speed with good efficient paddling than have less capability on the river. For me, I paddle a lot.. like every day during the season. So, I never have problems keeping up to others in the group because of my paddling ability/efficiency.

 

[Jordan Doner]

I’m in the market for a new canoe. Started paddling about 3 years ago. I’m 63, 6’ and 200 lbs. I paddle rivers—not much for lakes. Paddle on flattish, broad, slower moving western US rivers which are shallow with cobbles and rocks during lower water which is most of the year, but they can be exciting during snowmelt with 10X volume and some 3-4’ waves. My first canoe is a Nova Craft 16’ Prospector in tuffstuff expedition layup. Bought it thinking the predominant use would be tandem day and tripping on my local rivers—Colorado, Green, Gunnison. Turns out I solo it more than tandem as my wife prefers to paddle a ducky when we day trip together. I go solo with buddies more often. Skill level is low but growing slowly—I‘d love to go to a paddling school next summer!

I find the NC Prospector to be a bit slow to maneuver at times and subject to wind. I flip to boat around to solo but the seats are pushed to the ends of the boat so far that its hard to get to the middle to solo from the pivot point and its pretty wide too. Plus it rides so high I use a 5 gallon jug in front for ballast which doesn’t help the maneuverability. I like the NCP depth/dryness and the cargo carrying capacity for tandem tripping with tons of gear, but I really want a dedicated solo boat. So I went looking and I found a Nova Craft Supernova. Put it on a local pond a few times but it felt so dang unstable. Sold it.

Looking for a different canoe for my solo day trips and for solo tripping. Mostly going to stick to the rivers mentioned above, but I’d like to expand horizons a bit and travel—maybe smaller rivers with so swift water and more maneuvering. After looking over the bottom of my NC Prospector I started thinking tougher layup so turned toward the Esquif lineup. Not sure thats necessary but the tuffstuff does have a few breaches that will need to be fixed. I was thinking the shorter 15’ prospectors would be nimbler than my 16’ prospector and the seats more centered for easier solo use. I discounted the Esquif Prospector sport as it is more like 16’ and I thought the additional rocker would cause wind problems. I briefly considered the Pocket Canyon but it seems too whitewater oriented. I havent ruled out the NC 15’ Prospector. Am I on the right track here?

I've paddled a NC Prospecter 16 in TSE solo on a trip for a number of days.. and I will say, I do like my Esquif prospecteur sport better for a number of reasons. It isn't as deep, about an inch less despite what it says online. Most of the depth of the prospecteur sport is realized in the tumblehome. I don't find the prospecteur sport as affected by the wind as the NC P16 was. I would actually say, for a boat with 3.5" of rocker, the prospecteur sport tracks really well. I think this is due to the rounded bottom. I don't know how to express the feeling, but the prospecteur sport can pivot on a dime with ease, but it doesn't drift sideways from the wind like a lot of other boats I've paddled. It's odd, it truly is a great hull design.

 

[Jordan Doner]

I've never used a dbl blade in a canoe. I can see some advantages to it, but I don't think extra leverage is one of them. I'm sure you can get good leverage for a power stroke but unless you change your grip and move your lower hand up, extending your reach, you're not getting the extra leverage you need for sweep strokes. The more leverage you have for sweeps the easier time you will have, especially when the wind is somewhat broadside.

Yes, double blade is not the answer. I truly believe better stroke technique and paddling from the center of the canoe is!

 

[UCanoe_2]

I had the Prospecteur Sport out on Sunday, paddling tandem on a Class II river. I concur that it is an excellent hull design. It is maneuverable yet behaves well in wind. It is dry in standing waves and does not pound. It should do a good job serving its intended purpose as a weekend camp cruiser, or possibly hauling a deer out of a remote spot.

As mentioned in #16 above, the strongly curved sheer line causes the canoe to hit the top of my truck cab when the boat is on the rack. I think there is a solution to this problem, simply by cutting a pressure treated 2 x 6 to fit on top of the gunwale brackets. This solution will also require installing beefy dowels on the 2 x 6 to prevent the canoe sliding forward. Right now we are in the "proof of concept" stage of design. I will post the result in a week or two.

 

[gravis1982]

IMO its the best canoe on the market for anything you could ever want to do. If you ever need to go in huge water, skirt it. It's fine for lakes.

I have seen it go through class 3 water for days in skilled hands and then cruise on lakes. It's not slow, it just does everything well enough and its somewhat shorter length means is not actually that heavy. I would say though, you need to pack light with this one perhaps. But, you should be anyway.

Buy this canoe and never think about needing another better boat for the next 20 years.

 

[UCanoe_2]

Here is the Mark I Proof of Concept version of the Cab Roof Bumping Preventer mentioned in #32. It is basically a pressure treated 2x6 notched to fit between the Yakima gunwale brackets. The Preventer requires a means of restraining the canoe from lateral and fore-and-aft motion, normally a function of the gunwale brackets. Restraint is provided on the inboard side by 7/8" dowels glued in holes in the 2x6. Thanks to my measurement errors, an ugly piece of scrap lumber is screwed to the 2x6 as restraint on the outboard side. This gadget works, but the Mark II version will be prettier.