boat advice: solo canoe for 1-2 week river trips?

[frozentripper]

IIRC Kevin Callan has had a finish put on somehow in red plaid which qualifies for the Most Garish Canoe Achievement Award... that thing is worse than sticking red-hot needles into eyeballs and I am not gonna post any photos to save people the trouble of trying to unremember it.

Back to picking out something light and durable, since NovaCraft and Prospector were mentioned. Below is the link to MEC's truly horrific torture test for NovaCraft's Tuff Stuff Prospector, probably posted before but I wasn't around at the time. The Revenant of canoe test-paddles with the Prospector still paddleable after getting the living daylights pounded out of it. Other canoe builders also have expedition models and might be expected to be made out of the right tough stuff, although lighter will most likely be less durable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cXsXRcRgD6Q




dang...

... we didn't have Tuff Stuff...

 

[Guest]

You mentioned that your Wilderness RX oil cans. I've not had that problem with mine. Now my Adirondack RX, on the other hand, has a horrific flex even with a heavy load. Any suggestions?

Live with it?

The least onerous oil canning solution I have seen is to wedge/glue a thick chunk of minicel between a thwart or seat frame and the floor as a pliable bulkhead, but I’d rather live with the oil canning than occlude the area under the seat or reduce the storage volume and packing ease with a chunk of minicel under a thwart.

The stiffness of an RX hull is a relative thing. In the good old day of Royalex companies could spec the thickness of their RX sheets for each model, and of course the thicker the sheet the heavier the canoe (see old Blue Holes for an example of really thick RX, a sub-16 foot OCA or OCV weighed a good 70 lbs)

The thinner RX sheet on the Wilderness is indicated by its length/weight; ie a 15+ feet long canoe that weighs 47 lbs. Tuff-weave would have been much stiffer, and 3 lbs lighter.

Even within the same make/model/year the stiffness of a Royalex canoe can vary considerably. We have a tandem RX Mad River that was built in SC soon after the move from NC. MRC had problems with their reassembled oven and some RX foam cores didn’t cook/expand properly. The bottom of that hull has the stiffness of a rubber raft.

 

[Canotrouge]

I would go composite, I would go with 16 foot, I would go with something in the prospector style. I have this canoe, 16'1" Composites Creation Expedition, 55lbs and it as been a great canoe and super tough, I use that boat like I stole it, so it's been abuse and so far so good!!

But there is a lot of other great composite boat out there!!

 

[UPpaddler]

Regarding the Wilderness and oil canning... I haven't noticed oil canning in mine either...it's a 2008. Seat placement on the other hand was a challenge. I kneel almost exclusively, except when I have the need to stretch my legs. Original seat placement was poor for sitting and horrible for kneeling. I moved the seat back about 4" so it is right up against the rear thwart and it trims out pretty well when kneeling, as long as most of my gear is behind me. (btw, I'm ~175lbs)

I am suspecting that Wenonah had quality control issues with these boats as their tendency to oil can seems to vary from boat to boat (owner to owner). Seat placement on the other hand, seems to be universally considered bad. Has this been remedied with the new boats? I don't know.

It's not my dream boat, nor is it even my favorite, but now that I've got it figured out and the seat in a better place, I find it to be a pretty good boat.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Lighter may not be less durable. Lighter will lighten your wallet.

There are some very good lightweight ( sub 30 lbs) whitewater boats by Millbrook Canoes.

The secret.. its in the layup schedule. While some makers only throw blankets of fabric in others reinforce with footballs and partials.. And the infusion method that is lighter and more precise costs more.. Resin does not give more strength and extra only adds pounds.

Millbrook also makes several light tough tandems quite suitable for solo tripping

http://www.millbrookboats.com/tandem.htm

I'd not hesitate to take my 38 lb Colden Dragon Fly down Class 3 if I had the skill.. Its carbon kevlar and glass and has quite a few (31) full and partial fabric pieces.

 

[Magnus919]

Oh, look what I found nearby...

 

[Magnus919]

I've already got a note off to the seller. Might have to make a drive to Chapel Hill tomorrow.

 

[yellowcanoe]

[FONT=&quot]It's to detailed and beautiful to use as a canoe on a river. This is an amazing antique and piece of American history.[/FONT]

Just nod and say yes... You will hang it on the wall..Not( LOL).. It needs to be in a river.. Merrimacks are a tad touchy to fix as the wood "ribs" are a veneer. It is a composite boat with the veneer to look more traditional. Not an antique..Not mass produced either..

Just never say where you live. The seller might have a heart attack to see you paddling it..

 

[Magnus919]

Wife is talking me back down to earth... "keep saving for the boat you really want" and "get something lighter than that for your back and knees". She's got good points. I think I have to make a run up to my dad's place in Pennsylvania after the holidays to bring my OT Camper down here to keep me sated for the time being. My kayak isn't cutting it and is likely to hit Craigslist in the Spring when people are itching to get out on the water.

 

[Nodrama43]

There are several solo boats that will cart enough gear for two weeks, but because you want to sit we need err towards wider ones. DragonFly and SRT are narrow with rounder bottoms and Supernova also has a round bottom, not exactly what sitters feel most comfortable in. Wilderness, Northstar Solo and Phoenix come to mind but the first two exhibit significantly less rocker than cataloged. Swift's Shearwater, Clipper's Caribou and Merrimack's Baboosic should do the job. I've a comprehensive list of solo canoes that may prove helpful. email charliewilson77@gmail.com for electronic copy.

Charlie I sent you an email.

 

[BWCA66]

I've already got a note off to the seller. Might have to make a drive to Chapel Hill tomorrow.

Looking at those pics I think that is a 17' Traveler model and the yoke is on backwards.

 

[Guest]

Wife is talking me back down to earth... "keep saving for the boat you really want" and "get something lighter than that for your back and knees". She's got good points. I think I have to make a run up to my dad's place in Pennsylvania after the holidays to bring my OT Camper down here to keep me sated for the time being. My kayak isn't cutting it and is likely to hit Craigslist in the Spring when people are itching to get out on the water.

If your run to Pennsylvania takes you anywhere near Harrisburg I highly recommend a stop at Blue Mountain Outfitters (in Marysville, just across the river from Hburg).

http://www.bluemountainoutfitters.net/

Best outfitter shop in the mid-Atlantic region, owned and staffed by solo canoeists. Have a look at their canoe inventory and see if anything strikes your fancy.

http://www.bluemountainoutfitters.net/Pdf_files/canoe_web.pdf

 

[Magnus919]

Great info. I'm running up to Philadelphia to grab my OT Camper. I'm also planning on getting up to PA again in June for WPASCR. The idea is that I should have enough budget by June to commission any boat that I'm likely to fall in love with there.

 

[Guest]

Great info. I'm running up to Philadelphia to grab my OT Camper. I'm also planning on getting up to PA again in June for WPASCR. The idea is that I should have enough budget by June to commission any boat that I'm likely to fall in love with there.

BMO is always worth a stop. Give yourself an hour to thoroughly wander the store. If the staff isn’t busy describe your ideal tripper desires and pick their brains. Their business model is based on putting people in the right boat for the paddler’s purposes, not in selling what is sitting in stock or needing to move off the floor. That makes for happy customers, who keep coming back.

WPASCR is a great idea. Even if you don’t fall in love with a solo boat represented there it will give you a wonderful education about what general hull shapes and designs you are most comfortable* with. I know Mr. Durness included WPASCR solo canoe trials during his search, although he ended up choosing a factory customized Wenonah Wilderness.

*As a sitter with a bad back and knees two critical pieces of comfort outfitting for me are a foot brace and a back band. The foot brace can be a factory install (or an easily DIY installed Wenonah adjustable foot brace) and I really like this Surf to Summit back band, which doesn’t interfere with torso rotation and attaches quickly & easily via four pad eyes.




EDIT: This simple, adjustable foot brace. I put a sleeve of foam pipe insulation around the bar for foot comfort and grip.

Looking at those pics I think that is a 17' Traveler model and the yoke is on backwards.

Old (1995) info puts the Traveler at 69 lbs and the Baboosic at 50.

I always liked the Baboosic as a day rivertripper. Not just the looks but the paddling performance as well. I too am glad to hear that it is still being made.

The Baboosic was an interesting boat in the wind. Even when I wasn’t actually paddling it.

I did a bow over rescue of a capsized Baboosic on a broad windy river. While I was towing the drained and upright canoe back to shore the wind kept rolling the empty Baboosic onto its side, where it would take increasingly large gulps of water over the gunwale.

I might have found that more amusing had not one of my sons, misunderstanding my hasty mid-river instructions, tied the Baboosic to my stern painter, where I couldn’t release it.

 

[Nodrama43]

If your run to Pennsylvania takes you anywhere near Harrisburg I highly recommend a stop at Blue Mountain Outfitters (in Marysville, just across the river from Hburg).

http://www.bluemountainoutfitters.net/

Best outfitter shop in the mid-Atlantic region, owned and staffed by solo canoeists. Have a look at their canoe inventory and see if anything strikes your fancy.

http://www.bluemountainoutfitters.net/Pdf_files/canoe_web.pdf

very very dangerous place to take your wallet......but also if you want it they probably have it....

 

[clemency]

If the OP happens to head south, I've got an Rx Wilderness in Columbia SC if he wants to try it out. Doesn't even oil can. And our LCS* had one in Tuff-weave up in the rafters last I checked. The one at the LCS is green, as all canoes should be. Mine is red, which makes me sad.

*Local Canoe Store

 

[Magnus919]

Sweet! Columbia is about 4 hours drive from where I sit, but maybe a little time on the Congaree River is needed.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I'll probably have a Raven and a DragonFly for sale at Western PA Solo Canoe Rendezvous.. or the evil Argosy instead of the DragonFly.

You are welcome to try all.. The pond at Coopers is shallow and warm. But I have seen people sit in the DragonFly successfully.. They seemed to like it..

its a neat event to try all the toys.

You might be tempted by Swifts too.

 

[Nodrama43]

I want to attend this as well. Not to far away from me.

 

[Guest]

Magnus, Mr. Durness tells me he has offered to meet you for a test paddle a couple solo or soloized canoes. His generosity is a redeeming feature.

Mayhaps if that comes about I can try to be there. I’ll be down along the South and Black rivers at some point this winter and we could have a three canoe paddle and compare.