I finally got my hands on a barely used one-owner Clipper Sea 1. You see, I'm a fan of the decked, solo expedition canoes. I have one of each of Verlen Kruger's production designs, the Sawyer Loon, Mad River Monarch, and Kruger Sea Wind. I have paddled each extensively, on trips to Quetico Provincial Park and in races/challenges like the MR340 and the Everglades Challenge. Having these three canoes is never enough. There are others out there that need to be owned...such as a Kruger Dreamcatcher, a Superior Expedition, and the Clipper Sea 1.
Understand I'm not advocating you go and buy a Clipper Sea 1 as an alternative to a Superior Expedition or a Kruger Sea Wind. I'm advocating you own them ALL. I'm a total supporter of these small boat builders and want to see them succeed.
So, for years I've been drooling over a Clipper Sea 1. A friend raced one in the Yukon Challenge and it treated him well. But I've never spoken to anyone who had significant experience in both a Kruger design boat and the Clipper. So I just had to get one and see for myself.
But first, let me tell you about the Kruger Sea Wind, so you know where I am coming from. I'm a Krugerhead. I love the boat. The Sea Wind is a joy to paddle. It is stable and comfortable. I've paddled the Sea Wind on very extended trips. One time, I paddled about 39 hours straight, with only a short break or two out of the boat, when doing the entire Everglades Wilderness Waterway. I encountered some severe conditions, and made it through just fine. I simply cannot understand why anyone would want an open canoe--when the Kruger is much more seaworthy, extremely comfortable, and so much more efficient to paddle with it's rudder. My buddies and I paddle in the BWCA and Quetico while other folks are windbound.
So, I was always interested in the Clipper which I will call the Canadian "take" on the decked expedition canoe. It is certainly NO copy of the Kruger design. So let me tell you how it is different.
First, the Kruger has a rounded hull. First time paddlers may find it "twitchy", but soon realize that there is a big difference between initial stability and secondary stability. You lean over in a Kruger and it firms up. You practically have to fall out of the canoe before you will capsize. That is a round bottom hull for you. The advantages of a round bottom hull really shine in it's seaworthiness. It is not affected by cross currents, boils, and weird water. Waves coming from any direction, no problem. It just floats over them. It won't broach in following seas. It doesn't rock and roll with waves from the sides. It rides horizontal up an over waves, rather than pitching you sideways as a flat bottom canoe would tend to do. I should say now, that I am very, very, dependent on the rudder to go in a straight line in the Kruger. With the rudder up, it does not want to go in a straight line. It starts to go in whatever direction, and wants to keep going. I hate corrective strokes. I hate sit and switch. I want to put down the power and go in a straight line. The Kruger is very efficient in doing so with its rudder.
However, my interest in a Clipper comes from my experience sailing a Kruger. With its rounded bottom and soft edges or chines, the Kruger just doesn't get tossed around. However, these same design elements do not bode well if you put a sail on it. You see, I put a 1M Falcon Sail on my Kruger for use in Class 1 Watertribe events (the Everglades Challenge in particular, a 300 mile race from Tampa to Key Largo). I found that without the benefit of a dagger board or leeboard, the boat will skate sideways with any wind not directly from aft. Sure, you can point in any direction you want by using the rudder and sail just fine. But you will realize you are skating sideways. The mast is about 15' from the rudder. It skates. So I'm just not that happy with it using a sail.
SO, the Clipper has a completely different hull. While the Kruger's genes contain elements of 3/27 canoe specs, the Clipper has sea kayak in its genes. It has a sharper bow and stern. I've heard it described as "hard chines" It also has a V bottom.
The Clipper tracks very straight. It goes in a straight line with or without a rudder. No rocker. It turns like the Titanic with its little Feathercraft rudder. This lends itself to use with a sail, I believe.
Jumping in the Clipper and paddling, it is amazing how a boat built so much different than a Kruger paddles so much the same, though! Sure it doesn't turn as well. But it is very much the same in speed and stability. It is virtually the same length and the same weight as the Kruger. (Mine both weigh 58 pounds). But the Clipper tracks straight. With less rudder input required, it may enjoy a slight speed advantage.
So a friend and I went paddling, he in my Sea Wind and me in the Sea 1. I weigh about 170 and he, about 220. We set up next to each other and I pushed the two boats apart. The Sea Wind went sideways noticeably further than the Clipper. The Clipper resists horizontal movement more so than the Sea Wind. Another example, I paddled the Sea 1 in slack water to the end of a wing dike on the river, where there was a lot of current at 90 degrees to my direction of paddling. When I hit it, the Clipper was affected by the cross current much more than the Sea Wind. Again, the rounded bottom just isn't affected by cross currents nearly as much as the Sea 1. The wind will also blow a stationary Sea Wind around on the water more than a Sea 1. Not because either hull is more streamlined, only because the Sea 1 hull is planted in the water more and resists sideways movement. So I've come to the conclusion that the Sea 1 will be a better hull for sailing without leeboards or daggerboards. Hence my interest.
Now, the Sea 1 does not have the slick three vertical position seat that flips over to form the most comfortable portage yoke you can imagine. The Sea 1 has a seat that slides forward or backward to adjust trim...perhaps the boat is more sensitive to trim than the Sea Wind, I don't know. You can adjust the Clipper seat to one of three heights, but it requires tools and time while the Sea Wind's seat can be adjusted, even on the fly. The Clipper does have a portage yoke you can install with bolts and wing nuts. But it isn't the same...I don't see bringing my Clipper to the Quetico where frequent portages are required. Also, it is just plain harder to grab the Clipper and throw it on your shoulders, because it doesn't have the cockpit rim like the Kruger.
Two very different boats, two very different purposes.
I can't wait to get my Falcon Sail rigged on the Clipper and see how she does. I also want to get into some serious weather and waves in the Clipper. I imagine it will be a much wetter ride without the use of the spray skirt, compared to the Kruger. But I do have it on some good authority that the Clipper can also handle any water conditions you throw at it. The Yukon river can get pretty rough! And that is the Clipper proving grounds.
More later...
Joe
Understand I'm not advocating you go and buy a Clipper Sea 1 as an alternative to a Superior Expedition or a Kruger Sea Wind. I'm advocating you own them ALL. I'm a total supporter of these small boat builders and want to see them succeed.
So, for years I've been drooling over a Clipper Sea 1. A friend raced one in the Yukon Challenge and it treated him well. But I've never spoken to anyone who had significant experience in both a Kruger design boat and the Clipper. So I just had to get one and see for myself.
But first, let me tell you about the Kruger Sea Wind, so you know where I am coming from. I'm a Krugerhead. I love the boat. The Sea Wind is a joy to paddle. It is stable and comfortable. I've paddled the Sea Wind on very extended trips. One time, I paddled about 39 hours straight, with only a short break or two out of the boat, when doing the entire Everglades Wilderness Waterway. I encountered some severe conditions, and made it through just fine. I simply cannot understand why anyone would want an open canoe--when the Kruger is much more seaworthy, extremely comfortable, and so much more efficient to paddle with it's rudder. My buddies and I paddle in the BWCA and Quetico while other folks are windbound.
So, I was always interested in the Clipper which I will call the Canadian "take" on the decked expedition canoe. It is certainly NO copy of the Kruger design. So let me tell you how it is different.
First, the Kruger has a rounded hull. First time paddlers may find it "twitchy", but soon realize that there is a big difference between initial stability and secondary stability. You lean over in a Kruger and it firms up. You practically have to fall out of the canoe before you will capsize. That is a round bottom hull for you. The advantages of a round bottom hull really shine in it's seaworthiness. It is not affected by cross currents, boils, and weird water. Waves coming from any direction, no problem. It just floats over them. It won't broach in following seas. It doesn't rock and roll with waves from the sides. It rides horizontal up an over waves, rather than pitching you sideways as a flat bottom canoe would tend to do. I should say now, that I am very, very, dependent on the rudder to go in a straight line in the Kruger. With the rudder up, it does not want to go in a straight line. It starts to go in whatever direction, and wants to keep going. I hate corrective strokes. I hate sit and switch. I want to put down the power and go in a straight line. The Kruger is very efficient in doing so with its rudder.
However, my interest in a Clipper comes from my experience sailing a Kruger. With its rounded bottom and soft edges or chines, the Kruger just doesn't get tossed around. However, these same design elements do not bode well if you put a sail on it. You see, I put a 1M Falcon Sail on my Kruger for use in Class 1 Watertribe events (the Everglades Challenge in particular, a 300 mile race from Tampa to Key Largo). I found that without the benefit of a dagger board or leeboard, the boat will skate sideways with any wind not directly from aft. Sure, you can point in any direction you want by using the rudder and sail just fine. But you will realize you are skating sideways. The mast is about 15' from the rudder. It skates. So I'm just not that happy with it using a sail.
SO, the Clipper has a completely different hull. While the Kruger's genes contain elements of 3/27 canoe specs, the Clipper has sea kayak in its genes. It has a sharper bow and stern. I've heard it described as "hard chines" It also has a V bottom.
The Clipper tracks very straight. It goes in a straight line with or without a rudder. No rocker. It turns like the Titanic with its little Feathercraft rudder. This lends itself to use with a sail, I believe.
Jumping in the Clipper and paddling, it is amazing how a boat built so much different than a Kruger paddles so much the same, though! Sure it doesn't turn as well. But it is very much the same in speed and stability. It is virtually the same length and the same weight as the Kruger. (Mine both weigh 58 pounds). But the Clipper tracks straight. With less rudder input required, it may enjoy a slight speed advantage.
So a friend and I went paddling, he in my Sea Wind and me in the Sea 1. I weigh about 170 and he, about 220. We set up next to each other and I pushed the two boats apart. The Sea Wind went sideways noticeably further than the Clipper. The Clipper resists horizontal movement more so than the Sea Wind. Another example, I paddled the Sea 1 in slack water to the end of a wing dike on the river, where there was a lot of current at 90 degrees to my direction of paddling. When I hit it, the Clipper was affected by the cross current much more than the Sea Wind. Again, the rounded bottom just isn't affected by cross currents nearly as much as the Sea 1. The wind will also blow a stationary Sea Wind around on the water more than a Sea 1. Not because either hull is more streamlined, only because the Sea 1 hull is planted in the water more and resists sideways movement. So I've come to the conclusion that the Sea 1 will be a better hull for sailing without leeboards or daggerboards. Hence my interest.
Now, the Sea 1 does not have the slick three vertical position seat that flips over to form the most comfortable portage yoke you can imagine. The Sea 1 has a seat that slides forward or backward to adjust trim...perhaps the boat is more sensitive to trim than the Sea Wind, I don't know. You can adjust the Clipper seat to one of three heights, but it requires tools and time while the Sea Wind's seat can be adjusted, even on the fly. The Clipper does have a portage yoke you can install with bolts and wing nuts. But it isn't the same...I don't see bringing my Clipper to the Quetico where frequent portages are required. Also, it is just plain harder to grab the Clipper and throw it on your shoulders, because it doesn't have the cockpit rim like the Kruger.
Two very different boats, two very different purposes.
I can't wait to get my Falcon Sail rigged on the Clipper and see how she does. I also want to get into some serious weather and waves in the Clipper. I imagine it will be a much wetter ride without the use of the spray skirt, compared to the Kruger. But I do have it on some good authority that the Clipper can also handle any water conditions you throw at it. The Yukon river can get pretty rough! And that is the Clipper proving grounds.
More later...
Joe
