Freaky

[sweeper]

So I drove out of Algonquin yesterday, 12 July, (make that 2 days ago now that I've been poking at it this for so long), thinking about the strengths of my 2 solo canoes ((and dislikes) (Kee 15, Prosp 16, both Swift))

I like the sped/ease/stability of the Kee and the seat further back w/the Prosp, reversed.

I HATE center seats and having to reattach the 'Carry Thwart' every time I Port, (7x one day this week)(technically now, LAST week).

I want a canoe that's narrow, seat 3/4 of the way to the rear, remove the now front seat, (because we're talking SOLO's here) and add another thwart.

Also, it must be as light as possible.

So I'm running all this in my head driving down RT 12 in NY when I see the sign for "Old Forge".

"You should go!"

"It would be a lot farther"

"You can talk to someone!"

"But if you continue South you can buy SWMBO diamonds at Herkimer and you know much she like those."

"NEW PADDLE!!!"

So I pull into Mtn Man and stop the car. I look to the diagonal to the left and there's the 'Swift' truck is sitting there with its 40 canoe mega-trailer.

I turn fully to the left, there's Bill.

"GTFO"

We got to talk for a 1/2 hour +, about several options in different boats, some out now, some coming out next year.
I get some great ideas and tell him I'll see what happens next year at MM Saratoga.

So. Go with your Gut or whenever there's a chance to buy a new paddle.

I didn't, I had already bought a Grey Owl Chieftain in Algonquin and felt it was bad form to come home with 2 new paddle when your stepdaughter is going to Veterinary School this fall.

I know, I should have gone for the 2nd paddle.

 

[Iskweo]

You " missed the boat " so to speak. Mem has the ideal canoe for sale. Cedar strip chum. Its a beauty and way cheaper than a new Swift. If you are so inclined you could build one. I hear you about the seat in the middle thing.

You want a solo tripper, not a solo day paddler. Different ideas altogether. Alan Gage had the right idea when he made his solo tripper himself and made it a bit wider then conventional and much longer...a lot like the theory of making sea kayaks longer for stability and speed.

Yours is a quest that I have been on myself and the Kees were looking good but I have had another cardiac event and "solo" has since disappeared from my vocabulary.

 

[sweeper]

I have an 18' W/C that has been sitting in my basement for a couple of years that I haven't recanvased, I don't think I'd make it thru a Stripper. I'm looking for something at around 30 lbs or minus.

 

[Iskweo]

Gee, I usually set 50 pounds as my bar. Thirty pounds will be exceptionally pricey, like maybe graphite, and kind of small to trip with. Good luck. Stripperguy and Jim Dodd make some pretty light strippers in the 40 pound class. We have a kevlar Mattawa that tops out at 42 which we have put a gazillion miles on and it is a good compromise as a tandem....but it was worth several thousands of dollars as a demo.
I would have thought the Kee 15 was a winner?

 

[sweeper]

The Kee 15 is great @ 30lbs, great boat to paddle, but I just hate the center seat and the detachable yoke.

 

[gumpus]

Have you considered putting a sliding seat in your Kee15? That might allow you to paddle from further back and add a permanent yoke. Both of my Swift solos (Osprey and Shearwater) have sliding seats and I really like that option although when I spoke to Bill Swift at a demo day earlier this year he said they don't sell many any more. The Osprey doesn't have a wide point in the middle...it is almost constant width throughout the midsection so you could paddle further back than in many solos with just a little weight in front to balance the boat. Or maybe you could look for one of those seats that also doubles as a yoke and mount it further back from center in your Kee15.

 

[sweeper]

We actually talked about all of those as options except the siding seat

 

[MagicPaddler]

Maybe the answer to your not liking installing that portage yoke is the ease and time to install the portage yoke. My portage yoke takes about 10 seconds to install and 3 seconds to remove.
http://www.canoetripping.net/forums...ssion/77549-cam-handle-rapidfire-portage-yoke

 

[sweeper]

Thanks, MP I remember that thread. That was a nice build.

Bill said they have a new yoke design that is better than the one I bought with my canoe. I replayed that part of the conversation about 20 miles down the road and wished I had looked at it.