Greetings from Eastern Manitoba

[Canoeyak]

I've been doing a lot of reading on this great informative forum since joining and thought is was about time to introduce myself and get involved in some of the discussions. I'm retired / semi-retired and have always been involved with various watersports like canoeing, kayaking, boating, etc. Prior to retirement, I bought riverfront property (when it was affordable) in the area of the province that I grew up in. We used it as a weekend getaway for several years then built our house and moved out here when I retired. We are in a small development about 12k out of Pinawa on the banks of the Winnipeg River. I'm in the perfect location for canoeing (except in the winter). I can canoe out my back door, or Whiteshell P.P. is 10 minutes away, or Nopiming P.P. is a little over half a hour away. Even within a couple hour drive I can get to some of the best canoeing around.

I treated myself to a new solo canoe this winter as my old canoe is too big and heavy for solo tripping and my kayak couldn't take all the items I wanted unless I strapped it to the deck. I ordered a 14' Clipper Prospector in Kevlar/ Duraflex with many changes and additions including a 3 piece North Water expedition spray skirt with ladder bar attachment system. The wait to take it out on a trip has been the tough part but spring is coming as the ice has broken up in the middle of the river by our place.

I look forward to "talking" with everyone and voicing my "opinion" on this great site.
Till next time
Perry

By the way I not afraid to admit I love to use a double paddle when the time is right (probably because I also do a lot of kayaking).

 

[ppine]

Perry,
Welcome. That is a really nice cover. I bet it is really warm in rainy weather. It is one of the things I do like about sea kayaks, being enclosed half way in challenging conditions.

 

[Marten]

Perry,
My you are in a fantastic area and a lot of paddling is so close. I pass through whenever I go into Woodland Caribou PP through the back door. Welcome to the site, they don't kick any of us out for using a double blade so join in the conversation.
Martin K.

 

[Mihun09]

Welcome from another Manitoban. I think that makes 5 of us now here. Pull a chair up to the fire.

You could do us well with sharing when the river starts to show signs of open water. The only thing like that around here is the ditches with snow melt.

Karin

 

[red langford]

I'm a near Manitoban but welcome aboard.

 

[Canoeyak]

No Title

Thanks for the Welcome - ppine, marten, Mihun09, and red langford.

Karin:
The ice conditions are looking good for a very early start to canoeing. We are down stream of the Seven Sisters Falls Hydro dam so it does break up earlier then most places around here. As a comparison to other years, I can usually go on the ice to do ice fishing until the end of the season (March 31). This year the ice started breaking up several weeks ago. I could put the canoe in the river already, but without a dry suit, I'm not rushing. Some of the ice on the other lakes and rivers in the area are looking like a much earlier breakup then normal. Since there was very little snow this year the warm sun and the wind have been taking care of the ice. Lets hope this trend continues. If it does, I could actually see doing a trip in April. A few photos of the river yesterday.

Perry

 

[Mihun09]

That reminds me of my first Winter in Manitoba, 09/10. I moved here Easter weekend 2009 and my first winter was mild and we were paddling the Wanipigow River out of English Brook park on Easter weekend in 2010. That was the last year we had early ice out. Really nice to see open water early, although we shant be out until I get my truck fixed up proper. It is funny, I was on the 211 bridge last year on my way back from the Rabbit River. You must be by the Whitemouth River?

 

[Canoeyak]

Yes, the Whitemouth River runs into the Winnipeg River just upstream on the other side of the river from us. It flows in just below the dam. That's another place I can go for a paddle if I want a smaller quiet river.

 

[larry]

Hi Canoeyak, I recently joined and have been doing some cruising through old posts. I saw yours and have a couple questions. I've been looking at a Clipper Prospector 16. How do you like your Clipper? How has the kevlar duraflex held up to tripping? How have you liked your Northwester cover? Thanks for your time, larry

 

[Canoeyak]

Hi Larry, As you've seen, I have the Clipper 14' Prospector in Kevlar duraflex and couldn't be more happy. I ordered mine with some changes and lots of add-on's. I even had them add extra layers in the bow and stern during the build for extra built in skid plates to what was already included. They told me it was not necessary unless I was dragging it up on rocks every day for the next 20+ years but I had it done anyway. I live in the Canadian Shield area which has lots of granite along shorelines. The canoe has stood up great and well beyond my expectations considering where I have used it. It now has lots of cosmetic surface scratches like on any canoe that is actually used but nothing to be concerned about structurally. The North Water cover has been excellent also. Having the 3 piece cover gives it lots of versatility to use either 1, 2 or 3 pieces. I use the cover most of the time as I do tend to go across larger lakes or wide parts of the river which the wind can whip up instantly. Even though it is a smaller canoe, with the cover on I am very comfortable taking it in larger waves and conditions that would scare a lot of people in much larger canoes. It handles rough lakes or rapids very well whether fully loaded with gear or with just me in it. With the cover, I also feel it is much more steam lined in the wind. The canoe will take more gear then I really need on any of my trips. The cover protects and secures all my contents very well. The only downside is it takes a little longer to load and unload at portages with a cover. The older I get the less hurry I'm in so this is not really a concern. The bigger concern is taking too many "luxury" items and having to make extra trips on the portage. My dealer gave my a real fair deal on the package. I ended up getting it loaded with everything for a cheaper price then some others brands wanted for the basic equivalent canoe only. As you can tell I highly recommend it. Take care Perry.

 

[WetHermit]

Hi Canoeyak,
I like the covers. I have a Wenonah Vagabond, I could see putting something like that on my canoe.

Tim