My 5th "Final Canoe": A Swift Carbon Fusion Keewaydin 15, at 80

[Glenn MacGrady]

In 2008, at age 64, I bought my "final canoe" (Hemlock SRT). Then I did it again in 2009 (Bell black-gold Wildfire). And again in 2021 (Nova Craft Aramid Bob Special, given to daughter in Florida). And again in 2022 (Rollin Thurlow reproduction of B.N. Morris wood/canvas). Can I ever stop?

No, I DID IT AGAIN three days ago! Mainly because I have a hard time lifting everything else in the fleet.

Here I am with my 80th birthday and 2024 Christmas presents to myself: A 2021 Swift Carbon Fusion Keewaydin 15 canoe at a liftable 28 lbs., an Akubra fur felt Banjo Paterson hat, and leather Irish Setter Elk Tracker boots.



The first thing the seller, a member here, said to me when I arrived at his house was, "That doesn't look like the typical canoe vehicle." Well, the Merc is only vehicle I have that's currently in working order, and I think it color matches the Kee's carbon/Innegra H-weave and champagne bottom very well. So, here are a couple more shots of the happy couple.





The canoe came with a Swift custom cherry portage thwart . . .



. . . and a custom Bag Lady canoe cover . . .



. . . and the following DIY mystery object. Can you guess what it is?



(P.S. Don't tell anyone in the WCHA that I look like "Carbon Glenn." They might impeach me from the Board of Directors.)

 

[memaquay]

I might have a chance to buy the same canoe for around 3 g's Canadian. Did you paddle it yet? Interested in how it performs.

 

[lowangle al]

It's a bow/ stern protector. Congratulations on your new boat.

 

[CaptainOllieWest]

Looking good! Nice canoe too!

 

[lowangle al]

I hope you don't ding it up like the last one.

 

[Tryin']

That's great, Glenn! I hope you get to put hundreds of miles on it!

Lemme know if that SRT ever gets toooo heavy...

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I might have a chance to buy the same canoe for around 3 g's Canadian. Did you paddle it yet? Interested in how it performs.

Yes, I was able to test paddle it for about 15 minutes in a small lake with some stiff wind gusts buffeting me. The test paddle convinced me to buy it. With a 26.5 inch waterline, a 6.8 L/W ratio (as computed by Charlie Wilson) and a 2"/1" rocker line, it glides well and seems to be noticeably faster than the average touring/tripping canoe.

The elliptical bottom, soft chines and significant tumblehome give it solid initial stability. I didn't try shifting from a kneeling to sitting position, but I'm confident that one can sit in it with confidence. With no protective (or change of) clothing in the cold air and water conditions, I was reluctant to test the secondary stabilty very far, but it was very solid at about a 35° heel.

It doesn't turn as easily as a Wildfire, which has a 2.5"/2.5" rocker line, and I didn't expect it to, but it turns very satisfactorily for a lake-oriented touring canoe. I'm sure it would turn better with a more aggressive heel. It's not a whitewater design, so I personally wouldn't take it on more than class 1+ rapids.

The moderate depth sheer line (unlike my SRT) and the lack of upswept ends (unlike traditional wood/canvas canoes or modern Prospector models such as Swift's) made it well-behaved in the the wind gusts I experienced.

I bought it because I wanted a much lighter canoe than my 38 lb. Wildfire and 44 lb. SRT for day tripping and, hopefully in my age-weakened condition, to be able to heft a canoe on some overnight lake trips with short portages again.

I plan on taking it out for day trips if the weather warms up over the next two weeks. Hopefully, I can fit into my old drysuit. I'll give a more informed review when I have a few hours in the boat.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

It's a bow/ stern protector.

Yes, for pivoting the boat on the nose when doing a half lift onto a vehicle. Very clever. Thankfully, even in my age-weakened state, I can lift this 28 lb. canoe right over my head and military press it up in the air to a straight-armed position.

 

[memaquay]

Oddly enough, my dodgy heart can still handle 40 to 50 pound canoes no problem. It's my traitorous back that would really enjoy a sub 30 pound canoe. Gonna message my buddy, see if he's still got it.

 

[Punkinhead]

It'll be interesting to hear how it paddles with a double blade.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

It'll be interesting to hear how it paddles with a double blade.

Haha!

For those who are so inclined, I'm sure this sleek canoe paddles very well, and swiftly, with a double blade. Swift sells it as a pack canoe, or one could just remove the solo bench seat and install an aftermarket floor seat.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Enjoy that new canoe, Glenn!

I am so going to copy that stem protector!!

 

[clemency]

Any vehicle that runs and has a roof rack is a good canoe vehicle I think, but a Mercedes kinda fits with a Swift.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

I carried canoes on a Sonata for a while and I still would be - if not for having to ween the kids from borrowing the "extra" car. Not much chance of me carrying a Swift canoe on anything.... not that I wouldn't want to.

 

[Cruiser]

You have landed with my absolute favourite canoe ... had a trip planned a few years ago that included a 2.5 kilometer portage, rented that boat from the plant in South River and simply fell in love with it. My current boat is a stretched copy of the 14' Kee and quite honestly, your short trip review is pretty much spot on IMO.
Flat it tracks solid, it is easy to heel over and then it turns on a dime, it really does handle rougher water and wind well also (again IMO).

Your weight comments are almost identical to mine, I rented the first time, with a 39 pound Freedom Solo in the garage ... 9 pounds makes a lot of difference when you carry it any distance. That rental spawned the design and last build and now my favourite canoe.

I believe we have 5 15' KeeWaydins in the group now and I have never heard a bad thing about any of them.

Looking forward to your review and handling thoughts.


Brian

 

[Benson Gray]

9 pounds makes a lot of difference when you carry it any distance

It has been said that light canoes are great at the beginning of a portage but every canoe weighs over 1000 pounds at the end of a long portage.

Benson

 

[stevet]

Congrats! If I ever buy another canoe that’s the one. Enjoy!

 

[Nick Pending]

It has been said that light canoes are great at the beginning of a portage but every canoe weighs over 1000 pounds at the end of a long portage.

Benson

I wouldn't necessarily agree with this, though I was alway pretty much a packhorse on trips. I first started paddling 75-lb. Grummans and my first boat was a little heavier at about 80 pounds, I slowly gravitated (get it? Sorry!) to lighter boats and never really had any problems carrying them on portages. Even recently ("recent" being 20 years ago when only 55yo) did mile and a half portages nonstop with a 65-lb. canoe. I'll admit that it was a bit of a relief to put it down at the end of a long trail, but but I went back for another boat right after it. They do gain weight, and I'm sure they seem to weigh 1000 pounds to some folks, but I was a big strong kid and held onto that for a long time. Lucky I guess? Or maybe I'm paying the price for it now? Can't tell. Those long trips are over for me.

 

[Marten]

" Your final canoe, who are you kidding?" At 73 I leapfrogged all the way down to the 20 pound 12 foot North star ADK for my "Final" canoe.A little short but fits inside an Otter Floatplane. No portage yoke as I just hang it over one padded shoulder and grip the stowed double blade for the carry.
If the time comes that you need lighter and you are still keeping this site going we should pass the hat around.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

it really does handle rougher water and wind well also (again IMO).

I communicated with @RPATCH about the Keewaydin 15's handling ability. He took a fully loaded one down 700 miles of the Yukon River last summer with @NikonF5user. He said: "it punched above its pay grade in all respects from Lake Laberge with rear quarters breaking rollers to Five Finger Rapids and consistent head winds. It's quite efficient to paddle."

I'm not going to be paddling any river waters like that, but it's nice to have a canoe that is not only a very light and fast lake cruiser, but also a capable heavy load and heavy water tripper.