Pricing on a used Solo Merlin II or Hemlock Peregrine

[Fredb]

thanks for the extra info on the foot brace. love to see what you managed. I got to try out my first dedicated solo canoe...or more accurately pack boat. The Placid Spitfire 13. 20 lbs and fairly narrow. Seat was at 2.5 and so very low from a canoing perspective. Raised it the second day by 2+ inches and it made the canoe style paddling much better. It is more stable low but just fine sitting at 5 inches off the bottom. I found the kayak like foot braces to be great. Easily adjusts to reset my position every so often and kept the floor clear (per your concern about the wenonah style bar). Never spilled in 3 hours of trying it out. Easy to lean (not to the gunwale but a bunch for sitting and being a nubie) and i was able to do a running draw slideslip for the first time with out turning the boat instead! (great fun). I am definitely going to like a dedicated solo canoe, but one that is longer and tracks better.

If someone has a bit more to say on the differences between the Merlin 2 and the Nomad and the Peregrine that would be great. (or direct me to where that discussion already happened). I am likely to be priced out of the Peregrine (unless it is cosmetically challenged and so cheaper) but Merlin 2s are in the $1.8k in perfect shape. Still high for me and so a stressed one is better for the budget.

Off to try the wenonah Solitude on wednesday. Spitfie has been a great introduction. Lots of fun. With these two boats under me, I will be in a better place to do a test paddle at Dave's or the like.

thanks all, fred

 

[stevet]

Had a Solitude decades ago and I doubt you will like it after a ride in that Spitfire. Analogy: it will be like driving a pickup truck after driving a Ferrari. If you like the Spitfire but want something longer try a Rapidfire. Will be interested to hear your impressions/comparisons of the Solitude.
PS…I am a big lover/supporter of Dave and Hemlock products…IMHO you can’t wrong with a properly fitted Hemlock. Aesthetics count with me and Dave’s work is beautiful.
While there may be differences between Merlin, Nomad, and Peregrine, a skilled paddler can make any of them do whatever he needs to do (within their design parameters….of course they are not whitewater boats). All are excellent and the small differences are just that…nothing that would hinder your enjoyment.

 

[kbobb]

thanks for the extra info on the foot brace. love to see what you managed. I got to try out my first dedicated solo canoe...or more accurately pack boat. The Placid Spitfire 13. 20 lbs and fairly narrow. Seat was at 2.5 and so very low from a canoing perspective. Raised it the second day by 2+ inches and it made the canoe style paddling much better. It is more stable low but just fine sitting at 5 inches off the bottom. I found the kayak like foot braces to be great. Easily adjusts to reset my position every so often and kept the floor clear (per your concern about the wenonah style bar). Never spilled in 3 hours of trying it out. Easy to lean (not to the gunwale but a bunch for sitting and being a nubie) and i was able to do a running draw slideslip for the first time with out turning the boat instead! (great fun). I am definitely going to like a dedicated solo canoe, but one that is longer and tracks better.

If someone has a bit more to say on the differences between the Merlin 2 and the Nomad and the Peregrine that would be great. (or direct me to where that discussion already happened). I am likely to be priced out of the Peregrine (unless it is cosmetically challenged and so cheaper) but Merlin 2s are in the $1.8k in perfect shape. Still high for me and so a stressed one is better for the budget.

Off to try the wenonah Solitude on wednesday. Spitfie has been a great introduction. Lots of fun. With these two boats under me, I will be in a better place to do a test paddle at Dave's or the like.

thanks all, fred

Hey Fred,
After trying a few solos if it turns out you like the pack boats best be aware that pack boats by Hornbeck, Northstar, Adirondack canoe Co., etc, are more in your price range, even new.

 

[Fredb]

Hey Fred,
After trying a few solos if it turns out you like the pack boats best be aware that pack boats by Hornbeck, Northstar, Adirondack canoe Co., etc, are more in your price range, even new.

thanks Kbobb, I remain a bit confused about what makes a pack boat different from a low seated canoe not to mention why they seem $1k+ cheaper (at least with Hornbeck). Earlier in my search I contacted Hornbeck and they said you should not raise the seats of their boats and us a traditional canoe paddle. Placid does not claim this limitation and offers different seat heights. I am very partial to a canoe paddle. In all my Placid trials (3 hours) I never once tried it with a double blade and did find the 5 in seat height worked better for the single blade. I have the blisters on my thumbs to prove it! So while I am the son of a Minnesotan Eagle Scout who never taught me much about his love of canoing, the preference for traditional single blade was dormant somewhere in me.

 

[Fredb]

Had a Solitude decades ago and I doubt you will like it after a ride in that Spitfire. Analogy: it will be like driving a pickup truck after driving a Ferrari. If you like the Spitfire but want something longer try a Rapidfire. Will be interested to hear your impressions/comparisons of the Solitude.
PS…I am a big lover/supporter of Dave and Hemlock products…IMHO you can’t wrong with a properly fitted Hemlock. Aesthetics count with me and Dave’s work is beautiful.
While there may be differences between Merlin, Nomad, and Peregrine, a skilled paddler can make any of them do whatever he needs to do (within their design parameters….of course they are not whitewater boats). All are excellent and the small differences are just that…nothing that would hinder your enjoyment.

Thanks for the info and yes Dave's boats (and the Merlin 2s i have seen in photos), are special. The comments on the three boats all being excellent with small differences is noted and appreciated. As a person new to the skill, understanding subtle differences is not all that likely. While it is very possible that a given boat will just "feel" right, a change in category (like a 13ft boat vs a 15ft) is likely to be my principle observation. Since i am not likely to purchase new, choice may be limited (by what is available and I can afford) and I should just view it as getting an excellent boat (from all the advice provided here) to begin my journey followed by trying others as i get better at the craft.

 

[stripperguy]

Fred,
You really should test drive my Kite.
I’m not that far from you, and the design is versatile and forgiving, yet rewarding on an escalating scale as your technique evolves.
No pressure here, but I think you would enjoy such a design.
I just finished helping a buddy build a stripped Kite, he took about 2-1/2 months on the calendar.

 

[Fredb]

Hey Folks, so I got swamped by work and had to take a week off from this pursuit.

I did get to try the Wenonah Solitude and did not like it at all. Sluggish and not very maneuverable.

In that time i got a suggestion to post on NACT facebook page to see if there are any folks with one of these boats to pass on. A guy in CT (2hr drive!) had a Merlin II, KevCrystal Gel coat in very nice condition for a nice price. It even had the foot braces that make sitting more stable. Got it yesterday and paddled yesterday evening and today. I love it and am super happy. I think it will be the right balance between a solo tripper and just playful enough to let me dabble in freestyle at times. I find it nice and swift and it never came close to dumping me, even when i played with kneeling and edging it at the end by the beach. Super happy.
I would like to fix the very shallow scratches on the clear gel coat and will look into what to do with that. I also may remove the seat and put in an attachable and detachable pedestal seat to allow for kneeling and sitting in the same set up. Can not kneel with a hung seat as low as it is for seating.
Thanks for all the help and suggestions with this purchase. Very much appreciated!

 

[M Clemens]

Congratulations! I saw the post on NACT, Chris has been a purveyor of used boats on Marketplace for many years, glad he was able to fix you up with the right boat at the right price!

 

[adkjoe]

Hi folks, I am working on getting a used Hemlock Peregrine or Bell Merlin II for solo day trips and occasional weekend ventures. I live in western Mass.

Is there some general advice on how much one should pay for such a boat. I have seen some discussion on this site of sales in 2017 that looked like a 15 or so year old Merlin II for $1000 but needing a bit of work (Handles and inside fraying of fibers), and one for $1,200 (not sure of condition) and a proposed refurbished canoe (the first one) price of $1,400. There is an '07 Peregrine at Hemlock for $2600 and a Kestrel on craigslist for $2,000 in like new shape. I do not mind getting a slightly stressed canoe that is cheaper but performs in the water equal to a nice one.

Any advice on what i should consider a decent fair market price would be appreciated. The examples above leave me a bit confused as to if i should be looking at $1,200 or $2,600 of if both are within the range of fair depending on condition.

thanks so much, frederick

Hi Fred,

IMPO Hemlock Canoes are some of the best. In September 2020 I picked up a Peregrine in the premium+ layup and absolutely loved the boat. I had both sitting & kneeling drops. Over time I discovered it was easier to kneel in an Eaglet with the added depth as I have size 13 feet (Easier to get my feet under seat). So in April 2023 I picked up a brand new Eaglet and traded in my Peregrine towards it. I think my used Peregrine lasted not even 24 hours. Anyway like mentioned on this thread definitely try different models and I wish you the best in your search, cheers!