RockSTAR or SRT?

[NikonF5user]

In case it's not obvious - I am stressing about my RockSTAR dilemma on nearly an hourly basis!

I just found a Royalex RockSTAR that I can grab - and am curious if anyone has any experience in both? I'm sure the Royalex version will be less efficient to paddle (as are most Royalex boats it would seem in comparison to their composite brethren), but should be considerably more robust. Any thoughts / suggestions are greatly appreciated!

 

[clemency]

Buy it. Paddle it. If you don't like it, sell it. Highly unlikely you'll lose significant money on the deal, and then you'll know the answer.

 

[Tsuga8]

Should I be the enabler that says 'grab it!' ? Seems like it should retain resale value if you change your mind, if you're getting it at a reasonable price now?

I picked up an Rx Morningstar to compare with my White Gold Morningstar just as things were freezing up this winter - I look forward to a head to head comparison of both boats on the same day once our water turns liquid again.

I'm still reading up on the Allagash, but at this point I'm thinking I'll solo the Rx Morningstar or my Penobscot 16 on the Allagash when I (hopefully) go this year. But I'm looking to pole as much as possible - very different from paddling something like a Rockstar or SRT. We're also thinking of a shorter trip starting below the big lakes, which I wouldn't want to cross solo in a 16ft boat due to windage.

 

[gumpus]

In case it's not obvious - I am stressing about my RockSTAR dilemma on nearly an hourly basis!

I just found a Royalex RockSTAR that I can grab - and am curious if anyone has any experience in both? I'm sure the Royalex version will be less efficient to paddle (as are most Royalex boats it would seem in comparison to their composite brethren), but should be considerably more robust. Any thoughts / suggestions are greatly appreciated!

I've paddled both composite and Royalex Wildfire, Rendezvous and Morningstar. My take is that in every case the Royalex is a little less efficient but if you like the boat in composite you'll probably like it in royalex too. WF, Morningstar and Rendezvous in royalex are nice boats IMO. As far as robustness for sure you can bang around in royalex with more peace of mind than composite, I think the question may be whether the added robustness is relevant to you. My black/ gold Merlin II has taken many hard hits on rocks so for most of my paddling royalex would be overkill. YMMV

Just FYI I also tried to love the Phoenix more but failed. It is for sure much less playful than Wildfire. I just mentioned throwing it into the mix since it's closer to the SRT and DF15 in volume...and some folks might appreciate the stable/safe feeling in faster current. I'm not much of a Northstar fan but I think they offer some nice designs and the IXP is an appealing option.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

I just found a Royalex RockSTAR that I can grab

As far as robustness for sure you can bang around in royalex with more peace of mind than composite, I think the question may be whether the added robustness is relevant to you.

Nikon, if you're thinking of a canoe to paddle rivers way up in the remote Yukon again, I personally would feel a lot more secure in a Royalex canoe than a composite version of the same model. The Royalex will be safer protection against pins and wraps, it will hold up better when bumping or dragging over river and land rocks, and if its a bit slower than it's composite counterpart, that's not particularly relevant for running a fast flowing river. There would be extra carrying weight on portages, but that too can be irrelevant if portages are minimal or nonexistent on a river trip.

Not trying to spend your money, but for the above reasons on a remote river I'd rather be in a Royalex Rockstar than a composite one. Vice versa it were a lake-to-lake portage kind of trip, for which I'd rather have a faster and lighter canoe.

This doesn't solve your Rockstar vs. SRT dilemma. The only way to solve that, really, is to test paddle both, especially with the gear load you are expecting to carry when your life is on the line in the wilds.