The New Swift/DY Redesign of the Dragonfly

[Steve in Idaho]

I'm trying to figure out what that is attached to the front thwart.

The float bags look really familiar.

 

[Thestripper]

I'm trying to figure out what that is attached to the front thwart.

The float bags look really familiar.

Do you mean that handle looking thing?

Swift calls it a: "Carbon Assist Bar - This support bar is designed to help a paddler get up from a seated position in a boat or as the ultimate handle for portaging."


Next big thing could be a thwart handle-handle, so you don't have to grab the thwart handle directly.

 

[RPATCH]

It's probably just me, but those Swift canoes are about the ugliest things I've seen. I know they can still make regular solid colors, but what's up with the burlap bag, woven plastic chair look and primer gray? To each his own.

If everybody liked the same thing, it would be a boring world.

 

[dogbrain]

If everybody liked the same thing, it would be a boring world.

That is true, and I stand corrected, but now I have seen the ugliest canoe. Thanks

 

[NikonF5user]

It's probably just me, but those Swift canoes are about the ugliest things I've seen. I know they can still make regular solid colors, but what's up with the burlap bag, woven plastic chair look and primer gray? To each his own.

That is the basalt-innegra co-mingle (differentiated from the basalt-innegra H-weave). I have been trying to find an advantage of one over the other with little success...

 

[Tryin']

It's probably just me, but those Swift canoes are about the ugliest things I've seen. I know they can still make regular solid colors, but what's up with the burlap bag, woven plastic chair look and primer gray? To each his own.

I dunno, I really like the innegra weave look. It definitely looks better in person though. Pictures remove a lot of the visual depth.

The "primer gray" is carbon weave that is not translating at all through the camera.

In the flesh, Swifts were easily the best finished boats at the show. Not even close. It's one of the reasons I keep looking at them.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Do you mean that handle looking thing?

Swift calls it a: "Carbon Assist Bar - This support bar is designed to help a paddler get up from a seated position in a boat or as the ultimate handle for portaging."

View attachment 145811
Next big thing could be a thwart handle-handle, so you don't have to grab the thwart handle directly.

Ah. Another development from the department of redundancy department.

 

[ABT]

That is the basalt-innegra co-mingle (differentiated from the basalt-innegra H-weave). I have been trying to find an advantage of one over the other with little success...

If you find out please post it somewhere, I’ve been looking for the same thing. Also trying to find out if there’s an advantage/disadvantage to their “textreme” other than appearance (i.e. better/worse abrasion resistance, etc?)

 

[ABT]

In the flesh, Swifts were easily the best finished boats at the show. Not even close. It's one of the reasons I keep looking at them.

I thought the Merrimack’s were right up there with them, albeit a completely different animal, and very traditional designs. I love the traditional wood rib look though.

They are now offering innegra and infusion as well, though still gel coated. Had a really good conversation with Todd from Merrimack about whether they’d be willing to modify their layups for increased durability over lightness and he seemed pretty open to adding layers of cloth if desired or even potentially doing an innegra infusion and adding the wood ribs and trim. High cost I’m sure, but I kind of like the idea of a sleeper modern layup hidden under a super traditional look. Not sure how willing I’d be to abuse it at that point though…but I have added the Baboosic to my list of solos to seriously consider regardless. Canoecopia was supposed to narrow my list down and instead added to it…

 

[Punkinhead]

Count me in as another person who thinks the Swift weave patterns are gorgeous. Maybe they don't come across well in pictures but I love what I've seen in person.

 

[clemency]

Any Rheaumes there? Their fit and finish has always looked good to me as well.

 

[NikonF5user]

If you find out please post it somewhere, I’ve been looking for the same thing. Also trying to find out if there’s an advantage/disadvantage to their “textreme” other than appearance (i.e. better/worse abrasion resistance, etc?)

There are some advantages to the "spread-tow" fabrics such as the textreme weave in that they are more robust than thin-weave carbon and also a bit less resin is needed to fill the space between the threads, making for a lighter layup and it's smoother with the wide / flat layers. But it is more expensive.

 

[NikonF5user]

I thought the Merrimack’s were right up there with them, albeit a completely different animal, and very traditional designs. I love the traditional wood rib look though.

They are now offering innegra and infusion as well, though still gel coated. Had a really good conversation with Todd from Merrimack about whether they’d be willing to modify their layups for increased durability over lightness and he seemed pretty open to adding layers of cloth if desired or even potentially doing an innegra infusion and adding the wood ribs and trim. High cost I’m sure, but I kind of like the idea of a sleeper modern layup hidden under a super traditional look. Not sure how willing I’d be to abuse it at that point though…but I have added the Baboosic to my list of solos to seriously consider regardless. Canoecopia was supposed to narrow my list down and instead added to it…

Oh my - I have been wanting a Swift WildFIRE in Expedition Kevlar in the worst way, but this is making me wonder whether it's possible to get a similarly-built Baboosic -which would be an absolute stunner and a FUN FUN FUN boat...

 

[Thestripper]

I thought the Merrimack’s were right up there with them, albeit a completely different animal, and very traditional designs. I love the traditional wood rib look though.

They are now offering innegra and infusion as well, though still gel coated. Had a really good conversation with Todd from Merrimack about whether they’d be willing to modify their layups for increased durability over lightness and he seemed pretty open to adding layers of cloth if desired or even potentially doing an innegra infusion and adding the wood ribs and trim. High cost I’m sure, but I kind of like the idea of a sleeper modern layup hidden under a super traditional look. Not sure how willing I’d be to abuse it at that point though…but I have added the Baboosic to my list of solos to seriously consider regardless. Canoecopia was supposed to narrow my list down and instead added to it…

I haven't seen one in the flesh so I can't say anything about their finish however, Merrimack canoes are probably the most beautiful modern canoes out there, or at least arguably so. No wait.. they are!

I belive some of the other manufacturers might have the edge when it comes to progressive hull shapes though. How about a Merlin, Magic, Keewaydin or perhaps a Osprey or Kite built by Merrimack?

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

It's probably just me, but those Swift canoes are about the ugliest things I've seen. I know they can still make regular solid colors, but what's up with the burlap bag, woven plastic chair look and primer gray? To each his own.

The burlap bag look is Swift's "expedition" strength basalt/Innegra fabric, which they put on the outside and inside of the expedition canoes.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Oh my - I have been wanting a Swift WildFIRE in Expedition Kevlar in the worst way, but this is making me wonder whether it's possible to get a similarly-built Baboosic -which would be an absolute stunner and a FUN FUN FUN boat...

The Baboosic is a very stable and maneuverable canoe. For example, it has been preferred by freestyle champion Tim Burris to his Colden Starfire, which I almost bought from him three years ago. However, the Baboosic is a slow forward paddling canoe with its waterline width of 30" and very low L/W ratio of 5.3 (as measured by Charlie Wilson). In comparison, the Wildfire has a waterline width of 26" and a L/W ratio of 6.0, which is still kind of low.

 

[ABT]

The Baboosic is a very stable and maneuverable canoe. For example, it has been preferred by freestyle champion Tim Burris to his Colden Starfire, which I almost bought from him three years ago. However, the Baboosic is a slow forward paddling canoe with its waterline width of 30" and very low L/W ratio of 5.3 (as measured by Charlie Wilson). In comparison, the Wildfire has a waterline width of 26" and a L/W ratio of 6.0, which is still kind of low.

The numbers sure do make it look slow but I also keep reading reviews like the one from Tim Burris that say this sort of thing:

“ I had read the reviews about how the Baboosic was surprisingly fast on flat water. I was skeptical, but was also surprised the first time I took it out on the lake with a kayaker. No, it won't set any speed records, and it won't glide like a dedicated lake boat; but for a jack-of-all-trades it is fast. A good forward stroke will pay dividends.”

Not sure what to make of it.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

The numbers sure do make it look slow but I also keep reading reviews like the one from Tim Burris that say this sort of thing:

“ I had read the reviews about how the Baboosic was surprisingly fast on flat water. I was skeptical, but was also surprised the first time I took it out on the lake with a kayaker. No, it won't set any speed records, and it won't glide like a dedicated lake boat; but for a jack-of-all-trades it is fast. A good forward stroke will pay dividends.”

Not sure what to make of it.

What I make of it is, Tim says in that full review that he uses one of his Baboosics for moving water and the other for freestyle play and lakes, by which I take him to mean day trips on lakes. He also admits it doesn't glide on lakes like a dedicated lake hull and that a good forward stroke will help. Of course, Tim is a very strong guy with an advanced forward stroke technique. He's defending one of his very favorite canoes. When we paddled a lake three years ago, he took his now-possibly-favorite Curtis Dragonfly (WL 26", L/W ratio 7.0).

The Baboosic is popular among recreational canoeists who can afford one because of its beauty, stability, turnability and "good enough" forward speed for most recreational paddlers. As Tim says, it's a good jack-of-all-trades 14' solo canoe. So would be the popular Swift Prospector 14, which outsells all of Swift's other solo canoes combined, and I suspect is faster than a Baboosic. I prefer my even faster and more efficient Swift Keewaydin 15 as a lake canoe and solo tripper.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

If everybody liked the same thing, it would be a boring world.

Robert, is this your new Swift Dragonfly 15? If so, it would be great to see more pictures of it here. And . . . are you still planning to risk its pristine virginity in the rapacious Yukon territory this summer?

 

[ABT]

What I make of it is, Tim says in that full review that he uses one of his Baboosics for moving water and the other for freestyle play and lakes, by which I take him to mean day trips on lakes. He also admits it doesn't glide on lakes like a dedicated lake hull and that a good forward stroke will help. Of course, Tim is a very strong guy with an advanced forward stroke technique. He's defending one of his very favorite canoes. When we paddled a lake three years ago, he took his now-possibly-favorite Curtis Dragonfly (WL 26", L/W ratio 7.0).

The Baboosic is popular among recreational canoeists who can afford one because of its beauty, stability, turnability and "good enough" forward speed for most recreational paddlers. As Tim says, it's a good jack-of-all-trades 14' solo canoe. So would be the popular Swift Prospector 14, which outsells all of Swift's other solo canoes combined, and I suspect is faster than a Baboosic. I prefer my even faster and more efficient Swift Keewaydin 15 as a lake canoe and solo tripper.

Good points Glenn, as always. Didn’t mean to imply it was possibly competition for faster boats like a Keewaydin, just found the comments on its “surprising” speed interesting. All my paddling is downriver so “fast enough” for Tim is potentially fast enough for me as well, but is of course a subjective evaluation. Speed isn’t my primary objective but is certainly nice when you want it on the slower pools.