solo canoe selection help

Anecdotes

– Last Updated: Mar-17-14 12:29 PM EST –

Anecdotal evidence is fairly worthless. It often comes in some variation of " I like my boat, so you will too" which is a common form of conformation bias. Similarly, a negative comment is often as useless.

Kim, above, is vastly experienced, has owned twenty solos, paddled fifty more and is a very skilled stick, but I cannot agree that a 28.5" wide hull with 26" waterline is going to be a stable platform for fishing and hauling dogs into the hull.

Osprey has one of the widest, 27.5", waterlines of the 15' solo trippers; seemingly nice for hauling pup or perch across the rail, and is designed by John Winters, one of the greats, but an adverse comment from some indeterminate individual deletes it?

OP 'oughta try both boats and several others in something other than calm conditions. Even then we seldom know, because the learning curve is pretty steep at first. What seems twitchy when we start calms down considerably after a few jaunts.

Check out Nomad nets to reduce weight across the rail.

We do the best we Cavan

– Last Updated: Mar-17-14 2:09 PM EST –

All anyone can do is answer part of the question. I can address sea handling in FL tidal areas for a few boats . I don't fish and don't include the dog cause yes she will go over the side

Till we have a laboratory and a Center For Canoe Analysis With Varying In Boat Activities that's the best I can do.

Being woefully inadequate I think I will go paddle to find some monkeys.

BTW a gal has a Kestrel that she fishes from in the Everglades. Yes another anecdote


If you have access to an Osprey try and test with a good approximation of load and water conditions.

How in the world did we decide pre internet? We grabbed what floated by. Either it suited us or it didn't . Usually our gut instincts were pretty good or we made it work.

And it's your canoe trip. Don't worry what others think too much,. Sometimes we are barraged with too much information cause all of us have different experiences

Where, in general, are you doing all

– Last Updated: Mar-17-14 3:28 PM EST –

this...ie what type of fishing(rod)...for what fish..in how deep waters? I've done a fair amount of flycasting from canoes on bogs, ponds...lakes etc, especially on windy days. If you're flyfishing or not...I think a little added length(15.5'+) and, of course waterline width, helps the stability when in your casting motion.
Then again I've used a 12' canoe with little to no secondary firmness when leaned, or should I say tipped...and I had a lot of great times, but I think a little more stable boat, that can handle some movement will make for a sweeter day that includes some fishing.....*think it's all personal here cause one man's casting motion will be completely different than another...when sitting...and if I'm reading that right, with a Jack Terrier..y/n?..I'd definitely go with something 15'+ - 16'+.
$.01
Steve

Full disclosure
When sitting the Nomad will tip…when a manatee surfaces under it and the canoe slides off it’s back. However people do pay to swim with then and my ride was free!

The adverse comment
was about company, not Osprey per se. Sorry to misled. Jack Russell goes over the side when ever it’s most troubling, he’s calculating! If I said equal priority too stability & ease of propelling at moderate pace for 10 miles at a whack, would it change any nominations?

Just make sure he has a CFD with handle
I can’t think of a JR terrier being any sort of problem. ( I have a Golden Retreiver). Just leave out the dog in making comparisons

Colden Nomad
Can’t seem to find anything indicating they make one at present, any info? Try a Jack Russell, it’s like living in a cyclone when ever he is awake. No such thing as a bad dog!

Call Paul
at Colden. The mold is prepped and ready to go as I understand it.

Paul Meyer really wants to talk to
People thinking about buying his boats. Which is not synonymous with hard sell; he is SO laid back. He’s one of those not into computers. David Yost another. He doesn’t even have a computer.

Nomad statistics
Before I bother Paul,does anyone here have the numbers for Nomad? I tried CW’s email for his list with numbers but won’t seem to go thru. Windwalker has Nomad on site classifieds in Pa, who gets there first.

Go to Hemlock canoe website
And you can access the old Curtis catalogs there you will find the original page on nomad giving description and statistics

Thanks Steve, on my way there.

If you want real stability
You may want to look at an eaglet from Hemlock canoe it is a boat that can be paddled tandem or outfitted for solo. It’s a bit wide to be fast, but would certainly give you stability for fishing moving around and chasing pup. The older I get the more I appreciate a stable platform instead of a high-speed craft. Owned several Curtis/hemlock boats. Never been disappointed.

Indy is just under 30" wide (eom)

Thanks folks, each one
I bought the older curtis nomad, will be happy am sure and really hope I don’t come down with the disease all of you have. 20 canoes? That as bad as one wooden sailboat! Duckhunter had my attention as that’s the test of stability for sure. Thanks again for kind help…Jay

Hope you get to paddle it
real soon.



Just got back from a Florida trip with Nomad… Some 120 miles paddling in ten days.



Now back to regular scheduled snowshoveling.

Nomad seat
Since you guys did a fine job on finding my Nomad a new home I want to ask this.



Jay said he only sits. As we know the Nomad is set up for kneeling. While I often sit while paddling the Nomad, I mostly kneel. Obviously lowering the seat will help stability. And obviously when you kneel you are limited to how low the seat can be hung. I have offered to make Jay a new set of seat drops for the Nomad. My question is how much should I lower the seat? Thinking 2", would that make much difference? What ya think?



Mike

Ask Jay!
Its his boat… My Nomad has a replacement seat and its set high for kneeling.



However I often sit (it has a footbar too) but since that is on trips with quite a load, the boat is far from unstable. I have paddled the Nomads scion unloaded and seated and empty and am OK with that too.



It might be better to ask him how far off the bottom he wants to sit… I would guess seven inches would be the ball park…but again everyone is different and he is the only one who matters.

Yes
2 inches more than what it is now will certainly make a large difference. Best advice would be take the seat out and use cushions stacked up to decide what height he wants to sit off the floor then make drops.

Lowering seats
A limiting factor in lowering seats is the length of available 1-/20 SS machine screws. 6" seems to be the max, resulting in a seat ~3" lower than kneeling variants and flat for sitting. Seat trusses of appropriate size are available from Ed’s.



Beyond that, floor mounted pedestals are an answer, ~ available from Wenonah,as Placid’s elegant slider is not being available without a hull attached. Attach with methacrylate adhesive.