Blackhawk for Sale
Another thread indcludes a link to The Paddlin Shop in Madison WI. That page lists a '92 Zephyr for sale at about $2800.
CE… thanks for all the history.
The later Millbrook slalom boats are fishform. And I can see why. But I don’t think I would want fishform for general WW river running.
I tried fishform by reversing my MR Synergy, which is Swedeform even though someone at MR said it was fishform. In fishform mode, the front end is “dumb” but very manageable. If one is going from gate to gate in a hurry, one leans back to engage the stern, and the boat tracks well. When ferrying or maneuvering in current, one leans forward onto the broad, flattish bow end of the boat, and the boat turns easily without being sensitive to side currents.
pricing
Wow! I guess Joe and I need to raise our prices.
Seen the boat
It is way overpriced. It’s not even a carbon boat. It does look mint, but I wouldn’t pay more than $1300 for it.
Wow! Great thread and useful info. I just bought a Shadow. I plan on restoring it. It is currently in very good condition. Interesting canoe and a colorful history!
Oaker,
The Blackhawk Zephyr and most of the other Blackhawks at the Paddlin’ Shop (now in Lone Rock WI) sold a few months ago and, unless Carl has gotten some new ones in, he’s pretty much out of Blackhawks (except for a couple he may still have that were seriously beat and one which was badly repaired). The person who bought them supposedly was planning to duplicate them but I’ve heard of others trying that and have never seen the products of anyone else’s efforts. We’ll see. Haven’t heard the Blackhawk Starship mentioned - very nice solo cruising boat and could handle quite a load of camping gear also. Like the Ariel but harder tracking.
Here are some Blackhawk beauties.
From top to bottom.
Blackhawk Starship
Blackhawk Nighthawk
Blackhawk Shadown 11’ 7"
Blackhawk Covenant with Lotus Dandy in the background
PJC in an “absolutely beautiful”, Blackhawk Ariel. I should have sold him my green one, “instead” of that blue one! At least it’s in the hand of an excellent paddler, who knows how to care for a special canoe.
BOB
Bob, your boats are way too shiny. What’s up with that?
I’m like the fireman with his fire engine in the song Penny Lane by Beatles…
“In Penny Lane there is a fireman with an hourglass.
He like to keep his fire engine clean
It’s a clean machine.”
Substitute (paddler with canoes) for fireman with an hourglass
Substitue (keep his canoes clean) for fire engine clean.
Don’t expect you to understand; it’s all rather esoteric and arcane.
Goo goo j’joob.
BOB
P.S. Surely you clean up your boats after padding in those livestock ponds, and corn field drainage ditches that you favor?
Bob, I have to admit that I do wipe the inside and outside of my boats after paddling the field ditches and livestock ponds of central IL so that I don’t cross contaminate the hazardous waste empoundments.
And the boats are lighter and prettier when clean. the Some of them are even shiny - especially the aluminum kayak.
I’m looking for help determining a fair asking price for two Blackhawk canoes. I fell in love with these canoes and bought a Nighthawk fiberglass model for my wife and a Zephyr Kevlar model with an adjustable seat for myself. Both boats are in great shape. They have been stored indoors and we have used other boats in shallow, rocky streams. My paddling has moved more toward shallow, rocky streams. I will make another observation I will make about these boats not mentioned in previous posts. I have used the Zephr for blackwater camping trips in NC and Florida, and it handles as beautifully fully loaded with gear as it does empty.
Vernie, where are your boats located? Location often impacts price.
Agree with Yanoer; boat location often impacts price.
Another important factor is condition, condition, condition.
I paid (if I remember correctly) 500.00 for my Zephyr, which is pictured.
It was in primo condition when I bought it, and is still in virtually the same condition.
Mine is fiberglass layup, not kevlar. If mine had been kevlar, I’m certain I would have offered at minimum 650.00.
Am I suggesting 650.00 is what you should ask? NO!
Am I suggesting 650.00 is all that it’s worth? NO!
I have seen the same boat offered for 1,500.00; I seriously doubt that any of them sold for that amount. Paddlers who know anything at all about Blackhawk canoes are few & far between.
See above regarding boat’s location & condition. Now add prospective buyer’s interest in that particular canoe.
I think a Zephyr would make an excellent solo canoe for someone who paddles the boundary waters. An easy carry on the portages; quite fast & manueverable in the hands of a skilled paddler. Capable of carrying a good sized paddler & 100 plus pounds of gear. Rookie paddlers will likely pass on it; their boat of choice will likely be a cheap, piece o crap, pumpkin seed kayak, from Wally World or Dicks.
Good luck,
BOB
I miss my Zephyr. My friend just sold a well used but solid fiberglass Zephyr with ICS seat and lots of scratches for (approx) $700 in the Ann Arbor area. A perfect Kevlar boat should be worth a bit more. I prefer the fixed seat because it’s a very small boat and the ICS system takes up some knee/leg room. For me it’s a tight fit and unfortunately not big enough to take a dog. Even an Ariel is quite snug with a dog. I agree with Bob that not many people may know about or care about Blackhawks, but there could still be a few that say stuff like hey Bob, that is not the stock seat or seat drops on your Zephyr!
@TomL said:
I miss my Zephyr. My friend just sold a well used but solid fiberglass Zephyr with ICS seat and lots of scratches for (approx) $700 in the Ann Arbor area.
I wonder if that was my old Zephyr? Was it dark green? I think mine was bought by a guy up in that area a few years ago for about $500, which I had to be patient to find the right buyer to get.
@Yanoer said
I wonder if that was my old Zephyr? Was it dark green? I think mine was bought by a guy up in that area a few years ago for about $500, which I had to be patient to find the right buyer to get.
Hi Yanoer. My Zephyr was white and the one my buddy just sold was a burgundy color, both with gold tape stripes.
Not my listing but there are 2, count’em 2, solo blackhawks for sale on FB, near Madison Wi Link here 12’ Blackhawk Canoes
They appear to be Blackhawk Proems.
I already have one; so I don’t need 2 more.
Fun boat to paddle in the summer, when getting wet feels good.
Fun boat to let inexperienced paddlers (voluntarily) attempt to paddle, and keep upright.
Great boat for funny photo ops.
Great boat for practicing your “air” brace…
Boat pictured is Perception HD-1; also a great “air brace”, photo op canoe.
I’m paddling a Mad River Flashback model 1; also NOT a boat with great initial or secondary stability.
If you have a Proem, HD-1, or Flashback, and have mastered any of them, I tip my hat to you because you’re a better paddler than me.
Post video of yourself and your mastery so we can perhaps learn something, or be amazed.
BOB
Hey Bob…been reading the post about Blackhawk canoes. See you have quite a few. Used to own 2 Nighthawks…both were stolen years ago in Houston TX. Still have the Grade 5 packs and pedal seat cover also by Grade 5. Do you know of any Nighthawks for sale, or would you ever consider selling yours? Sorry to be so bold…just been looking for another canoe, and would love to have another Nighthawk.
Winston Weaver
Winston,
For whatever reason, I never saw you post about Blackhawk canoes on p.com.
But thought you deserved at least an attempt at a response.
I still have 7 or 8 Blackhawk canoes, and a couple of them are small solos (a Proem, and a Nighthawk).
I did have 2 Nighthawks, but sold one of them. Maybe we started an email conversation, and I sold it to “you”.
I have no idea???
Anyway, I have had a long term love affair with Blackhawk canoe. I think I have bought, sold, still own about 20 of them.
If you receive this; I apologize for it taking so long to get back to you.
BOB