Thanks
So far I have the Osprey, Raven and NWC Passage.
The Raven has a good bit of rocker, but is very wide for my smaller frame.
I am 5’8", 165# I also have a refined camping kit that is pretty lightweight.
The Osprey and NWC Passage have about the same rocker, but the Passage is a touch narrower and a hair longer.
Thanks for the ideas, anymore options?
Just a thought…
I see kayakamedic sent the Green Valley link. They look to me like a good place to go for plans. I considered some of them before I lost my shop space.
Another thought I had back then was of just doing a Prospector (a friend did one that turned out nicely from Bear Valley plans, I think it was). Its a good classic time-proven design if ever there was one.
But scale it down for solo. Just like you would do to change size on a balsa model airplane plan. 7/8 would give you a 14 footer. Perhaps the full-size plans could just be run through a big photocopier set to reduce the size by the proper percentage, then just build as you would before. (Plans could also be scanned and sent to an architectural printing shop.
Should still be wide enough, still have plenty of weight carrying capacity and freeboard. And it would be more maneuverable, being shorter.
Just a thought.
canoe plans
I would consider a Pygmy Taiga.
The OP apparently wants a solo
The Taiga is a big tandem. I wish Pygmy would make a solo canoe kit.
would be nice
I talked to CLC about doing the S&G Osprey design a couple of times. They said thanks, but never worked it into their lineup. I never mentioned it to Pygmy, though. I thought someone would be interested in doing a good solo boat with the design kinks already worked out, but that does not appear to be the case with CLC.
Would be nice indeed.
And a plywood stitch and glue boat would be much stronger than a cedar stripper.
Green Valley Boatworks
has a S&G Osprey. Kayakmedic put up the link to them earlier in this thread. Apparently they’re now only offering the Osprey in electronic format, which I guess means plans sent via email. But if a S&G Osprey is what you want - its out there.
Might be why other companies don’t want to offer it. Why would they want to butt heads over a particular design in such a limited market? Especially when Green Valley has so many other Winters designs. Probably there are legal rights to sell the design that enters into this.
i have build te s @g osprey
I like it a lot, it padddes nice, The build was in 3 weeks done.
but I have paddles a strip version as well and that is even better.
Solo Passage
Got the free plans from NWC for the Solo Passage. And will say it looks like it has nice lines. But haven’t been able to find a picture of a finished hull or much feedback from anyone that has paddled one.
Poking around about the Osprey, I have seem some comments that it can be a hard boat to strip. The Kite looks nicer to me and that says it it a bit easier to strip than the Osprey.
Looks like it is narrowed down to these two hulls…
Sassafras 14 is a nice canoe
Symmetrical, not a big boat or light but in 6mm is a better canoe than the Sassafras 16. The whole lap-stitch business adds unnecessary weight.
Plans?
Are there plans for the 14 available anywhere? I remember thinking it looked like a nice boat, then CLC dropped it from their lineup. I took a look at their website, but I am not seeing them in the spots where I am looking.
Kulszicki’s canoe book
Might have it
NWS concerns
Be careful: I paid for plans from NWS a year ago, even though the ones I wanted were offered free of charge. I donated $10 to the cause but never got the plans. Won’t be buying again…
North carolina
If you get down to north Carolina you are welcome to see and try out my Passage(xl). It is modified a bit
but you should be able to get the feel from it. If you contact the RedCrossRandy He might be persuaded to bring his Passage(xl) up to PA on his next trip.
Modified?
What did you modify? What are your thoughts on how the boat handles? Flatwater, moving water, what does it like? What doesn’t it like? Any pictures?
Thanks, Mike
we added
an extra #7 station to stretch it out to 15foot 11 inches. It rides a little too high now to be exactly like the SRT . It handles the waves on Lake Norman nicely and it turns much better then the Jboats I loose to . With the extra length it is more trim sensitive. I will see if I have any pictures tonight and get back to you.
Osprey but…
At one point at least Green Valley and John Winters were offering custom designs.
I’ve often wondered if John could make the Osprey’s rocker more symmetrical without compromising the efficiency and stability.
If I decide to build that will be something I’ll ask for.
Cool
So how do you think the stock 15’er would handle river tripping with moderate WW (say low class II)
I’d like to have another SRT, pretty perfect boat for my intended use, but on the other hand I’d like to paddle a boat I built. I really wanted to strip an SRT.
The Passage seems
to like the moving water and handles the lakes well.
I have never loaded up any of my solos to be able to give you a factual reply. I feel that it would be good but before I tell you to make one I again extend my offer. Get down here try my passage(xl) try RedCrossRandys passage(xl) and his Merlin (Bruce Kunz design not Charlie Wilsons)Heck for grins and giggles we could try to put you in a kruger designed Kboat (Dave Kruger not Verlans design.
Modified Passage
Thanks for the offer, as much as I’d love to take a road trip to test paddle some boats, it’s pretty unlikely that will happen.
I have the plans for the Passage and am considering some mods. I’d like to make the max beam 1" less, add 1" to the depth, lay the bow stem out, and add a little more flare to the bow.
I guess the next step would be to cut some modified stations and put them on the strongback and check for fairness with some test strips. Actually the next step will be to decide to move on this or put the funds towards a new SRT.
But there is something to be said for paddling a boat you’ve built yourself from some cedar boards purchased at the local lumber yard… But on the otherhand I don’t want to put a lot of time and money into building a boat only to wish I would have bought another SRT…