i’ve got a 16-foot wood strip bob special that i’ve taken out several times with my wife. took it out solo for the first time today. lots of fun. paddled on a protected river with a 54-inch bending branches beaver tail, leaned over like i was cool or knew what i was doing. very comfortable. it’s a lot of boat for one paddler to move, though. pretty slow going, but i knew it would be. wouldn’t want to get caught out in the wind or on open water doing the canadian thing, but i’d certainly take the boat on a shelter class II trip.
I forgot to mention specs
the Cronje is 17’, 34" beam and has minimal rocker. It is a re-make of the Chestnut Cronje wood and canvas from about 1905. Your Bob should be somewhat similar, perhaps a bit shorter and a bit more rocker. You are correct its a handful for solo paddler in the wind especially. The Nova Craft Bob Special however is a lot of fun to paddle solo, and because of its lower sides and stems it is less affected by the wind. For solo paddling I use a minicell saddle velcroed just aft of the portage yoke. That puts me close enough to center trim so I don’t have a big bow sticking up in the air. For longer trips where the minicell saddle would kill my knees and ankles I use a drop in seat similar to the one Old Town sells. I drop it about 18" behind the portage yoke and put my pack or big dog up front to trim the canoe.
? What’s a shelter class II trip?
sheltered class II
is what it should have read. sheltered from wind – not a wide river that’s subject to fetch, etc. but up to class II.