I am interested in getting a decked canoe and am looking at the Clipper Sea1 and the Superior Expedition. The opportunity to find either one within 500 miles of South Dakota to try it out is zilch. Has anyone had the chance to paddle and compare these two hulls?
this website might help you.
http://www.westerncanoekayak.com/canoes.php?PHPSESSID=7e1f2b483408104ec41c42183502f580
I had a Sea-1
It’s a well made, high volume, expedition boat. It wants a strong paddler who doesn’t mind sitting. You can kneel if you set the seat up high enough but you will need to use the rudder pedals to turn it into the wind. It’s a go fast go straight hull with good stability. It never made me nervous.
The cockpit opening is nine feet long. Plenty of room to load your gear in and out but not much use in the surf. For a 17’ x 30" boat it is fairly light and stiff.
It was not the right boat for me. I like more manuverability, less windage (lower volume). I don’t see the point in a semi decked boat. I’d rather see it set up like a sea kayak with bulkheads and a small cockpit that would take a skirt. I didn’t feel I was a powerful enough paddler to do the hull justice.
Custom decked sailing canoes
You might want to check out the decked sailing canoes made by Hugh Horton and others associated with him. He has several articles in the Gougeon newletter, epoxyworks which you can google.
He does emphasize sailing as well as paddling, so if sailing is not to your liking, this would not be your kind of craft.
Marty
I have
a Sea 1 (in Norway) and a Loon (in Florida) and love both of them. I think the Sea 1 is a bit better in shallow water, but think they are bouth great and would have a hard time choosing between them. I think the Superior 1 looks a bit to high volume for my taste, but it would be great for huge ammounts of gear. My choise would actually be a boat the size of the old Monarch or a cut down Sea Wind (Kruger used to make them on special order)
Paul
hey
Check out the pamlico 160… L AKA the plastic kruger…