Eaglet, Coho, Rockstar, Novacraft Pal...

You Know, The Eaglet Was…
…in my eyesight until I got a couple of e-mails from people who disliked that boat, although; they said it was well made and that Curtis was a fantastic person to deal with. I also remember a good friend, now deceased, who was not impressed with it. Also, I’m thinking royalex may be better so I can have one “Beater” canoe (my Courier is kevlar). What boat do you use for photography, Glen?

I use my tippy solo canoes
Open canoe, I now paddle mostly just my Hemlock SRT and my Bell Wildfire. So I have to adapt my video work to these canoes. I’m not in a position to buy another canoe just for photography. My best canoe would be my flat bottomed 17’ Old Town OTCA for stability. I could even stand up in that. But it weighs 85 pounds.



I lash a tripod against in front of the center thwart. Or I clamp a Manfrotto super clamp on the thwart with an extension rod screwed into it with a tripod head on top. I can take down that rig in a few seconds. But I have to stay on my knees the whole time, which becomes uncomfortable eventually.



I have to be careful because I don’t use a waterproof camera, but a fairly expensive regular videocam.

I’ve Thought About Lashing…

– Last Updated: Feb-07-12 7:59 AM EST –

...a tripod to the thwart, but never done it. Thanks for that tidbit, I think I will try it! WW

g2d …
You are right about closing the lower canyon when the river silts in too much to reach Clay Hills Crossing. The water was moderately low when we put in but it did increase during the week we were on the river.



Both canoes and support rafts were able to negotiate the lower canyon by paying careful attention to following the channel. I had to drag twice, but that was my fault for paying more attention to taking photographs than to following the channel.



Our lead guide was Larry Berger.

What does photography
have to do with rocker? You say you don’t need all that rocker for photography.



I try to take pictures on the water and I find rocker very useful to maneuver in tight quarters where I don’t want to heel the boat.



I find that being able to manuever with one hand on a paddle a boon to getting centered level pictures.



I have a dog of a time in something flatter bottomed and less rockered like in my Peregrine.

Well, Kim…
…the 3.5" rocker in the Mistral means by the time I get the camera out, the canoe is no longer pointing at my target unless I’m parked in an eddy or against the bank or in some water weeds. I paddled an old boat of mine a few times last fall that had less than an inch of rocker. It was a bear to turn at times, but it was easy to take pics out of because it was still pointing toward my “Target.”

Actually…
…I had a potential “Buyer” that I scared away from the Mistral with this comment, “I reach for a drink, it turns, I take a picture, it turns, I fart, it turns” (LOL)! For some reason, the 3" in the Starfire never bothered me. Just a little less, plus I probably buried the stems a bit. But the Reflection is looking more promising than ever, now. WW

Considering how low Lake Powell has
been, it’s surprising that the San Juan doesn’t cut down through the silt and make usable channels. But there’s a lot about hydrology and silt that I don’t understand. (I did read that the Escalante cut down through the silt so that paddlers could get to Lake Powell instead of having to carry out to the rim.)

Thanks For the Feedback
Also appreciated the 4 individuals who e-mailed me with specific imfo whom did not wish to post here. While looking, I found a gently used Dagger Reflection 15 with wood trim that was already set up solo. Included will be the two tandem seats so I can set it up as a tandem “Guest boat” if it doesn’t work out solo. A good friend who lives nearby checked it out and gave me the “Thumbs up.” He and my other buddy from Iowa both offered to bring it down. I’m “Blessed” to have such good friends!

Thanks again.

WW

Same thing happens to me.
I often try to take pictures on the fly. especially when I’m with a group because I don’t want to keep getting behind over and over again, or because I need to snap the shot before the shot is spoiled by another boat leaving the frame, or by an unwanted boat entering the frame. I can get my camera out of the box and get the shot in a few seconds, but if I’m paddling my Supernova I’ll have already spun 90 degress before latches on the box are popped, and close to 180 degrees by the time my hands are on the camera, which means I have to put the camera down and grab the paddle before I can shoot. If I have all the time in the world it doesn’t matter so much, but if the boat has a bit of natural tracking, photography on the go is a lot easier.

Whoops…

– Last Updated: Feb-09-12 12:27 PM EST –

Whoops! Too late!
Guess I waited too long.........

I was going to offer you my restored Chestnut Pal for a couple of hundred bucks Terry.
Thought it might work for you?
If it didn't, you could give it away to someone else.
You probably wouldn't have liked the 50 year old patina on the wood trim anyway..........

:^)
NOT!

BOB

Yeah, Right!
You know I’ll sell a kidney or WHATEVER it takes for THAT boat (LOL)!

I wear my waterproof camera
and my objects are moving so I need to spin. My usual attempts are seals dolphins and loons all of whom pop up anywhere and disappear and pop up elsewhere.



Using a straight keeled boat solo in the Glades the thing was dug in so deep I could not spin it to either get my hat without a lot of effort nor to maneuver to get my wanted subject. I have a lot of shots of plain open water.



Probably the answer to the question is “it depends on what you want to shoot”

Actually
There is reason to believe that the Eaglet plug is a Curtis Companion with bow and stern layout added with Bondo. There is the issue of the designer not being paid royalties…

There is a book in there and
I am waiting for it.

kidneys have to much rocker
i was wondering if you had considered a raven like robs or if the rocker issue kept it out of consideration… after the fact i know but was just curious

Raven the great flattener
of many a paddler.

Like me.

Aptly named, my Raven would like to digest me at the put in.

Though I could bring it for a test paddle in the fall I need help in getting it off the truck without becoming a Raven Pancake.

Exactly

– Last Updated: Feb-10-12 11:28 PM EST –

More rocker, heavy for a solo, just didn't care for it when I tested paddled Rob's.

Photography vs. picture snapping
Some of you are just talking about snapping pictures with a Kodak Brownie.



More serious photographers set up tripods in boats and compose pictures of wildlife or landscapes/waterscapes. For that, it is helpful to have a boat that is stable and stays pointed in one direction as well as possible over anchor.

Show me examples of your work
Then I will believe you.