Yanoer, one thing you may not have considered in your comparison test is the weight diff. between a kevlar boat and a royalex boat. In the wind, more weight is a real advantage. Put a ping pong ball and a tennis ball and a baseball on a flat table and turn a fan on - doesn't take a genius to see the difference, and a lighter boat will ride higher, so has a little bit more surface exposed to the wind. So a better, truer comparison of boats in the wind would have been comparing royalex versions to royalex, and kevlar vs kevlar versions. I think you would find big differences, even with the same model. Adjusting trim is a big help, but adding weight, not just for trim but for the added mass might have given you a different result.
I've paddled a 24' replica fur trade canoe, loaded with literally a ton of gear in strong wind a few times - usually just with a kid in the bow lilly dipping. Once I got that boat started moving, none of the other boats could keep up (that is river tripping, and other boats were loaded Disco's, 17 footers I think, and quite heavy). The wind just didn't have the same effect against the big heavy boat - I could maintain momentum, even in the biggest gusts that were blowing the discos around, and I had to do a lot of drifting so that I didn't run out of sight of the rest of the group.
Without wind, obviously a lighter boat is going to be the faster, if its reasonably similar.
I have the K-glass version of the Independence, as a tripping boat. It does quite well in the wind, as long as I change trim for wind direction. Glass is 45 lbs, vs only 33 lbs for the light Kevlar version. I would bet that in a side by side comparison, the heavier boat would do better in the wind.
I'd add this boat to the list of recommendations, but you'd have to find one used.
Pretty similar to the Merlin and Magic. I think it turns well and tracks well, especially with the gear in it.
make a big difference in the wind, probably more difference than weight. The shear on the Slipper and Vagabond are almost identical, I think.
The listed wieghts for the kevlar Independence (38 lbs) and the kevlar Slipper (unknown to me) are only 6 to 8 lbs lighter than the 44 lb royalex Vagabond.
In my test paddling that day, the Vagabond was much better behaved and easier to paddle at any angle to the wind than the other boats. Trim was probably a factor with the Independence and Slipper.
I probably should have given my Voyager more of a chance by messing with trim, but it was such a sail in the wind, that I sold it without much experimentation.
…they’ve hardly been made yet;-) Mid-Canada’s Bluewater Freedom 16…in their “Golden Brawn”(sp?..the last name I was told)…it’s the stiffest lightweight layup that they have for a process. …BUT…I was told that they are only being produced on order, thus…don’t know if anyone has any experience making it! If it’s Killing’s design, I sure would like to try one.
Weighting down that Voyageur "I used sand bags at one time but didn’t like the thought of sinking it.Still thinking about how to use water."
Good call on the sand bags, but you’ll have a heck of a time sinking a Voyageur unless it was built without flotation tanks (I think the graphite ones come standard w/o them). Here’s an easier alternative: Get a couple of 30-35 liter dry bags (stout ones, no wimps, and none of those water jugs, either) and fill them each about 2/3 of the way full w/river or lake water right as you put in (I told a friend to do this and he actually filled them up at home, brought them in his truck and then carried them down to the put-in when he arrived!) Anyway, in a Voyageur it is best to put one behind you and one ahead of the foot brace. If you are paddling with someone, have them help you position the bags (or your sliding seat) for good trim. As you have already surmised, they make a great difference, as a Voyageur absolutely needs weight in it (even if you are, like me, a larger person). You can try just one bag (behind you), but I’ve found that two work even better. However, as fast as the Voyageur is (and it can be very, very fast and carry a darned big load, too) I still consider the Advantage to be a way sweeter ride, though not as ultimately fast. It just glides along so well…
Peregrine mentioned String is a communist - he/she has posted twin threads; one general, another comparing, somewhat incredibly, Bell RobRoys and WS Pungos.
Check the other thread for mention of your fav bottom.