ok i finally got to paddle the merlin2 and prism. the merlin2 is what i expected after reading reports and from paddling the wildfire. to me, imho, the merlin2 is similar to the wildfire in it's stability, both are a joy to lean. the merlin2 tracked well but the prism tracked better. of course, i'm sure the merlin2 tracks better with a load which i believe is what it's meant to do. it was fun to paddle. i wasn't surprised by it's performance which is neither good n'or bad. i've done enough research to know what to expect.
i was surprised by the wenonha prism. in fact i was taken back when i paddled it. i expected it to be somewhat as twitchy as the merlin2 or magic. but, it's initial stability was solid! and i was impressed by it's tracking! it's speed and glide was better than i expected. i was impressed! it is a boat for cruising but stable enough to fish out of. the slight breeze had minimal affect on it's tracking.
if i buy a canoe for camping/touring it may come down to the prism and magic [which i also paddled]. but, the prism really left an impression on me because it was much more than i expected. it didn't want to lean as easily or as much as the merlin2 or magic, but, i guess there's no need to. also, the tractor seat was much more comfortable than expected but to me a canoe should have a cane seat [i'm trditional]. the aesthetics of the prism would also be improved with wood instead of aluminum trim.
the magic was also better than expected but i need to try it again against the prism to compare.
i think i finally have it down to the two canoes i want to cover the types of paddling i do....the wildfire for poking around ponds and rivers and the prism or magic for "straight ahead" lake camping/cruising. on the other hand i guess i should try the merlin2 with a load before my final decision! ooohh no! i'm back to square one! well anyway, i'd feel comfortable in any of the above fly fishing.
Prism seating and trim
You can get a Prism with wood trim and a bench seat. Most dealers don’t stock them that way, but special ordering one isn’t that big of a deal. I don’t know how it is where you are at, but around here it only takes 3-4 weeks from the time you order a Wenonah until it reaches the store.
Good luck with whatever you settle on. You certainly picked some nice boats to choose from!
Good selection & write up
Sounds like you had fun! Good write up. I usually tell people that are test paddling it’ll either click as an emphatic “YES, this boat is great!”, or a luke warm “Yeah, it paddles ok.” Definitely go with the wood trim. It improves the looks tremendously. What color do you think you’re leaning toward?
See you on the water,
Marshall
http://www.the-river-connection.com
If you liked the Prism
Try the Advantage. It, too, can be outfitted the way you like
Wenonah
actually, i paddled the voyager, too. again i was pleasantly surprised but it’s probably more canoe than i really need. i’m going to try the prism and magic again soon i hope. i paddled too many canoes in too short of time to remember which was better for me. also, i’d like to add 60-80lbs in each to see if and how they change in performance.