The Bell Merlin II is 12" deep at center with a bow height of 17" and a stern height of 15". I don’t think the depth of a canoe has a great effect on the ease of self rescue or how much water winds up inside after self rescue.
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I had a fiberlar bucktail. I loved it but I was 300# at the time and a little (alot) heavy for it. I ended up selling it .It was really a fun boat compared to the magic I had at the time. The magic was a fast cruiser.
Have fun with the search.
Jeff
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Thanks, @skyview and @willowleaf, and to everyone else who has been a huge help. After having a financial meeting with my wife, I might just have to scour the internet for a while until a unicorn pops up…
I just came across a Wenonah Rendesvouz on Craigslist nearby. Asking $600, with whitewater rigging (floatbags, kneeling pads, d-rings). A quick search reveals that this is a pretty polarizing boat. It’s definitely geared more towards whitewater/river touring than what I was originally thinking, but I think I’ll take a look (and hopefully do a test paddle) nonetheless.
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I have a Rendezvous and it is the canoe that I have out most often. Part of that is that it is a bit easier to get to but also that I most enjoy paddling it. The mostly is there as it can be a handful in a stern quartering wind. Mine is Tuffweave composite with a pedestal sliding bucket seat & I suspect, from how the one you mention is set up, that it may be the Royalex version. I somewhat recall that there were some issues with seat position on the original Royalex 'Vous that affected handling but I don’t remember what the fix was. Stability kneeling is wonderful. Sitting really is good but it does take my inner ear a bit to get used to the slight movement of the shallow arch hull.
Yes, the 'Vous is definitely a wilderness truck. The longest that I’ve done with mine was 2 weeks on the Lower Missinaibi. Perhaps not the best for mostly big lake work with its depth and loose stern.
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Hi, bonpawtuck,
I was on the road for a night so didn’t see your reply until today.
Here’s my take on canoe durability: Given a canoe’s purpose and materials/layup, it all depends on how you use the canoe. For example, Royalex is really tough stuff but if you smash it into rocks a lot it’s going to get damaged.
I owned an ultralight Kevlar fast solo performance canoe and took it a lot of places but I never tried running a rocky rapid with it. I know people that have and made it just fine. I also know people that have done major damage to a canoe like that while paddling in those conditions. Given the weight and materials of the Boreas, I would be reluctant to paddle it in rocky rapids because I’m just not experienced enough to trust that I wouldn’t damage that canoe.
I have also owned a tandem expedition canoe built up with additional layers of Kevlar and a rather thick layer of gelcoat. It was a fairly heavy canoe even constructed with Kevlar. It was made for rocky rapids and I took it down some fun stretches of water. We even managed to bounce the stern off a rock with just minor gelcoat damage. I also own a Kevlar Hemlock solo canoe that was made for canoe tripping and rocky stretches of river and while I haven’t taken it down a rapid yet, I feel confident I wouldn’t do too much damage if I did. Based in comparison with the layup of my expedition canoe, I think the Hemlock hull could take some rock hits and scrapes with only minor damage.
The Boreas certainly weighs less but I think the Hemlock boat is probably more durable because of the additional materials used to protect areas likely to take hits. I purchased a used solo Curtis (now Hemlock) canoe a few years ago that was 35 years old and still in good shape, even after running rocky stretches of river in the Adirondacks. If you’re not planning on using the canoe in those kind of conditions, the Boreas looks like an interesting design at a good price for a new boat.
Tom
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Material layup matters as much as what material. Some ultralight boats are Kevlar and have just a couple of fabric layers. Others have partial and full and more pieces where there are stress points.
Often a mix of carbon, kevlar and glass is used. Such is the case for my whitewater composite boat the Colden ( formerly Curtis made it) DragonFly… Its not terribly light because of all its 38 layers of fabric strategically placed. It comes in at about 37 lbs.
The Rendezvous seems to be a love hate boat. As I have always heeled my boats for turns, that boat is not for me. I could tolerate it while flat but heel it to the rail and bath ensued.
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Thanks for the detailed reply, Tom!
The Rendezvous is not what I would consider a “whitewater canoe” but it is certainly a quite decent moving water boat that is suitable for milder whitewater. It is about as close to a whitewater canoe as anything Wenonah made, apart from the long-discontinued Edge and the short-lived Royalex Recon which was introduced shortly before the demise of Royalex.
The Rendezvous definitely has good carrying capacity for river tripping. I would definitely give it consideration. The price is quite good if the boat is in good condition. Be aware that if you test paddle it on flat water you won’t be seeing its strengths.
As for materials, composite canoes can be made quite tough but it all depends on the layup schedule. For river use an all fabric boat is going to perhaps be preferable to a canoe with a foam bottom core and ribs but will be heavier. I own three composite full-on whitewater canoes, two of which are all fabric (Kevlar and fiberglass plus gel-coat) and one which has a bottom core/side rib construction. I have paddled all on whitewater but have had to do some repairs to the last mentioned canoe.
In general, Royalex will usually sustain impacts better than composite canoes but there is a limit. For Royalex, the problem is often abrasion when paddled frequently of shallow, rocky streams. I know one hard core open boater who was wearing out a Royalex canoe every six months, but he was paddling a lot of steep creeks, going over rocky ledges and doing rock spins on or boofing over every suitable rock he could find. Composite boats are somewhat more prone to cracking as they usually don’t have as much “give” as Royalex, although again, the lay-up really makes a difference. On the other hand, composite canoe cracks are usually relatively easy to mend if you have even rudimentary skills using fabrics and resins. When Royalex erodes into the foam core the repair often entails considerably more time and expense.
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You also might want to check out this local paddling club for information. They have several downstream trips during the season. The meet monthly in Endicott and do trips on the Tioughnioga and Chenango Rivers:
My wife and I don’t do a lot of group paddles but there is lots of information from groups.
There are also a couple of very active facebook groups for paddling New York State and the Adirondacks. Also a good way to find new routes and used boats locally.
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Thanks again for the resposnes, everyone. There’s a 2001 Swift Osprey for sale near me. The seller, based on the description, might not be super knowledgeable about the layup. Any ideas?
The Swift Osprey is a really nice solo canoe, IMO. Pretty efficient and mild mannered. The optimum load range for this boat is in the 150-260 lb range so consider that if your plans include tripping. It has asymmetrical rocker (1.5" bow, 1" stern) and heels in a predictable fashion so it has sufficient maneuverability for river use, although not enough depth at center (12") for any real whitewater use.
The boat in the photo appears to be Swift’s proprietary “Swiftech” layup, basically fiberglass with an unnamed stiffening and strengthening material added plus some Kevlar reinforcing in high stress areas. The Swiftech Osprey weighs around 50 lbs.
Some other specs: length overall - 15’, waterline length - 14’4", gunwale width - 26", maximum width - 30", waterline width - 27.5", bow height - 18", stern height - 15.5", center depth - 12".
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I’d say BUY IT! The Osprey is an awesome boat. If it was near me I’d try to beat you to it. 
I wouldn’t worry about the max weight for tripping - I overload my Wildfire. It is a little sluggish, but otherwise fine.
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You might want to look at Hemlock Canoe Works. His shop is near Hemlock Lake. I purchased his tandem canoe (Eagle) over 10 years ago. I can easily solo using kneeling thwart. Hemlock is known for solo canoes as well.
I’ve been canoeing for a while and in all kids or remote places alone and with others.
The reality is especially in water you just have to be more careful when you notice the water is speeding up and you have limited visibility dow water. You have to watch the weather more(barometric changes). Your dead in five minutes on a bad boat moments. I’ve land trips turn into all night CrossFit classes to keep hyperthermia away… you can’t do that on water.
As far as ultralight gear goes you gotta ask yourself why??? My boat is heavy as hell boat floats in 4 “ of water with minimal gear it’s dependable and I could probably have a dance party in it and it won’t flip. I am used to paddling it and I know am not gonna win the Olympics in it.
Ultralight gear has it place in remote scenarios, and that is stuff that if it fails it just makes for a bad day but you can live with out it.
That being said my canoe is heavy, my tarps are heavy, my blankets are wool, and my cook gear is cast iron. Everything else is ultralight.
Take a beacon(cell phones are not the same) and tell people when your gonna be back.
No one loves the romantic notions more than me of Muir and Thoreau. That being said there are no stories about being flung off a cliff in the Sierra’s or being trapped up to your armpits in a bog in when its 50 degrees
Have fun be smart have a plan to come back always and be found if you don’t.
**Full if typos I’m Dyslexic
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Just wanted to reiterate my thanks to everyone and let you all know that I purchased an Esquif Adirondack. I know it’s viewed by many as a reincarnation of the Old Town Pack not suited for serious paddling. But after test paddling one, considering the cost of alternatives, and trying to be honest with myself about the kind of paddling I’m going to be doing 80+% of the time, I decided that it was a good choice for me.
I like that I can comfrotably alternate between sitting and kneeling, and the boat doesn’t track half bad, especially when heeled. I also have some Royalex loyalty - probably irrational for the kind of paddling I do - and Esquif’s T-Formex material checks that box.
Finally, the folks at Oak Orchard Canoes set me up with an ottertail paddle a bit longer than my tandem paddle that makes adjustments a good bit easier when soloing. I also tested out a double-blade paddle, and man is that tempting, but I decided to hold off to give myself an incentive to improve my single-blade skills.
Happy paddling!
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That’s what is important, good choice.
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Very nice boat, I think you will be very happy.
It comes with bow and stern loops I thought that was pretty cool. I wouldn’t want them as long as they come though. I had to add them to my canoe and I use them a lot, but I want then small enough that if I need them for any kind of a rescue or I’m in the water using them to stay with the canoe my hand can’t get thru the loop and entangled. The other reason I would shorten them is to lessen the chance of snagging something in the water like a tree limb. I had my painter lines attached to them and also didn’t like the snagging ability so I moved my painters up to the handles and can attach them to the loops if I need to line the boat.
With the 12’ length you will need the area front and back for gear, but the Adirondack is wide enough for side floatation inside the boat. The more I learn about side floatation the more I like it and if you will be doing a lot of solo paddling it would be worth it IMO.
I would also like the foot brace add on. That is an individual thing.
As to the single or double blade paddle. Go with both. It is never a bad idea to have a spare paddle along and I carry both. On open water there is nothing like the double IMO. Make sure it is long enough though to keep the drips off you and keep you off the gunwales. It is nice to switch out as a way to take a break from one style.
Good luck and report back how it works down the road.
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Several friends have similar boats and love them - good choice. They probably paddle it half with the single blade and half with the double blade - both are good. Have fun.
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