But you live in FL and he’s in IL.
I would’ve been checking out your Osprey if you were much closer to IL.
yep
the distance is a problem. But if anyone wants it its here for a good price. I am running out of room for all these boats and my wife wants a new kayak so something has to go. $600 takes it.
Yep, a pig on flatwater - for me anyway.
– Last Updated: Mar-09-08 6:04 PM EST –
It's probably my lack of single blade skills that make me percieve the Rx Wildfire as a pig on flatwater, but it's much slower for me than my Mad River Slipper, Sawyer Summersong, Sawyer Starlight or Sawyer Loon.
FWIW, the Blackhawk Zephyr is also much slower for me than the Mad River Slipper. I paddled them the same day within a half hour of each other on the same lake with the same paddles. I don't have much seat time in the Zephyr, so unfamiliarity with the boat is certainly a factor in inability to paddle it fast over a distance. I paddled the Zephyr first, got frustrated and then went home and got the Slipper and was comfy and fast again.
It is very true that I have much more seat time in Sawyer's and the Slipper than in the Wildfire/Yellowstone, but that's partly because I usually paddle for exercise before or after work and like to paddle with a fast cadence over a distance and it's just too much work in the Wildfire/Yellowstone - especially if there's much of a breeze. I only use the Wilfire/Yellowstone on rivers.
Edit to add:
I only have about an hour of seat time in the Vagabond, but I paddled it one after the other with an Rx Yellowstone, kevlar MR Slipper and kevlar MR Independence and for me in those four borrowed boats, the Vagabond was definately and easily the most easy to handle to keep straight and turn any direction that I wanted in the wind and the chop than any of the other canoes that day. P.S. I also didn't like the borrowed kevlar MR Slipper as well as my Carbonlite 2000 MR Slipper, so I suspect that outfitting makes a big difference also.
Do you think…
– Last Updated: Mar-10-08 1:11 AM EST –
Do you think anyone even remotely concerned with designing the Yellowstone Solo, ever considered the possibility that someone might think it reasonable to compare it's speed or tracking to a Sawyer Summersong, Sawyer Loon, or a Mad River Independence?
An analogy: I take a Sawyer Loon out on a class 3 whitewater river, and test paddle it against a Mad River Outrage, Bell Ocoee, Mohawk Probe 12, and a Esquif Spark. The Sawyer Loon is a pig.
Submarines on the drops, and couldn't make a 3 boat eddy on a bet. Eddy turns; forget about it.
Perhaps a fairer comparison for the Yellowstone Solo would to put it up against a Mohawk Odyssey, Wenonah Argosy, Mohawk Solo 14, Swift Raven, or a Mad River Freedom Solo.
Apples & oranges,
BOB
I can only compare boats I’ve paddled
and that’s what I did.
The O.P. stated: “I’m interested in something fun to paddle and that’s quick and nimble and efficient. I won’t try paddle super fast but I’d like a nice glide between strokes. I kneel when I paddle.”
From my experience, the royalex Yellowstone solo does not fit those parameters - not much glide between strokes compared to other options in the same price category.
Of course, the fact that I sit, rather than kneel, effects my experience in these boats. The O.P. prefers to kneel, so his experience would likely be different. Also, since he used to paddle whitewater boats, the Yellowstone solo may have relatively good glide compared to what he’s used to and may work fine for him.
And of course there’s the usual disclaimer - YMMV.
Rx Wildfire/YS a pig?
I think there are only 3 possible explanations for what you perceive:
- You had the boat grossly overloaded,
- You had the boat grossly out of trim …
Tandem
For a boat that you can use tandem and solo, perhaps a Nova Craft Bob Special or Prospector 15.
Seat in standard position, so if out of
trim, it’s the manufacturer problem. No gear in boat other than spare paddles and water bottle.
I’m 5’6" 155 lbs, so maybe I’m too small for the Rx Wildfire/Yellowstone.
As Bob pointed out, I’m used to faster boats with more glide, so the Wildfire/Yellowstone is relatively slow with relatively little glide for lake use.
I have finally gotten the RX Wildfire rigged so that I like it for river trips while paddling from the sitting position. It is my river boat now.
Just…
Just yanking your chain yanoer…
The Wildfire/Yellowstone would certainly not be my choice as a lake boat; not a speed demon, hard tracker, or a great glider by any means. However, on a twisting, turning, Ozark river, with some class 2 moving water…it is a very capable, and a very fun boat. I feel certain that is it’s intended purpose. Not a bad looking boat either.
BOB
Yanoer you wouldn’t like the Osprey
The Osprey doesn’t track any better than a Wildfire/Yellowstone.
It does track much better than My Outrage or Atom.
If I was closer I’d have Groovy’s Ospig!
See if
you can make it to LaLou ( www.laloucanoe.com )outside of New Orleans in April. You’ll find the best solo (and tandem) instruction to be found and a tone of solo boats (as well as a few tandems) to try out. I all likelihood you’ll also meet a few new paddling buddies. It would be a great way to get back into the sport.
Marc Ornstein
Dogpaddle Canoe Works
Custom Canoe Paddles and cedar strip canoes
That’s a great boat
and Groovymanatee’s is in kevlar lite layup – perfect for someone the size of our new poster.
I love my Osprey (mine’s in heavier FG layup).
NOLA
Hey, I do happen to be heading down your way for the second weekend of Jazzfest. It’s a pretty action packed weekend however and my plane tickets are already bought. Coming down early would have hit it just about right. Music’s my other hobby. In fact I’m selling instruments to get Mr. Mastercard under control and to finance a boat. Mastercard management is a prerequisite of the Mrs. going in half, which seems like a win win to me.
–TS
Solo/tandem
– Last Updated: Mar-11-08 6:44 PM EST –
You might want to look at a Bell Northstar:
http://www.bellcanoe.com/products/default.asp?page=product&id=588&catid=193
A bit more beam than the Solo Plus. Probably more a tandem that you can solo than a solo that you can tandem. But it's a sweet boat to paddle.
The boat that always comes up in solo/tandem discussions is the Old Town Penobscot 16. It's also more of a solo-able tandem than a true solo. But if you plan to whack rocks it could be a good choice.
Hemlock
For a pure solo, the Hemlock boats are very nice. The Kestrel or Peregrine might work very well for you.
http://www.hemlockcanoe.com/
There’s also a used Merlin II up on the site for a reasonable price…
But it does have better glide than the
Yellowstone solo, doesn’t it?
Yellowstone vs Osptey Glide?
I don’t know.
I’ve only paddled a Royalex Wildfire(Yellowstone) once, briefly after a day in a Black Gold Wildfire. By comparison I did not like the Royalex boat. I did really like the composite boat.
I was taking a Freestyle class, not trying to get anywhere, so neither glide nor efficiency was noted.
I suspect the Osprey does not glide as well as the boats you favor. It’s strength when covering distance is the minimal effort it requires to move it along at 3-5 mph. Which is what I mean by efficiency.
Of course John Winters, who designed the Osprey, says that humans can’t reliably tell how much effort we are using so maybe I’m dreaming.
I doubt that you’re dreaming.
At least my impression from reading the reviews is that the Osprey is a pretty efficient boat for day trips on flat water.
geez we have all the fruit present
tandems to paddle solo and weird seat placements (Supernova)…
Ospreys that don’t track…totally untrue for a paddler with an efficient stroke…
Its all about the paddler. The paddle is second most important. The boat is the last of importance but the first thing everyone looks at.
We have apples, seven kinds of orange and a few bananas here.