Compared to a J200?
Compared to a Magic or a Perigrine?
Compared to an Osprey(Winters not Old Town)
Tommy
I haven’t paddled those
boats, but you can try my Indie, if you’d like. I’m an hour WNW of Boston. I can tell you that she seems like a go-straight flat-water canoe to me. Shallow vee towards the ends, shallow arch in the middle, basically no rocker. Real pretty, though!
MR vsMagic
Hi
I’ve paddled both. The shallow v hull on the MR will let you lean it over ubtil it firms up and then carve turns like a pro. The Magic doesn’t have that “magic” spot and turns a lot more deliberately. Neither are particularly quick-turning boats but the MR will let you play around more easily. The Magic is faster. They’re both great canoes.
My $0.02.
Steve
Indy verse***
– Last Updated: Apr-10-08 8:44 AM EST –
Better than J200,which isn't saying much.
Worse than Magic, Peregrine, Osprey, which is saying alot, as these are tripping hulls with skegged sterns to improve tracking.
Indy is a V bottomed hull with minimal rocker. The bow doesn't like to draw to the paddle. Best way to turn it is with an outside heel that takes advantage of the carving bow. Ideally the stern is heeled to the point the flat surface of the outside V is presented to the water reduce stern resistance to the skid.
Magic…
I would say that the Indy turns better than the Magic. One needs to be a pretty good solo boater to put the Magic on edge to turn it aggressively (and stay upright). The indy is more forgiving and shorter and turns pretty well compared to the Magic. I’ve never paddled the Perigrine and the Osprey definately turns better then the Indy.
Thanks Guys
There was one (relatively) nearby and the price was right so I bought it.
Gotta go paddle now!
You sure could have done much worse.
I had a MR Compatriot, with a DREADFUL exaggerated v- bottom. I think the MR Explorer kind of works as a totality, but would be improved if the V-bottom were eased closer to a shallow arch. My MR Guide has a nicely softened V-bottom, and the flatness makes for dynamic ferrying. My MR Synergy has too little V, too little flatness. A fast WW boat, but I’m replacing it with a Millbrook Big Boy, essentially an improved Defiant.
A markedly V-bottomed design is a mistake. A modest suggestion of a V-bottom can be a good boat.
First Impression
I took it to the Ipswich in the thunderstorms yesterday afternoon.
Paddled upstream against a moderate current downstream with the current and back up again.
To quote Topher
“Mmm Boat good! Me Like boat!”
The hull seems to respond to both inside and outside leans, carving turns with very little help from the paddle. No I couldn’t drag the bow around easily with the paddle but I could lean the hull and turn it with no trouble. It feels very solid leaned to the rails.
So Thanks again for all of your advice. I think this one’s a keeper.
How does she GPS out?
How fast is your Indy as a percentage of your J-200 ? I do almost all my paddling on lakes I want a hard tracking hull. I ahve Raced aginst Magics and the poor paddler seems to be wasting strokes on going straight.
GPwha?
I guess I’m the wrong guy to answer that question.
I don’t own a GPS. Can’t think of why I’d want one.
I have not been able to push the J200 to any great speed. I’m not sure how much of that is a lack of technique and how much is not enough strength and too much mass. But hopefully I’ll get better at it.
If I do get to where I think I’m driving the Jboat well then maybe I could answer you question.