-- Last Updated: Jun-15-15 11:11 PM EST --
Anyone out there have any experience with a Millbrookboats ac/DC.?
I am starting to look for a 50 poundish ww and river tripper for 270 to 400 pound total load. Other suggestions?
solo tripper?
I assume based on your load weight range that you are talking about a solo whitewater tripping boat.
There are some old school Royalex whitewater solo canoes that can make very capable whitewater trippers although some or most of them are going to tip the scales at more than 50 lbs. Examples are the Dagger Caper, Blue Hole Sunburst, and Whitesell Piranha. These can sometimes be found in reasonable condition at a decent price. I have used a Viper 12 (actually 12.5 feet in length) as a tripping boat as well. It has plenty of capacity to function as a tripper. Various Prospector designs around 15 feet in length also make reasonably decent solo trippers.
In addition to the AC/DC Kaz also makes a composite ME which makes a pretty cool whitewater tripping boat. Hemlock makes the SRT specifically designed for river tripping which is nice, but I actually prefer the Hemlock Shaman for whitewater river tripping. It might be a tad slower than the SRT, but more nimble in my opinion. The Nova Craft Supernova has been well-liked by many, but a bit too wide for my taste. Clipper Canoe makes a composite 14 foot Prospector which looks interesting.
Hello, pblanc
Thanks for your thoughts. Unfortunately I failed to clarify the body count. This boat would be for my wife and I to paddle tandem. We seem to be chronicly undernourished.
We are currently using a royalex explorer that weighs 74 pounds and is just too much of a lump for us to get on and off the car and rack.
We dont need that much stability but I dont think we will be “growing into” a slalom boat either.
Well in that case
A tandem boat big enough for tripping and weighing around 50 lbs obviously means a composite canoe.
The ME would be too wet loaded although you could certainly use it as a day tripper. The AC/DC would certainly appear to be a contender but I haven’t paddled it. Ezwater has one or had one that he paddled solo. Shoot him an email if he doesn’t see this.
Certainly a 16 foot composite Prospector as made by Nova Craft, Clipper, Swift, and no doubt others would be a consideration. Don’t have any experience with the Swift Dumoine. Perhaps others here do.
The Prospector types might be a bit too tame for your tastes. Now that Esquif is allegedly back in production, perhaps you should take a look at the Esquif Champlain.
Ezwater didn’t have an AC/DC, although
he has thought seriously about buying one and paddling it solo. Sorry to have left the wrong impression.
I paddled it 30 years ago, if . . .
. . . the current design is the original John Berry design.
Berry called it the AC/DC because it could “go both ways”, which was a double pun. He designed it as his personal tandem canoe for the combined whitewater racing class, in which the same canoe is used for the slalom and downriver events.
In addition, the original AC/DC had asymmetrical rocker and bi-directional kneeling thwarts (/) positioned for relatively close Gemini paddling. John and Jan would paddle with the more rockered end as the bow for the slalom event, and with the less rockered end as the bow in the down river event.
The original AC/DC certainly has the depth and volume to be an overnight river tripping canoe. However, it is narrower than most 16+ foot tandem canoes, so it will feel somewhat tippy to less experienced paddlers.
I’d inquire of Kaz as to whether the current version still has asymmetrical rocker and bi-directional capability – i.e., whether he recommends bi-directional seats or kneeling thwarts.
I’ve never had the impression that the AC/DC has been a big market success, but I could be wrong on that.
If you have a lot of money, consider …
. . . the Savage River Deep Creek for very light weight.
http://www.savageriver.com/canoes/recreational/deep-creek
I wish he would just go ahead and do it
…So he could give us a first-hand report on it’s performance. 
Kaz couldn’t tell me how it compares to a Prospector, so I couldn’t have a meaningful conversation about it at the time. Perhaps it’s time for me to talk to him again, after having used the Coho for so long.