Rapidfire too
There were also two Rapidfires listed here too, though I see one has already sold.
I’ve never seen a Placid Boatworks model for sale out here before, and this year… three of them.
Wish I lived in Portland
I’d be over there for a test paddle in a heartbeat!
It was a Vagabond that she tried.
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Since the Vagabond is generally
regarded as a recreational all purpose solo and not a performance solo I suggest the OP do more water time
Sometimes the fault is not in the boat but the paddler needs some more help.
In time with experience the need for a particular boat is not as important ( not to be confused for the WANT of a particular boat)
Yes, the Wenonah Vagabond I found
to handle relatively well in a breeze compared to boats of similar size, such as the Bell Yellowstone Solo or Mad River Slipper, which I paddled one after the other on a breezy day. None of them were set up for me, so my observations may be different from the boat owners, whom the boats were set up for.
Isn’t it only about a 2000 mile round
trip for you?
Slipstream
You might want to consider Slipstream Watercraft. I picked up a Wee Lassie demo boat (10’6" - 23 lb.) and I love it! Slipstream makes solo, lightweight canoes with foot braces that you paddle with a double blade. I have a Placid Spitfire(which is terrific) but I find myself using the Slipstream ALL the time because - in part- it was so reasonably priced that I don’t mind if I bang it up. It’s so stable that I frequently hang both legs over the side to cool off. Great company owned by absolutely lovely people!
Pack Boat
Another option is the Northstar Canoes Adk model. (Former Bell Bucktail). They have a dealer in Denver. That boat is very stable since it is a little stout at 28". I did test one but choose a sleeker, faster boat (Vermont Canoe Tupper - no longer made).
Awesome
Wow, thanks for this tip. The 13 foot Impulse sounds like a good choice. More in my price range and they have a dealer in Kansas City. A little farther away than Portland but not by much…2200 miles round trip. Or they will ship.
I’ll shoot them an email.
Swift Pack
I have a Swift Keewaydin 15 with both a pack seat and the standard bench seat. I use it both ways depending n my mood and purpose. It’s much more stable when I have the pack seat in. It’s a really nice boat. Fast and light. The Kee 15 might be overkill for you (or maybe not if you regularly have several days worth of camping gear) but perhaps the Keewaydin Pack 14 may be a good choice for you.
I finally got a look at it…nice!
– Last Updated: Aug-28-16 11:36 PM EST –
That Rapidfire is at a local paddling shop among their used selection. I finally got a chance to stop in and take a look at it. This is the first Placid Boatworks canoe I’ve ever had an opportunity to see in person, and it is a beautiful boat. Excellent craftsmanship. The integrated gunwales are pretty cool, though rougher than I expected. Remarkably light. Like lift and carry with one hand light.
They offered me the chance to get in it, which of course I accepted. The seat is an unusual shape. Looked like a padded tractor seat that grew out of the floor, like a mushroom. As odd as it looked, it was pretty comfortable for the short time I was in it, even for my extra large behind. It’s a shallow boat. The seat/pillar is only raised about 4-6 inches, so even sitting almost on the floor like that the tops of my thighs are still several inches above the gunwales. Which is about what I see in a deeper canoe with a higher seat position. I’m not sure how long my back would tolerate sitting that low in what I’d call a "kayak sitting position" (which is one of the reasons I don’t own a kayak).
The footpegs are top notch. Adjustable even while seated. I wish other canoe manufacturers would use this style. They were just barely long enough for me. I needed them adjusted out to their furthest point. So anyone taller could be in trouble with them.
The only problem I had with it was the front thwart was too close to the seat for me. To be able to sit inside and get my legs under it was a challenge. A bit like trying to get myself into a kayak cockpit (which is another one of the reasons I don’t own a kayak). Then, once situated, the thwart was in contact with the lower part of me knees. This was pretty unpleasant and I can’t imagine staying in it for much longer than I was. Which is a real shame because this is a fantastic boat.
This is why trying a boat out is so important for folks to find the right fit. Especially if you fall outside the standard physical profile the boat was designed for. Anyone slightly shorter than me would almost certainly fall in love with this marvelous craft.
Thanks
Thanks for the personal review. How tall are you & how much do you weigh? I’m 5’5" and on the larger side (190ish). I was wondering about the thwart in front of the seat. I use a SOT kayak because my left knee doesn’t bend well at all. How was the stability getting in & out? That’s what worries me more than stability on the water while paddling. Was the seat high enough so that you don’t bang your elbows or have to change your paddling stroke with a double blade?
The price is good and I’m tempted to call that shop and see if they would ship it? It would be a long weekend drive for me to go get it, but I suppose that’s the only way to tell if I like the boat???
Slipstream
Given your height, etc., if you go with Slipstream you would probably like the Impulse. When I get into my Wee Lassie, I just step in and sit down. When I get out, I just swing both my legs into the water and stand up. (Not correct, I know, but it works for me.) My boat has a foam seat, and because of my height, I need two - so no problem with depth of boat and paddling. Another reason I prefer the Lassie is that the thwart in front of me is forward enough to give my dog more room. I agree that the Placid thwart is a lot closer. I’ve used it on creeks, rivers and lakes. It’s pretty good in wind and I don’t have any trouble keeping up with groups. I think all of the boats suggested are good. I have a Spitfire and a Kestrel and like them both - I just use the Lassie most.
Depth
Do you have the standard 10 inch depth boat? I sent an email to Slipstream with questions but haven’t heard back yet.
You sit with knees bent not straight
In front of you.
Joe Moore would adjust seat as several seat combos are available. Low medium high
The footpegs are adjustable
Joe also would move the forward thwart. This is after all a semi custom boat. Not an off the shelf mass produced boat
I got my RapidFire outfitted as to what I want
Now if you have a non bendy knee you can rest that straight
I’m up for knee replacement in Oct but paddled my RF five miles today
Thanks
I probably shouldn’t tell you my knee replacement story then. After a ton of rehab and a revision of the replacement, I was about 80% happy with the results. Then I had an unfortunate accident that shattered my femur just above the knee prothesis. A three hour surgery, bone grafting, and a 12 inch titanium plate have left me significantly worse than I was before the knee replacement. Oh well… thank goodness I’m a water person and not a backpacker. I still can raft & paddle, so I’m happy. It just takes a little more thought & preparation to make it easier.
Thwart
I’m just a tad shorter than you, and the thwart position is not a problem at all. In fact, it’s one of the reasons I bought my SpitFire (thwart position is similar to the Rapid), because I can lift the boat over my head and onto my car, just by grabbing the thwarts.
Getting out is no problem, just use your arms to push yourself up, get your feet under you, and step out. My balance isn’t the greatest because of a stroke, but I haven’t tipped it yet using this method.
Placid boats are light but bombproof. I’ve put mine through a lot here in Rocksylvania, with no worries. For where I paddle, I don’t think I’d feel quite as comfortable with an ultralight pack canoe that doesn’t have a protective gel coat bottom.
And you are still going!
I do miss walking in the White Mountains.
I’m hoping for no more accidents my knee has had no cartilage for 45 years but lately it’s not straightening and one leg is shorter than the other
Plus it hurts all the time!
I agree getting on the water is a real godsend
Depth of Slipstream
Yes, my Wee Lassie is the standard 10.5" depth, but they can make one 13.5" if you choose. The length is 10’6" and beam is 27". Capacity 230 lbs. My gunnels are ash. My boat is fiberglass, but I’m not sure if
Slipstream is offering fiberglass anymore - the last brochure only listed Kevlar,(14 lbs);hybrid(11 lbs)and carbon (9 lbs. or less) The brochure said that there was no charge for custom depths. Slipstream always attends the local solo canoe get-together here in Pa. during the first weekend in June. I was lucky to pick up a demo and it’s become my favorite canoe.
more details
I’m 6’4" and 300#. I can’t say much about it’s stability on the water or paddling stroke. Just getting into it I could see that it would never work for me, so I didn’t go any further to take it out for a spin.
For me, I had more trouble entering and exiting the Rapidfire than, say a Wenonah Vagabond or Prism. The higher seat position in the Wenonahs and greater interior space better suits my relative inflexibility. I need a little more height off the floor to get my legs under me for leverage up and down/in and out of a boat.
But obviously our measurements are vastly different, and different boats fit different people, well …differently.
I can give you a good example of that in action. I picked up a Wenonah Advantage (16.5 ft., narrow, fast, straight tracking) because I had never tried one before and it was pretty inexpensive. I got in this thing and hated every second of the time I had it out. Felt like I was going in the drink at any moment. Like I was riding a unicycle on a tightrope. One of the worst rides in a canoe that I’ve tried. My wife, who is less than half my size and a foot shorter than me, is a novice paddler at best. Thinks every canoe she’s ever been in besides an Old Town Camper is tippy. Had pretty much sworn off canoeing with me in favor of stand up paddle boarding. Somehow I convince her to try out the Advantage before I sell it. She may not like canoeing, but she’s pretty game to give most things like this a try, and I didn’t go into detail on how uncomfortable I was in it. She gets in this boat I hate and absolutely LOVES it. Totally stable for her. It’s a little tippy, but not uncomfortably so for her. Ended up spending hours in it and had a great time zipping past me in her speedy little canoe.
I had only hoped it wouldn’t feel as bad to her as it did to me, but I couldn’t have imagined that it would have been a perfect fit. That’s made me a firm believer in the importance of test paddles over reviews and measurements.