well…
I got to make a trip up to a dealer in another state that had some boats for me to demo.
They had a Clipper (forget model) but it was a 16.5 foot boat with minimal rocker. Owner said it was very similar to her Wenonah Advantage which she let me demo.
I was really amazed at how different that boat felt from what I have paddled so far!
I guess that the Advantage would be fairly representative of the long / fast / min rocker boats out there such as the Magic and longer Wenonahs.
I found that the thing really sliced through the water and had a totally different feel from what I have paddled so far. Felt like a different beast entirely. Almost felt like what I imagine a surf ski would feel like.
While it was neat I did not care for it. Just did not seem like a canoe anymore! I think that says to me that I may be better off with something less “racey” and more moderated yet still fast…like my Osprey…or a Merlin II or maybe even a Wenonah Prism. Not sure.
Guess I like a boat that is fast yet is not dedicated soley to going fast and straight.
Maybe my tastes will change later. It was kind of cool though. Totally different feel.
Matt
yep
I have one “go fast” boat…a Souris River Jensen Solo 16 (for sale! we are moving).
It’s a bullet and will easily outrun Peregrine and Merlin II (and Prism). It does indeed have a totally different feel…it slices through the water and hums along.
I do like it very much yet I agree that it’s a totally different experience from something like an Osprey or Merlin II.
You might like to try a Sawyer Summersong some day if you get a chance. Fast boat…a bit tippy…but it hums yet still turns better than an Advantage. I think you’d like the feeling of effortless speed.
You should try a Magic if you can
… it’s not racey, but is very capable. I’d love to paddle one out in the snot sometime. Maybe this year.
Congrats on your Guide.
my 2 cents
I own a Merlin II. I have paddled many of the other boats mentioned above.
I found the Magic to be significantly faster than the Merlin II. I paddled it in some wind and it seemed to handle well. Obviously, it is not as maneuverable as the Merlin II. Definitely worth looking at.
The Osprey impressed me as being a very pleasant, good-handling canoe. I think it has a little more stability, and perhaps a little less speed than the Merlin II, but I could be wrong.
The Wenonah Advantage is a lovely and fast canoe. It’s been a while since I paddled one. From my memory it is considerably less maneuverable than the Merlin but probably faster.
The Wenonah Prism wasn’t mentioned, but deserves consideration. A hard-tracking and fast canoe. Not as maneuverable as the Merlin, but you don’t have to switch paddling sides as often. I haven’t paddled one in windy conditions.
The Hemlock Peregrine is a great canoe, probably better than the Merlin II but similar in many ways. I think it is a bit faster than the Merlin yet retains the Merlin’s maneuverability. It seems to have more initial stability than the Merlin, but I think the seat is mounted lower, if memory serves.
A long boat like the Wenonah Voyageur, while fast, can be a real bear in the wind. If the wind is coming from abeam, the boat gets blown sideways so much you have to go twice as far to get where you are going. When trying to reverse course from a tailwind to head back up into the wind, or vice verse, the boat can be very tricky to turn about. In calm conditions, however, it goes like a rocket.
what is…
paddling in the snot? I have never heard that term. Thanks
Bell Magic
I can tell you I’m a devout Magic fan. Been paddling a Kevlight/Kevcrystal for about 4 years now. I have had it in the “snot” as Clarion so aptly put it and I’ve never been felt in dire straights. It holds enough gear for a week in the wilderness, carries nice speed, tracks pretty well, and is pretty happy fully loaded or dead empty.
Now as for the Merlin II, I have probably a grand total of 1/2 hour in one. But a tripping partner from my Boundary Waters adventures paddles one and he is sufficiently happy with it. Hell he won’t stop smiling no matter what the conditions.
Just so you understand how capable we have done 17 mile days with multiple portages, paddled in wind up to 20 mph sustained and gusting well over 30, waves up to 2-feet, and we fish continuously from both boats. To date we don’t have a single “wet exit” in hundreds of hours of combined time on the water, though we have shipped a few gallons over the gunwales!
Randy
Wenonah Wilderness
I paddle on open flatwater near the coast. I’m really happy with my Wilderness with pedestal-mounted bucket seat. You can maneuver it (1.25 in. rocker), and you can trim it easily by moving the seat. The freeboard at the center is 14 in, which is more than many its size.
Since its delivery 6-8 weeks ago I’ve had it out in winds up to 15 mph with gusts in the mid-20s. I haven’t felt in danger yet, and I’m 65.
Another vote on Clipper Sea-1
I’ve paddled a lot of boats in my life and the Sea-1 is a great boat that handles variable conditions well and maintains speed and comfort as well. Grew up racing marathon canoes…spent my 20’s and 30’s teaching and guiding whitewater and touring kayaks and now that I’m 47 and planning a long 30 day flatwater trip, I looked long and hard. I wanted a decked boat that handled weather well, was comfortable and had some speed. Anything is a trade off, but I looked at Kruger designs and really liked them, but the Sea-1 seemed to take those to another level. An increase in speed, well thought out design and great construction is what I found. I hadn’t paddled it before I received it, nor had I paddled the Kruger, but Clipper was kind enough to let me use the Sea-1 and I’ve been more than happy with it since I received it. Paddled in wind and rain using both a bent shaft canoe and a touring kayak paddle. Both worked better than I had anticipated.
Send me an email and I can answer any other questions you have about it.
use rudder in wind and sit and switch
do it all the time in the clipper sea-1. i find i don’t have to think, or pay as much attention. My pea size brain likes not thinking to much
Idle question for CEW
You mention the "rebound" effect of the foam cores of the KK hulls......Did the foam cause rebound in the BG models as well or did the stiffness of the CF resist that?
I could give a hoot as to the difference between the slight shape differences, as I am quite pleased with my BG Magic. As I said, an idle question.
Jim
Crap - bad speling
Don’t know
I do not know when or if BCW built a hot-box for shaping foam cores. Carbon may be a little more resistant to rebound than Kev. but I’ve never run a blind test. BCW could also have started using scored foam to eliminate the rebound problem. Scored foam increases weight a little as the scores need be filled with resin.
The larger issue with foam cores is that ideally, we want two layers of ~6 oz fabric above and below the core, but to realize significant weight savings most mfgs use two layers below and one above.
Thanks.
NM.
Jim
well…
Over the last few days I have gotten to paddle in some pretty good wind.
Today particularly…was on water when a severe thunder storm kicked up. Winds were 20-25 knots and I was in the middle of the river. Waves were picking up, and when I got closer to the shore I got some good reflective waves.
It was a blast. The Osprey handles okay…wants to weathercock but can be brought back on course. Still seems to be dependend on trim and correction. Would be nice if it were more neutral in the wind and that could allow you to expend your energy going forward rather than pulling the boat back on course, but that may be too much to ask of a canoe. It is not a kayak…
Matt