ok, I’m leaning toward the dark side here.
I am coming into a bit of money left to me from someone who loved the water.
I think adding a solo canoe to the fleet would be appropriate.
The Placid boatworks RapidFire is way cool, the Bell Magic is high on the list, but does anyone paddle a solo stripper, like the Voyager?
http://www.newfound.com/voyager.htm
This may not be as fast as the other boats referenced, but it sure looks fine.
Any experience with this boat? Alternatives?
I’ve felt the need to build a stripper for a while, and now may be the time.
T
Are you going to kneel, sit high, or
sit lower?
Designer-providers of strip canoe kits can probably give you excellent feedback on which ones to choose if you can tell them your preferred paddling position and how you will be using the boat.
A few more solo options
– Last Updated: Mar-02-09 8:37 AM EST –
http://www.greenval.com/
http://www.carryingplacecanoeworks.on.ca/html/strip.html
http://www.bearmountainboats.com/_canoes.htm
http://www.laughingloon.com/canoe.kayak.html
http://www.northwestcanoe.com/canoes.html
If you decide not to build, Hemlock makes some nice solos.
Vermont Canoe Indy
Where are you in central Florida. I’ll be down there in early April to see dealers and paddle with local clubs.
Get the Ugly Stick!
Sorry but the ends on that Voyager are NOT attractive.
It might be a nice solo regardless but you will probably have to build one to find out.
My favorite solo canoe is the Swift Osprey. Green Valley sells the plans for the same boat as a stipper. See Angstrom’s post above for the link.
My second favorite is the Mad River Independence. See openboater’s offer above.
If I was going to build a stripper to see if I liked it I’d probaly build a Bear Mountain Freedom Solo
http://www.bearmountainboats.com/onlinestore/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=127
Looks to me that it might be a good lake tripper.
Tommy
Torpedo Ends
I kinda like the torpedo ends, but I think in this case, they clash with all the accent strips. But I’m old school too.
Thanks,
looks like I’ve got more reading to do.
Openboater, I live in Leesburg, FL. I think I may have run into you awhile back on a nearby lake. Sure would like to meet and paddle some.
As far as paddling position, I was kind of hoping a canoe would offer a choice of kneeling or sitting. My old ones did, but never owned a high end canoe.
As far as the ‘ugly stick’ thingy, well, it’s a matter or taste, or the lack of it, but I kinda like it, maybe only because it’s different.
T
Canoes can offer sitting and kneeling
I think you care less about canoeing than making the canoe…so build away.
The seat drop length can be entirely adjusted to facilitate kneeling and yet allow secure sitting in tried and tested solo designs.
So get your project going and have fun!
Folks like recurve or they don’t.
From a building standpoint such a dramatic angle on the stems (torpedo shape) will require extra finesse in bending and then fitting them to the hull. The confined space in the ends will be a greater challenge when glassing the interior. Not to discourage, all things are possible, if a design pleases you, go for it. I often do things the hard way because of the challenge. The Newfound Voyager once made my list of potential builds, it was cut because of its straight keel line, I wanted more rocker.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder but torpedo stems just don’t catch my fancy.
Idle question:
Would the recurve bow make for a wetter ride in waves?
Jim
The lack of rocker…
conserns me as well.
I’ve no experience with a solo canoe, and many years out of tandems.
I was thinking it would respond to a leaned turn, much as my kayak does. Or would the higher center of gravity make a swim much more likely?
Any thoughts on this?
T
You have paddled an RF and have
to ask?
usually canoes with a soft bilge turn
respond predictably to a heel of the hull and don’t launch you into the wet.
Heeling is an important aspect of getting turns out of a straight rockered boat. Otherwise its all work. And I bet (though this might be incendiary) that many people with Wenonahs and the ilk haven’t figured out just how maneuverable their boats really are.
The RF has rocker and turns easily.
My Wenonah Voyager was like turning the Queen Mary when I first got it, but I’m better at it now.
The Souris River Tranquility solo
has no rocker in real life.
Its work to get that thing to turn.
Till you heel it over, then it turns.
You stay in the boat if you heel the boat and keep your body aligned with tree trunks.
Actually
Yeah, we are all pretty stupid. None of us have figured out basic paddling technique. But you seem to assume that of everyone, so why should we be different.