not all of us
A friend of mine who was a champion kayak slalom racer and long time sea kayak paddler recently acquired an Adirondack guide boat and is quite excited about it. I’d love to have one myself someday. Much as I love kayaks, I find as I get older that the flexibility in sitting position in canoes has a lot going for it for longer outings.
Brian Schulz of Cape Falcon Kayaks has made some amazing superlight skin on frame guideboats:
http://www.capefalconkayak.com/adirondackguideboat.html
As one who paddles both;
I would say no.
However if the group you paddle with are like most of our friends, you would all be going at the same speed.
Just don’t expect them to be happy with you on rough windy days when they are nice and secure in their spray skirts
Jack L
Hate to admit it…
But I am considering getting a sea kayak for ocean paddling. You need to have the right boat for the conditions, and there are definitely times when an open canoe is not the right boat for the ocean.
Canoes can even beat kayaks
I was in a race a couple of years ago, and several of the racing canoes came in with faster times than the racing kayaks.
I did not finish with one of those fast times 
Just as fast
With a single blade
Because of the rudder hi cadence paddling with a light bent shaft requires no switching
Have such a boat and just finished up Superior trips using both paddles. Actually the double in my case was a knuckle banger on the coaming
Also look at the Placid boats
The Shadow will outrun most sea kayaks
If I were interested on day paddling big lakes that would be my choice. Some pack canoes are quite fast with great seaworthiness and sea kindliness. Befor I had a sea canoe I paddled a RapidFire on the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of Maine and Lake Superior
I agree
I too would cross the Voyager off the list. It is a very long, solo canoe that catches a lot of wind when paddled empty, especially by a small to medium sized paddler.
It also has a tendency to sometimes “lock on” to a sidewind, getting blown laterally over the water, and it can be difficult to get either of those long, pointy ends to turn up into the wind.
But it is fast in calmer conditions.
Prefer canoes, too!
The Kruger canoes are great! Any good canoe with a fitted cover virtually eliminates the wind issue. I fitted one of our tripping canoes with a cover and a rudder and it is fast and as capable as we need. We paddled it around Manhattan last August, punching through steep ferry wakes and shedding both the water and the wind. Single blade bent shaft paddles for us!
Wow, an impressive project (nm)
advantage
I am in the same boat as you. I used to paddle sea kayaks for my long big water trips, but the canoe kept on calling me. I bought a wenonah advantage, installed a smart rudder, and made a spray skirt for it. The rudder makes paddling in the wind easy. The spray skirt helps with the larger waves. I am 5’10’ 185 pounds, and I feel at ease in it. As far as being as fast as a sea kayak, I’m not sure. I recently paddled the mr340 in the advantage and I got 19th in mens solo at 58 hours and 33 minutes. So I beat a lot of real fancy kayaks and some not so fancy kayaks beat me. My average speed was six miles an hour. It did seem on the straight aways the kayaks were faster. The advantage I had over the kayak was comfort and the ability to switch my position around. So I was able to stay in my canoe up to 30 hours at a time. The rudder made all the difference in the world though, I won’t go back. Sorry for rambling on, I would say the sea kayak is faster, but really it’s all in the paddler.
craftsman
Yeah, he’s quite a craftsman. And his blog and website is one of my favorites. Interesting guy with a lot of neat projects as well as an excellent photographer and writer.
Depends on boat and paddler
I have a Bell Magic and I can paddle it faster with a single than I used to be able to paddle my old QCC 600x kayak with a double.
But if I had both boats now no doubt I could paddle the QCC a little faster. But I’d rather be in my Magic.
If you’re happy paddling less than 4.5-5 mph then it doesn’t really matter what you’re paddling. Any longish canoe or kayak will be nearly effortless up to 4mph and pretty easy up to 5mph. From there on it starts to get noticeably harder and the boats will start to separate themselves. But you’re talking serious effort to maintain this speed for more than 5 or 10 minutes at this point, which most paddlers aren’t interested in doing.
Unless you’re getting serious about serious fitness paddling or racing I doubt you’d notice a difference in speed between something like a Magic, Prism, Advantage, Shockwave, QCC 600/700, Looksha, etc except when applying a short burst of maximum power. Just get what’s available, meets your budget, and makes you happy.
Alan
great info!
Thanks everyone this has been some great info. I think the way for me to go will be something like the Bell Magic with some spray covers to reduce wind problems. Although I may still end up with a nice see kayak back in my quiver of boats.
Canoe speed
When I went to my first real race I was in a QCC600 kayak and thought I was pretty big stuff. All the other kayaks there were surf skis, and I knew I couldn’t beat them, but most of the guys and gals showed up in these goofy looking solo canoes. So at the finish it would be the surf skis, then me, and then the canoes.
That plan didn’t work out so well and I came in 2nd to last ahead of the only other kayak to enter, a 15 footer. If I remember correctly the top C1 beat all but the top surf ski that day. It’s amazing how hard good racers can push a boat.
Alan
gorgeous boat
Don’t forget, just a wee tad…
…to the northwest from you, up in Canada, with likely a dealer in Seattle, Clipper Canoe makes the Sea 1. It will set you back some gelt, but it will put you right up there, be it lake, sea, or big river, with some mighty quick composite cousins, be they kayak or canoe ilk. All whilst hauling more than you might fit in most sea kayaks. Superior Canoes’ Kruger-derivative, likewise.
Had a chance to paddle one once, here on the Susquehanna, as well as on Deleware’s Trap Pond. Of the Sawyer Loon, Kruger Sea Wind, Old Town Sockeye (McCrea’s notorious Bygone Bilged Barcolounger), and Sea 1 armada of decked canoes present that day on the Susy-Q, it was my favorite, although the Sea Wind was obviously the more well-rounded (pun intended) model for attempting tighter boulder garden turns and maneuvers. Since you were/are a kayaker, I suppose it shouldn’t be a problem assuming the dedicated butt-boater position in any of these craft, although if memory serves I believe they all had some nice seat adjustment options.
Until I finish putting some young ladies through college I suppose I’ll have to just continue dreaming of owning a Sea 1. Till then, guess I’ll just remain sit ‘n switchin’ 'n kevitchin my Wenonah Whirlwinded ‘n Wind-Socked Wacko Dog Wieldin’ Voyager through the zephyrs of zig 'n sag.
I have no problem…
keeping up with the kayakers I paddle with in my Magic until the wind and waves really kick up. At that point I have to pull out the double paddle to keep up.
I should add when I paddle my Classic XL they have a hard time keeping up with me.
Lastly, double blading in my canoes isn’t much faster just gives me more control in the wind and waves.
Bailing makes a difference.
If you are slowed by the need to bail, the kayaks are gone.
I paddle a Wenonah Wilderness solo
– Last Updated: Sep-02-14 2:22 PM EST –
It's 15'4". I can carry enough gear and food for a weeks trip for one.
When it comes to wind, it's all about balance.
I've find shifting more weight forward can make a huge difference in fighting the hated wind...FWIW, I usually use a beavertail or ottertail paddle and rarely switch sides.
Open Water Canoes
First let me say that if I could sit in a kayak I would still have one for open water. Hard to beat a 21" beam for making time.
But I can not due to tight hams.
So I paddle canoes kneeling. My favorites currently are the Magic and the Mad River Independence. I have a slight preference for the Indy as it seems to catch the wind a bit less.
I agree with the comments about the Voyager. I’m 5’9" 200 lbs and I think the Voyager wants another 100 lbs for good control in the wind.
I also did not get along with the Clipper Sea-1. That boat requires the rudder. While I could kneel in the boat I could not use the rudder.