I am tentatively looking for a WW solo boat. After deciding a Dagger Impulse or a Mohawk Probe 11 weren’t particularly suitable for my 6’-4" and 260lbs heft I ran into two people who are selling a kevlar/fiberglass Clipper Viper 12 and a Dagger Encore. Between my rather limited budget and local-ish availability, these seem to be my options.
This boat will be doing double duty. I am looking for a fun WW boat to use with a local paddling group. Nothing but me and flotation bags on these weekly outings. However, a friend from Europe is coming over in the next few years and we’re going on a pretty big river trip. I’m hoping the boat will be suitable for him (at a good foot shorter and possibly half my weight) with some of his gear.
On that trip I’ll be paddling my Pocket Canyon (which is set up for solo tripping) and I’ll be carrying part of his gear, assuming it won’t all fit in his boat. It will be fun to have my play boat with me if we end up camping near a good play spot!
After reading a few topics and comments (@system, are you reading along, I hear you have both!) I am hoping I can get some advice about these two boats and which would work better for my purpose.
I can test paddle the Encore sometime in March, but I most likely won’t be able to get my hands on the Viper unless I commit to buying it (he would bring it with him on a 12 hour drive, I’m not going to send him back with it after that much effort).
Unfortunately, not a lot of canoeists here anymore. I can comment on the Encore - it would be fine as a whitewater solo. It’s old school, but it was my whitewater boat for years until switched to an Outrage a couple of years ago. Not familiar with the Clipper Viper 12, so can’t comment on that. I’m a little lighter than you at around 240.
Not so sure about sticking your friend in it for the river trip. It has a lot of rocker so it spins like a top, gets blown all over the place in the wind, and probably has a pedestal so there would be no taking a break from kneeling. It wouldn’t be my choice for a river trip.
A good friend of mine paddled an Encore in Class 4+ in the 90’s & early 00’s. He is a little smaller than you but I don’t know specifics. I do know that he found that he had to cut the saddle down abou 2 inches to get enough stability. Once he did that he had some really good years until some old injuries caught up with him.
It is the Mohawk Viper 12, but made in a kevlar/glass layup by Clipper.
I found some posts here from people who did river trips in these canoes way back when. The specific river I am thinking about doing is almost non stop whitewater for half the trip, so it wouldn’t be completely unreasonable. Still, I fully admit we’re in “making do” territory.
Never even seen a Viper 12 around here, but I now paddle 12’ Outrage. Back in the old days everyone would have said I was too big for it, but it’s a blast to paddle (as a WW solo).
I have heard of people turning ww boats into tripping boats. There may have been someone here who put a bench seat in a Dagger Impluse (little less rocker than the Encore). He put short bow and stern bags in it that left room for gear. I guess it depends how big the rapids are.
