Does anyone here own one of these or have you paddled one? How does it compare to their 16’ Quetico equipped as a solo if you have experience with both.Thanks Rob
Paddled a Tranquility solo
aside with an Argosy, Shearwater and my Merlin. Underwhelmed. The TS was slow and hard to turn. Heeled to the rail it was still stubborn. There must be someone who likes it but not me. I know several people who had one and sold it. I might just not be aware of happy owners.
Havent paddled the Q 17.
slow
and very boring boat. Poor secondary stabilty and not a boat for most solo applications.
Both on my list
Of solos to stay away from , I really wanted to like the tranquility but there wasn’t much to like ,haven’t tried the qt 16 but owned a 17 and sold it because it was just to sluggish .
Souris is about stability
I’ve owned and paddled several Souris models. Overall, they are well made and stable boats, but not really high performance designs in any way. They are intended for comfortable paddling by a wide range of people (skill/experience wise). Basically, I think of a Quetico 17 as a much better Grumman - same predictable stability and load carrying ability, but way lighter, tougher, and more comfortable outfitting. A Wenonah Jensen design, by comparison, is a whole different animal in that it is much faster, smoother, and responsive, but not really the best choice for “typical” paddlers.
I really enjoy the Souris Prospector, and I’ve paddled many, many canoes. That said, the Red Rock guy seems to know his market when he says it does things most folks just don’t want to do.
In sum, if you are looking for a high-performance advanced sort of design, you probably won’t find it in the Souris line. If you want a predictable, stable workhorse that is built with the benefit of modern composites a Souris is a good choice (and yes, they are really tough compared to foam-cored boats)
tranquility ?
Thanks for the input. I plan to use it for solo tripping. I have a Quectico 17 and a Wilderness 18. I have been happy with both. I have paddled with my friend a Minnesota II and his Advantage. Both are faster than mine but they take more effort to turn. I paddle rivers quite often and I do not race. So I am looking for a canoe turns well but still tracks good on flat water with a couple packs.
Wilderness 18
Is actualy a nice tripping canoe. Had a friend that had one and I did a few trips in it , can’t figure out why it’s not more popular than the q17
people think its tippy
Most paddlers test paddle with an empty boat.
The 18 was meant to haul a load. When you have that load in you can do a square dance in it, it’s that stable.
But the empty boat might scare novices off.
We just did the Green River in our Wilderness 18. That included three packs, a full bunch of DSLR camera gear, ten days of water, a portable toilet.
I am not happy about the float tanks though that are sealed. To avoid a blowout at 12000 feet in the Rockies, I drilled small holes in them.
Prospector 17’6"
I liked their longer Prospector much better than the Wilderness 18. I found the Prospector to be faster, and quicker turning. The Wilderness tracked better, but that isn’t a big deal for me.
Ummm 17’6" is shorter than
18 feet. I don’t have waterline lengths on either.
We heel the boat for turning and the Wilderness does a pretty tight turn.
Yup
I understand the math what with 17.5