Just wondering if anyone has tried the Hellman Solitude yet. What sort of canoes compare to this one?
It looks to have some similar dimensions to the Rendezvous, though I know dimensions can be deceptive.
I like the Hellman I got last summer, so this one is interesting (even though I am still a bit reluctant to go the solo route again).
Lonely Mayonnaise? NM
Post divorce all grown up Hellboy? NM
Here’s a link:
Sorry, no mayonnaise - it goes off while tripping.
http://www.hellmancanoes.com/hellman-canoes.html
The solitude is a new model, as is the kootenay.
Most intersting one on the page…
… to me after scanning specs, but what do I know? Ain’t been in in a canoe for over 30 years.
Looks interesting
Plenty of rocker for a tripping boat. Too much beam for a solo I think. But that gives it lots of volume. Probably hauls a good load.
Fine ends, portly middle, makes me wonder if it’s designed to paddle Canadian?
Wish BC wasn’t so far from Boston.
Tommy
It’s the midwest
The midwest gets in the way. Unfortunate, too, as there isn’t much good paddling out on the great plains. I guess I like corn, though, so take the good with the bad.
I haven’t seen many Hellman boats even this far. MEC sells them, but only in the Western stores. I really like them, but maybe not enough to ship one from BC to Boston (especially when there are many good makes on the east side).
More like a small tandem
With those specs, it looks more like a small tandem set up as a solo. The length and maximum width are pretty close to a Novacraft Pal or Old Town Penobscot 16. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but as Tommyc1 pointed out, it looks to be a bit beamier than your usual solo boat.
as an aside
one nice thing is that it is made of epoxy and very tough. i’m thinking of buying one of their tandems for general purpose use, including some river work given their decent designs and rep for toughness. i’m parting with a beloved Royalex Prospector that has seen many river miles, much of it solo, and it sucks, but i just can’t add any more boats, without one going away… feel like i’m deserting an old friend!
Set it free . . .
You are not deserting an old friend, you are letting it go on to explore more. The canoe you sell will likely be bought by someone who owns fewer boats, and as such it will get used more.
This helps:
canoeing as a sport (easy introduction to newbies)
the environment (one less new boat produced)
you (have a lighter, easier paddling boat)
Incidentally, if you want something like your Evergreen Prospector (which is a bit lower volume than some), a Hellman Scout would likely be closer. Hellman’s Prospector is tuned a bit more for lakes and tripping and a bit less for quick turns. I went with the Slocan in the end, but started out looking at the Prospector. The Slocan is a bit better on rough water.
I prefer miracle whip
Looks like a SuperNova
except longer, which is a lot better paddled Canadian then any other way.
excellent perspective!
feels better already!