I’m looking for a canoe for mild white water and some flat lake cruising that I can fish from. Can anyone tell me the differences between these two? Both seem to be capable of the task. I’m 6’ tall and will carry about 290 lbs paddler and gear. I need something that can handle some rocky creeks and rivers.
Looking at the specs, I think the
Rockstar would be somewhat the better choice. It has more capacity and so will sit lighter on the water, which is helpful for maneuvering in easy whitewater. Neither boat has much rocker… probably less than my MR Guide, so your maneuvering in whitewater will rely more on planning ahead and much less on spins and impulsive eddy turns. The Rockstar is narrow enough to make paddling easy for you. The extra capacity may also be helpful when you’re moving around in the boat while fishing.
I have a Yellowstone
– Last Updated: Jan-21-10 5:35 AM EST –
and love it. I'm 5'10" 225, don't fish or carry gear, paddle mostly rivers. I have the short seat drops so the seat is high for kneeling. It gets a little twitchy sitting on the seat, so I'm not sure how comfortable it would be for fishing. The longer seat drops (lower seat) would probably feel more stable for fishing, but I then can't get my feet under the seat to kneel. Buddy of mine has an Argosy with an adjustable seat which might be an option for you as well. I’ve never paddle a Rockstar.
p.s. - did you see the solo canoe help thread - different boats, but a lot of good stuff there.
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=1233143
Try Both
You didn’t break down paddler weight and gear weight, but the YS should handle 290 total burden, but I’d try both. The Rock is huge, but will float you higher. Try both with enough rock salt to approximate gear.
Chethro, sent you and email…
Liked the YS kneeling but sitting felt squished with my 6’2" frame…