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SourisMan
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01/09/2018 07:22AM   (Thread Older Than 3 Years)
Has anyone used a Swift Pack Boat in the Boundary Waters? I'm kind of drawn to canoes that are essentially open cockpit kayaks, for solo trips. I wonder how well the bigger Swift Pack boats handle wind and waves while loaded, and also how they do with just a paddler aboard. Thanks.
 
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ozarkpaddler
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01/09/2018 07:33AM  
SourisMan: "Has anyone used a Swift Pack Boat in the Boundary Waters? I'm kind of drawn to canoes that are essentially open cockpit kayaks, for solo trips. I wonder how well the bigger Swift Pack boats handle wind and waves while loaded, and also how they do with just a paddler aboard. Thanks. "


I was looking at this guy's videos last week. Look like he does pretty well with his in Canadian Shield country? Of course, I personally would want the bigger Keewaydin made into one if it were me? The stability sitting on bottom is good, my problem would be getting out from the bottom at tough portages

Swift Pack Boat
 
yellowcanoe
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01/09/2018 09:03AM  
I have a Placid Boatworks RapidFire so its about a foot and a half longer than the Swift pack boat. Similar in design..
The 13'6 " length ought to be fine for the Boundary Waters.
I use my RapidFire on Lake Superior for coastal trips and bigger waves and it rides those quite comfortably so I think for more usual lakes the Swift would have enough volume. I have not paddled a Swift but the seat looks the same

Getting out seems awkward at difficult portages but I just swivel around and face the stern, put a knee on the seat and get out. This allows me enough leeway for the free leg to find a stable place to put that foot.
 
01/09/2018 09:40AM  
If someone wanted to buy me the Keewaydin 15 pack boat I would be more than happy to test it out this summer!
 
ozarkpaddler
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01/09/2018 10:26AM  
unshavenman: "If someone wanted to buy me the Keewaydin 15 pack boat I would be more than happy to test it out this summer!"

Me TOO (LOL)!
 
yellowcanoe
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01/09/2018 10:54AM  
There will be Swift Pack Canoes at the Western Pennsylvania Solo Canoe Rendezvous the first weekend in June.
 
01/09/2018 10:57AM  
I'm hoping Swift will have them at Canoecopia this year.
 
SourisMan
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01/09/2018 11:54AM  
unshavenman: "If someone wanted to buy me the Keewaydin 15 pack boat I would be more than happy to test it out this summer!"


Email sent.




Sorry, just kidding.
 
01/09/2018 01:32PM  
SourisMan: "
unshavenman: "If someone wanted to buy me the Keewaydin 15 pack boat I would be more than happy to test it out this summer!"



Email sent.





Sorry, just kidding. "


Ouch! Now I am crying inside, like a sad sad clown ;)
 
MagicPaddler
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01/09/2018 03:13PM  
I have a Placid Boatworks RapidFire and I love it. I still own a magic but only use it if I need a bigger boat. If you get a Placid or a Swift you your board name will not fit any more. Souris Man.
 
01/09/2018 03:47PM  
Heck with those 13'6" ones, I'm intrigued by the tiny Wee Lassies. The Swift Adirondack 10.6 is 18 lbs, but the Slipstream Wee Lassie gets down to 9 lbs! Imagine "portaging" them! I know they'd be impossible on water even as big as LLC, but I wonder if they'd be workable on BWCA small water. I've never been to the Adirondacks, but I can't imagine it's much different from the small water in the BWCA.
 
01/09/2018 04:04PM  
yellowcanoe: "There will be Swift Pack Canoes at the Western Pennsylvania Solo Canoe Rendezvous the first weekend in June."


I might be passing through that area at that time. Having gone to school in Pittsburgh, whereabouts is this rendez-vous?
 
yellowcanoe
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01/10/2018 09:29AM  
Coopers Lake Campground on I 79 just off US 422 towards New Castle. Not far from Pittsburgh
 
yellowhorse
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01/10/2018 11:15AM  
yellowcanoe: "Coopers Lake Campground on I 79 just off US 422 towards New Castle. Not far from Pittsburgh"


Thanks for sharing. Just moved to Pittsburgh so might have to make the trip.
 
yellowhorse
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01/10/2018 01:30PM  
MagicPaddler: "I have a Placid Boatworks RapidFire and I love it. I still own a magic but only use it if I need a bigger boat.."


What is your threshold for weight/gear/days in grabbing the magic vs. RapidFire?
 
01/10/2018 02:57PM  
yellowcanoe: "Coopers Lake Campground on I 79 just off US 422 towards New Castle. Not far from Pittsburgh"


Thanks! Looks like its near Slippery Rock as well -- had a lot of high school friends who went there for college. Beautiful area. I'll keep this on my calendar.
 
MagicPaddler
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01/10/2018 04:12PM  
yellowhorse: "
MagicPaddler: "I have a Placid Boatworks RapidFire and I love it. I still own a magic but only use it if I need a bigger boat.."



What is your threshold for weight/gear/days in grabbing the magic vs. RapidFire?"

If I am going solo and don’t need to take any gear for someone else I take the Rapidfire. When I go solo my total weight (me + gear) is the boat is about 255 LB. The rapid fire is not dangerously over loaded at that weight but is more fun to paddle when I take 65 LBs out. I have talked to people who have loaded one to 300 LB and they said it was ok at that weight but I would prefer the Magic at that weight. I have put a slider seat and a front seat in my Magic. I did a base camp trip with a 60 LB kid and about 350 LBs additional weight in my magic and had no problem.
 
yellowcanoe
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01/10/2018 05:49PM  
yellowhorse: "
MagicPaddler: "I have a Placid Boatworks RapidFire and I love it. I still own a magic but only use it if I need a bigger boat.."



What is your threshold for weight/gear/days in grabbing the magic vs. RapidFire?"


I have loaded for ten days in the Everglades. The total burden was about 400 lbs as this trip was entirely in salt water and brackish water and I carried about 100 lbs of water.

Sure it handled like a log but the waves were chop in the 1 foot range till I got a little lower in water weight and we ventured into the Gulf of Mexico with its two footers.
 
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