What is your favorite BWCA solo tripping canoe? Share your pics!

I have tripped/used other canoes, and have owned and used my own Dagger Sojourn, as well as built and tripped with my own cedar strip.
I just got my first Wenonah Wilderness this spring and did a solo on 13 June.
This Wilderness is - by far - my favorite of them all.
Stable. Not too heavy in the Tuff-weave lay up. It does everything I want a tripping canoe to do.

Easy for me - SR Tranquility.

Northstar Northwind Solo here. I love it, but have not tried anything else to compare it to :-)

WildFire. Used to be Swift Heron and Hemlock Peregrine. I will use my Curtis Nomad if I am doing a lot of big lakes.

Nomad now made by Colden. Its considerably less affected by the wind than the WIldFire.

For the small to mid size paddler, it's hard to beat a Bell Magic.

Once I reached 200 lbs, I found the Magic too confining and switched to the SR16. It's not as fast but has a lot more room and feels more stable to me.

KarlBAndersen1: "I have tripped/used other canoes, and have owned and used my own Dagger Sojourn, as well as built and tripped with my own cedar strip.
I just got my first Wenonah Wilderness this spring and did a solo on 13 June.
This Wilderness is - by far - my favorite of them all.
Stable. Not too heavy in the Tuff-weave lay up. It does everything I want a tripping canoe to do.

"

+1 on the tuffweave Wenonah Wilderness. Have had mine since 2012 and have found it to be a great all around canoe. It handles wind and waves well, yet maneuverable and easy to load, unload and portage.

I use a kayak paddle in open water and a regular paddle when approaching or leaving shore. I have found it handles open water best loaded with gear, no big surprise.

Just did 60 miles in a 14’6 Vagabond. First experience solo.

If I had it to do over I would focus way more on the paddle over the canoe.

billconner: " Easy for me - SR Tranquility.





"

bill, is that the sr 17? seat set up for tranquility is wrong, or did you turn it into a tandem :)

my prism is my buddy. i have since this photo, moved the seat back to center and made a removable yoke. this was first trip after sawbill purchase. they order them this way. did not care for the set-up.

Interesting. Wonder why that setup - maybe easier to accommodate loading, or maybe so there’d be a permanently-placed yoke?

HowardSprague: "Interesting. Wonder why that setup - maybe easier to accommodate loading, or maybe so there’d be a permanently-placed yoke?"

That would be my guess. And maybe to avoid broken/lost yokes, since these are rentals with off'times green trippers.

My mistake. Posting an existing picture from phone and picked wrong loaded canoe thumbnail at landing picture obviously.



and



Two different Tranqs. Top was outfitted from Doug Chapman - sliding seat and a terrible IMHO yoke arrangement. Bottom is mine and I use the Spring Creek yoke which I really like.

I usually go with an Adirondack in reverse.

Could never get comfortable solo is a prism with my dog and fishing.

Solo canoes are very personal items. It's what fits you best and what you feel most comfy in......which may not be the "best" for anyone else.
I'd love to try...or own...a number of other solo canoes, but for now, I only have two, and I dearly like both of them. My old Moccasin from butthead that I refinished has been my go to tripper. Doesn't do anything great, but does everything well on the water and is an easy portager. Also have my MR Indy which I like for bigger water (except in a quartering tail wind). I have paddled Prisms.....hate tractor seats....too confining for me. Also have paddled Magics......they seems a little tight to me in the cockpit, but paddle nice. I also had a Solitude for a while. Didn't feel good in that boat. I recently acquired a MR Traveler and have only paddled it once, and liked it, but it is big and it is fg lay-up and it will be a local paddling boat and not a tripper.
So many others I'd like to try........

If I didn't fish a lot I would say my Magic. But since fishing is a big part of my trips, I prefer my SRQ16 for stability.

bwcasolo: "
my prism is my buddy. i have since this photo, moved the seat back to center and made a removable yoke. this was first trip after sawbill purchase. they order them this way. did not care for the set-up."

Interesting that you moved the seat back to center. I have a Wenonah Wilderness with a center seat and have often though of moving the seat back a foot. What was it about the set back seat set up that you didn't care for?

gkimball: "

KarlBAndersen1: "I have tripped/used other canoes, and have owned and used my own Dagger Sojourn, as well as built and tripped with my own cedar strip.
I just got my first Wenonah Wilderness this spring and did a solo on 13 June.
This Wilderness is - by far - my favorite of them all.
Stable. Not too heavy in the Tuff-weave lay up. It does everything I want a tripping canoe to do.


"

+1 on the tuffweave Wenonah Wilderness. Have had mine since 2012 and have found it to be a great all around canoe. It handles wind and waves well, yet maneuverable and easy to load, unload and portage.


I use a kayak paddle in open water and a regular paddle when approaching or leaving shore. I have found it handles open water best loaded with gear, no big surprise.


"

gkimball,
I have a couple of questions about your portage yoke. It looks like it would be quick to attach. Do you have any pictures showing how it is attached? Is the seat height important to the proper tension?

I've only paddled two different solo canoes. Bell Magic and Wenonah Wilderness.

The Magic was undeniably efficient and the glide was wonderful. I used it the first time a tooke a solo canoe on a trip, and there were several times where I quite suddenly lot my balance with it in unexpected situations. Never had that feeling in any other canoe I've paddled. Obviously I needed more practice with it.

Ultimately when purchasing a solo canoe I chose the Wilderness in the tuff weave layup. It has fit my needs perfectly, local lakes and rivers on the weekends with a BWCA trip or two each year.

ghamer: "Northstar Northwind Solo here. I love it, but have not tried anything else to compare it to :-)


"

+1. I really like this boat!

Wenonah Prism in carbon. Stable, light and fast. Holds a considerable amount of gear and a Goldendoodle.
This is my first touring solo boat after decades of experience in a Dagger Encore for whitewater. After reading Cliff Jacobson's review of his IXP Northstar Phoenix, I'm considering one for river touring.

Well, my all time favorite was my kevlar Mad River Courier. It could haul a crap load of gear to camp and then paddle it empty in the evening and be perfectly comfortable fishing out of it. If you needed a canoe for deer or moose hunting, that would be the solo to use.

Heavy seas, no problem. Water like glass, park it on one or the other "V" and sit there. I remember paddling in a tailwind trying to beat a storm; I was really moving. all of a sudden, I hit an unseen rock just underneath the water and STOPPED! Slammed my right arm hard on the thwart and thought I was going overboard, but no, the boat wouldn't allow it. I was half out of the boat and it was on it's side for a moment, then "Cradled" me back to center. I crawled back into the seat and regained my senses, then resumed my race.

Never would have sold it, but thought my tripping days were over for good. Heck, I'd pay twice what I sold it for to get it back!

cowdoc: "Solo canoes are very personal items. It's what fits you best and what you feel most comfy in......which may not be the "best" for anyone else.
I'd love to try...or own...a number of other solo canoes, but for now, I only have two, and I dearly like both of them.
So many others I'd like to try........"

Have to agree with Cowdoc, canoes in general are very personal choices. Not only in what handling attributes we each prefer, but we also differ in terms of the load the canoe carries. Also, I've only paddled a handful of boats, so may be missing out on my "perfect" boat.

I have only paddled a handful of solo canoes. Currently own 2 Magics (a pro and a black gold). Previously I owned a DY Special in glass that I liked quite a lot and an Advantage in Kevlar. Nothing wrong with the Advantage, it just did not make me smile the way the DY and Magics do/did.

Sorry, no photos. I don't carry a camera when paddling.

I don't know how to pick a favorite since I only have experience with a couple. What I bought for myself was a Wenonah Wilderness in Royalex, so it could be a little more all-around for tripping and tooling around in rivers/creeks. It definitely handles better when loaded for tripping than it does empty. If I were going to have something solely for lake travel though, I'd consider something a little longer with even less (or no) rocker to track straighter. I also have a solo cedar strip canoe built by another member here that fits that bill nicely, but also takes more care to land. The cedar strip one used plans called the "Merlin 38 Special", which was intended to mimic the original Wabash/Bell Merlin hull (not the Merlin II) but slightly increased in all size dimensions (by 3.8%, supposedly), making it a bit more like a modern Magic. We used the Souris River Quetico 17s (tandem) on a Boy Scout trip once, and those are amazing, so if I were to spring for Kevlar I'd definitely consider the Souris River Tranquility and the Quetico 16 (paddled backwards).

Your best is what you chose now. I hope that is true.. But Ozark Paddler we will look out for you.. I am glad you are resurrected into the tripping community you bionic guy..
Everyone look for a MR Courier they are deep boats..

Northwind Solo BlackLite w/ wood trim

paddlinjoe: "

gkimball: "

KarlBAndersen1: "I have tripped/used other canoes, and have owned and used my own Dagger Sojourn, as well as built and tripped with my own cedar strip.
I just got my first Wenonah Wilderness this spring and did a solo on 13 June.
This Wilderness is - by far - my favorite of them all.
Stable. Not too heavy in the Tuff-weave lay up. It does everything I want a tripping canoe to do.



"

+1 on the tuffweave Wenonah Wilderness. Have had mine since 2012 and have found it to be a great all around canoe. It handles wind and waves well, yet maneuverable and easy to load, unload and portage.



I use a kayak paddle in open water and a regular paddle when approaching or leaving shore. I have found it handles open water best loaded with gear, no big surprise.



"

gkimball,
I have a couple of questions about your portage yoke. It looks like it would be quick to attach. Do you have any pictures showing how it is attached? Is the seat height important to the proper tension? "

It is my version of the yoke shown on this website:

Seat-Mounted Solo Portage Yoke

I don't have a picture of it attached to the Wilderness for some reason, but the website shows how it works. I made mine out of ash and cedar, triple coated with spar varnish. I used Chosen Valley yoke pads which are very comfortable. I always mount the yoke to the seat in the high position just using a strap around the seat and the center board of the yoke.

Wish I had a picture of all this. It works really well and if I can make it any one can!

yellowcanoe: "Your best is what you chose now. I hope that is true.. But Ozark Paddler we will look out for you.. I am glad you are resurrected into the tripping community you bionic guy..
Everyone look for a MR Courier they are deep boats.. "

Heheheh, I do have a LOT of "Hardware" in this old body, Kim (LOL)! Of all the boats I've owned, only two have stolen my heart when I let them go; my kevlar Courier and my Blackgold Bell Starfire. If you see either.....

I did a full how-to build on this at one time - here is how it ended up:

gkimball: "

paddlinjoe: "

gkimball: "

KarlBAndersen1: "I have tripped/used other canoes, and have owned and used my own Dagger Sojourn, as well as built and tripped with my own cedar strip.
I just got my first Wenonah Wilderness this spring and did a solo on 13 June.
This Wilderness is - by far - my favorite of them all.
Stable. Not too heavy in the Tuff-weave lay up. It does everything I want a tripping canoe to do. "

+1 on the tuffweave Wenonah Wilderness. Have had mine since 2012 and have found it to be a great all around canoe. It handles wind and waves well, yet maneuverable and easy to load, unload and portage.
I use a kayak paddle in open water and a regular paddle when approaching or leaving shore. I have found it handles open water best loaded with gear, no big surprise.
"

gkimball,
I have a couple of questions about your portage yoke. It looks like it would be quick to attach. Do you have any pictures showing how it is attached? Is the seat height important to the proper tension? "

It is my version of the yoke shown on this website:
Seat-Mounted Solo Portage Yoke
I don't have a picture of it attached to the Wilderness for some reason, but the website shows how it works. I made mine out of ash and cedar, triple coated with spar varnish. I used Chosen Valley yoke pads which are very comfortable. I always mount the yoke to the seat in the high position just using a strap around the seat and the center board of the yoke.
Wish I had a picture of all this. It works really well and if I can make it any one can!"

This is the version of that design that I made:

ozarkpaddler: "

yellowcanoe: "Your best is what you chose now. I hope that is true.. But Ozark Paddler we will look out for you.. I am glad you are resurrected into the tripping community you bionic guy..
Everyone look for a MR Courier they are deep boats.. "

Heheheh, I do have a LOT of "Hardware" in this old body, Kim (LOL)! Of all the boats I've owned, only two have stolen my heart when I let them go; my kevlar Courier and my Blackgold Bell Starfire. If you see either....."

Wanting to yell at you " what were you thinking"!!! But yes life throws a lot of heavy wrenches at us.. Paul at Colden is still making Starfires but he doesn't make mistakes so blem hunting is out there.. I will if I see a StarFire try and persuade any lookers that its just an awful boat.....

I love my Advantage, quick, straight and with pretty lines. She's a warrior. I bought her in 86 and moved to Ely in 88 so she has about as many Quetico miles on her as any solo in existence. She's not as light as she used to be. I think the scuffs, scars and scratches wrought by time have made her more attractive.

I really like that photo of the levitating Advantage. It looks like a Magician’s trick!

Super cool picture!

Doc is right, it's all about preference, My poison is a Wenonah Advantage, but it's not really a canoe for everyone. My first Advantage I sold to bobbwca when I drank the Bell Magic koolaid. I also had a Bell Merlin (I not II). It took a few years, but I finally found the Advantage that I wanted and sold the Magic. I just like the feel of it more than any other solos I've paddled.

yellowcanoe: "

ozarkpaddler: "

yellowcanoe: "Your best is what you chose now. I hope that is true.. But Ozark Paddler we will look out for you.. I am glad you are resurrected into the tripping community you bionic guy..
Everyone look for a MR Courier they are deep boats.. "

Heheheh, I do have a LOT of "Hardware" in this old body, Kim (LOL)! Of all the boats I've owned, only two have stolen my heart when I let them go; my kevlar Courier and my Blackgold Bell Starfire. If you see either....."

Wanting to yell at you " what were you thinking"!!! But yes life throws a lot of heavy wrenches at us.. Paul at Colden is still making Starfires but he doesn't make mistakes so blem hunting is out there.. I will if I see a StarFire try and persuade any lookers that its just an awful boat....."

Thank you, Kim, so sweet of you!

My Prism at the Kawish Lake put in this past June. I don’t know if it’s the best tripper, but it’s mine so it’s the best for me. I’ve had it for 20 years. I love that paddle too. And my ever present lawn chair. I epoxied a transducer in the bow so I am fish finder friendly as well. Great boat as far as I’m concerned.

HighnDry: "This is the version of that design that I made:
"

I started with something very much like this, and then modified it so it locks to the seat frame. It's oak and maple with watco finish.

I leave it on when transporting the canoe. That way I don't forget it, and it's ready to go when I pull the canoe off the roof racks.

I like it!

paddlinjoe: "

bwcasolo: "
my prism is my buddy. i have since this photo, moved the seat back to center and made a removable yoke. this was first trip after sawbill purchase. they order them this way. did not care for the set-up."

Interesting that you moved the seat back to center. I have a Wenonah Wilderness with a center seat and have often though of moving the seat back a foot. What was it about the set back seat set up that you didn't care for?"

i had to put packs way up front to trim out. easier to trim with the seat in the middle(where wenonah put it in the first place). sawbill moved it back for customers not wanting to deal with on, off yoke issues. just didn't work for me.

The seat in my Prism is in the middle. Last trip my partner wanted to pack a different way and I started out with the heaviest pack behind my seat and nothing in front. The food and all his kitchen supplies and misc crap. It was a struggle to get across Polly because it was out of trim with too much bow catching wind. I quickly changed to what I have anyways done, the food and my personal stuff in the big pack and my fishing stuff in the day pack in front. Problem solved. Canoe was back in trim and I felt better carrying my own stuff as well.

It's a 1994 Blackhawk Starship in fiberglass. I love it but looking for a lighter boat now. this one is approx 52 lbs. I had new guunels custom made in 2011. I'm selling if interested. You won't find many of these around and it's a high volume tripper perfect for the BW.

TomT: " It's a 1994 Blackhawk Starship in fiberglass. I love it but looking for a lighter boat now. this one is approx 52 lbs. I had new guunels custom made in 2011. I'm selling if interested. You won't find many of these around and it's a high volume tripper perfect for the BW.


"

Nice boat! I wish I could get my kit down to that compacted size as well. Looks like a good size to portage with that boat if one needed to!

No, no I was way heavily loaded in the 2nd and third pics. Two full-size packs. That was 2001 and 2007. I lightened up considerably by the first pic in 2013. I had to make room for my dog! :)

bwcasolo: "

paddlinjoe: "

bwcasolo: "
my prism is my buddy. i have since this photo, moved the seat back to center and made a removable yoke. this was first trip after sawbill purchase. they order them this way. did not care for the set-up."

Interesting that you moved the seat back to center. I have a Wenonah Wilderness with a center seat and have often though of moving the seat back a foot. What was it about the set back seat set up that you didn't care for?"

i had to put packs way up front to trim out. easier to trim with the seat in the middle(where wenonah put it in the first place). sawbill moved it back for customers not wanting to deal with on, off yoke issues. just didn't work for me."

Thanks, I hadn't thought about the pack distribution. That makes sense.

Thanks house of spam, Highndry, KarlBAndersen1 and gkimball for the pictures and links for the yoke. I am going to get started on making one.

ozarkpaddler,

That MRC is gorgeous!

SweetBerryWine: "ozarkpaddler,

That MRC is gorgeous! "

Yes, it was. Amhacker here bought it about 5-6 years ago I guess? Miss it! Even looks good in B&W; this is a pic I took of a friend trying it out:

My new NorthStar Magic. Returned from a 8 day trip in WCPP 2 weeks ago getting to know her. The canoe handled well in weather and I found her to be quite stable.

Advantage - like others - it boils down to preference. I feel I tested enough others before making the choice, which I'd always recommend to others. Great groups in the cities who are willing to let you try theirs out.

paddlinjoe: "Thanks house of spam, Highndry, KarlBAndersen1 and gkimball for the pictures and links for the yoke. I am going to get started on making one."

Subtle design note: pay attention to the distance from pads to the bottom of the canoe, especially if the seat is installed low. Your going to want enough height for you and your favorite hat.

I'll cast a lone vote for the Wenonah Voyager.

I've fallen helplessly in love with my boat, the Rocket; it out performed the Magic.

another thumbs-up on the Wenonah Prism UL w/ tractor seat. (34 lbs) I happen to like the tractor style seat (additional padding added) better than the web seat.
The Prism is one of those designs that doesn't excel in any one thing but does everything quite well. It really pairs well with a double blade paddle when traversing big lakes......or racing advancing storm clouds.

houseofspam: "

paddlinjoe: "Thanks house of spam, Highndry, KarlBAndersen1 and gkimball for the pictures and links for the yoke. I am going to get started on making one."

Subtle design note: pay attention to the distance from pads to the bottom of the canoe, especially if the seat is installed low. Your going to want enough height for you and your favorite hat. "

Thanks for the note.

Don't worry, I'm short. My problem is having my shoulders reach all the way up to the shoulder pads. :-)

I just bought Northwind Solo. Have paddled, NW Solo, Wennonah Prism, and NW Magic.

Magic, fast, but only 26 inches wide and buckles always caught when trying to pull packs out.

Prism, did not like tractor sheet or structure in middle, but easier to attach yoke than NW.

Solo, bit wider, seems like peaks out for me at about 4.3 to 4.5 mph vs what seemed faster in Magic, but love it. Got in May, two trips already!

As far as “best solo canoe”, there are a lot of variables which will produce various opinions; as seen on this thread.

Since 2004, a Kevlar Flex-Core Wenonah Voyager has been my primary tripping solo canoe for “Canoe Country”, (i.e., BWCAW, Quetico, Woodland-Caribou, etc.). The Voyager is rather specialized and not as popular as many other solo canoes, which I assume is related to its size. At 17’ 6” it’s a long canoe and with its lack of rocker, the Voyager can be a lot to handle. It’s also not well suited to small, winding streams either. For “Canoe Country” tripping though, and for wide rivers such as the Lower Wisconsin River and the Mississippi River, there are few rivals to the Voyager IMHO.

Prior to 2004, a Wenonah Jensen C1W @ 16’ 6” was my mainstay tripping solo throughout the 1990's and up to 2003. (I replaced the Jensen C1W with a new Kevlar Flex-Core Wenonah Voyager I special ordered at Canoecopia in 2004.)

Although the Jensen C1W has a rather radical hull, I loved the C1W. Much like the Wenonah Voyager, the Jensen C1W is fast, seaworthy and carries a big load, but it's somewhat trim sensitive and not very "dog friendly". At the time of purchase, the C1W was about the only big water tripping solo canoe offered by Wenonah until the Encounter, Voyager, Prism, and Wilderness came along years later. There was the Wenonah Advantage, but the Advantage was more akin to Sawyer's DY Special.

My first true solo tripper was a Sawyer DY Special @ 16’ 8”. The DY Special served me well from 1982 until 1990, but I wanted more cargo capacity and a drier hull. The low volume and sharp entry line of the DY Special made for a wet ride in big waves and chop.

I’ve also done numerous extended river trips using the following solo canoes: Bell/Northstar Magic, Bell Yellowstone Solo & Bell Rockstar in Royalex, Sawyer Shockwave & Summersong, Mad River Traveler, and a Royalex Wenonah Rendezvous.

In 2015, I did an eight-day BWCAW solo trip using my son’s Kevlar Ultra-light Wenonah Encounter. Although I liked the Encounter for “Canoe Country” tripping too, I still prefer my Voyager over the Encounter and the other aforementioned solo canoes for “Canoe Country” tripping.

Hans Solo

Nice pics & beautiful canoe, Hans Solo. Any comment(s) on Yellowstone Solo for BWCA tripping?

HansSolo: "
As far as “best solo canoe”, there are a lot of variables which will produce various opinions; as seen on this thread.

"

Hans, you obviously love Sawyer boats. What about Swift? Didn't they buy out Sawyer? Swift Boatworks doesn't get much play on this board. I've got my eye on a Shearwater from them.

Swift Shearwater

mjmkjun: "Nice pics & beautiful canoe, Hans Solo. Any comment(s) on Yellowstone Solo for BWCA tripping? "

Thanks for the compliments mjmkjun!

As far as the Yellowstone Solo for BWCAW tripping; that depends if you're talking the Royalex version or the composite version. My Bell Yellowstone Solo is Royalex and I bought it specifically for small, fast streams or for scrappy whitewater rivers in northern Wisconsin.

The composite Yellowstone Solo, which is very similar to the Bell Wildfire, is a popular choice for many paddlers, but for me it's somewhat small. I'm 6' 4", 210# and I would never be called a minimalist. I just need a solo canoe with more room. (For what it's worth, a Royalex Yellowstone and a Royalex Wildfire are essentially the same canoe, but not so for the composite versions.)

The picture below is of my Royalex Bell Yellowstone Solo on a weekend trip on Kickapoo River. (FYI, the garbage bag on the back of the Yellowstone Solo is filled with empty beer cans I picked-up near the campsite I camped at the night before. I paddled the bag of cans for a few miles before depositing the bag at a recycling bin at Wildcat Mountain State Park).

Hans Solo

TomT: "

HansSolo: "
As far as “best solo canoe”, there are a lot of variables which will produce various opinions; as seen on this thread. "

Hans, you obviously love Sawyer boats. What about Swift? Didn't they buy out Sawyer? Swift Boatworks doesn't get much play on this board. I've got my eye on a Shearwater from them.

Swift Shearwater
"

As far as Swift buying Sawyer; well not exactly. From what I understand, they acquired the Dave Yost designed Sawyer 222 Cruiser mold. The 222 Cruiser was a big 18' 6" tripping tandem and compares closely to a Bell Northwoods. I have also heard about Swift having a variation of Sawyer's 190 Cruiser. From what I can tell, they really haven't produced any of Sawyer's old solo canoes. That being said, their 16' 8" solo "Cruiser" really caught my eye at Canoecopia this year. (Shown below at Canoecopia 2018)

The "Cruiser" looks like a re-boot of the old Sawyer Shockwave, but slightly deeper. I have owned a Sawyer Shockwave for thirty years and it compares very closely with the Sawyer's DY Special and Wenonah's Advantage. The Sawyer Shockwave is a great solo canoe IMHO.

To be honest, I don't know that much about Swift canoes. Charlie Wilson or yellowcanoe could tell you a great deal more about Swift's canoes than I could. Until Rutabaga recently started carrying and stocking Swift canoes, they were extremely scare here in Wisconsin. I can honestly say I have never seen a Swift canoe on the water here in the upper Midwest.

The Shearwater seems to be a very capable solo tripper and it has somewhat similar specs to my Mad River Traveler. I have heard many solo paddlers sing the praises of the Shearwater. Their workmanship of all their canoes appears to be impeccable!

Hans Solo

Sure love my Wildfire

That Swift Cruiser looks sweet!

No pictures up on the website yet though.

We bought a Sawyer 190 in 1989 from the factory in Dwight ON . It was made there.

A couple of years later we went back and lo the factory was making Swifts.

My understanding is there were two plants ..one in the US and one in Canada and I was dealing with the Swift family when I bought the Sawyer in 1989.
To further confound things the Swift family is originally from the Rochester NY area.

The new Cruiser looks like it could be hard to jam a pack into! Unless you pack light and I am not good at that.

yellowcanoe: "

The new Cruiser looks like it could be hard to jam a pack into! Unless you pack light and I am not good at that."

My current solo tripper is an Advantage (for over 30 years) so I've gotten accustomed to "packing skinny".

paddlinjoe: "I've only paddled two different solo canoes. Bell Magic and Wenonah Wilderness.

“The Magic was undeniably efficient and the glide was wonderful. I used it the first time a tooke a solo canoe on a trip, and there were several times where I quite suddenly lot my balance with it in unexpected situations. Never had that feeling in any other canoe I've paddled. Obviously I needed more practice with it.

Thanks for your insight. I’m having the same experience with my Magic. Had the same conclusion too! I need more time in the boat. That was three years ago!

I hate my Magic. Hate it. Don’t trust it. Don’t want to be in it!

Took a borrowed Wilderness out for a spin while my kids were taking a tandem skills class at local shop, and I just loved that boat! It was so comfortable and easy to paddle.

So there. I’m stuck with an almost three grand boat. No one will buy it for anywhere near it’s cost and my goal is to back into a Wilderness ASAP.

Sorry to hear you don't like Magic. Which layup and how much? I might be interested.

Anyone here spent much time kneeling in a magic? Hope to hear from anyone with experience in the magic kneeling, either with the Bell hybrid drops or the kneeling drops. Thanks!

Thanks to Jack B, I had a chance to paddle a BEAUTIFUL black/wood magic last weekend. His drops are the full length sitting variety and I could barely get one foot under the seat. In that setup, I didn't find the boat to be as maneuverable as I had expected. Maybe it was just the drops, and my lack of experience sitting?

I know it is a sitting boat by design and for most paddlers, but I am most comfortable in confused/difficult waters when kneeling outright or with one knee down and the other leg out. I also find a boat to be most easily heeled and maneuverable when kneeling.

In other words, I'm trying to understand if the magic might be for me, as a kneeler, or if I would be happier sticking to more lively/maneuverable hulls while my knees are in good shape.

JustPaddlin: any thoughts?

My Magic came with a low mount seat. There is no kneeling. Only a few inches clearance. I purchased higher seat mounts. Very easy to install. Just 4 long screws. Was then able to kneel with feet under the seat.

Maneuverability and primary stability was vastly improved. It handled pretty well! However, I couldn't sit/kneel in that position for very long. Was good for maybe a half hour then the legs were complaining quite a bit. I expected sitting in that configuration to be worse. It wasn't. Don't understand that. Sitting higher should increase stability issues. Maybe I didn't give it enough time on the water to experience it fully.

Anyway... It's a partial solution for me. I've put it back to original configuration for sale on local message boards. Not really trying very hard to sell it yet. Waiting for this pandemic to stabilize.

Bottom line for me is it's too narrow a boat. Engineered just a little too far. To me, that boat is like an expensive pair of hiking boots. Can't take it back. Don't really like it no matter what I do. Wish I didn't buy it. Don't understand why anyone would. But I'm sure there are those that would love it.

Sorry. Didn't mean to hijack the post. Guess it's a pretty old one though. Pretty much run it's course anyway.

NorthStar Magic.
Blacklite
Bronze aluminium gunwales, thwarts and grab handles. Ash portage yoke, web seats hung on ash trusses. Retails $2895+tax

I see you posted retail selling price. What sale price are you asking?

jaimed: "NorthStar Magic.
Blacklite
Bronze aluminium gunwales, thwarts and grab handles. Ash portage yoke, web seats hung on ash trusses. Retails $2895+tax "

jamied... please copy and paste the above information in the "Items for sale and wanted" forum. Thanks.

Sorry. Conversation went wrong direction. Was really trying to explain my dislike for this boat as an ideal solo and that I liked the Wilderness. Also, yes I’ve knelt in this boat. Needs configuration change from factory setup but works pretty well. Anyway. Over and out. Cheers

There are many good ones, and they are all slightly different. Last fall I found an OT Canadienne for sale. Little info on it. It happened to be the short one 15'7" and kevlar. It needed some fiberglass repair, and then I painted it. I took out the tandem seats and middle thwart and put in a solo seat and a new thwart It has a 32 inch beam and the fine entry lines make for a fast and able solo boat. I paid $250 for it.

If I lived closer, I would bring the OT Canadienne in kevlar which is set up to paddle solo. It is the 15'7" version.

If I flew to MN I would rent a kevlar boat.
We have only paddled the BWCA once, back in 1985 and rented our whole outfits. IN those days the standard boat was a 17 foot aluminum canoe. We porataged them all over the place.