Hi, All,

I was hoping for some insight from the experts on this wonderful forum!

Here’s the boring details - I’m in my mid-sixties, overweight, have a partially torn shoulder and some balance concerns that make me uncomfortable sailing anymore, albeit all quite minor worries. The good news is that I’ve been around boats my whole life and am a strong swimmer. I’m trying to transition to an easy way to keep on the water. I have a lovely old Perception kayak, but it is so low in the water and I really can only get in it from being in the water. I use it and enjoy it, but it isn’t so easy for me.

I bought a used, inexpensive and very light Kevlar Wonsooki by Mad River. I paddle it backwards and it’s fairly trim - so easy in and out, stable, but so wide in the beam that it is a tough solo. And, it blows around in the wind despite my weight. Handles lake waves just fine, but I almost got blown into the middle of our lake two weeks ago. I don’t have far to go to launch, and have wheels. It swivels around a lot - only 14’ long.

Researched all summer- Esquifs, Eagles, Bob’s and on and on. The very nice fellows (Ken and Dave) at Bay Creek put me in a Swift Prospector 14 solo, and it felt really tippy to me. I wasn’t comfortable in it. I then tried a Swift Prospector 16 which I loved - combi so my family could use it, balanced and narrower of beam than the Winsooki for control, a bit heavier and less likely to blow me around. It tracked very nicely. There is a Keewaydin 16 available to me, for a bargain, but I think it would make me uncomfortable with its being more tender than I’m able to do.

I couldn't care less about speed - I’d just like to paddle, keep up with it into the fall, and be able to launch it alone if nobody was around to help me. I’d also like to take a wiggly little kid or two or an adult from time to time. No portage, no loads. Would car top, really don’t like ugly boats, so don’t want a big old plastic thing.

The supply chain is a Covid mess and it’s very hard to try out boats. Some shops aren’t so responsive, but this dealer was marvelous! I think that this choice is a fine answer for my requirements, but just wanted to see if I’m on the right path from some on this board. If I’m wrong, it would be an expensive mistake.

Thank you so much for your opinion.

I would try out that Keewaydin 16. It is probably even less twitchy than the Prospector 16. It is also not as deep so wind won't blow you around as much when solo. It has the tucked in gunnels that make solo paddling so much more comfortable. I would put in a third seat for solo as it is asymmetrical so you can't paddle it facing the stern from the front seat.

I love my Prospector and use it a lot, but I have deep respect for the more modern designs and enjoy our Northwind 18 for big water.

Thank you- good point. They had one there, maybe it was a 17, so I should go back again. I just assumed that it would be twitchy.

Not unlike Chaut1 in age and size and comfort level. I just tried out a Swift Prospector 14 Pack and a Swift Keywadin 15 Pack. Prospector is clearly more stable. Bought a used one. Very pleased.

I notice you describe several as 'tippy' and 'tender'.
I'd suggest renting or borrowing a Souris River Q 16 or Q17 for a day. Souris combines high primary and secondary stability better than anything I've paddled. As Sedges said, a center seat makes soloing much easier.
All the best in your search!

If it's solo you're after, I find the Sourish River Tranquility quite comfortable. 33 or 34 pounds, tracks well, just doesn't turn quick enough for me in Adirondack streams and ponds. It's great on Basswood or LLC in big white caps.

Thanks, Bill, the larger Prospector felt very comfortable to me. Appreciate the comment.

Thanks for the reply. The trial Prospector 14 had a center seat, and it was a big improvement over paddling the Winsooki backwards. I kneeled in the Prospector 16, but would order the “Combi” with the two tiered center seat.

I thought I wanted the two level seat. Even multiple people who sell Swift strongly recommended against it. I find their pack seat, which is close to height of the low level of the two level, very comfortable. No regrets.

billconner: "I thought I wanted the two level seat. Even multiple people who sell Swift strongly recommended against it. I find their pack seat, which is close to height of the low level of the two level, very comfortable. No regrets. "

just curious, why did they recommend aganist it?

No one ever adjusts it - always in one position. I could see that happening with me.

Thank you all for the comments. I liked the two level seat, and tried it in both positions. It was easy to move up and down, just took a sec, and comfortable for me. I could see using the lower spot for windy and wavy days, and the higher seat for calm weather. I also kneeled in the larger Prospector, and think that the comfy padded seat would be hard to pop to a kneel from for this old lady, but the seat was easy to quickly kneel from if required. The padded seat seemed like something in the road- couldn’t put your feet under it, perhaps harder to get out of and move around for the less nimble. For a lighter, lithe, coordinated person- the padded seat would be great. That’s my view, anyway, but I’m an amateur here.

Chaut1: "Thank you all for the comments. I liked the two level seat, and tried it in both positions. It was easy to move up and down, just took a sec, and comfortable for me. I could see using the lower spot for windy and wavy days, and the higher seat for calm weather. I also kneeled in the larger Prospector, and think that the comfy padded seat would be hard to pop to a kneel from for this old lady, but the two level traditional seat was easy to quickly kneel from if required. The padded seat seemed like something in the road- couldn’t put your feet under it, perhaps harder to get out of and move around for the less nimble. For a lighter, lithe, coordinated person- the padded seat would be great. That’s my view, anyway, but I’m an amateur here. "

Chaut1: "Thank you all for the comments. I liked the two level seat, and tried it in both positions. It was easy to move up and down, just took a sec, and comfortable for me. I could see using the lower spot for windy and wavy days, and the higher seat for calm weather. I also kneeled in the larger Prospector, and think that the comfy padded seat would be hard to pop to a kneel from for this old lady, but the seat was easy to quickly kneel from if required. The padded seat seemed like something in the road- couldn’t put your feet under it, perhaps harder to get out of and move around for the less nimble. For a lighter, lithe, coordinated person- the padded seat would be great. That’s my view, anyway, but I’m an amateur here. "

At 52 yo with rather bad knees from playing football in our college dorm hallway - someone thought it was a good idea to tackle low, and they blew out my knee.

As for paddling, I'm a relative noob with canoeing, so probably take my comments with a grain of salt. I'm shopping for a new canoe - mostly for lake fishing in Wisconsin and the Boundary Waters; I don't need to fast boat. ...Unless an unexpected thunderstorm pops up, and I need to get off the lake in a hurry. Heh!

I talked with a couple of people at Rutabaga in Madison, and they recommended the Swift Prospector 14 for myself/needs. I drove over to Madison a week later, and took an Expedition Kevlar Prospector 14 with the high webbed canoe bench for a test paddle. I used a bent paddle, and the moment I was in the boat, I felt all kinds of uneasy/wobbly. Even my wife said I looked like I was fighting to stay in the boat as she watched from the dock.

I hopped out of that boat, and into the Prospector 14 Pack with a 250 Kayak paddle. The moment I sat in the seat, I felt rock solid and stable. It was....fantastic.

The day was a bit windy, and with the single paddle, the wind was pushing me around quite a bit in the first Prospector with the high canoe seat. I'm sure that's a bit of why I felt a bit uneasy during the first test paddle — aside from just sitting higher up in the canoe.

In the Prospector 14 pack boat, the wind wasn't an issue at all - and it might have been a bit more windy during my second paddle compared to my first. The canoe was stable, and went where I wanted it to go. I was ready to make a right turn onto the Yahara, and paddle to Lake Monona. Instead, I paddled out to the Yahara, spun around and headed back - quite a few boats out and about, and I had already felt what I wanted to feel... Smooth stability... :)

This upcoming week, I'm wanting to get to Rutabaga to test paddle a Kee14 (Multi-heigh seat pod set in the low position), a Pack 13.6, and if I can... a Cruiser 14.8 Pack. ...I just have to know how those feel compared to the Prospector 14 Pack. I do want a lighter boat - and I also want to see how stable the slightly smaller boats feel compared to the Prospector 14 Pack. People can try and explain how they're going to feel - but, I have to jump in and try it for myself.

Happy hunting... :)

s

Scoobs - I'm with you. I didn't bother with the cruiser - Bill Swift's favorite or so he told me - because so many said it had little initial stability. Please report.

Not sure why I didn't try the Pack 13.8. Slightly under the capacity I was looking at for. Maybe since a pristine used Prospector Pack became available at a good price I stopped looking.

I've paddled the Swift Cruiser 16.8. It is very stable, both initial and final and quite fast. Too much freeboard for my taste but a big, quick hull. Felt faster than my Advantage, but the Cruiser was new and my Advantage is highly textured by close to 40 seasons in the Q. The seat design left a lot to be desired- my sense is that it was doomed to break. I was impressed with the way the hull performed. Really showed its heritage from the Sawyer Shockwave.

billconner: "Scoobs - I'm with you. I didn't bother with the cruiser - Bill Swift's favorite or so he told me - because so many said it had little initial stability. Please report.


Not sure why I didn't try the Pack 13.8. Slightly under the capacity I was looking at for. Maybe since a pristine used Prospector Pack became available at a good price I stopped looking."

The more I look for a boat, the more fun this gets.

Was supposed to go for test paddle today... but Rutabaga doesn't have any of the other Swift boats available for test paddles - not sure when they're coming in. Someone suggested I could drive to Swift and test paddle their canoes. It's an eleven-plus hour drive.

If I was going to travel anywhere to test paddle a canoe, right now it would be to Placid Boatworks. And that's a 15+ hour drive - but I'd take the family to take a little tour of an area we've never been to before. ...make it a mini vacation.

Their Spitfire13 and Rapidfire boats look phenomenal.

Rapidfire is a 15ft boat - 22#'s or 26#'s - depending on the layup.
https://placidboatworks.com/our-boats/rapidfire/

The Spitfire13 is a 13ft boat - 20#'s or 23#'s.
https://placidboatworks.com/our-boats/spitfire-13/

Much of what comes standard with the Placid Boats are add-on's with the Swift (two-tone paint (+ $100), skid plates (+ $150), Carbon thwarts and handles (+ $200) - prices in USD.

The Kevlar Prospector 14 Pack with those additions is $3,945 USD and roughly 34#'s.

The Rapidfire with those as standard options is $3,895 and 26#'s. - So really, not a HUGE difference in price. A big difference in weight.
BUT!!!!....
If you opt for the Carbon Prospector 14 Pack - it's $4,245 and about 32#'s.

If you opt for the carbon RapidFire - the price drops to $3,695 and it's about 22#'s. Less money. Saves 10#'s. WOW!

I can easily order and pick-up the Prospector 14 Pack with about a 2 hour round trip drive. It would take 32 hours to pick-up the Placid RapidFire. ...though it would certainly be an adventure. :)

Other odds and ends:
I've been doing a lot more reading and hunting for info on the Placid RapidFire and Spitfire13. I ran across this video...

Placid Rapidfire vs. Wenonah Wilderness

From the 1 minute to 4 minute marks, it's an incredible comparison between the Wenonah Wilderness vs. the Placid RapidFire in some heavy wave action. ...of course we don't know how the Wilderness was loaded - could have been very front-heavy. But that Placid RapidFire looks like it was hopping over and breezing through that chop with (mostly) grace. ...and no. I have no interest in going out on a big lake with that kind of wave action.

Anyway. That's where I'm at right now. I'm 90% sure I'm headed for a Prospector 14 Pack. ...but that Placid RapidFire is suddenly tugging at my heart...

:)

c