BWCA Placid canoes Boundary Waters Gear Forum
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Gear Forum
      Placid canoes     
 Forum Sponsor

Author

Text

Bjmd28
member (50)member
  
07/11/2022 03:57PM  
A friend and I just bought plane tickets today to fly up to demo the Placid solo canoes. We have never paddled solo and wanted to try before we buy!

Anyone have any experience with them? We are going at peak color this fall and will incorporate at trip up the coast of Maine in our trip!
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
straighthairedcurly
distinguished member(1923)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/11/2022 05:32PM  
I will be following this post. I have a deep, deep desire to get a Placid solo so I will be very interested to hear what you and others have to say. Do you know what the timeframe is these days from the point of down payment to boat being ready?
 
Minnesotian
distinguished member(2309)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/12/2022 08:13AM  

I as well have been very interested in getting a Placid boat, in particular a RapidFire.
 
Bjmd28
member (50)member
  
07/12/2022 08:28AM  
I think it’s 10-11 months wait.
 
Kestrel222
member (17)member
  
07/12/2022 04:10PM  
My husband and I both have Placid Rapidfires and have been paddling them for around ten years. They are wonderful, beautifully made fast pack boats, stable, and easy to paddle. We even put our very relazed 60 lb lab in the front with a collapsible Reliance water jug in the back to balance the trim. You can't go wrong with a Rapidfire or another of the other models Joe Moore sells!
 
Bjmd28
member (50)member
  
07/12/2022 05:15PM  
That is good to hear. We are excited to paddle them. I guess a solo probably take some time to get used to. But I bet sitting in the bottom of it like with the placid makes it feel more stable initially
 
PineKnot
distinguished member(2021)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/12/2022 09:13PM  
I too have been paddling my Rapidfire since July 2012. It is the only solo canoe I still own...simply a great tripping and fishing platform. Re stability, it's very stable. Took maybe a day or 2 to get comfortable the first time out. Actually, after the first season or two, I replaced the carbon pedestal seat with a regular cane seat due to arthritic joints. A couple inches higher makes all the difference to me and the Rapidfire still retains excellent stability, particularly loaded and in heavy waves....I've been in waves larger than I ever had the right to experience....


 
billconner
distinguished member(8607)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
07/13/2022 06:20AM  
Is the Rapidfire seat as high as the Swift pack seats? It looks sort of half way between Hornbeck and Swift.
 
PineKnot
distinguished member(2021)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/13/2022 03:11PM  
billconner: "Is the Rapidfire seat as high as the Swift pack seats? It looks sort of half way between Hornbeck and Swift."


Couldn't tell you since I haven't sat in or paddled the others you mention. The pedestal seat had a slightly wider seat that would nest over it, adding another inch or two in seat height....still not enough for me as I switched it all out for a cane seat....
 
Scoobs
distinguished member (156)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/14/2022 10:28AM  
billconner: "Is the Rapidfire seat as high as the Swift pack seats? It looks sort of half way between Hornbeck and Swift."


Placid has three seat heights, so you can get them sitting very low, to (I believe) a bit higher than the Swift pack seats. ...and the seats are stackable. So you can start with the lowest seat, and stack a higher seat on the lower one for options.

I really wanted a Placid Rapidfire - but didn't feel like driving 30 hours round trip to pick it up. ...and if I needed a repair, drive another 30 hours round trip for that. So Swift Prospector 14 Pack it was... Plus. It only took 14 weeks to get my Swift, not 48 weeks...
 
Bjmd28
member (50)member
  
07/14/2022 02:01PM  
I did question them about repairs. They said they would
Ship the supplies and any canoe shop could do the work.
 
billconner
distinguished member(8607)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberpower member
  
07/14/2022 06:28PM  
Scoobs: "
billconner: "Is the Rapidfire seat as high as the Swift pack seats? It looks sort of half way between Hornbeck and Swift."



Placid has three seat heights, so you can get them sitting very low, to (I believe) a bit higher than the Swift pack seats. ...and the seats are stackable. So you can start with the lowest seat, and stack a higher seat on the lower one for options.

I really wanted a Placid Rapidfire - but didn't feel like driving 30 hours round trip to pick it up. ...and if I needed a repair, drive another 30 hours round trip for that. So Swift Prospector 14 Pack it was... Plus. It only took 14 weeks to get my Swift, not 48 weeks... "


That's what I bought - Swift Prospector 14 Pack. Love it!
 
MagicPaddler
distinguished member(1495)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
07/15/2022 06:05AM  
I bought my Rapidfire 22 years ago. I do more than one trip a year. Love the boat. If I had to do it over I would buy the same boat again.
 
tgreen1515
  
08/24/2022 12:42PM  
Hi, I have owned a Shadow and I would point out that it has significantly more rocker than a Rapidfire. Definitely try it first. I didnt like it nearly as much as the Rapidfire and I sold mine.
 
Kestrel222
member (17)member
  
08/24/2022 08:06PM  
Doesn't take much time at all to get used to a pack boat and the double blade paddle. A solo canoe in which you kneel, however, does take time to master the kneeling and balance as well as developing the skill in using a single blade paddle. Pack boats like Placid Boatworks are very easy to learn and paddle.
 
Bjmd28
member (50)member
  
10/02/2022 10:43AM  
We just got back from our canoe testing trip. We went with plans to paddle the Placid boats and swift, due to lead time we really anticipated buying swift canoes and paddled them first( keewaydin and cruisers) then went to paddle the placid just because we had appointments setup. BUT within 3 paddle strokes we knew we liked the placid boats. After talking with the owner things just fell into place and we purchased a 14ft oseetah and the 15 ft rapidfire.
 
10/03/2022 07:41AM  
Congrats look like great canoes, post pics when you get them please. I love seeing everyone’s rides…so different than when I started canoeing in the late ‘90’s :)

T
 
MagicPaddler
distinguished member(1495)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/04/2022 05:57AM  
I have the medium seat height and that gives me a very stable boat. Having a few years on this body it is a struggle to stand up from that low of a seat. While tripping I wet foot so I stop in about 1 foot of water and get out there. It is like having a seat that is a foot high.
 
straighthairedcurly
distinguished member(1923)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
10/04/2022 07:50PM  
Very exciting! What is the lead time on getting the boats?
 
SLJ
  
10/29/2022 09:40AM  
My wife and I both have Placids. She has a Spitfire (12') and I had my Rapidfire built with a drop seat. The sides need to be reenforced during the build to accommodate the additional stress on the gunwales of a drop seat. We love the boats.
 
NikonF5user
senior member (73)senior membersenior member
  
11/22/2022 08:16PM  
SLJ: "My wife and I both have Placids. She has a Spitfire (12') and I had my Rapidfire built with a drop seat. The sides need to be reenforced during the build to accommodate the additional stress on the gunwales of a drop seat. We love the boats.
"


Is this the "KNL" version?!? I have been trying to find something - ANYTHING - about this canoe with almost no success. Have you tried it out kneeling at all yet? I am only going to be able to afford something like this once, and have been going back and forth between the Rapidfire KNL, Magic, Northstar Solo, Peregrine, and Keewaydin 15. I like the idea of a smaller company like Placid or Hornbeck, but the wait times are a struggle to be sure. But it may be worth it. Any thougths / experiences you have are greatly appreciated!

I am 6'1" and 215ish, will be on flat water more than anything else, and prefer the control one gets by kneeling.
 
justpaddlin
distinguished member(540)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
11/24/2022 09:34AM  
NikonF5user: "
SLJ: "My wife and I both have Placids. She has a Spitfire (12') and I had my Rapidfire built with a drop seat. The sides need to be reenforced during the build to accommodate the additional stress on the gunwales of a drop seat. We love the boats.
"



Is this the "KNL" version?!? I have been trying to find something - ANYTHING - about this canoe with almost no success. Have you tried it out kneeling at all yet? I am only going to be able to afford something like this once, and have been going back and forth between the Rapidfire KNL, Magic, Northstar Solo, Peregrine, and Keewaydin 15. I like the idea of a smaller company like Placid or Hornbeck, but the wait times are a struggle to be sure. But it may be worth it. Any thougths / experiences you have are greatly appreciated!


I am 6'1" and 215ish, will be on flat water more than anything else, and prefer the control one gets by kneeling."


I've owned all the boats you are considering; if you have any specific questions please let me know.

My Rapidfire is not a kneeler but I've knelt in it. It's the fastest and most efficient. If I owned a kneeler I personally would leave it home in very high wind or fast water...where I might even leave my Merlin II at home in favor of my Kee15. I love Peregrine and would get another. It's not very maneuverable but it's a great cruising boat that's stable yet fast. I could outrun a Magic in Peregrine over short or long distances; it takes less muscle than a Magic. I like Magic but frankly it's made for sitting and I don't think it's as rewarding as a kneeler as the others on your list. I think Kee15 is a great all around boat and it's maneuverable enough to be fun just spinning in circles on a pond (for me it's more fun than a NW Solo for sure). I did not love my NW Solo, I found it boring. If your normal load will be under 250 or so then I'd say add the Northstar Trillium to your list. It's MUCH hotter (effortless) than NW Solo and Kee15 and it's ideal for a kneeler...it's closer to the Rapidfire in performance than the others on your list and the maneuverability is good.

 
NikonF5user
senior member (73)senior membersenior member
  
11/24/2022 11:20AM  
I have been wondering about the Trillium, but I have been concerned about weight. I usually do pack light, but if I were going to do a week+ in Algonquin or St. Regis (which I try to do at least once per summer) I'd be pushing 250 for sure (I weigh 215ish, between food and camping supplies, I am sure I would add 50 pounds to that, so my guess is 265-275 pounds is around my max load). What I really wish is that Northstar still made the Merlin; seems like an ideal blend of the NW Solo and Trillium, and I bet a Merlin in Blacklite with E6 trim and components would be a BEAUTY of a boat, stiff and light...
 
11/24/2022 02:14PM  
NikonF5user:What I really wish is that Northstar still made the Merlin; seems like an ideal blend of the NW Solo and Trillium, and I bet a Merlin in Blacklite with E6 trim and components would be a BEAUTY of a boat, stiff and light..."


Northstar does make a boat between the NW Solo and the Trillium- it is called the Magic. Really it is a superior design to the Merlin in just about every way.
 
NikonF5user
senior member (73)senior membersenior member
  
11/24/2022 02:37PM  
Banksiana: Northstar does make a boat between the NW Solo and the Trillium- it is called the Magic. Really it is a superior design to the Merlin in just about every way."


I respectfully disagree a bit there. Not about superiority, but about the Magic being positioned between the Trillium and NW Solo. The Magic is 6" longer than the Solo (18" longer than the Trillium) plus has less rocker on both ends. The rounded sides / chine of the Magic are less pronounced and lower. All of this suggests to me that the NW Solo and Trillium and can be heeled up on their side, lifting the ends of the "keel" out of the water, allowing them to spin much more easily. My guess is that the Magic, when heeled, keeps more of the "keel" in the water, limiting the spin of the boat. This same geometry should allow the Magic to track more true, but at the expense of some maneuverability. The NW Solo and Trillium (and the Merlin) should be more maneuverable than the Magic, but at the expense of a true track.

~Thoughts?
 
11/25/2022 12:47PM  
Magic can be heeled. Not sure of comparative maneuverability to the others. Never had a problem making the Magic do what I wanted it to do- much easier to turn and pivot than the hulls I usually paddle. What I find amazing about the Magic is its capability in rough seas- really astonishing. If you're not free styling maneuverability is overrated as most of our energy is spent on keeping a hull in a straight line. I found the Merlin a little slow and a bit squirrelly comparatively. Worked best for me from a kneel which is not my preferred mode of paddling.
 
justpaddlin
distinguished member(540)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
11/25/2022 07:28PM  
NikonF5user: "
Banksiana: Northstar does make a boat between the NW Solo and the Trillium- it is called the Magic. Really it is a superior design to the Merlin in just about every way."



I respectfully disagree a bit there. Not about superiority, but about the Magic being positioned between the Trillium and NW Solo. The Magic is 6" longer than the Solo (18" longer than the Trillium) plus has less rocker on both ends. The rounded sides / chine of the Magic are less pronounced and lower. All of this suggests to me that the NW Solo and Trillium and can be heeled up on their side, lifting the ends of the "keel" out of the water, allowing them to spin much more easily. My guess is that the Magic, when heeled, keeps more of the "keel" in the water, limiting the spin of the boat. This same geometry should allow the Magic to track more true, but at the expense of some maneuverability. The NW Solo and Trillium (and the Merlin) should be more maneuverable than the Magic, but at the expense of a true track.


~Thoughts?"


Yes I agree with your thoughts although I do appreciate banksiana's comments. My Merlin II (owned since 1999) is my highest mileage boat by far. It's more maneuverable than Magic but they are just different (both are really lake boats but I can horse my Merlin II around and force it to do things on rivers that a Magic cannot do). For me the Merlin II kneeling is definitely faster and more efficient than Magic sitting and I'll cover more miles in a Merlin II than a Magic by quite a margin. I've owned two Magics and for me their strength is versatility and seaworthiness (per banksiana) and nice predictable handling but to me they feel like a bigger boat with plenty of skin friction and although you can sprint to high speed it takes some muscle (so good workout boat). I like the size of the Merlin II but have to give credit to the Trillium for being even a touch more efficient and maneuverable. Just FYI my buddy loads way over the recommended limit in his Trillium and I've seen another poster happy with a Trillium with 300+ pounds so I think it really is an option for your load if you want to try one.
 
NikonF5user
senior member (73)senior membersenior member
  
11/27/2022 08:24PM  
I really do want to try out a Trillium. You're the second person that has suggested it to me, but I do not see them around very often (seems less popular than the NW Solo, perhaps because of the published weights). In any case, another concern I have is whether my feet will fit under the seat of either the NW Solo or Trillium, even with the seat mounted up against the gunnels. It seems that others have indicated it's a tight fit, and I wear a size 14. Part of me is wondering if I should stick with a Phoenix if I go to Northstar because it is a deeper hull. In any case, it's all academic until I can get on some of these boats for a test paddle. So far the only one I have paddled and loved on the water is the Swift Keewaydin 15, which I feel is a very comparable boat to the NW Solo / Trillium, and basically splits the difference in size (but is heavier and WAY more expensive)...
 
12/03/2022 08:06PM  
Banksiana: "
NikonF5user:What I really wish is that Northstar still made the Merlin; seems like an ideal blend of the NW Solo and Trillium, and I bet a Merlin in Blacklite with E6 trim and components would be a BEAUTY of a boat, stiff and light..."



Northstar does make a boat between the NW Solo and the Trillium- it is called the Magic. Really it is a superior design to the Merlin in just about every way."




I agree with Banks.... both the magic and the prism to me are the two boats I think are hard to beat all around for a solo all things considered. I paddled a big ol Encounter for a number of years. I tried the north wind solo and it had it’s pluses... but both the magic and prism were the real performers for me.
Could I still paddle the wilderness also intrigues me. But I don’t think your gaining anything. Only boat I really struggled to keep up to is the rapid fire and a prism while paddling my bigger encounter.
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next