Does anyone have experience paddling/tripping both a Sawyer Cruiser and Northstar Northwind 17? How do these compare?

I had a Cruiser and now own a Bell Northwind. The Sawyer is faster and more efficient, a lot of fun for traveling on calm water and covering distance. Especially good for casual races or exercise. But, it’s more lively and with less freeboard you will take on water in any significant chop. The Northwind imo is a better choice all-around for tripping and fishing. More capacity, more stable as a fishing platform, and still has plenty of glide.

I own and trip in both. I agree with everything fadersup wrote. I would add that the Cruiser can be a fine tripping canoe for smaller paddlers. I paddled the Cruiser in big whitecaps on Clearwater Lake with my son. It did great, but he was a kid (maybe 100#) at the time. We couldn't have made it on the water if he'd weighed 180. The Northwind has a tick more initial stability and the Cruiser has a tick more speed. The big difference is volume.