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Guest
Guest
Having recently sold two large boats you should have enough space and money for a lightweight solo.
Do you have a revolving fund where the proceeds will go for your next hull?
The two of you are sure jonesing to spend my beer money. I have been pondering a lightweight composite solo for several years as my knees and back got worse, and been whittling down the choices and preferences, and finally contemplating some honest assessment and niche-fill need.
3K-ish for a new carbon/kevlar lightweight canoe? The Scots in me staggers back, and it doesn’t help when Willie finds a used Wenonah Prism for $400.
In honest assessment I do not need another river tripper. It isn’t especially light, but I don’t portage much and for most tripping I love everything about my soloized RX Penobscot with spray covers (and sail). Equal praise for the Kevlar Monarch and our other ruddered, decked canoes with sails for open water tripping. The RX Freedom Solo and Odyssey 14 are both excellent rocky river day boats.
One niche remains to be filled; a 14.5 to 16 foot lightweight solo for gentler lake and estuary day paddling.
Something light enough to toss on and off the truck at a whim. Something I can use a small sail on, which solo sensibly means something with a rudder. Something with a high enough seat that my fat arse/bad knees can still enter and exit without agony, but with enough primary stability to pass my “grab-the-cooler-from-behind-the-seat” test.
Sounds more and more like some kind of lightweight decked canoe or, gasp, composite “rec” kayak, and I might need to find the right used hull and rebuild/outfit it to my specs.
Ideas?