Hi from New England (MA)

[makevx73]

Greetings All,

Nice site you have. So much info!


Kevin here...


For many years I've been mostly a sea-kayaker, doing a bit of rafting and some canoeing. A spouse who doesn't like canoes and a set of bad knees (painful kneeling) has kept me from doing much canoeing but I'm interested in getting back into single blade paddling with a decked-canoe so here I am. Lately I've been enjoying the water in my Swift Adirondack Pack 13.6 with my buddy Charlie. Not much capacity left for gear with him and I but we do get out for a few over-niters.

 

[Rippy]

Welcome. While I have done things in the past that I'm not proud of (use the devil's double blade to paddle a non-canoe type water thing), I find the single blade much more relaxing to use now. I also like the space of a open canoe. The other water thing was like a sports car and my canoes are like pickup trucks. I have taken road trips in sports cars and while they were highly enjoyable, packing was more challenging than the road trips in my pickup. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am in the pickup truck time in my life, hence open tandem canoe and single blade.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Open solo canoe. Tripping and playing on the water.
decked sea canoe
open pack canoe.

One kayak trip attempted to dismiss me as they had the notion that canoes are trucks and couldn't keep up. Paddled Knubble Bay to Reid State Park ( Maine) and beat all but one person. RapidFire is not a slow boat. Most of my others are quite fast too.. but that's no never mind. Bias exists on both sides. Its your trip!

Welcome as I am a sea kayaker(now sea canoe. I have arthritis and the docs say I need everything replaced...bah) paddling is paddling.

It doesn't matter how many blades you use to me! It does to others.. I say "Its MY trip!"

I trip but I also go in circles.. I am not in the "you are supposed to only go straight ahead in a canoe( an actual quote from a WCHA member)"crowd.
I have a Mad River Monarch which is great in the Gulf of Maine. Living here its hard NOT to be a sea kayaker.

What decked canoe do you have in mind?

Oh paddles.. single , double euro, double GP, seated pole. tree branch.. whatever..

I am downsizing.. so my solo boats are becoming smaller.. and smaller..like stuff. I get a lot of fun from going to the dump. Packing for me is not an issue but I have a psychological limit of two weeks. A 30 liter barrel and 6000Ci packs fine in the Wild Fire ( 14 feet).

 

[makevx73]

Welcome. While I have done things in the past that I'm not proud of (use the devil's double blade to paddle a non-canoe type water thing), I find the single blade much more relaxing to use now. I also like the space of a open canoe. The other water thing was like a sports car and my canoes are like pickup trucks. I have taken road trips in sports cars and while they were highly enjoyable, packing was more challenging than the road trips in my pickup. I guess what I'm trying to say is that I am in the pickup truck time in my life, hence open tandem canoe and single blade.

Thanks.

Yea I expect to get some ribbing from the single blade paddlin' die-hards. It's ok, I just love being on the water. Even an inner-tube can work if that's all I have...

Pickup? I completely understand.. I drive a van.

 

[makevx73]

Open solo canoe. Tripping and playing on the water.
decked sea canoe
open pack canoe.

One kayak trip attempted to dismiss me as they had the notion that canoes are trucks and couldn't keep up. Paddled Knubble Bay to Reid State Park ( Maine) and beat all but one person. RapidFire is not a slow boat. Most of my others are quite fast too.. but that's no never mind. Bias exists on both sides. Its your trip!

Welcome as I am a sea kayaker(now sea canoe. I have arthritis and the docs say I need everything replaced...bah) paddling is paddling.

It doesn't matter how many blades you use to me! It does to others.. I say "Its MY trip!"

I trip but I also go in circles.. I am not in the "you are supposed to only go straight ahead in a canoe( an actual quote from a WCHA member)"crowd.
I have a Mad River Monarch which is great in the Gulf of Maine. Living here its hard NOT to be a sea kayaker.

What decked canoe do you have in mind?

Oh paddles.. single , double euro, double GP, seated pole. tree branch.. whatever..

I am downsizing.. so my solo boats are becoming smaller.. and smaller..like stuff. I get a lot of fun from going to the dump. Packing for me is not an issue but I have a psychological limit of two weeks. A 30 liter barrel and 6000Ci packs fine in the Wild Fire ( 14 feet).

Thanks.

You live in a wonderful area! I've done some paddling up your way: Scarborough, Harraseeket River, Saco River/Salmon Falls, Runaround Pond and a few things around Mt. Desert Island. I want to start getting out to some of the MITA Islands but since we hate to leave the dog behind we don't get out very far now. I do have a Vermont Fishing Dory, for rowing, that would make trips a little easier but I just don't like the idea of potentially being in the water during a mishap and have to deal with saving a dogs butt along with my own... Ha. Ha.

Speed? Have to agree with ya. I've seen some folks flying with a single blade.

I'm ultimately looking for something in a Loon, Monarch, Sea-1 or Sea Wind (I know - I'm dreaming a little thinking I'd find a Kruger used, much less the others). I haven't paddled any of them yet so not totally sure.

I'm actually thinking about finding something in the 14-17 ft. range I could convert/modify to a sitting style single blade boat and see how it works for me.
This fall I bought a used Easy Rider Beluga Kayak. It was way cheap and I couldn't pass it up. That way my wife could still yak and haul the dog sometimes. I was thinking on making it into a large single cockpit boat and trying it with a higher seat and a single blade paddle.

 

[sweeper]

Welcome Kevin

Kevin here also...also from Correct end of Mass

I'm not into solo canoeing, yet but it's early in the year and I see a new canoe in my immediate future.

As for the double bladed sticks, one of my shoulders doesn't rotate like it used to. I sold off my kayaks and the DBSs last year.

The only reason I see for speed is getting off the water in a storm.

 

[yellowcanoe]

I have a Monarch.... The Easy Rider Beluga brings back memories. A friend had one.. It could haul 46 lobsters. Live in boxes. It did once. We also paddled one in Alaska on a guided cruise.. I was glad for the incredible stability when the humpbacks circled us.

Going to padlock the Monarch now.

Speed? Sometimes its handy as when the stawm picks up between Isle Au Haut and Stonington. the Cap'n at Old Quarry was in the office . We had unloaded and packed up the car on return and went to the office after. He looked out the window and said " R U Nutz?" We had been back an hour we assured him.

Tis all about the best tool for the water you find yourself on. In the water is never the aim.

There was a dead body at Runaround Thursday. Bad enough its featured in Stephen Kings novels.. Now the heebie jeebies will double.

 

[Mihun09]

Welcome

You should talk with Mike McCrea, he has a few covered boats and might be able to point you to what you are after.

I've used the devils double blade in a vintage wood/canvas canoe, that is about as low as one can go, lol. Rotator cuff issues on both shoulders eliminated that for me permanently.

 

[makevx73]

Welcome Kevin

Kevin here also...also from Correct end of Mass

I'm not into solo canoeing, yet but it's early in the year and I see a new canoe in my immediate future.

As for the double bladed sticks, one of my shoulders doesn't rotate like it used to. I sold off my kayaks and the DBSs last year.

The only reason I see for speed is getting off the water in a storm.

Hi Kevin and thanks!

Not much better to do right now than think about your next boat! The weather had been so mild, I broke down and ordered a drysuit in December so I could still do some paddling and rowing. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as it came, so did winter! I guess everything freezing up in the hills is partially my fault...

 

[makevx73]

We also paddled one in Alaska on a guided cruise.. I was glad for the incredible stability when the humpbacks circled us.

AK is a great place to paddle. Where did you paddle?

I lived up there for 12 years and did a lot of trips in Prince William Sound. I put a lot of miles on the Pygmy Arctic Tern I built. I never got close to any humpbacks, just sea lions and belugas. That must be quite an experience!

There was a dead body at Runaround Thursday. Bad enough its featured in Stephen Kings novels.. Now the heebie jeebies will double.

This past week? Ugh..

 

[makevx73]

Welcome

You should talk with Mike McCrea, he has a few covered boats and might be able to point you to what you are after.

I've used the devils double blade in a vintage wood/canvas canoe, that is about as low as one can go, lol. Rotator cuff issues on both shoulders eliminated that for me permanently.

Hi,

Mikes posts on rebuilding/modifying his Klepper is how I stumbled on this forum. I'll be asking him a few questions, for sure...

Double blade & a vintage canoe? I'd figure you'd have be "cast out" from here for that... Ha! Ha!

Since I'm new here, I'll confess to my "sins" right from the start: as mentioned kayaking and rowing.

It's not a single blade but I do love this way of being on the water...