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I've been happy with the Olympus Tough series. I don't know what iteration they're on now (assuming they still make it). I think the last one I bought was version 4 probably around 10 years ago. The only thing I wish for is a slightly longer zoom. Alan

I have had the same dilemma. A female mold would be ideal but there is a huge amount of cost and time involved with that and then what do you do with it when you have built the canoe you want? I still think a male mold is the best alternative for those of us making a single canoe but there are...

Your English is very good. It's easy to understand what you're saying. This sounds like a fun project. It's good you already have experience working with composites. I've made a couple composite canoes, one of them with a foam core, and while they've all turned out OK I've been a little...

That reminds me of when I bought a Sawyer Cruiser and we took it for a shakedown paddle on the Mississippi right at sunset. It was pretty well dark by the time we got done and I have never seen so many bats in my life. All skimming just over the water surface for bugs. Thousands of them and they...

I always enjoyed being out around sunset because of the increased animal activity, less heat, less wind, and no harsh mid day light. I've never been much of an early morning paddler but I always assumed it would be pretty similar

I have a little experience with the wildfire and none with the Phoenix. Looking at the specs i always assumed they were very similar in volume and handling. Other than the Phoenix being 6" longer what is there in the hull shape that makes it much different than the wildfire? Alan

I did a 40+ day trip with no extra change of clothes. It wasn't too big of a deal. If I was wet when getting to camp I'd put on my thermal bottoms I used for sleeping and some of the extra layers had. I made a point to never wear all my layers when paddling in case I had to change into...

How about a CCS Lean? It's lightweight (under 3 pounds), cavernous, and would serve as both a tent and a tarp. You can set it up so it's open and airy with huge views out the front or button it up in wind. https://cookecustomsewing.com/shop/ols/products/lean-plus-1-1oz-silicone-shelter Alan

The good news is that I believe the difference between something like the Magic and an Advantage is relatively small while the jump up to a racing C1 is huge. I have paddled the Wenonah Whisper (billed as the little sister to the Advantage) and I thought it felt pretty 'normal'. Granted, that...

Normally I would day to completely forget about tandem but you seem to be realistic about the types of water you'll be paddling and what you want to do with your occasional tandem partner. Most of us here would much rather have a dedicated solo canoe because it would be so much more versatile...

Somewhere I have before and after closeup pictures of one of my stems that had bigger gaps than Cletus's smile and you really can't tell at all after filling with thickened epoxy and shaping. I don't have the time to dig for them now, maybe later.

I think very few Advantage owners are actually tripping out of them. Not that it can't, and isn't, done but I don't think it's most people's first choice. I would also guess most Advantage paddlers are skipping the wind and rough water whenever possible. I have no first hand experience with...

You do what you gotta do to in order to make it make sense in your own head but it seems to me you are going about this about the hardest way possible. Lay the first strip and let it run long. Use a pull saw, with the beveled stem as a guide, and cut the angle on the end of the first strip...

I set my seat and foot bar for good conditions and try to have enough knee bend that if the seat needs to be slid back I have some room to play with. It's not ideal but good enough for what will hopefully be a short stretch. If I'm tripping it's usually easy enough to shove the pack that's right...

My boats are strip or composite. I'll wetfoot much of the time but won't hesitate to side saddle up to a rocky shore so I can step onto the rocks. I sometimes load/unload with the hull perpendicular to the water. I lift the bow and drag it into shore/ rocks as far as I can before the belly or...

You need to slit the cloth pretty far up the curve of the stem ( as it sits upside down) to get the cloth to wrap around without pulling.

Yes, because of the surfski. We try and keep things canoe specific. I know that @Neophyte posted one in his picture too but it was a bit more chaste with the kayak only peaking shyly from behind the canoe. Yours was a little too flagrant. All in good fun. :)

Gotta be careful doing that. I have a hull that's going on 12 years that way. Once out of the shop is hard for me to bring them back in. Alan

I use the @Mason method. Or, if there is a suitable height stump or rock I will set the pack on it before trying to put an arm through. With the right height rock you can just back right into it. Alan

Looking great! Some people varnish the exterior before removing it from the forms but I never have patience for that. I flip it the day after full coats and let the resin fully cure while I work on the inside