Recent content by ABT

😂 that seat was one of the few things that I actually liked about the Next. Super comfortable and definitely was a selling point when I switched from my kayak. Unfortunately the lack of rocker, low free board and overall smaller size were not a winning combination for a river boat, although...

My two whitewater boats came with nylon p clips (like this...

I’ve been looking hard at Blue Mountain Campers lately. Small, no bells and whistles, but built to last and prices that don’t make me gag (or at least not as much). Only three models to look at. https://bluemountaincamperco.com/

Shame about the drive, another one an hour south of Madison, even cheaper. https://www.facebook.com/share/1Q3w3Ftiov/?mibextid=wwXIfr

How far are you willing to drive? One for sale about 30 min south of Madison, WI. Right at 50 lbs it looks like. https://www.facebook.com/share/1B9M7kXUv1/?mibextid=wwXIfr

Another boat I’ll probably want?!? You two might be a bad influence…😂

That’s a pretty boat. Don’t know much about Blackhawks so thanks for the info, I’ll enjoy reading up on them. Peregrine is a boat I feel like I shouldn’t really like. I like deep boats, lots of rocker/maneuverability, wider vs narrower, etc. But something about the design and that laid out...

I like paddling tandems solo and I think you’re probably right, a loaded down tandem wouldn’t get pushed as much, and with more beam for stability it’s probably a safe ride in big water. Probably not very fast, but sure and steady. I almost brought a kayak paddle for that reason but figured my...

Snapping turtle coming out of a flooding creek today heading for a pond up the hill.

I took an ACA class on the MO river on Saturday and had a great time but the last hour or so we had ~17 mph headwinds. I have several boats, but most are solos for smaller rivers where wind is not an issue. I wanted a little larger boat that was stable and that I was very comfortable in for...

Well, sort of. When discussing the build and that it would be set up as a solo, Bill asked if I wanted it pulled in to be better as a solo setup (easier reach over the gunwales). To my knowledge they’ve only made two Starfires, and I think they did that with the first one. I told him no, and...

Thanks! I’ve been very happy with it. And I do think you’d like the design. Unfortunately in the Ozarks they don’t stay pristine very long: I got the epoxy “beefy” Expedition Kevlar to run lower water, or Class II with big rocks. Mostly to save the gel coat on my Bell. The Starfire may be...

I agree, the Starfire is worth a shot for @Tryin' And they are awfully purdy no matter the make. Although perhaps still not deep enough for him. I think the Swift version seems shallower than the Bell version’s 13.5” but haven’t measured them side by side. Seems pretty dry to me in...

Well shucks. It was heck of a deal, someone made out pretty good there.

I didn’t include this in the original trip report last Fall, as it was a little embarrassing, but thinking back yesterday I got a chuckle out of it and thought I’d share it after all. Kind of hard to tell in the below photo, but the gravel bar we had stopped at was somewhat steep: One might...