Recent content by Steve in Idaho

I had a big tailwind going downriver one day in the Sojourn. That was a gas. No significant waves to contend with going with the swift current. All I had to do was rudder, and not much of that. I think it's possible, maybe probable that I'm not shifting weight back enough when I encounter this...

That's the kind of enabling comment I'm looking for. 😁 It's kind of embarrassing... I've now passed up a chance to own a Merlin II twice. Now I'm in the mode of watching for another (and with recently announced competition), or maybe a Phoenix. What I really want to know is if either or...

I have one for the bow that came with the canoe. It won't fit the stern, since it's a swedeform hull. Yes, I should get one for that. That's kinda where I'm going with this. 😄 That works for me, but it's a fight still to keep from broaching. It does force me into a sprint, so that's both bad...

I'm not sure if this is a solo canoe question or a paddling technique question, so I'll put it here. If it turns out to be one or the other, Glenn, please move it accordingly. I am fortunate that I have a large lake 15 minutes from home. I paddle there often, sometimes to fish, sometimes to...

My Solitude has a sliding bucket seat. I just slide it all the way forward and set the leading edge of the seat on my shoulders. That balances the canoe slightly stern heavy, and gives me a perfect reach to the forward thwart so carrying is fairly effortless. Due to the contour of the front of...

Sadness all the way around. 😞

I hated the folding canoe anchor. It never held for me in even light wind. I had a very effective anchor in my 20' sailboat, so I wondered if I could find something like it in the right proportion. Yep The mini claw I do something similar to what Ralph wrote. A caribiner is attached to a grab...

I feel sorry for whoever gets stuck in that pumpkin seed.

Sounds a little like what I contend with when I paddle up the local lake inlet to get close to the heron rookery there. It's a narrow passage, littered with fallen limbs and partial logjams. I sometimes have to slide over floaters, duck under low hangers, and wrestle waste high limbs out of the...

Mediocrity is kind of popular in our culture. I'm not immune. A point which I am willing to concede. 🤪 This brings up a whole other subject. I've mentioned this here before. I'm torn between advocating preserving the status quo on some stretches of river, and instead promoting and supporting...

Misperceptions abound. 🙄

@Packrat I guess it will be up to you now to give us your thoughts on the Wee Lassie's performance. :) I'm curious about your choice of the single blade from the floor seat, and if that changes your preference among single blades. I had to resort to the floor seat for a while during my...

I see a lot of this too. To be fair, we all have our priorities that we're willing to spend money on, and those less important. Those in that group who I know well put a higher priority on really nice homes (which is a puzzlement to me) and new cars (which I fully understand), among other...

Makes me wonder how much less the price for a Next would be if OT hadn't afflicted it with that unnecessarily costly seat.

I get that. But without other considerations it doesn't make sense to me that this doesn't also apply to recreational kayaks. Tandem kayaks exist, yet I see whole families, each in their own kayak. I know not everyone can afford to buy even a Next for every kid, but we aren't all that limited...