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For alpine and Nordic skiing this is turning out to be a dud year in Vermont. Sure, there's still some alpine skiing on the trails that got buried in man-made snow but overall the snow pack is going, going, gone. Ski season was short and mud season is going to feel like it's taking forever. I...

I always have two canoe paddles with me (and if tandem, two more for them) but the two I bring depend on the canoe and the conditions. Whichever paddle doesn't break is the spare.* 🫣 Sport solo 13.5' - river or flat water: Wood - straight lightweight & wood - straight dependable Touring solo...

I used the term "sufficient durability" for a reason. Your example is a good one and I can say that yes, I've owned a composite tandem canoe that could be dragged up a bony creek without worrying too much about it. It was a (Western Canoeing & Kayaking) Clipper Prospector 17 in their Kevlar...

Good thing you don't say that out loud. 😁 Minimizing weight while retaining sufficient durability is a major driver of innovations in construction techniques. The new materials and technique Swift is using is expected to reduce weight by quite a bit; one to four pounds depending on size and...

I'm not a chemical or structural engineer but Swift's Matt Steffler seems to know his stuff regarding composites and how to incorporate the appropriate laminations into canoe building. That same technology and skill results in some beautiful boats as well. (Not that other builder's canoes aren't...

Well, I just ordered a carbon fusion Prospector 13 with the epoxy finish upgrade. Between what I saw in the video and what the Swift dealer told me I decided to give it a try; it was $400 extra. I have a Northstar canoe in the standard carbon layup and it shows scratches easily, plus it's fairly...

I'm not sure I agree from what I've seen of specifications and images of the Old Town Pack. It's a foot shorter and 2" wider than the Prospector 13 so the hulls have much different profiles in the water. The tumblehome profiles also look different. And that's not even mentioning the keel strip...

I was noticing a couple of people that had the Prospector 14 running the creek in the Pine Barrens and it looked like they were having fun. I'm thinking the Prospector 13 might be just as much fun and a bit easier to weave through the blowdowns. :)

I'm not singling out Swift but it seems that if a canoe has tall re-curved ends it's a "Prospector". ;) I don't pay much attention to model names though; I'm more interested in the design. The one aspect of the Prospector 13 that I wonder about are those tall ends. They make sense with a canoe...

I exchanged emails with Bill Swift and yes, they can build a Keewaydin 14 but I decided to order up a Prospector 13. It's for my spouse but I may end up really enjoying this canoe as well. Oh, and for those interested, the bow and stern heights on the Prospector 13, which aren't currently...

The portage around this sign is one of the more extreme carries. :) As for being unnavigable, that hasn't deterred some paddlers... First complete descent of the Grand Canyon of the Stikine

I have considered calling Swift about building a Keewaydin 14 but the Prospector 13 caught my interest so I thought I'd ask around before calling. I'm paddling a Firebird now but the Prospector 13 looks like it could be an interesting canoe to complement the Firebird as well as being a...

I've been researching lightweight solo canoes as a replacement for the fiberglass Lady Bug my partner now uses and the Keewaydin 14 had risen to the top of the list. But now that it's been discontinued the Prospector 13 looks like it could be a good fit; relatively seaworthy, probably tracks OK...

I'm glad it turned out OK and hopefully the guy learned something, but really, a 42 minute "short version" of the rescue? And the guy has the gall to criticize his rescuers for paying too much attention to his well-being rather than trying to fish his crap out of the lake. 🙄 It sure looks like...

I noticed that but couldn't edit my post, thanks. That Loon Works Button is probably a lot of fun to paddle.

Keeping your thumb down (or up) on the grip while doing the in-water recovery is awkward to me. I use kind of a hybrid stroke I guess. I usually reposition the paddle shaft hand before the in-water recovery and palm roll during the return. Seems to flow better and I have plenty of control of the...

The Bell Flashfire sold quickly. Not surprised. That June Bug would be a fun canoe to paddle.

And they dropped the Keewaydin 14.

Your post was addressed to ppine but I'll quickly respond to this comment by pointing out that fire has been used as a tool by mankind for many hundreds, and perhaps thousands of years here in North America. Indigenous people had been using fire to promote mast production, berry production...

This new video by Ethan Ebersold (Northstar distributor) regarding Northstar's Blacklite and IXP laminations has some information you may find useful. Northstar IXP vs Blacklite