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I have had 4 Swift Canoes and 3 kayaks in either Kevlar or Carbon Fusion over the years, and as much as I value the quality of their build, I must admit their composite hulls seem to be more susceptible to spider cracking from minor impacts. Most of the time, it is better to leave them alone...

Just a follow-up shout-out for Hornbeck. I ordered a new seat from them; came in two days, all necessary hardware, explicit instructions, a personal thank-you written on the order and a perfect fit. Customer service is everything.

Finally got my first paddle in today, shortened slightly by the limited available liquid H2O. NY's Finger Lake region can be iffy this time of year, first two choices were still frozen, but not parts of Conesus.

Happy to see Wenonah embrace infusion technology! I'm sure they will expand the offering to other models eventually. I wonder what's next: carbon fiber gunnels perhaps?

I have had a couple of all carbon boats, including a GRB Rambler. I do recall several times where I nearly burnt my hand on the hull when unloading after a long drive, but I think it would take more than a month of sun exposure to do any real damage. I also had a carbon Swift that was stored...

I wish I had kept my Solo 14; when I bought it she was fully outfitted for WW. Turned well enough for as little rocker as it had. Had my heart set on a Dagger Sojourn, longer, lighter, less rocker yet, but tested one and fell in love.

Green was, in their mind, not a base color. I always got a kick out of the 'small amount' guidance in some of the mixes. (Never throw away the directions!) Old Town Green was always the hardest to match.

I have used Evercoat Marine's gelcoat repair kit for years with good results. It has all the base colors that allow you to mix and match as required, which comes in handy when you're matching a faded color. But most late model Swift's aren't gel-coat (except the champagne bottom) but tinted...

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It's a pity, after all that, you are letting the SRT go. Matt Cassavaugh, the new owner, just launched a new website with a whole new look for Hemlock. I may have to re-consider that Mayfly.

A quick query of North American Canoe Trader provided the following additional results for the last three years: Merlin II, Kevlar, Houston TX, $2400 Merlin II, Kevlar, Euphrata, WA, $1750 Merlin II, Kevlar, Cambridge MN, $1500 Merlin II, Black Gold, Fitchburg WI, $1750 Merlin II, Kevlar...

I sold my 2002 Merlin II Kev-lite for $1700 two years ago and shared a similar ad on this Forum for one at Oak Orchard canoe in Rochester NY for $1800 last year. If you search the threads there were some other discussions about Merlin II prices on this Forum as well. Solos seem to be hard to...

Ever see one of the Cunningham Chironomid rigs? This one is for sale not far from you in Honeoye Lake.

Outstanding! With over a dozen different hulls, though, I imagine they would only offer a subset of their current lineup. The cost of duplicating all those molds would be enormous.

Building there or just a retail outlet? Either way, great news for the business.

A glowing recommendation, for sure. I only wish my experience with Dave was as positive. Aesthetic quality is truly a subjective measure.

You are absolutely right; it is an entirely subjective decision. I am sadly cursed with OCD and every blemish jumps right out at me. I did acquire a Hornbeck Classic a few years ago, hand laid, of course, and was stunned at the quality of it; zero wrinkles, pulls or voids. The partials were...

Lotsa videos on You-Tube, Wenonah and Swift describing bag and infusion methods. I have several issues with Northstar that seem to invite heavy blowback from their fans (especially the transverse mold seam on the solos), but the cosmetics belie other design choices that I disagree with.

It would be hard to prove without data, but from a former Quality/Reliability Engineer, I believe that a controlled, repeatable process translates into a better product overall. A little tidbit from Stan at Slipstream Watercraft on infusion:

It has been my experience that those builders that still layup by hand experience a wide variation in weight (some only publish an 'average' weight but are typically over spec). They also sometimes exhibit things like wrinkles and thread pulls from working the resin into the cloth. All...