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Still thinking about going. Haven't been since 2019 when Hemlock, Colden, Savage River, Stewart River, and Northstar represented. Would like to test the Illusion and June Bug. Hear tell there will be over 300 canoes there this year?

The Illusion is on my want list. I'd be curious as to what other hull you would best compare it to from a performance perspective.

I don't know, can't say for sure. I do relish mornings like this one today though, on Canadice Lake. No wind, no waves, no worries.........

Several Curtis Dragonfly canoes were listed on FB Marketplace over the past few years between $1200 and $1600. The only Kevlar one I have seen was a Colden listed at $3000, not sure what it actually sold for. They definitely have a following though. I just sold my Kevlar Curtis Vagabond for...

I remember asking this question back in 2020 in the old forum, which displayed the active user count. It wasn't clear how it was calculated, but seemed to indicate that a minority of members generate the new threads.

I assume your Duck Hunter is Royalex, so I'd go easy on the heat gun, as Royalex can expand with excessive heat. I had a similar situation with PA stickers on a Mohawk canoe once. They were stacked 6 deep and would not respond to heat. Ended up getting a single edge razor blade under one...

For someone who is new to solo paddling, I would always recommend finding a good quality USED boat to start off. By all means test all the new boats you can, but at todays' prices most folks would have already perfected their paddle strokes and developed technique before making the investment...

I would have thought, like Nikon F5user, that a $1000 Wildfire would already be gone, but I see it's in Traverse City which would make it a long drive for most (I used to live in Cadillac). You couldn't possibly go wrong with it, as you could always sell it for at least $1000 if it didn't work...

There was a guy in the Old Town Pack Canoe Forum on Facebook that a similar massive repair utilizing a paper mache mold. His results were pretty impressive. Apparently a bear had an appetite for Royalex.

As you are only limiting yourself to Northstar and looking for stability to use as a fishing platform, the Trillium or Northwind Solo would come to mind, depending on your size. Most Northstar dealers have the demos set with low seats for stability when test paddling. Spend as much time as the...

I was disappointed when Swift changed their Kevlar Fusion inner blanket to the coarse black and gold aramid weave in 2020, as I find it very abrasive as well when paddling barefoot. The coarse weave combined with the infusion process results in a scour-pad-like surface. I never had an issue...

I think there may be a reason no one builds fish-form sport solo canoes sans tumblehome anymore, and DY designs (new and old) continue to fill the space.

At 12'6' it might be a fairer comparison to the Mayfly, if a comparison must be made. Some tidbits from CEW:

The Echo T-Formex lite boats are starting to show up in the New York dealers; I'm wondering if you have weighed yours to verify the 42 pound claim. I am interested in one, but always skeptical of advertised weights.

I had to add this; not two days after talking about Serenades, doesn't my last FG one pop up for sale. I thought she liked it.

After a couple of years, the Serenade was offered as a TR model (traditional) with a sliding hung seat, and then as an Ultralite in both Hybrid and TR models. The UL-TR came in at 30 pounds. I bought one as soon as they were available, but to my dismay it oil-canned so badly Mad River let me...

Those look like Mad River decks in your pics. Mad River Royalex hulls with wood gunnels that have been neglected for long periods of time always give me pause. Have you checked thoroughly for 'cold cracks' before you proceed? They would appear as small cracks in the hull emanating from the...

Interesting history of the Old Town Next. Originally marketed as the 'Pack Element' in late 2013, Old Town had both a Poly and Royalex version in the marketing release (hedging bets against the demise of Royalex). It was an attempt, perhaps, to capitalize on the popularity of the Pack...

The OT Next (and its composite cousin, the Mad River Serenade) is one of my favorite 13 foot hulls. Both developed by Bob McDonough, they were supposed to be 'hybrids' but shine equally as well with a hung seat (or without, as in your boat!).