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I think it’s a pretty shallow V. From what I’ve read, the main difference between the NC and the original Chestnut is that the NC is slightly narrower and has a shallow V whereas the Chestnut was slightly wider and had a flatter bottom. Been a while since I’ve seen one so maybe Glenn or...

The only one I’m aware of still in production by a major maker is the Nova Craft Bob Special. I like the Mad River shallow V’s I’ve tried just as well as the shallow arches from Bell, Swift, or others. Just a different design, and one that seems to be just as effective. I enjoy it just for...

I picked up a Yeti 15qt cooler on sale at the hardware store last year and it has been great for day trips. Holds plenty for two people, keeps it cold, and doubles as a nice seat for sitting on gravel bars at lunchtime. Downside (other than price) is that it’s 14” tall so it sticks above the...

https://www.facebook.com/share/1BD5v7RP87/?mibextid=wwXIfr This is the one I have seen most recently. I believe he has another one as well unless it sold already. Good luck, Starfire is a great boat 👍

A lot of the modern “tough” composites are a decent compromise. Most can take a decent impact without too much issue, and are still lighter than royalex. A Flashfire made by Swift in their Expedition Kevlar, or a firebird in IXP would still be fairly light and able to take more of an impact...

I wear Astral “Brewers” or “Rasslers”. Soles are siped and a very good compound for wet rocks. I also sometimes wear my chacos and they have a new model out called the “rapid pro” designed for wet slippery rocks. https://astraldesigns.com/products/brewer-3-0?variant=46404947935446...

In the past two years I’ve met 6 people under 50 that paddle solo canoes, not even counting myself. If you extrapolate that to the whole country there has to be at least a dozen of us 😉

The Starfire is basically the same boat a foot longer. Some folks act like it’s too wide to be a good solo but it’s 34” max width vs Wildfire’s 30”, and 30” at the gunwales vs WF’s 26”. So 2 inches further you have to reach per side. And one of mine is actually pulled in to 29” at the gunwale...

😂 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...