Esquif Prospecteur 15' Outfitting / Touring Kits

[Jontario]

On Esquif's site they indicate an option for a touring kit but this is not defined anywhere and I couldn't find information on it anywhere, nor pictures.

In my experience and at least four others I've heard of, Esquif doesn't bother responding to customers (why have a form to take inquiries at all...).

So I decided to order from my local paddle shop in Thunder Bay and they've been getting the info for me along with current prices.

$2,349 for the base P15
$199 for skid plates
$299 for solo touring kit (thigh straps, knee pads, install seat oriented for solo, air bag cages)
$519 for tandem touring kit
***Prices are CAD as of 2023.

Does anyone happen to have pictures of the solo touring kit? Or just your thoughts on the kit if you purchased the upgrade? For the time and materials $299 seems worth it but it would be a big help to see photos.

I already have a P17 in tuffstuff expedition for tandem trips and a 16' Pal in tuffstuff for solo or tandem. This P15 would be for solo river tripping and something more suited to bumping off rocks.

I would happily buy it from another Canadian shop like nova craft if they offered T-Formex. And to get an equivalent boat in T-formex from the American manufacturers who offer it (Wenonah and Mad River I believe) would be much more expensive for a Canadian.

 

[UCanoe_2]

I'm no help about the kit, but I do have a P15 which I have had for 2 years and like a lot. It's a high volume, dry, and stable solo canoe. I have even poled it a few times, which is supposed to be difficult with a 15 foot canoe.

However, the stock configuration is not optimized for solo paddling. The canoe is set up as a tandem, which means a solo paddler faces "backwards" from the former bow seat. My weight is too far aft, and the canoe trims down by the stern. This setup increases steering effort, and it is easy for the boat to get stuck in eddies.

The solution, of course, is to move the seat closer to center. The stock seat is narrower than the beam, so it needs to be replaced with a wider seat. Exact seat placement would best be determined by experimentation. Hopefully I will get around to this project over the winter.