Hello from Boston

[rabbit_VT]

Hello Everyone!

I'm based right outside Boston, teach during the school year west of the city, and in the summer serve as a river guide in the Su-As-Co watershed (in that gig, we use only Old Towns, Penobscots 17 and Campers 16, 1 Pathfinder).

Personal boats include two Northstars, two Nova Crafts, four Mad Rivers - all told, I am short on storage space and clearly have too many boats. Now and then consider selling my kevlar Malecite or my '85 Explorer 17 RX - these are the two boats I paddle least often.

The first canoe I owned was a fiberglass Malecite, but I grew up paddling an aluminum Grumman on Lake Champlain and in the ADK.

I often recall what the previous owner of my first Malecite said when he bid his boat goodbye. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I'm not a religious man, but out there, on the water, sometimes, it's really something."

 

[Neophyte]

Welcome!

 

[Neophyte]

Personal boats include two Northstars, two Nova Crafts, four Mad Rivers - all told, I am short on storage space and clearly have too many boats. Now and then consider selling my kevlar Malecite or my '85 Explorer 17 RX - these are the two boats I paddle least often.

I think you'll be hard pressed to find someone who agrees with you there. Sounds like you have a storage problem.

I have a Northstar Trillium, what are yours?

 

[rabbit_VT]

Howdy Neophyte!

I have a Northwind Solo in BL and a Northwind 16 in aramid. The 16 I've rigged in a few ways, including as a solo with a wide center seat. Currently I have a kneeling thwart around 25" behind the yoke, and find this to be my preferred solo arrangement for the boat (I'm solo paddling 99% of the time. My wife goes out for a short paddle about once every two years, and we take a Mad River.)

How's your Trillium experience been?

 

[snapper]

Welcome to the group. Always nice to have a new member to add to the conversations that crop up.

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[canoekevin]

Welcome.
I grew up on the north end of Lake Champlain. What part of the lake did you paddle?

 

[Erica]

Welcome!

 

[Neophyte]

How's your Trillium experience been?

It's my first canoe, and it's been great. It started as a pack set-up; I had it converted it to a standard canoe seat and seated drops for this season. I'm really enjoying the change. My experience with different canoes is limited, but I find the Trillium to be a versatile canoe that has handled everything I've thrown at it. Unfortunately I haven't paddled the Northwind Solo so I don't know how it compares to what you have.

 

[rabbit_VT]

Welcome.
I grew up on the north end of Lake Champlain. What part of the lake did you paddle?

We were in Mallets Bay. I'd paddle around the perimeter, and along the Causeway, occasionally out into the larger part of the lake where the swells were pretty pronounced. You?

 

[rabbit_VT]

It's my first canoe, and it's been great. It started as a pack set-up; I had it converted it to a standard canoe seat and seated drops for this season. I'm really enjoying the change. My experience with different canoes is limited, but I find the Trillium to be a versatile canoe that has handled everything I've thrown at it. Unfortunately I haven't paddled the Northwind Solo so I don't know how it compares to what you have.

Interesting how different the Trillium must be with the different configurations you've tried. My NW Solo is rigged with kneeling drops, so I'm a bit top heavy when I sit in it - which I do to remove my boots or put them back on - but rock solid once kneeling. I wonder when in life I'll have to reconsider this set up.

The Trillium has the same rocker profile as the Solo, and is a half inch to 1.5 inches narrower with a lower sheerline. My understanding is that our two boats are meant to be understood as a series - same performance characteristics, lower optimal load for the Trillium, higher optimal load for the NW Solo.

Did you find your pack arrangement really awkward to get in and out of, but very stable once you're in?

 

[Neophyte]

I came from kayaking, so the pack seat wasn’t a big change. The seated drops are still pretty low but higher than the pack, so it is a little easier to navigate getting in and out. Often I’ll straddle it like a kayak to sit, a feat I’m able to pull off because the boat is narrow and I have long legs.

Going from pack to seated drops was definitely the right choice for me. Sitting a little higher means I’m hitting the gunnels less and just feels more natural. It is less stable at first, but after about five minutes of paddling I was adjusted with no problems. I have kneeling drops I want to try as well, but for this season I’m focusing on switch and some other basic corrective strokes. Maybe I’ll try kneeling for next season.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Rabbit, welcome to site membership!

Feel free to ask any questions and to post messages, photos and videos, and to start threads, in our many forums. Please read Welcome to CanoeTripping and Site Rules! Many of the site's technical features are explained in Features: Help and How-To Running Thread. We look forward to your participation in our canoe community.

The first canoe I owned was a fiberglass Malecite, but I grew up paddling an aluminum Grumman

I grew up paddling an aluminum Grumman in Maine and the first canoe I ever bought was a Royalex Mad River Explorer. That was 21 canoes and kayaks ago.

 

[Gamma1214]

Welcome. Teaching & guiding in the summer sounds like a sweet set-up.

I am short on storage space and clearly have too many boats.

Sacrilege. I have to agree with Neo... It sounds like a storage problem to me.

 

[rabbit_VT]

I came from kayaking, so the pack seat wasn’t a big change. The seated drops are still pretty low but higher than the pack, so it is a little easier to navigate getting in and out. Often I’ll straddle it like a kayak to sit, a feat I’m able to pull off because the boat is narrow and I have long legs.

Going from pack to seated drops was definitely the right choice for me. Sitting a little higher means I’m hitting the gunnels less and just feels more natural. It is less stable at first, but after about five minutes of paddling I was adjusted with no problems. I have kneeling drops I want to try as well, but for this season I’m focusing on switch and some other basic corrective strokes. Maybe I’ll try kneeling for next season.

Neo, we haven't spoken of footbraces - do you have one in your Trillium? Though I don't use mine, I had a factory install in my NW Solo for the day when I switch to sitting.

 

[rabbit_VT]

Welcome. Teaching & guiding in the summer sounds like a sweet set-up.

Sacrilege. I have to agree with Neo... It sounds like a storage problem to me.

True true, I'm speaking out of both sides of my mouth : ) The neighbors and friends who've stored a canoe in a basement or garage on my behalf know we're just warming up for the day we buy a barn.

Thanks for the welcome!

 

[rabbit_VT]

I grew up paddling an aluminum Grumman in Maine and the first canoe I ever bought was a Royalex Mad River Explorer. That was 21 canoes and kayaks ago.

Thank you Glenn. Was a MR Explorer 15 RX ever in your stable? I loved that form so much, I loaned mine out indefinitely so I could start enjoying the others.

 

[Neophyte]

Neo, we haven't spoken of footbraces - do you have one in your Trillium? Though I don't use mine, I had a factory install in my NW Solo for the day when I switch to sitting.

The pack setup came with kayak footpegs, they’re still in there. I use them most often when I’m doing switch paddling with my bent shaft. I find them useful, I don’t think you’ll regret getting them installed.

 

[Boatman53]

I’m late to this party, welcome to the campfire.
I agree it does sound like a storage problem to me.
Jim