• Happy "Killer Rabbit" Attacks President Carter in His Paddle Boat (1979)! 🚣🏼‍♂️🐇

What are you paddling?

Hi Rippy! Great to hear from you, little bit by little bit the old gang reassembles. I'm reminded of an old WW2 film; these guys were in a submarine and the thing sunk. The only way out was using a Momsen lung, the surfacing scene was at night and one by one members of the crew popped to the surface to be congratulated on making it. Although in our case we weren't sunk so much as scuttled. Anyways, it's good here.
Early in June I came within an ace of buying a "zombie shooter", remembered our discussion about all that. Couldn't find any supply of quality ammo, seems to have dried up?
Maybe we can find old rockenpoler and send him through the sheep dip of political correctness, I still miss his posts. I wonder if Steve from Idaho made that trip this summer? He's sure had some great trip reports.
Best Wishes, Rob


AHA! The Portland ME police want you Rob!

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_...n-sign-tells-maine-drivers-to-be-very-afraid/ (Maine is a little like Lake Wobegon..not much going on)

Now I have to look up what a Momsen lung is...lol
 
Well, Yellow Canoe, I'm glad that things are going so well that officialdom in Portland can afford the time to get their nickers in a twist over a sign! But it wasn't me, don't know how.
All this zombie stuff and scaring people; I saw some adds for a program on tv where they set up a situation and film people being scared to death. Often wonder what would happen if the victim was packing and shot the monster/actor full of holes. I know where my sympathies lay. 'bout the same as the guy who makes growling sounds outside my tent. Really a bad idea.

So...what do I paddle? A Swift Prospector 16' in guide-fusion material. I got all caught up in the romance of the prospector canoe and rationalized it by it's sea-worthyness and ability to carry loads (not that it's capabilities will ever be tested out with me). So far so good; but then Robin gives us such a fine example of cutting down the load and and I try to follow his example. Somewhat, a little. On my last little trip my dog's hips were bothering her and I didn't want to ask her to be cramped in the canoe so I was obliged to leave her at home. I took the Shelty instead, He's bags of fun and a great little dog but nowhere the mass of a gsd. So, wouldn't you know it, on the second day we found ourselves caught in a rapidly rising wind and blown pretty much like a leaf on the water. There was nothing for it but to run with it and keep the stern into the wind. Was very glad I had my double bladed paddle with me. All's well that ends well, but I'm impressed that I really need a certain amount of canoe under the water for control or in essence I'm paddling a bull boat. That plus I need to be darn suspicious of any wind before setting out. I don't really know where that leaves me in terms of canoe, slightly smaller one maybe? Any way it's interesting how all these things interelate and balance out. This for that and on the other hand, back and forth.
Not really confused but think'n mighty hard, Rob
 
My preferred paddling craft has changed many times over the years as I acquired new ones, and I have now collected 15 of them, some rotting under my back deck.

For the past three years my go-to canoe for just about everything and every water has been my composite Hemlock SRT, which I consider to be the finest combo and tripping canoe available. For unladen day trips, especially in aqua twisty, I like my black-gold Bell Wildfire.

I plan to return somewhat to my outrigger canoe next season, which I have been ignoring for three years, especially if I can make a Florida and AmSouth trip.
 
As often as not I’m paddling (or sailing) a Mad River Monarch.

http://i1299.photobucket.com/albums/ag66/Mike_McCrea/PA160432_zps5cc30fb6.jpg

http://i1324.photobucket.com/albums...cks Beach State Park/IMG_5193_zpsf2cb8344.jpg

I have had a bunch of our open canoes out this year, usually the Mad River Freedom Solo or Mohawk Odyssey 14 for rocky river daytrips or the soloized Penobscot 16 for hauling a load.

Next year I hope to spend more time in the soloized UL Malecite. There is a reservoir a few minutes from my home with 46 miles of shoreline, and I have fully explored only a small number of the tributary fingers.

http://www.baltimorecountymd.gov/Agencies/environment/watersheds/pbmain.html
 
For tripping, my main boat right now is a Stewart River Prospector:

PA190057.jpg

And a RX Bell Prospector for the rocky rivers and creeks of Central Pennsylvania:

P6040029.jpg

And I use a Bell Northstar with the Bow seat removed, it is the most efficient boat I own by far:

PA030247.jpg

I have others too, but I've run out of storage space and have switched to collecting paddles for now. So many canoes I'd like to paddle.

Cheers,

Barry
 
My fleet

My fleet

I never get rid of boats, so here's my fleet, roughly in order of acquisition:

1 - A 17 foot Grumman tandem (lightweight thin skin model) bought as my first canoe in 1973, used often back then but never abused it and I don't ever use it anymore, so it is still in near perfect shape hanging from the rafters inside my garden shed.

2 - A Pat Brown cedar woodstrip 15.5 foot tandem, can also easily be paddled solo kneeling or sitting. Stored hanging from garage rafters.

3 - A Pat Brown cedar woodstrip 30 foot voyageur, paddled in many 90-miler races (and won a few of them). It has been semi-retired for a few years now, stored in a long "dog house" built especially for it.

4 - A Pat Brown cedar woodstrip 16 foot guideboat, not used much, but nice when the wife wants an easy ride to an Adirondack beach for swimming. Stored hanging from garage rafters.

5 - A 10.5 foot Hornbeck solo, the very first kevlar/carbon layup model sold from Pete's shop. Used for wilderness deep woods pondhopping. Stored hanging from garage rafters, occasionally on cartop during the season.

6 - A 15.5 foot Placid Boatworks Rapidfire solo, my other 90-miler boat when I race solo, also useful for training when other race crew members are not available. Stored hanging from garage rafters, often lives on cartop during the season.

7 - A 18 foot Wenonah Monarch kevlar outfitter model tandem, a Brian McDonnell special. Yet another 90-miler boat, also big enough to carry grandkids fishing. Stored hanging from garage rafters, sometimes on cartop during the season.

Although not owned by me, ever since 2007 I'm often found in one of two other canoes, a slender 32 foot voyageur used for training or local racing, and a much beefier 28 foot voyageur built to take a crew of 6-7 of us on the long Yukon River races. :D
 
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I have a Bell Rockstar and a Bell North-somethingorother. They're both Kevlar. I bought the Bell Rockstar new from the 40% closeout and I bought the Bell North-somethingorother used, which is my Standard Operation Procedure. The new boat makes me nervous. It's too pretty and shiny. I prefer the old, bumpy tandem because it's already a wreck, albeit a floating wreck, which is the best kind of boat since it requires no TLC.
 
Lemme see... For me personally, an old Chestnut 14 footer and my tripping boat, a one of a kind Swift Mattawa in Kevlar Fusion. The Swift is the tripping boat 'cause it only weighs 40 pounds. The stripper is an excellent choice though for tripping, just too heavy for me to portage since it weighs 67 pounds I think.
 
Here are some pics of my fleet...

• Fiberglass clunker with my boy...
TKV+Canoe+Trip+007_rs.jpg


• Built this 14 ft cedar canvas on a building course with Pam Wedd of Bearwood Canoes back in '08. It's my main day tripping canoe but I've used it on some milder overnight trips. Decorated the cherry decks, seats & thwarts with some woodburning art and made a matching paddle based on an c1849 Passamaquoddy design...hope these will become cherished family heirlooms for the little man when he gets older...
28_rs.jpg


• My attempt of a 12ft Birchbark built over two seasons in '07-'08. High maintenance and leaky but the learning experience was amazing. Plus the aroma from the cedar sheathing is pretty sweet. Hoping to start build another (better one) next year..
First Water Test 29_rs.jpg


• Got this 15ft cedar canvas as part of a trade getting rid of unused stuff in the garage. Heavily repaired with mixed results over the years. Canvas is sound but rib-tops will need repairs in a year or two. For now, this is my user boat...
PolingPic4.jpg
 
Here comes the second, third and fourth Mohawks in the list. Mohawk 14 solo in Royalex, Mohawk Jensen 14'1" racing solo and a 1979 Mohawk blazer. Mad River Explorer in Royalex with wooden gunnels.

Mohawk used to be lees than thirty miles from the house. The Mohawk Jensen 14'1" racing solo was one of three built. Story is that one winter when the solo boats were becoming popular Jensen came down to Florida for the winter. He had some dealings with Mohawk helping them with the Ranger canoe. Convinced Mohawk to build one of his early race designs to try out for the new solo market. The design was not an extreme racer but still felt to be to tipsy for Mohawk to sell to their general customer base. I was able to talk Mohawk into selling me one. For a day trip on a wide river or lake it is sweet. Takes about 1/4 of the time off a trip so longer trips are possible.

The Explorer is the most used boat now. But the Blazer has its day now and again. Today was its day again actually. Went out to explore a creek today with a lot of downed trees. Did not want to mess up the Explorer's bottom too much so took the Blazer. Wife wanted to know were the new scratch was on the bottom of the Blazer when we got home today. We kind of forced our way over some downed trees. Could not pick out the new scratches from all the old ones. If each scratch tells a story the tales this canoe could tell.
 
Down to 4 canoes at this point: Wenonah Wilderness (Kev-Flex), Hemlock Peregrine, Placid Rapidfire and Nova Craft Bob Special (Rx)
 
I am a sucker for a Nova Craft Pal and Bob Special. Those two boats jsut do it for me. How do you like your Bob?

Bob.
 
Most of my canoes are cedarstrips I have built. My solo is the Raven, designed by J. Winters
IMG_4497.jpg

My latest is the Outback 200 from Valley Woodworking. It's a big 20 footer, my favourite canoe right now.
IMG_7036.jpg

Here is a Dumoine I built, used for a season and donated to the Club
7.jpg

This is the Kipawa that I still use when I want to travel light.
d4.jpg

The Quetico was my favorite for a couple of years too.
haslam_2_zpsfa1208d0.jpg


There are lots of other canoes in my stable right now. I'm going to start building a Keshequa from Valley Woodworking, got the plans today, i really like the looks and dimensions of that canoe.
 

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Wow,

Beautiful pics Memaquay. You build gorgeous boats. Have you posted that Raven before on another board, I think I have seen it before.

Bob.
 
I've posted trip reports with pics before on solotripping and myccr. Very nice to have a new forum, I thought solotripping was just getting up to speed when it went down for good. Might transfer a trip report or two over here in the next while.
 
In my garage...

17' Nova Craft Cronje (Kev/Spec)
16' Nova Craft Pal (Kev/Spec)
16' Nova Craft Prospector (RX)
17'6" Current Designs Solstice GT Kayak (FG)
16'6" Current Designs Squall (Poly) - my Wife/Daughter's Kayak
 
Canoeguitar, how do you like your prospector? I have one as well from Nova Craft in RX. Have you solo tripped in it? Does it oil can much?

Bob.
 
The joke in my household is that our daughter's inheritance is in boats! Thankfully I have a barn and the overflow is in the boat building I use at school for the program I work with. So, in no particular order, here's my list:
Guideboats:
- an 1898 Dwight Grant "Raider" (apprx. 12'_
- a Pat Brown 16' stripper
- a Kevlar Adirondack Guideboat made in VT.
Canoes:
- an old We-no-Nah "Jensen 17"
- another We-no-Nah 18' for trips (model no longer made and I don't remember its name; sorry)
- an old Mad River "Explorer" that's been made to look like a birch bark canoe for the historic re-enacting I do
- an old Sawyer "Autumn Mist" that I use for solo trips
Kayaks:
- a very old (1976 I think) Phoenix "Isere" touring kayak (fiberglass, no hatches and only 32 pounds so it's great for the Adirondacks)
- 2 Perception/Aquaterra "Sea Lion" touring kayaks
- a Chesapeake Light Craft touring kayak I built from a kit
- a Perception/Aquaterra sit-on-top
- an ocean surf sit-on-top made by some company in the 1970s on Long Island, NY (they're no longer operating)
- an early Wilderness Systems "Sealution" (no hatches)

The worst/best part of it all is I have another boat waiting for me. I purchased a gently used "Shadow" from a fine member of this forum and will be getting it this spring so I'm really excited about that.

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

snapper

PS - Lest you all think I'm a boat hog, some of these boats are left over from when I was guiding professionally and some are still used to supplement the boats I have for the college program I work with; at least that's what I tell my wife.
 
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