What are your current solo canoes and how do you like them?

[NoelCanoeDad]

 

[Woodpuppy]

I have 2 dedicated solos, a mid-90s kevlar Wenonah Prism and a Northstar Phoenix in IXP layup. Very different boats, both fantastic, both will remind you to keep your head between the gunwales! However, my most often used at this point is a Northstar Polaris that I paddle from a center seat with kids fore and aft. Aside from some occasional paddle dipping by the kiddos, I’m paddling it solo. I love this boat!

 

[sailsman63]

My current solo is a DIY SOF as documented at This thread. (Note: Not the right way to do a SOF. There are some lovely boats out there. This isn't one of them.)

TLDR; nominal 13' X 30", 24" waterline. Fishform, 2.4" bow rocker, 1.8" stern rocker. Sharpish stems.

How do I like it? This build was always a bit of a disappointment:

• Never very stiff. Flexes under pretty much every type of load. This leads to some unpredictability in performance.
• The interior framing and floorboards kicked my mass just a bit high, and I never could shift weight to heel for maneuvering.
• While I never expected this build to be tough for tripping, it feels more fragile than I anticipated. I just don't trust it in conditions that I want to paddle in.

I did paddle in sheltered areas, and the lighter weight and size were handy. However, I haven't used it in a couple of years. Durring my shop day yesterday, I considered starting the disassembly process. Ran out of time, and plans for a replacement are tentative at this time.

 

[Peregrin8or]

Savage River Blackwater, expedition layup (uni-biaxial carbon fiber and an extra inside layer of Kevlar); all carbon gunwales, seat, thwarts, etc.; lots of little personal outfitting bits and pieces like partial spray decks, paddle holders, and so on. It's a few years old but new to me, so I'm crazy about it right now. Got up at 6:30 this morning so I could paddle before work. Can't wait to do it again tomorrow!

Bergen's Ally Pakcanoe solo 15. I like the size and packability, and it's nicely made. It seems very capable, and would be great for a big fly-in trip way up North. It takes maybe half an hour to assemble. It's not that compact when packed up. The seat seems to be made for kneeling, and I like sit-and-switch. So I'll probably sell it some time this year.