Greetings all,

What is everyone's preferred Solo canoe?  I realize there will be many different answers based on personal preference, and I ask the question with fishing and travelling in mind.  Last year I took a Prism and I liked it with a kayak paddle, but not a regular one.  This bothered me because I really don't like the kayak paddle.  Is there another good solo canoe out there that works better with a regular paddle?  Perhaps one where you dont' sit right in the middle?  Or, maybe I just didn't like the regular paddle on the Prism because I had the boat loaded wrong?  I'm lost.. Help!  

I can motor pretty well in a Wenonah Prisim or Encounter with a double-paddle.  Make sure to get a long one, the shorter paddles make the canoe hard to handle. The Encounter has a little more room for gear. my two hundredths of a dollar.

I bet your going to get a lot of opinions on this one. I'm no vet as I've only been doing this for about 10 years but I'll put my 2 cents in for what it's worth. I own a bell merlin in black gold and since it is the only solo I have ever paddled I cannot speak comparatively. What I like about the boat is it seems to be an excellent all around craft. Some might be faster, others might be better is swift whitewater etc. But if you like to fish this boat has good stability, decent speed and handles rough water very well. It can also handle a good cargo. I have had her out for 13 days at a time with no regrets.

What didn't you like about using a single blade paddle?  Difficulty with boat control?  Lack of power?  Too far to reach over the gunwale?  Something else?

My only solo experience is in a Wenonah Advantage and I ended up preferring the single blade over the kayak paddle to the extent that I never pulled out the kayak paddle again after the first half-mile or so.  Yak paddles use a whole different motion and set of muscles.

My guess is you were improperly loaded if your problem was boat control or lack of power.  I loaded a bit stern-heavy with my big pack stowed aft and the lighter pack stowed forward, but as far back to center as was comfortable.  I also had my seat set just aft of center.  A backrest was also helpful for me and provided a little extra power.  Footbraces would have provided even more power.

The Advantage has a more extreme tumblehome and is a bit narrower than a Prism, so reaching wasn't a problem.  I used a bentshaft which may make a difference over a straight shaft.

Hope all that is helpful to you in some way.

mastertangler wrote on Feb 22^nd, 2010 at 7:21pm:

But if you like to fish this boat has good stability, decent speed and handles rough water very well. It can also handle a good cargo. I have had her out for 13 days at a time with no regrets.

MT -- did you find weight distribution made a big difference?  I have the same boat, with a whole lot less experience.  I found if the weight wasn't right, it made paddling very tough.  Maybe that's true with any solo.

Loved the Italian Pepsi commercial, by the way!

prouboy

Snow Dog,

I think the issue was lack of power for me.  That, and in the Prism you are lower in the boat and then reaching the paddle out the fattest part of it.  I couldn't get a good feel for making it track straight.  This was early in my trip and I switched to the Kayak paddle.  Eventually, I figured out that even with the kayak paddle you needed to load the canoe in balance front and back.  That made a difference and I suppose it would make a difference with a regular paddle too.  I really liked the Prism, I just don't want to commit to one until I can figure out how not to need a kayak paddle.  

gfy_paddler,

The Prism is definitely finicky when not loaded correctly.  Bow-heavy going downwind is definitely trouble.   Stern-heavy going upwind also presents challenges.  I found initial stability not-so-hot but, once you get going & if the vessel is loaded evenly, it handles wind & waves in exemplary fashion.  You may want to experiment with your seat position (if that is possible) & then mark the best position when level-loaded.  I can't say that I have had issues with mine when fishing.  Your comment re: preferring the double-blade with the Prism seems to run counter to prevailing preferences that I've seen expressed on QJ.  I use BOTH, preferring a 9 foot double-blade when I am trying to make time and a 54 inch bentshaft when I seek better control.  I go about 6/2", have long arms, and weigh in at 225 lbs (or so) &, with my size in mind, selected the Prism largely based on a recommendation from a guy who is MUCH taller & heavier than me (& owns & has paddled multiple solo canoes to compare to).

I think I'd experiment with seat position (including height) & level-loading before giving up on the Prism.  Good luck!

Jimbo   8-)

Gfy_paddler
The prism is one of the straightest tracking solo boats around.  The bell magic is a similar size boat but it has more rocker.  The increased rocker makes it turn easier. So if you are switching with a single paddle you will switch more often with the magic. Most people who use both a double and a single say the double is for traveling and rough water and the single is for positioning  the canoe to cast into a tight spot or traveling on a tight twisting creek.
As Jimbo stated you need to move the weight around with the wind. You need a pack that can be moved or a slider seat.  You did not say any thing about stability so I assume you were ok with the prism.  When considering other boats understand that the heavier and taller the paddler is the more weight that is above the gunnels.  I am about 190lb 5ft 11 and the Magic is fairly stable for me.  I let a 300lb 6ft 5 man paddle it and he had a lot of trouble keeping the shiny side down.
MagicPaddler

If you go Bell check out the difference between the merlin and the magic before you commit. The magic is what Bell calls a "performance" touring boat. A bit thinner and quicker and more nimble but I bet the trade off is less fishability. A tad less stable maybe? I could be wrong but I checked into both of them and while I never paddled either before I took the plunge the merlin on paper just looked like the more stable of the two as a fishing platform. Anyway like I said I could very well be mistaken as I have not paddled anything other than my merlin in the solo arena.

Test drive, loaded and unloaded. I have rented/borrowed/begged for a trip before I bought. That is my cents; sense or not. I run Bell's, and am loyal and dont really care for tractor seats and I know the J and C stroke and like the louse and the frost. I have a very good friend that is a Wenonahphile, and he is knowledgeable. Think about your "trim" options and maintenance issues and storage considerations. Every hull design is a compromise, "what are you willing to compromise?" ;)

Thank you, everyody.  I will take all of these suggestions into account.  I think the suggestions about moving my seat back, being smarter about balancing my cargo, and maybe getting a bent shaft longer paddle may solve my problems.  

I do like the Prism and I will compare it to the Bell models discussed.   I knew there was something I was missing!  Thanks gang.

Also keep in mind the tradeoff between bow/stern height in how they relate to wind and waves.  

Lower bow and stern catch less wind, making them easier to paddle when the wind is up.  However, a higher bow and stern can handle bigger waves without taking on water.  Somewhat related is the amount of flare on the bow.  More flare = less likely to take on water, regardless of bow height.

The Prism has a higher bow/stern than the Bell solos, and I know soloists who have mentioned Prisms can be tricky to control in the wind.  Bells, OTOH, don't get pushed around by the wind so much (I have heard), but you have less margin for error in big waves.  Again, it will come down to personal preference.

I'm looking seriously at buying a Bell Magic because I trust my ability to "read" waves and compensate for them by angle of attack more than I trust my ability to hold the proper line when the wind wants to push my canoe off-line.  So that's where I fall on this particular tradeoff.  You may feel entirely differently.

I have a Bell Magic and I have traveled deep into Quetico, using both a kayak paddle and a bent shaft canoe paddle. As others have mentioned, load distribution is an essential part of efficient performance. (Ever try to paddle an unloaded tandem solo while sitting in the stern?  ;D ) If you use a kayak paddle, it needs to be longer than what you would normally use in a kayak. Otherwise you will quickly get frustrated. The more I paddle the Magic, the more comfortable I am with it. Its been almost four years now & I am strongly attached to "Louise".
I also tested a Prism and was very impressed. I was torn between the two, and I'm sure I would have been equally happy with the Prism. Like anything else, IMO, it is a matter of learning the proper skills sets and getting into a comfort zone. After years of paddling tandem, I now much prefer going solo. I'm guessing that is true of a lot of people.
Enjoy that Prism; it's a great boat!  ;D
Wif

For what it's worth, here's a decent article on choosing a solo canoe.  This is aimed at Bell canoes but the concepts also apply to Wenonahs.  You'll have to compare the specs of the various Bell and Wenonah solos to find the appropriate match in Wenonah's fleet if a Wenonah is what you're after.

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This link will get you user reviews of a wide variety of canoes.  Once you narrow your search to a couple models you might find the answers you're looking for here.

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As a solo paddler who uses a tandem rental as his "solo", the comments about weight distribution are dead spot on.
Weight distribution is important even in a tandem, but it's critical in a solo.
 Paddling "backward" in the tandem, I have both packs, gear and food as far forward as possible. I start with the heavy food pack nearest bow, and swap out as it gets lighter later in the trip.

You want bow heavy into the wind, stern heavy with a trailing breeze.
I've found that I can slide packs to achieve that, but in narrower true solo, that might not be possible.

I think sometimes it's difficult to judge if your set -up properly especially if your in calm water sans wind. As the wind picks-up, you find yourself working way harder than you want and in some cases at risk for a dunking.

Since there's always a little water in the canoe ( at least when I paddle), I use that as sort of a " leveling bubble".  I thought about gluing a small level bubble onto seat frame when I buy my own canoe.
That way I can see at a glance whether I'm set up right for the conditions without any guess work.

IF your thinking of trying the double paddle, you do need a longer paddle. I use a 9' paddle, any shorter your banging the thwarts and exaggerating your entry stroke.

I'm sure that once you get the load distribution worked out, ANY canoe will perform to its design limits.  Working that out before you hit big water/wind is a good idea especially when your traveling solo ;)

I checked out the links...I dont care much for the fire series for flat water, that's just me, and I own one-freestyle yes. The old creekrunner is approaching its twenty year birthday, love it more everday-patch and all. When I want to turn and the stoke just is not enough it gets the heel and a wet rail in combination with a good brace and the firing of my core muscles; on a dime.

Bow flare and height are a compromise to be sure. I have only taken wave water one time and that was in 3 footers and with a heavy load, and the water was token at best-the wind was not.

I still have not found a double blade that I am willing to haul or use and still prefer the bend and straight shaft chunks of wood.

I also watched a good friend get into and out of his new Voyager last fall...I prefer my feet under the seat, and not the tractor type. But that is what I am use to...U know.

Test drive/paddle

IMHO ;)

Thanks again everyone.  After reading everyone's thoughts I did some more looking and as soon as I'm able I will test drive the Prism, and the Bell Merlin II.  Either way I don't think I can go wrong.

Hey Prouboy,
Sorry about not answering your question addressed to me. I'm not tech savvy and can't figure out how to capture someones quote and respond. Besides I feel like I post quite a bit already. Anyway, its buggin me and I thought an apology was in order. To answer your question the first time I had it out, literally, I had a completely unbalanced load with a seat that was hiked to the rails and I hadn't gone 10 feet on the beginning of a 13 day trip and I thought sure I was going in. I had intended to go for a test run but my business in the summer goes pretty much full blast and I just ran out of time. Cliff Jacobs review of the boat, as well as several others were enough for me to purchase the boat without trying it out. Besides, with my inexperience at that time I wouldn't know a good boat from a bad boat. So, seeing that I actually had a few weeks to kill for once I rationalized my way into doing a couple week trip my first time out in it. Crazy huh? Anyway, after I lowered the seat with seat drops the dealer had thoughtfully given me and gave a bit of a critical eye to the load the boat performed far beyond my expectations and I had an absolute wonderful trip.

I've paddled my tandem backwards for probably at least 20 solo trips and I get a better feel for it every year. On my last trip I borrowed KF's Prism. It turned at least one windbound day into a travel day. I was great in the wind compared to what I'm use to. It wasn't the joy to paddle though -at least not the sports car feel I expected. It was a fine boat, super stable - too stable for my taste, verging on boring. I think I'd prefer a little livelier boat with more obvious limits.

I bought my first (only) after test paddling four boats the same afternoon. It was obviously better than what I rented previously so it was a no brainer. These days, I wouldn't buy any boat based on anyone's recommendation w/o a test paddle trip or two and comparing it to another boat or two. You will notice what you hate instantly but I think you gotta paddle something for a long while to find the lovable aspects.

So... that said, if you want one, buy something. Do a trip or two. You can always sell it if you hate it.

At this point, I'd seriously consider buying a boat someone offered me for a test trip. (hint, hint, wink wink) Who knows? After a few different boats I may be able to pull the trigger on one if the price was right. I want to shed some portage pounds and still have a boat that I enjoy paddling at least as much as the tandem I know. I seriously expect the same performance jump I experienced between aluminum and glass/kevlar.

I have an opportunity to aquire a Winonah Encounter... It's a little longer and better volume than a prism. I'm in the over 200# range and my 75 lb dog will be joining me on many trips.  I've always paddled solo with my old Old Town Pathfinder. When tripping I paddle it from the stern, and when fishing or whatever I paddle it backwards from the bow. My question to solo paddlers such as the Prism, is it a challenge to get out of when you cannot pull sideways to a landing, rock or beaverdam? I'm talking about if too deep to hop out. Or any other things I might consider??

nctry_Ben wrote on Feb 25^th, 2010 at 11:31pm:

. My question to solo paddlers such as the Prism, is it a challenge to get out of when you cannot pull sideways to a landing, rock or beaverdam? I'm talking about if too deep to hop out. Or any other things I might consider??

I've been driving a Prism exclusively for the past 5 years and I don't remember a single portage where it was much of an issue (as long a knee deep water doesn't bother you).

I do remember a couple of occassions where I had to step out on to a muddy flat when approaching a beaver dam.  However, the only real challenge I've faced was with a small deadfall across a narrow creek (between Cub and Baird in Quetico).  The stream wasn't wide enough to turn 30 degrees, much less sideways and there was no pushing thru the obstruction.  I finally had to get out and walk (in a manner of speaking) a few hummocks to grab the tree and move it aside.

dd

Hi Ben,
Like DD above, I've never really had a problem either. BUT, I am a dedicated wetfooter. I don't mind stepping out into knee-deep water. In fact, I expect it. I think that a dryfooter (one who wants to step directly from boat onto dry land) might experience some problems.
I simply lean forward, grasp both gunnels, and swing a leg over the side. Get in the same way. Acquire some bilgewater, but I keep a sponge handy if it gets too bad or just dump it out at the next portage.

Solo paddling means you don't have to wait for anyone else to load, unload, "get situated", finish the portage, answer a nature call, etc. You pretty much know where everything is in the boat and packs, and you can pick your landing spot without a debate.

Also means you get to ask all the questions and provide all the answers. I usually end up carrying on conversations with myself by the end of day 2. Aloud, not in my head. Earned me a couple funny looks a couple times when I stumbled upon someone at a portage. ;D
WiF

I'll add a few more cents worth.

I have a Merlin II.  Works for me - the magic may be faster on paper (and in other people's opinions as well), but a local dealer did a GPS test on the two boats and was surpirsed to find that thier test showed the Merlin to be faster than the Magic.  When I test paddled both of those boats, twice each on the same outing, I could not find any noticeable speed difference at my "cruising speed", which is how I would be paddleing 95% of the time.

If you test paddle a Merlin, find out from the dealer if it has the seat drops for sitting, or for kneeling.  There is a very noticeable difference in stability between the two, especially if you test the boats without a tripping load.  The sitting drops are longer, lowering the seat a few inches - two or three, I don't know exactly, but it does make a big difference in how the boat will feel to you.    The drops are easily interchangeable, and if you want to test the boat for sitting, ask the dealer if its set for that - if not, maybe they will make the change.

The Merlin is designed more as a "kneeling" boat than a "sitting" boat, and you might come across that in your research (i.e. you kneel, with your butt on the edge of the seat rather than sitting fully on the seat).  It does not mean a whole lot, as the boat does just fine for me, and I always sit.  If you do get one with the sitting drops, it isn't as easy to get your feet back under the seat, and it may even be too low to do that.  You can cut off an inch or whatever to raise the seat a little, but the higher the seat is off the bottom of the boat, the less stable it will be.

The Merlin has more rocker than the magic.  It definitely felt more "lively" to me than the Magic - more responsive, which was my preference.  It would be a better choice for a more "all-around" boat than the Merlin or Prism, so if you will be using the boat for some river trips, I'd say teh Merlin is a better choice.

The Black Gold is the tougher layup of the two offered.  I didn't worry about that - I wanted the lightest boat I could find for the portages.  I bought my Kev-Light Merlin last year, and used it for my '09 trip.  I didn't have any issues with the lighter layup - I still slid over beaver dams, and as long as you use your head to not abuse it, it is perfectly fine.  I got a few scratches in the bottom, but no big deal.  I also have a Kev-light tandem, I've used on two trips.  Works just fine for me.  I always wet foot the landings though.

I don't fish much from the boat.  I have, both trollihg and sitting/casting, and found it ok stability wise, but fishing from any solo is more hassle than from a tandem where a partner can maintain control while you cast or play a fish while the wind is trying to blow you onto shore.  I mostly will just try to fish from shore, unless I am trolling.   Any solo boat will have the same issues.

My paddling style is mostly using the "C" stroke, maybe a J or two, and hardly ever doing and "hit and switch".  The Merlin seems well suited for that.  If I was a "hit and switch" paddler, I'd probably have preferred the Magic, but maybe not.  More rocker will mean a little bit more "yaw" at the bow to correct for - i.e., the Merlin won't track as well as the less rockered Merlin or the almost non-rockered Prism.


I'd also suggest looking at, and testing out the Wen Wilderness and the Bell Rockstar if you can.  And it would be much better when you test paddle boats if you bring along a tripping load - any boat will feel more stable when loaded, than when not.  Paddle them with the load first to get a better feel for how they work for tripping, then paddle them again empty, to see how they feel that way.

I've used two other solo boats for tripping. One is a  Mad River Independence, which I think is a great boat, hard to find used, and only offered now by Vermont Canoe.  It was my tripping solo, replaced only to get a lighter boat, and I've kept it for day trips and still use it.  

The other is a Wenonah Rendezvous, in Royalex.  Its my river tripper and does only fair on flatwater in the royalex version - don't get a royalex boat for a lake tripper - not as efficient, as the bow is fat and blunt, and you are working harder to more the extra weight, and of course, you carry a heavier load over the portages.  But your dealer may have a Rendezvous in a composite layup, and if so, that would be an ok choice.

I'd be somewhat leery of buying a boat and having it shipped to you, unless the dealer will crate it solidly for you.  Trucking companies have been know to run the forks of a forklift thru a kevlar boat, and you have potentially a lot of hassle to get them to pay for a new one.

Try to find a "blem" or "demo" for sale at a dealer, as they often get discounted quite a bit, and nothing wrong with keeping your eye out on craigslist for your area.

generally, most solo canoes are much more alike than different;  they all have issues with the wind, they all require care in trimming the boat for the conditions you are in, they will all feel much less stable than any tandem until you get used to them, and they are all a lot more fun to paddle than a tandem, at leat in my opinion, but that does depend on the boat.  Design features are tradeoffs - if you want a more stable boat, it will have to be wider, and thus slower; lighter will be less durable;  if you buy a boat, give yourself a chance to grow into liking it - if you find that you don't really like it, or like something else, just sell the damn thing and buy another - no big deal.

To keep in line with this thread I'll ask this question this way... To acheive the best solo canoe, would it be better to have a sliding tractor seat or a fixed web seat. The place I'm looking at the Encounter says they would replace the slider for a web seat. I'm thinking the slider has a purpose in shifting my wieght forward or back to balance the trim. It would be nice to have the web seat as it would accomidate my seat cushion and back rest. Thoughts?

do you like the bucket seat ?  test paddle a boat with a bucket seat before you make that decision.  

as far as whether a sliding seat is better, that's just personal preference.  it is obviously easier to shift your body weight to adjust trim with a slider, but I've never felt I needed or wanted one - I have no problems just shifting packs to do the same thing.

Wenonah offers some kind of height and angle adjustable bench seat, but that does not appear to be a slider? nor offered for the encounter? but maybe it is - I'd ask the dealer about it - they may have one you can look at - not sure if they are sized to fit the encounter, but it could be cut down to fit I think.

I used to have a link for a slliding cane bench seat, but it won't work anymore - you might be able to find one if you wanted to change your seat in the future

A slider may be more convenient, but it will add extra weight, which may or may not be a issue?

It's very easy to use your packs to adjust trim. On a old forum someone mentioned having a rope attached to pack bottom loop. You can use your paddle to push weight into bow or stern, rope to pull packs to center when applicable.

I prefer a web seat for a couple of reasons. If you want to kneel , its more comfortable and when it rains the bucket can collect water unless it has drainage holes?
As you mentioned you have a canoe seat, why spend the money for another bucket canoe seat.  M_M has it right, try the bucket and slider if you can then you can make a decision based on whats best for you ;)

I've paddled both a Prism and a Magic.  

I found the Prism to be very fast but a pain to turn and very hard to keep straight in a rear quartering wind.  The Prism has no rocker which allows for good tracking but sacrifices turning ability.

The Magic on the other hand has a rocker and is therefore much easier to turn.  I have had much less trouble paddling a Magic in the wind.

I have since purchased a Magic and love it.  

Plus Bells are much better looking than Wenonahs!   ;)

My preference is to knee...so the tractor seat is out...cuz I like to freestyle.

Well, I test paddled the Encounter yesterday. A little getting used to paddling in the middle, then I realized how fast I was going. I think I found MY best solo canoe. It didn't seem any to big... Thank goodness for one little open lake in Virginia Mn (because of a power plant). I also didn't realize you could put on a web seat and still have the adjustable option there too. The best of both worlds. 8-)

Kool

OK... time for me to chime in:  My favorite solo canoe is a small (16.5') tandem canoe.  In particular, a "Hudson Cruiser" that I built for the purpose.  By removing the bow seat and flipping it end-for-end, I can now sit in the "stern", throw my pack(s) in the bow, and have huge room and stability in spades (great fishing platform).  The setup is similar to an OT Prospector... lots of room, a stern seat, and maneuverability.

I'm a sit-'n-switch paddler, but with this setup I can also go to my knees Canadian style if the wind is bad and I need to move the weight a little further forward for balance (infrequent).

With a "full sized" canoe, I sit higher off the water (better for my back and knees), and feel more at home with the whole stern-view thing going on.

Being a wood strip, the canoe *is* heavier than any commercial Kevlar or Carbon Fiber job (my solo is about 55 lbs).  But it is tough as nails, easy to repair, doesn't flex, bend, oil-can, or twist, doesn't take off like a kite in a wind, and it looks good too :).  When my granddaughter comes to visit, it is the perfect boat for a day trip on a local lake.

If anybody likes the sound of that, the price is right: Less than $800 with all the trimmings if you build from scratch, including the price of the fixtures, jigs, forms, etc.  About twice that for a kit.  

Or... and I hesitate to mention this... I've been considering building one or two canoes a year for sale.  Any size or style up to a full blown tandem.  Send me a PM if interested.  The price would be comparable to a Bell Black Gold depending on what you want for trim, fancy fixin's, etc.  You'll just have to wait for ~4 months (preferably winter ones) while I make it!

TCK

For our Quetico trip this September I will be in a solo but traveling with 2 other tandems (5 in our group). I do not own a canoe but outfit our trips through Canoe Canada. I asked Jim from CC what options I would have for the trip and he gave me 3 options; Souris Tranquility (his recommendation as he said there will be other canoes along to help with packs...), Sawyer Osprey, and Wenonah Encounter (his recommendation if a true solo). I have no direct experience with any of the above (nor solo experience, hence no reply to the original post) and no option to test drive prior to the trip. I would appreciate any/all advice.

Thanks in advance.

J

I solo a rented tandem but tried a true solo the SR Tranquility on year just to see how I'd like it.
It was a early model that had an aluminum frame work on the floor that the sliding seat mounted on. I liked the sliding seat, made it easy to trim the boat.

The downside was the frame work made putting my standard packs a real effort. One I had to lay on its side behind me and the other lay on the framework. This put both packs higher than I like, changed the center of gravity and the one behind me on its side acted like a sail when it caught the wind.

On the plus side the Tranquility rides well and handles big water better than you might think. I did end up taking my only dumping ever in it, a combination of it's faults and my over reaching.

I told Quetico Dave about it and he said he was going to lower the seat a couple of inches and see how that worked out? Next year I took it for test paddle ( empty), and I was a different animal. Still didn't have room for packs, but with the frame, there wasn't much you could do.

The NEW SR Tranquility has a completely different seat mount. Seat still slides but is mounted from the side. It's also adjustable for height.
I can't say if your packs will fit, but before loading any packs, I'd lower the seat as far as it will go. Then load and if the seat slides, figure that into you loading sequence for trimming.

Worse case scenario, you take all the other small packs and they take your big ones. I'd also consider getting a big dry bag, Coughlin makes an inexpensive one and you can fill it with water and use for ballast front/rear as needed. Emptying on portages of course ;) Don't lash it in, if you dump you don't want to struggle with it.
As other solo paddlers know from experience, being out in big water is no time to find out your not trimmed properly. Bow heavy upwind/ stern heavy downwind. If the rental has the sliding seat, you should be able to use it to fine tune your trim as the conditions warrant.

Good luck and wear your PFD :)

Thanks.  I'm renting a tranquility to try it and that was really helpful.

BillConner wrote on May 31^st, 2011 at 6:25pm:

Thanks.  I'm renting a tranquility to try it and that was really helpful.

Be sure to give a little gear report on it. I saw a new Tranquility at the factory in Atikokan. It was hanging in the warehouse and I couldn't tell if the dimensions were different than the older model I used?

I'm curious if a full size pack will lay flat on the floor, below the gunnel's as much as possible. I think keeping the center of gravity as low as possible is key, at least in that model.

solotripper wrote on May 31^st, 2011 at 10:44pm:

BillConner wrote on May 31st, 2011 at 6:25pm: Thanks.  I'm renting a tranquility to try it and that was really helpful. Be sure to give a little gear report on it.

I am assuming based on Jim's response that dimensions may still be an issue. Either that or they are using later model canoes :-/

I will be interested in what Bill finds out. Thanks for the replies.

Well, I'm not sure how useful my report will be since this will bey first and only solo experience.  I was drawn to the tranquilty because I like my SR Q 17's ruggedness and because it is pretty wide - like much wider gunwale then prism or magic and it seems like it will more stable than many similar weight solos.  

I wanted to solo after my son had to cut back on his canoeing because of his new family.  I opted for the Bell Rockstar in Royalex because I do some lake canoeing but mainly rivers.  Plenty of room for fishing.  Very manueverable and still tracks well on open areas.  It holds me (#260 ,6'3") and my gear without problems.  I do have to agree though that a following quartering wind can cause any good solo canoe to become a bit of a handful, regardless of model....

Hmm, I'd vote for the Bell Merlin II.  I have one, and it's for sale!!

I love this little canoe, but already have two and no more room. 

prouboy

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