It' been a year now since Ted Bell came out with new canoes and a new company, Bell Composites.  I'm curious if any QJr's have paddled a new Bell Composites canoe, and what did you think of it? 

prouboy

I haven't but was surprised to see a lot of them at Piragis yesterday and reportedly Ted Bell was there this week and talking about more designs.  They look nice.

I got a chance to paddle one of Piragis' new Bell's in late July just before a 9 day August Q trip.  I got to town about 5 days early before my crew arrived so I could bum around town a few days vs. the typicaly drive up/paddle/head back.  I met Jeanne Bourquin at the Blueberry Arts Festival - cool. 

I took out several of Piragis' solo boats including the Bell Magic.  It's a really great boat with secondary stability that took me quite by surprise.  I was 'testing' that feature and was sure I had pushed past its limit and was going for swim, but popped right back up.  A great paddling canoe, but not for me as the gunnels are way too narrow for how I like to paddle.  With a 23" gunnel width, there's no room for knees up...kinda confined.  Last summer I paddled an outfitter's older Northwoods in Wabakimi and I own an older Northwind.  The quality seemed to be commensurate with the older Bells.  I'd like to get a solo Bell for local use, perhaps a Merlin II will do the trick.

pd

The new line of Bells include two solos: the same Bell Magic and the new Phoenix. 

I imagine old Bell Merlin II's can still be found on CraigsList and other outlets that sell used canoes.

prouboy

"Same Bell Magic" but no tumblehome, correct, which doesn't seem like same to me but I understand?

Nope, the Bell Magic has the tumblehome. 

prouboy

Roger that.  With a 23" GW and a 29" MW, per the specs, there's plenty of tumblehome!  I'm keeping my eye out for a good solo.  I like the Prism quite well too and thought a lot about the Savage River boats...depends on what's available.  I haven't seen anything on the Pheonix, Prouboy - do you have any links to some info on it, pictures, specs, etc.?

pd

Hey PD, here is what I know about the new Bell Phoenix.  As I get more info, I'll let you know.  Also, I'm guessing within the next few months Bell Composites will have a new comprehensive website that I assume will have the following, plus much more.

The Phoenix is based off the Wildfire design, stretched with more volume and asymmetrical rocker.

Phoenix
Length: 14'6"
Width: 27" gunwale, 30" max, 26.5" waterline
Sheer: 18.5" bow, 12.5" mid ship, 16.5" stern
Rocker: 2.5" bow, 1.5" stern. 

prouboy

I have a bell magic that I have taken many trips in. I now use it for local paddling because I have a much better tripping solo.  My new (3 years and 6 trips old) solo canoe is easier to paddle, faster, less effected by the wind, and much easier to portage.  Look at the RapidFire at.
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I've never heard of the RapidFire!  I'll have to check it out. 

I may even stop by the Placid Boatworks, as I'm on the road to Portland, Maine. 

prouboy

Prouboy
If you are going to stop at Placid give them a call first .  They have water near and you could go for a paddle.

Turns out, Placid Canoes is on the opposite end of New York state.  I'm heading north and east eventually into Maine. 

I did get to visit the folks at Oak Orchard Canoes in Albion, NY, on the south shore of Lake Ontario.  Very nice spot.  Then camped at a state park right on the shore of the lake.  Wonderful. 

prouboy

The new Bell solo for 2014 is not the Phoenix, it doesn't have a name yet, but is 15.5 ft long, 30 inches wide, 26.5" waterline, and has 2 in bow, 1" stern rocker.  Waterline Length/Width is ~ 6.7, so it'll track better than Phoenix, not quite as well as Magic. Maybe the Merlin III?  Drawn by Carl Yost, it is the largest in the Yost series of solo trippers.

I wonder if it'll be at "copia".

charlie wilson wrote on Jan 28^th, 2014 at 5:59pm:

Drawn by Carl Yost, it is the largest in the Yost series of solo trippers.

I saw your post and I started to ask “Isn’t the Magic a Yost solo tripper?”.  Then I noticed the name Carl Yost.  Who’s Carl Yost? What other boats has he designed?  Has the torch been passed?
I own 3 boats with a DY on the tail and love them all.   

Magic is surely a David Yost Design, but it is a Delta shaped, i.e. strongly Swede-Form hull designed from the ground up as a Sit and Switch Touring solo.

DY's Solo tripper series, intended for some combination of kneeling straight blade and sitting bent paddle work, includes the Curtis Solo Tripper, Vagabond, Nomad, Sawyer's StarLite and Autumn Mist, Swift's Heron, Loon and Keewaydin 15, Bell's Merlin II and Placid's RapidFire.

Carl Yost is DY's son, who has been co-designing with and building the plug boats for DY for the few several years and has now drawn his first solo hull for Bell Composites.  Yeah, the torch is passing.

Curious, since I couldn't make it to 'Copia.....was Ted Bell there and were there any new boats or other Bell news?

pd

I did not see any Bell boats there.

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not much there, on the Northstar website, just an intro page  -  it says full website coming in summer 2014

probably just wanted to pin down the domain name

I just got the answer today in the mail.  A new Piragis catalog arrived with a full page of Bell boats. (okay, maybe 3/4 page....). Page 8 shows overhead and side profiles for the Northwind 20, 18, 17, 16, the Magic, and the Phoenix. 

The specs on the Phoenix are 14'6" LOA, 3" bow rocker, 2.5' stern, 18.5" bow depth, 12.5" center, 16.5" stern, mw is 30", gw is 26", wl is 27", kevlight @ 32lbs, blacklight @ 35lbs and $2250/$2650 respectively.  The description says "Ted Bell's sport utility solo canoe. Carries a load and maneuvers easily." 

See them on Piragis' website at   (You need to Login or Register Interesting is the Northstar Canoes label and logo at the bottom of the Bell ad.

Anyone have any experience with the Phoenix yet?  Looks like a good bit of rocker for so short of a canoe.

pd

I hauled the prototype to Ted from Dave Curtis. I couldn't get Ted to "open" the canoe, but he told me some about it. I'm pretty intrigued. I love my job!

Hey all,

My name is Bear. I'm working with Ted. I spent 6 years at the pre-ORC Bell Canoe managing the Accessory Program. We are Northstar Canoes. We're aiming to have the website up in late May.

Here are specs to the boats in question.
Magic: same as before
Northwind Solo: 15'6": widths 26/30/27: rocker 2.5/1.5: shear 17.5/12.5/15
Phoenix: 14'6": widths 26/30/27: rocker 3/2.5: shear 18.5/12.5/16.5
NW Solo is a slightly larger Merlin. The Phoenix is a slightly larger Wildfire/Yellowstone Solo. We expect to make molds for both boats soon, but the Phoenix has priority. We didn't expect the NW Solo to arrive so quickly.

If you have questions, don't hesitate to email me at info@northstarcanoes

Welcome Bear.  Thanks for the intro and info.  I'm very interested in that NW Solo.  I really like my old NW17 and looking forward to seeing the solo in production.  Best wishes to you and Ted and co. getting Bell back where it should be.  If you need someone to test that solo around the end of July up in the north woods, I'm your Huckleberry!  ;)

pd

I just purchased a rapidfire today from placidboat works. I live in mpls. how do you like the boat?  I was going to get a spitfire 13 but since his fire not quite a year ago he does not have the mold made yet. he thought the spitfire may be too small for a 200 lb person so talked me into the rapidfire. plan on using it mostly for photography and video work. taking on vacations to various parts of the us to use while on vacstion at different lakes and rivers.

robryan wrote on Mar 18^th, 2014 at 11:46pm:

I just purchased a rapidfire today from placidboat works. I live in mpls. how do you like the boat? .

Was just up there this morning. I guess I'll have to go back and pick yours up sometime. Did they give you a completion date?

yes it will be shipped next week. Of course i did not order any extra colors. just plain and a couple of accessories. he is only having the glued in seat now no sliding seat and no wood trim which is ok. also looked at some other boats, but I think he makes a good boat. not that I know anything. never owned a canoe before been kayaking last 3 years.

you said you were just up there do you live out east or do you live in Mn?

my question  was directed to magic paddle who had said he had one of these boats for a couple of years and i was interested in how he liked it. i bought it blind after doing research this weekend.