Mossback,

I bought a seldom used 2006 Bell Magic in Black Gold 5 years ago from a guy in North Carolina for $1,850. I test drove one on a Quetico trip and really liked how it paddled and just had to have one. I found it to be extremely fast and lightweight at 31 lbs. 

I am 6 ft 218 lbs and I was a bit worried about how the Magic would handle a guy my size and my gear. Well, this 16 ft canoe which is a bit narrower in design than I would like ... can accommodate me and my gear very nicely. It has fairly good initial and secondary stability.

Saw some very nice new solos at Canoecopia this year. Got to test drive the new Swifts and Bells and ... Geesh so many to check out.