About two months ago, I posted this info about Savage River canoes available to rent for BW/Q trips at Williams & Hall. Well, I took two of them out on a 10 day trip July 29-Aug. 7 into Quetico – one Blackhawk and one Deep Creek model. Here’s a review of both and a few pics (if I can get that figured out....).
Both canoes were in their Carbon/Kevlar layup. Weight is 34 lbs. and 32 lbs. respectively (see all specs on Savage River’s website) and they seemed to be in pretty stock/standard trim. Neither boat had float tanks nor decks – just an observation, was not an issue. Thwarts were aluminum tubing except the ash yoke, which was glassed (?) into the hull and not removable. The outfitter added Wenonah style sling pads. There are no ‘outer gunnels’, just smooth all the way up. The actual ‘inner’ gunnel was a 3/8” x 1” foam core strip with the carbon fiber just wrapped up and over it. I actually preferred this over the typical aluminum rail – much more comfortable on the legs when braced against them, though not much to grab onto when portaging.
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)The Blackhawk sported sliding bow and stern tractor seats with their padding and they were surprisingly comfortable. I generally prefer flat seats, but I would take the boat with these as first choice, having spent some time in them. They did not have seat stops such as the Wenonah’s, but this was never a problem. The seat tube clearance was tight enough to not slide around, but loose enough to adjust easily by shifting weight. The Deep Creek had fixed, contoured wood/web seats and were comfortable enough.
The Deep Creek is shaped like your standard canoe and at 16’6”, easily handled two full standard ‘food pack’ sized packs and a BJW Guide pack between the front seat and rear thwart. The Blackhawk has pinched in gunnels at the bow and stern, more like a racing canoe, that allows the paddler to get the paddle closer to the centerline, reducing ‘torque steer’ and a more perpendicular stroke – less reaching. In the stern, I found this not an issue, with plenty of leg room ahead of the pinched area. In the bow, your legs are pretty much stretched out straight or anywhere up to straight up, but you cannot splay your knees. It would not likely be comfortable for wider or rounder paddlers. At 18’, it easily swallowed the Granite Gear #4 (with 2 – 30L barrels in it…my food pack), a CCS Pioneer pack and a BWJ Guide pack. All that, plus 5 rods, a tackle bag and spare paddle each.
Both canoes paddled exceptionally well and as expected, with the light weight, accelerate very quickly. With zero rocker, I was surprised how easily they turned, as well as a boat with 1.5” rocker at either end, much like my Bell Northwind 17 (2.5 front, 1.5 rear). They were very maneuverable when needed, yet tracked very straight with no added effort. They also both handled superbly in rough water. On day one, we crossed Bailey Bay with some serious wind and waves coming up the length of Basswood from the southwest. There were 2-3 foot rollers and white caps and the bow of each boat had some very nervous and inexperienced paddlers. They were very controllable and quartered nicely. Neither canoe shipped any appreciable amount of water, even with those large waves and we crossed uneventfully.
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)How did they handle the wear and tear? Well, as you can imagine, portaging them was a dream, they are so light. The difference between them and the Minn II’s we usually take was very noticeable. The inside finish has a ‘tooth’ to it and a very non-slip feel – a difference from the Wenonah’s and my Bell that I liked a lot. We did not pamper these canoes, but did not abuse them either. We wet foot the portage landings, but also caught our fair share of submerged rocks on the hull, a few rather violently. They took the abuse as well as the Kevlar with the expected scrapes and scratches; however one downside to the carbon fiber – like black paint on a car, it shows everything. One thing we noticed on the hull was some dimpling. Where it got caught on a rock and there was some weight in the canoe, the hull actually deformed a slight bit from the pressure. Savage River’s web site suggests for ‘rocky rivers and whitewater, add another layer of Kevlar in the bottom’. If I were buying a canoe or if were the outfitter, I would have this added to the canoes. It might add a pound or two, but would be worth it, I feel. For an outfitter, I might also ask about some integral skid pads in the bow (and maybe stern) like Wenonah does.
(You need to Login or Register to view media files and links) (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)Overall, I very much enjoyed paddling AND portaging these canoes. They performed exceptionally well and I will definitely use them again, given the option. I cannot think of anywhere the canoes disappointed or fell short of expectations and were well worth the extra couple of bucks a day rental. If I were in the market for a new canoe for tripping, I would definitely look hard at the Savage River canoes. They are on the pricier side, but you get what you pay for. For those out there that want to rent one for a trip, Blayne at Williams and Hall said he plans to add some more for next year’s season. Interestingly, we saw a Deep Creek canoe in the TexTreme layup on top of a car in their parking lot, likely headed out the next day on a trip.
pd
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