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Westfi1, I’ve been in canoeing alot of years… and I’m a big fan of small tandem light canoes. But I’d never thought of outfitting an Encounter as a solo. I like the idea for a fast, fast daytripper for two light paddlers.
Then, I saw a posting back about two months ago on http://www.myccr.com with a picture of a Wenonah Encounter outfit as a tandem. I thought if I ever found a cheap Encounter it might make a neat project. Anyways, here is a link… The posting and link are on page 2. You might PM the author and see what he thinks about seat locations and performance. With that sharp a bow and stern, you probably will need a little custom placement though.
http://www.myccr.com/SectionForums/viewtopic.php?t=28180
Tell us how it goes.
PK
If you llive and canoe in Canada, you well know that http://www.myccr.com is the place for all things canoe tripping in Canada. There is a 14 day trip report in the routes section, and likely you can shake a couple additional trips out from off the forums.
PK
@Preacher 677 wrote:
I need a new cold weather hat. My cheap touque keeps slipping off my head. Any suggestions?
Duct Tape? It’s relatively cheap, and is useful for canoe repair. Plus it would be a great fashion statement.:D
PK
@OneBadApple 650 wrote:
PK
anyways pk lisa and i are i the market for a royalex rocky shallow mi river canoe for next year do you have any thoughts on those bell morningstars or tandem yellowstones 15’6″ oh nd the rei has a penobscot 16rx on sale right now??? so if you and the others have any suggestions on what might make a great second canoe for us were all ears!!!!
thanks
and hope you have a great fall paddle season…
OBAI won’t touch the gay lesbian issue… not the place and time…
Personally, I don’t think that royalex is needed for anything in the Lower Peninsula. A good composite canoe is all you need. You are gonna scratch it up…but that’s reality. Now you start running Class IIIs and I think royalex is the way to go, mainly because of the potential for wrapping the canoe. As to designs, I like the Bell Morningstar in composite. I’ve never paddled either the royalex version of the Morningstar or the Yellowstone tandem. But I’ve yet to find a royalex canoe that I prefer over the composite version. So that said, I find that all royalex canoes are slow heavy, and don’t really excite me…. that’s why I’ve only owned one, and these days I only paddle it in whitewater or in the winter because it’s deep and I don’t have to worry about it shipping water. The OT Penobscot is a great canoe… faster than either of the royalex Bell models. But if I were going to paddle any river in Lower Michigan and I had to pick between your Kip and any royalex canoe… I’d take the Kip.
PK
I didn’t see it, but I’ve experienced it. I’ve lost paddles (atleast until I could go back to get it), I’ve broken the blade and shaft of paddles, and I’ve even taken the paddle handle in the head from paddling in shallow circumstances or in whitewater. Things start to happen really quick as the water slowly gains momentum. Your paddle is just a little stick compared with the strength of the water. It’s delusional to think that your paddle won’t break if you subject it to tough conditions. It’s not a big deal if you are on a day trip and loose or break a paddle… you can liesurely float to your takeout. But the odds get much more aganst you when your distance gets to be 50, 100, or 200 miles from the nearest road… and that’s where duplication or even triplication starts to matter.
PK
@OneBadApple 631 wrote:
you answered my question and i thank you much!!!! just glad i know that some names of swift canoes are river names or you’d have really screwed me up with winisk:D
Actually, I think all the tandem canoes in the Swift lineup are places you can actually canoe… Quetico, Algonquin, Temagami, Dumoine, Kipawa, Mattawa, Yukon, Madawaska, Yukon, Alabany. They are all reasonably named for where they might be used. The only tandem that I can think of that’s not a place is the Prospector 16, but every Canadian Canoe company seems to have one of those for better or worse (Worse in my book). The solos are all birds that I know… Heron, Loon, Osprey, Sheerwater, and Raven. This makes for a nice progression. Surely better than some manufacturers that muddle the waters with regard to naming convention. But we’ll avoid that topic.
I’m glad you liked Pickeral Lake/Crooked Lake. Not a wilderness adventure, but does in a pinch when I’m down on that side of the state. We got out for a 10 mile stretch on the South Branch of the Kalamazoo this weekend from Homer to Albion. It’s pretty shallow, but was nice to get on the water without having to drive too far. We saw dozens of deer, and enjoyed one last warm paddle before having to dig out the cold weather paddling gear.
PK
SWIFT,
I’m not sure It’s any different than in any northern community that serves alot of folks from the cities that recreate in their neighborhood. Ely has long been a neat town, and has changed some through the years. Since the early 1900s it was a hunting and fishing area. Motorboats were allowed wherever people were willing to expend the effort to haul them in. Then via several very contentious legal battles BWCA was created. Through the entire time that BWCA has existed there have been battles about whether motors should be allowed and whether some portages should be motorized with old Bronco trucks to haul gear in. The locals have seen this evolution and there are still many that would like it back how it was. But BWCA has turned into a gold mine for outfitters in the canoe business selling $2500 kevlar and carbon canoes and $200 paddles and Patagonia jackets. People drive into town in their Range Rovers and Expeditions from Minneapolis, Milwaukee, Chicago and anywhere else where they make their money. While those living in Ely are either working in retail for a few dollars a hour serving these “canoe trippers”, or building second and third summer homes for those who once tripped in the wilderness, but now are happy just to view it from the deck on their $500,000 lakefront home. It’s tough to not develop a little irritation. This by no means justifies their actions… but surely creates a foundation for ill will much like what might exist in many of these towns that serve as launch points for our expeditions.
Ely is a very nice city, in a very nice part of Minnesota. Does it have problems… sure, but so does every other part of the world. This event happened, and that it is getting as much press as it has will surely affect tourism there. But having been there, and likely at some point returning…. it surely won’t affect my opinion of the city or it’s inhabitants. I’d visit BWCA again in the future… and I’d surely be conscious of not rubbing the noses of the folks there who are trying to scratch out a living.
PK
OK,
It depends…. If you are just taking the Kip down to Kent Lake, it should be fine. Are you taking it on a week on the AuSable? It’ll still make it. Two weeks on the Winisk? You probably want to rethink things.
I’ve taken seats, thwarts, decks, grab handles, etc out of canoes… It’s not that big a deal. Then check to see how fragile it is. Be careful not to smash it too hard into things. But it is surely durable enough to use it for a while… I have a solo Bell Flashfire that I took all the thwarts out of it, except for the center kneeling thwart. Six years later it’s no worse for the wear. In addition, I have a MRC Malecite that only has seats, and has zero thwarts…
PK
PK
@kayamedic 599 wrote:
I haven’t met a single canoe guru who wasn’t a great social contact over a good meal or a brew or two..some of them can surprise you with their capacity!
Yep, I recall enjoying both with you and Mr. Halt at a cajun restaurant in Mandeville, LA one Sunday evening several years ago. Nothing like crawdads and Abita after a nice warm March day on the bayou!!!
PK
Jerry,
I had a similar opinion of Cliff until last year. He’s opinionated… and seems to want to evangelize much of the canoeing community to doing things his way and surely isn’t above shilling things he’s involved with. But I must admit I had a good time having dinner, and several primo beers with him this last March over here in Lansing. Must have been the beers going to my head. :p
Anyways, it’s nearly always entertaining to take in his seminars… to watch him run across the stage with his neck straining, eyes bulging from the tumpline wrapped around his head. 😀
Anyways, I’w with the rest of the crowd… there is alot of good material out there to read, and presenters to see, but just plain working it out for yourself is often just as good.
PK
PK
There must be a typo in his link… I’ll drop him a message so he knows.
http://www.adventures.wildrec.net/
PK
Charlie,
Because here in Michigan they’ve never seen a solo canoe and wonder what kind of cross between canoe-kayak thing you are paddling. You should see their faces when you tell them it’s a canoe. :confused: They go from all excited to some sort of baffled look trying to process how a canoe can move so fast and effortlessly.
It’s usually a short conversation with them wandering off shaking their heads, realizing that their concept of canoe and kayak has been turned on it’s head and suddenly their world is all “wrong.” :confused: I’m amazed how many times it happens…. Though not as often as people saying…. something like, “Hey look, a Kayaker.” Or “Hey where did you buy your kayak” of “I have a kayak too.” :rolleyes: I wanna grab them by the neck and say…. “It’s a friggin canoe you GD loon!!!”:eek:… I just end up wandering away, shaking my head, muttering “Idiots… this whole world is full of frigging idiots!!
PK
Yep, my experiences mimic Canadienne’s. I was there last in September 1992. It’s likely gorgeous as we speak…with flame colored maples, good cool nights, nice days, lots and lots of deer. We did a little fishing, and day camping. It’s not very large in area, so it suits the basecamper or fishing canoeist. A serious canoe tripper could paddle all the lakes and do all the ports in a single day. None of the ports are real long, or arduous. Do check the fishing regs because they are not standard Michigan regs as noted. In addition, the hiking is excellent as well.
Great place to visit, Boneli has trip reports and great photos on his personal website for those interested.
PK
@Charlie 513 wrote:
Agreed … on the “most canoeing adventures” aspect.
I am, though, looking for a tent for the long, north-of-treeline trips that offer all the elements listed — save for the flying house-pets.
— Charlie
I’ve never been further north than Lat 65 during the summer, but based on that, I’d opt for a good 4 season, or even a good 3-4 season convertible with zip up panels. You’re more likely to get hot weather requiring tent ventilation than snow up there. Plus much of that area doesn’t get that much snow anyways where having a tent that sheds huge snowloads isn’t nearly an issue either. A well thought out 3-4 season complete with a full set of guylines will stand up in any of the winds.
HOOP where are you? He’s probably the guy on this board to talk to … he’s a veteren of numerous 30-50 day solo trips up in the barrens.
PK
Are you planning to use this tent for mountaineering? Seems that would be way overkill for most canoeing adventures.
PK
