 |
from
Canoe & Kayak Magazine
July
2000
by
Steve
Salins
Canoes
for Cruising'
|
Trillium
17
Champlain
Destiny
Pioneer
17
Reflection
17
|
|
If
you're in the market for a boat that can flat-out get up and
go or just provide you with an enjoyable day of pure paddling
pleasure, one of these models might be for you.
We
designed a review for cruisers, which is a special category
characterized by efficiency and Speed through the water. Cruisers
can be used to carry a load, but primarily they're about pure
paddling, canoeing simply for pleasure. They are designed
for those who want to go somewhere in a canoe, or paddle to
feel the pleasure of a hull gliding through the water. Fast
canoes are a favorite of mine, and cruisers represent all
that's best about speed. There is wonderful exhilaration in
paddling an efficient canoe any efficient canoeing experiencing
all the elements the water has to give in a boat that's responsive
and fast. Although we didn't get a complete collection of
cruisers, we got some pretty good canoes. Each of them could
be characterized as "efficient" in the tasks they are designed
to perform. They may not be "cruisers" in the strictest sense,
but any of them can be used to get out to enjoy the pure pleasure
of cruising in an efficient canoe. And it doesn't get any
better than that.
TRILLIUM
17
Canoeing
on a quiet and still Sunday morning on Puget Sound, near the
head of Ketron Island, may be as relaxing as it gets. Nearby
a seal surfaces. He holds his position, watching us with large
round eyes. I'm amazed that he doesn't dive; maybe he's never
seen a trillium before. The trillium, Ontario's official flower,
is rare in these parts, but part of an attractive graphic
on the bow of our boat. Mr. Seal continues watching us, then
slips beneath the surface to finish his morning rounds. We
also continue on our way. The Trillium is one of Scott's newest
canoes, and a fine one at that. Our boat draws second looks
with its ash gunwales, cherry decks, and beautifully sculpted
teal yoke. But it's more than attractive: gunwales are rounded
both inside and out and expertly finished so there are no
sharp or rough edges to hurt hands. The teal yoke curls around
shoulders for the most comfortable carry possible. The lay-up
and gelcoat of the hull are well done, giving the overall
impression of a quality product. In my limited travel in the
Ontario area I've seen many an ordinary livery canoe with
the Scott label, but none as well made as this one. Seats
are wood framed with two-inch nylon webbing. With a touch
of thoughtfulness for the paddler, seat corners are rounded,
so there is nothing to catch. The bow seat is a slider, which
is very stiffly mounted. The rear seat and bow slider foundation
are mounted on a shelf glassed into the side of the hull,
so that the interior of this canoe is Visually simple The
bow slider seat is held to the wood rails by a wood retainer,
so there are no metal parts showing. One of the nice features
of the seat design is that there is no hardware on the gunwale
to interfere with a paddler’s hand. The Trilliurn is a shallow-arched
canoe with very rounded chines. I anticipate a ride without
much initial stability, though I'd also expect the roll to
the gunwale to be smooth and predictable. That is exactly
how the boat feels in the water The hull is flared for nearly
the entire length, widening the paddling positions a bit but
making for a very dry ride and large carrying capacity. The
hull is stiffened by a thin and barely noticeable cross-rib
core; the inside is nearly smooth. There are no thwarts, but
the hull is quite stiff even without an extra thwart. I typically
"bounce" in a canoe while under way to see how much the hull
flexes. The Trilliurn hull flexes
some but is stiff enough that "oilcanning" will not occur.
On the water, this canoe does not have a lot of initial stability.
Students who paddle the Trillium in a canoeing class invariably
mention that it doesn't feel as "stable" as most canoes, but
they all adapt readily. What you get with this hull is a canoe
that proves to be very smooth through the water T wouldn't
say it's fast, but it glides nicely without a lot of paddling
effort. Maybe it is fast, and it's just hard to tell because
it's a gentle canoe, moving along at the sort of pace that
doesn't force you to think about how it paddles. Inside, the
canoe is comfortable. The bow slider extension is ample enough
that even a short person can move forward to use the end tank
as a foot brace. My paddling partner, Heather, reports that
the bow position with the seat slid forward is as comfortable
as any we've tested in the past couple of years. In the stern,
gunwales are a mite wide, and at first I hit my hand on the
side of the canoe and have to adjust my stroke. The adjustment
comes easily, and for the rest of the trip I am comfortable
in the stern. Seats are high enough that kneeling comes easily.
The high sides make a paddler feel very "inside" this canoe,
since legs easily tuck under the gunwale for dryness as well
as for a solid knee purchase. This is a high-volume canoe
and deep in the center, which makes it look shorter than it
really is. It carries quite a load without complaint. We put
three heavy rocks in the Trillium to see how it would handle
a load. With about 600 total pounds, the movement of the boat
dampened and the ride was far more initially stable. Yet the
Trillium moves right along without much added paddling effort
and is still easy to control or turn. I think the Trillium
would make a wonderful tripping hull, as it is dry and comfortable,
has room for copious amounts of gear, and yet is smooth paddling
and fairly light, with a great yoke for portages. And you
won't have to apologize for its looks either.
|
|
CHAMPLAIN
The
Champlain is a new product for the 2000 season, joining We-no-nan's
Itasca 18, Sundowner, Odyssey, and Minnesota II in its family
of large canoes. Given such a variety of choices for flatwater
travel, one wonders what place is reserved for the Champlain.
Apparently We-no-nah intends it to be the pack rat of the
family, as it has a great deal of volume coupled with very
high initial stability, which will suit families or those
who want a large tandem canoe to carry large loads with a
dry, stable ride. The model we tested was a fiberglass lay-up
with cross-rib stiffeners. We-no-nah lists the weight at 70
pounds, plus an extra pound added for the optional bow-sliding
seat. We weighed it at 74 pounds, which is a little heavy
for a We-no-nah canoe. Our Champlain is fitted with an aluminum
gunwale system, two tubular thwarts, and a standard wood yoke.
The whole system produces a canoe that is very stiff and rigid,
with no hull flex in waves. Like many other We-no-nab canoes,
this model comes standard with tractor-style seats. We-no-nah
produces a lot of go-fast canoes, which calls for bent-shaft
paddling, so its canoes' seats need to be comfortable for
sitting, and these are. We have the optional bow slider, which
spans a range large enough that both large and small paddlers
fit comfortably and can use the end tank as a foot brace.
Our canoe also has an adjustable stern foot brace, which I
highly recommend anytime you paddle on flatwater. More attention
could have been given to the fitting of the tubular crosspiece
on this one; I wrestled with the installation because the
ends were not flattened enough to match the support angles.
The boat is exceptionally roomy, and both bow and stern paddling
positions are very comfortable. We-no-nab knows how to make
a boat in which vertical, efficient, close-by-the-hip strokes
are encouraged and rewarded. In the stern, there's plenty
of "grip" on the gunwales for knees. For a canoe of this size,
end flotation chambers seemed on the small side; since I use
the bow end tank as a foot brace, my size 10s were a little
cramped (not that the primary purpose of the tank is as a
foot brace, but it would be nice to have more comfort). The
hull of the Champlain is classified as a shallow arch, but
if the arch were much "shallower," it would be flat. I would
almost call it a flat bottom. A visual inspection doesn't
always indicate bow a canoe feels on the water, but when it
has a fairly flat bottom with a lot of waterline width (36
inches), one would expect a canoe with a great deal of initial
stability. This canoe has a "fill" bow; there is a lot of
volume at the ends to give greater carrying capacity and at
the same time make a dry ride in waves. ~ (Everything else
being equal, volume capacity and a dry ride often go together
in a canoe.) The depth of a canoe also contributes to good
carrying capacity, and at 13.5 inches, the center depth of
the TI Champlain is fairly substantial for an 18-foot model.
We-no-nah intends for the Champlain to be large and stable
and carry a load, and it does just that. Initial stability
is very good. On the water, we try to put the Champlain on
its side but can't lean the canoe enough to put the gunwale
on the water. New paddlers, families with a lot of bodies
in the boat, and those with loads will feel quite stable in
the Champlain. We paddle with about 550 pounds in the canoe
and have plenty of freeboard; we could easily carry more weight
without concern. Under way, I pay a lot of attention to how
a canoe glides." It's a hard concept to pin down, but it is
one of those things that you know when it happens. To me,
it's not the same as speed; usually I think of glide as moving
without interruption, without noticeably slowing down between
strokes. The Champlain has a -nice glide to it, paddling easily.
When it's accelerated to hull speed, there is a point at which
it is simply not going to go a lot faster, and the Champlain
may not be considered speedy. That's the price you pay for
stability and that's OK. This is no suprise; it is what you
would expect from a hull with width, a flattish bottom, and
a fall entry line. The Champlain handles turns and course
corrections quite easily; the inch and a half of rocker at
each end clearly helps when controlling or turning the canoe.
Our ride weathervanes a little in a moderate wind. We adjust
the trim but never do get it exactly right, and I can't say
for sure if it was the canoe or me. Otherwise, this canoe
gives a comfortable ride without threat in any way. It will
absorb a lot of movement inside the boat with no dramatic
reaction, which is great for paddlers with active kids or
dogs. We are fortunate to paddle on a blustery night when
Lake Washington is kicking up against the floating bridge;
we have waves as large as two feet, including reflected and
crossing waves. In some past tests with other canoes, partners
have expressed concern about stability in such conditions.
This time I am with an inexperienced paddler who never utters
a sound about the confused and large waves. An outstanding
feature of this canoe is its comfort in waves; it's stable
and predictable and has no "sharp edges" in handling or ride.
Carrying about 550 pounds and heading directly into
these waves, the boat takes a little water over the bow on
occasion and sometimes a little bit over the side behind the
bow paddler. It is just the sort of conditions We-no-nah designed
the Champlain for: big lake, choppy water, substantial load,
and big people.
|
|
DESTINY
You
gotta love a canoe that you can pick up with one hand. Touch
the Destiny, and you realize the impact of the "Kevlar" sign
on the back; this boat is a feather-light 42 pounds, which
is pretty nice for the portage trail or carrying to the lakeshore.
If you're familiar with the Mad River line, you'll readily
notice a family resemblance in the Destiny. Even without a
rabbit on the bow, the V-shaped hull and design lines resemble
those of other members of the Mad River family. Yet there
are some new touches on the Destiny. For one, this canoe sports
their recently introduced aluminum gunwale design, which I
really like. It is attractive, has very rounded outwales,
and is "soft" to hands. The softly curved inwale covers a
flat surface underneath for attaching yokes, seats, thwarts,
and handles. Fasteners for those items are hidden, and the
access hole is covered by black plastic inserts. Additionally,
gunwale rivets are fastened from the inside and not visible
from the outside of the boat. The whole system is as clean,
attractive, and functional as any aluminum gunwale I've seen,
and the shape is most forgiving of paddlers who bump hands
on edges (and don't we all?). A lightweight fitted plastic
end cap ties the gunwale ends together at the stems. Another
leading-edge touch is the built-in skid plates on both stems.
Mad River has offered graphite skid plates for post-production
attachment, but the Destiny sports skid plates carefully molded
without seam to the rest of the hull. They provide good protection
from scrapes and chips without the excess noise or tacked-on
appearance of glued-on protection. Cane seats are hung from
the gunwales at a height to allow kneeling or sitting. Wood
hangers are angled to the seat to match the flared side of
the hull, and it could be difficult to adjust the seat height
on your own if you prefer other than the standard installation.
A sliding seat is standard in the bow of the Destiny, and
eight inches of play will adjust the fit for large or small
paddlers. Under the seat, a wing nut on each side allows the
paddler to fasten the seat so it won't slide. The carrying
yoke is average, with a nice deep cut for the neck, but when
a canoe weighs only 42 pounds, how much do you really worry
about the comfort of the yoke? Sculpted wood handles are interesting,
attractive, and comfortable; I rather like them. I have a
fondness for handles that are slender in the center, and even
though these are thick in the middle, they are still comfortable.
In either case, it is nice to hold a handle that isn't simply
a straight piece of wood attached as though it was an afterthought.
I have reservations about the integrity of the bow slider
supports. The sliding seat hangs from wooden slotted rails
using a bolt with a wide plastic washer. The outside portion
of each rail has been pared down, perhaps to match the hull
shape or perhaps to save weight, but unnecessarily so for
fit and too much for dependable support. With a 160-pound
paddler on the seat, the slot supporting the seat hardware
opens considerably. Both my partner and I agreed that over
a long haul, we wouldn't trust the structural integrity of
the slider rail, and except to save a few ounces, I see no
need for it to be cut back.
On
the water, this is one firm hull shape! From the first stroke
with a straight-shaft paddle, the Destiny glides along with
minimal effort and is very easy to control. Initial
stability is mid-range; there is a bit of side-to-side rock,
but the hull is quite supportive when one is simply sitting
in the canoe. The Destiny need not apologize to novice paddlers.
We roll the boat to the side, gunwale touching the water,
and it rolls right back up. My buddy in the bow is a little
nervous, but the canoe isn't. Final stability is secure and
firm. Under way, turns and corrections come easily and smoothly;
Destiny performs very comfortably all the actions needed for
canoe control. Plus, there's plenty of volume for a load.
We paddled with about 460 pounds in the boat, and it will
easily handle more. I think this canoe would be an excellent
tripper, and that's the designation Mad River applies. But
if you just want to go cruisin', you won't be disappointed
either. Our test begins on dead-calm water, but we manage
to locate a large yacht throwing a wake. Normally, crossing
a wake results in a corkscrew motion as a canoe works its
way across the waves. The Destiny doesn't even notice; it
moves ahead with scarcely a ripple, holding its course with
no edginess. This is one very nice-paddling hull We pull out
the bent-shaft paddles and the Destiny moves easily to speed,
then holds its glide without much effort. A wonderful hull
To test performance, we approach the Montlake Cut, where we
find boat traffic and concrete walls reflecting every wake
and ripple to create confused conditions. With waves to a
foot and a half; the Destiny rocks a little bit, absorbs the
waves, and continues doggedly on. It's here that the flared
hull pays off; as the bow simply shunts the waves aside. We
don't slow cadence to accommodate waves and we don't paddle
defensively, yet the Destiny runs true, stable, predictable,
dry, and secure. It is a performance that I've seldom felt
from a canoe. I think this hull is well balanced in design,
an exceptional hull shape. On the less positive side, our
test model proves to be difficult to evaluate, not because
of design but because of construction. From our very first
strokes on dead-calm water, the boat feels like the hull is
constructed of Jell-O. The gunwale-seat-thwart system and
the hull bottom are not well fled together through the very
thin Kevlar sides. It feels like the seats are hanging from
a completely separate structure than the hull, as though on
side4o-side rollers. When paddling, there is a lot of flex,
shimmy, and torsion motion in the entire gunwale system, like
watching a tornado play with a shaky building. Sitting in
the stern, it is unnerving to watch the bow seat move side
to side. Despite the wonderful performance and the featherweight
of the hull, it is difficult to separate the flexing motion
from the performance characteristics, and I never feel completely
at ease because parts of the canoe move when they shouldn't.
Lightweight is not worth trading for a hull that doesn't hold
its shape on the water, and I would not consider this particular
boat without additional structural support. Testing this canoe
was frustrating: Cinderella performance wrapped in a raggedly
loose hull. The design of this canoe is clear: it will serve
families, trippers, or casual recreational paddlers with control,
grace, speed, and security. It simply needs to be packaged
in a more structurally rigid shell. I would love to paddle
a stiff version of this canoe in any conditions; that would
be a fine Destiny indeed.
|
|
PIONEER
17
The
Pioneer 17 took time to earn its points with me. The pleasant
cream-colored gelcoat makes a nice initial impression, and
some finishing touches suggest thought and care in construction.
I'm a sucker for laced wood frame seats, and the ones hanging
by wood spacers in this canoe throw me back to an earlier
era and prove to be very comfortable. Handles are curved and
slender in the middle, which is easy on the hands. End caps
are molded tightly over the stem of the hull as well as the
gunwales. The resulting unusual shape catches the eye; it
makes for a fine fit. This hull is stiffened with a thin diamond-shaped
foam core; however, at 78 pounds this particular test boat
(which was actually built for a rental outfit) feels heavy
to load on my van. For some reason, North Woods installs the
yoke facing the stem. Out of superstition I always load my
canoes bow forward on a vehicle, so this throws me for a loop.
The yoke is highly polished, but without much depth in the
cutout. It slides off my shoulders too readily for comfort
in carrying, and it never does feel quite right. We paddle
the Pioneer 17 on a small lake adjacent to a county park.
With the first stroke, this canoe shows stability and smoothness
in the waterway beyond my initial expectations. I'm always
hesitant to say that a design is well blended because I wonder
if I'm overlooking something. Yet the Pioneer 17 cruises nicely,
tracks well, turns easily, and never feels unstable or particularly
tippy. We lean the gunwale to water's edge with plenty of
confidence and comfort. Paddling with straight-shaft paddles,
we run a leisurely course around the windy lake without any
argument from the hull. With bent-shaft paddles, a higher
cadence, and more speed, the Pioneer 17 moves along right
smartly. This is one large canoe and would be plenty suitable
to carry a load on an extended trip. The manufacturer reports
a six-inch freeboard capacity of 1,150 pounds, which indicates
a lot of volume for this length. The capacity is partly due
to the deep 14.5-inch center depth. The boat is quite comfortable.
Seats are low enough that paddlers can lock their knees under
the gunwales, yet high enough for comfortable kneeling. Personally,
I think the front seat is mounted too far back. There is a
huge amount of leg and storage room in the bow, and bow paddlers
notice a quite wide paddling position. I'd reduce both the
room and the paddling width by moving the bow seat forward.
The stern position is comfortable for both body and paddling
efficiency. The Pioneer 17 proves itself to be a wonderful
tandem canoe for general recreational use. It's not a hot
cruiser, but it does so much else well in an understated manner
that it's hard not to like it.
|
|
REFLECTiON
17
The
Reflection 17 is an eye-catcher: slender, sleek, and sexy.
Just loading it on the van raises paddling anticipation, because
it has all the earmarks of speed and glide and looks like
a real live cruiser. This canoe has a gentle, almost low-slung
sheer, and with its striped accent graphic along the side,
looks long, low, and lean. It is, in fact, low. Dagger lists
the center depth as 13.75 inches, but we twice measured it
at less than 13 inches. From the stern seat, the canoe appears
sleek because Dagger pinches the gunwales along the midsection,
creating an attractive "shoulder" just under the gunwale.
Despite its slender look, the bow has significant flare, suggesting
a dry run in oncoming waves. Dagger produces the Reflection
17 in both fiberglass and Royalex; because the fiberglass
version wasn't ready in time for our review, we tested the
Royalex version. If the hull shape doesn't attract your attention,
the softly rounded vinyl gunwales will. Seat, yoke, handle,
and thwart fasteners are hidden, attached to an aluminum insert
in the lower portion of the gunwale. Plastic caps cover the
access holes. I'm impressed with the result: an attractive
shape that doesn't overpower the rest of the canoe, visually
and tactually smooth, and "soft" to paddlers' hands. Large
end caps are designed to accept the shape of the gunwales,
se the finished installation is seamless and well fitted.
This Reflection 17 comes with wood cane seats fastened to
the gunwales with an H-shaped wooden hanger. It is an attractive
mounting system, similar to those used by other manufacturers.
If you want to change the seat height, you're in for some
work, though. It would be nice if Dagger offered different-sized
hangers for adjusting seat height. The seat assembly is quite
stiff; as is the whole canoe. Seats are mounted high enough
to wedge size 10 feet under, but not enough to alleviate concern
about getting them out. That may not matter; this canoe has
so much promise of speed that it begs to be paddled seated
and with bent-shaft paddles! And that's how we start. Within
two or three strokes, I love paddling the Reflection 17. The
glide is wonderful; once moving, this boat wants to keep going.
My buddy in this exercise isn't as excited; he doesn't like
the tender initial stability introduced by the very arched
hull and rounded chines, but it's part of the equation for
a quick and efficient canoe. I think the Reflection 17 is
a fine choice for those who are oriented to traveling on the
water, because this canoe will take you places easily and
efficiently. Spending some time in the canoe helps the adjustment
to a little initial wiggle. We leaned the Reflection 17 on
its side to the gunwale line, and easily brought it back up;
secondary stability is excellent. I'm always curious how an
efficient hull runs in good-sized choppy waves, and we have
a day to check it out. Lake Washington is in' a foul mood:
big waves, lots of chaos, and big troughs~just what I need.
To tell the truth, I'm a little nervous, but we run the Reflection
17 out into the sloppy stuff~waves as tall as two feet~and
take only a few splashes behind the bow seat. The highly flared
bow does its job, and the soft chines slide waves under the
canoe and absorb wave energy as well as any canoe I've paddled.
Have you noticed how some canoes rise on a wave, then pound
down in the trough? Well, this canoe rises and drops gently;
it's a pleasant ride and a wonderfully gentle sensation in
the midst of chaos. The rounded hull that leaves my friend
Peter so nervous on calm water gives smooth handling with
no sudden surprises in confused waves. That's how this game
is supposed to work, and it's a great feeling! On another
occasion, Heather (my small partner) comments on the width
of the bow; she doesn't like the reach to the side. She's
right; I take the opportunity to paddle in the bow position
and find that, on a canoe that cruises so easily, I'd prefer
less width. But you can't have everything; if the bow weren't
so flared, the canoe wouldn't be so dry. It's an acceptable
compromise, though even with a bow slider (and this canoe
should have one), a small paddler will find a broad paddling
width in the bow. Steve Scarborough designed his magic into
this one. He put 2.5 inches of rocker in the bow, which is
unusually high for a flatwater canoe. We play with bow-initiated
turns, and although the Reflection 17 tracks when under way,
it turns crisply and with authority when called on. It's a
stern paddler's dream and a bow paddler's play-toy. The Reflection
17 needs no apology as a cruiser ~ from the look to the performance.
Assertive paddlers will enjoy it. Very conservative paddlers
may not like the initial tenderness, but once used to it,
they'll like the glide. Paddlers who simply wish to paddle
to the lily pads to read a book may want to look elsewhere.
(Dagger's Reflection 15 is ideal for that.) This Reflection
is for movement, and if a new paddler is willing to grow into
it, this canoe will wait patiently and then provide wonderfully
satisfying paddling performance. I think it's a winner.
|
|
