For obvious reasons, I get a lot of questions about canoes. One of the most common ones is “So, how many canoes do you own?”
The honest answer is, I don’t know. But by the end of this, I should have it figured out. So here’s the fleet.
1) Curtis Companion: This one is special. It was my first canoe. I was a whitewater kayaker up until that point. I paddled it. I fell in love. It’s the one canoe of which Wife 1.2 has forbidden the sale. Not that I would. They’re no longer made, sadly.
2) Lotus Caper: Serial number 001, the first one Mike Galt ever made. 14’8″ and beautiful, it technically belongs to Wife 1.2. Lovely woodwork and detailing and a fascinating seat mechanism that hasn’t been copied yet. Also no longer made, Mike died back in 2003 or 2004, I think. A big loss to solo canoeing.
3) Wenonah Prism: This is one of my standby canoes. 16’6″, Kevlar, ash gunwales, hanging seat (a little custom addition of my own), and 31 pounds of joy. It’s pretty stock as far as the build, but has ash and spruce gunwales and I put in a custom hanging seat. I like to kneel.
4) Lotus/Moore Dandy: Designed by Mike Galt and built by Pat Moore, the Dandy is a sweet little 13’9″ solo that makes Son 1.0 smile (see above). Pat’s construction is pretty rough compared to Mike’s, but it’s a Dandy. When I can find a Galt Dandy I’ll buy it.
5) Wenonah Argosy: This is my other standby. Between the Prism and the Argosy, you can pretty much do anything you need to do solo, except run Class IV and up. Then again…if I threw some bags in there I bet I could run Class IV. If I were limited to two boats, this would be one of them. Luckily, I’m not.
6) Blackhawk Ariel: Built by the late Phil Siggelkow, the Ariel is a classic but less common boat than its smaller sibling, the Zephyr. Incidentally, I owned a Zephyr 10 years ago and, in a fit of stupidity, sold it. When I find another one, I’ll be buying it for the archives.
7) Wenonah Minnesota II: Wife 1.2’s favorite tandem tripping canoe of all time. It is one of the prettier Wenonahs, I think. At 43 pounds (I weighed it), and 18’6″ (I didn’t measure it), it’s fast, dry, and a joy to paddle in the Boundary Waters or anywhere else.
8 and 9) Moore and Blackhawk Proem(s): I have two of these, one built by designer Pat Moore, and one built by Phil Siggelkow at Blackhawk, The Blackhawk is heavier and less elegant, but the Moore is light, with beautifully laminated mahogany gunwales and a beautifully hand-built pedestal seat. The B. Proem is used for actual river use; the M. Proem is for deepwater-only. At 11’10”, they’re wee little canoes but they’re amazing designs.
10) Nova Craft Pal: Another stand-by, 16 feet, two-toned gelcoat (olive and sand), paddled solo or tandem. If paddling with the dog, it’s not really solo I suppose.
11) Nova Craft Prospector 16 (Kevlar): This is my most recent adoption. A 1996 sweet, sweet canoe. Sand with cherry gunwales. It was traded in by a sweet older gentleman who traded it for something lighter. It lasted a day on the rack. I did give the other staff a chance, but after 24 hours, it was mine.
12) Moore Reverie II: Pat’s redesign of the Proem, it’s a beautiful evolution. Mine is a one-off, dark green, a one-piece boat that has integrated gunwales and thwarts, all molded together. It’s a stunning boat, but I paddle it little as it is a bit of a museum piece.
13) liquidlogic Hoss C-1. This is another weird boat. It started life as a kayak, but Bernie from Whitewater Warehouse in Dayton, Ohio worked his magic on it. Now it is a beautiful canoe.
14) Sawyer Summersong. A Dave Yost design from back in the 1980s. The first solo canoe I ever paddled, and recently I had the chance to grab a used Kevlar one in pretty decent shape. It’s on loan to a friend for now (I trust this guy). Sawyer’s long gone, at least in any recognizable form.
15) Moore Adventurer. Not really mine. Belongs to Daughter 1.o, her birthday present when she was 4. It is a beaut…lilac-colored with red oak trim. It’ll be the grandkids’ solo canoe.
So I guess the number is fifteen, unless I missed one somewhere.
The next question I get, after “How many canoes do you have?” is “Why do you need so many canoes?”
The answer is both complex and simple.
First of all, I don’t strictly need any of them. They aren’t food, clothing, shelter or love. They’re just canoes. That said, I really love canoes. The only difference between me and a philatelist is that my collection is a) useful and b) takes up a helluva lot more space than a few 3-ring binders.
Furthermore, canoes are as different as shoes. You wouldn’t go mountain biking in ballet slippers, climb Everest in Chuck Taylors or dance Swan Lake in a pair of Red Wing Irish Setters. You might go for a bike ride in heels, but that’s only if you’re a gorgeous, immaculately-dressed Italiana riding a sweet Eurostyle step-through around the Piazza Navona.
Lastly, there is something of a nostalgic archivist in me. You may not have noticed, but only 4 of the 15 are tandem canoes. The Companion is actually a solo-tandem, so you could say 3.5 are tandems. So when I say I love solo canoes…well…quod erat demonstrandum.
There was a golden era of solo canoeing that lasted from sometime in the early 80s into the mid to late 90s. A number of small companies were run by devoted paddlers who, like all devoted canoeists, love paddling solo. A number of great designers produced some of the prettiest and sweetest paddling solo canoes, but as the market turned its head to the emergence of recreational kayaks, the solo canoe took a series of grievous hits.
I have the space (my garage, and a row in one of the warehouses at my shop) to archive boats from this Golden Age of Solo Canoeing. As I find them, I buy them. I still rotate them in and out of storage and they all get paddled regularly, so they don’t get lonely.
Respectfully and long-windedly submitted,
Canoelover
P.S. I am still looking for the following boats:
Curtis Dragonfly – This one is a top priority. I really want one of these. Twitchy little dude, and there are probably quite a few in garages, purchased by hydrophobes who didn’t test-paddle first.
Curtis Ladybug – for Wife 1.2.
Curtis Nomad – I know it’s similar to the Bell Merlin II. But that’s not the point.
Lotus Dandy (I and II) – I have a Dandy but it wasn’t built by Mike Galt. Plus he had two iterations.
Lotus BJX – Nice but not a must-have.
Lotus Egret – Coulda bought one for $300…crap.Blackhawk Zephyr – owned serial number 001. Sold it. What was I thinking?
Blackhawk Starship – I sold mine two years ago…dumb.
Blackhawk Covenant – I gave mine to a friend. Not sure if he paddles it much. Maybe I should buy it back? Dunno.
Also, if you know of any other duplicates of the ones I already have, let me know; I have friends who paddle my boats and then really want one too.
And that will be $375 in registration fees–if you lived in MN. That’s a nice list of solo canoes. I’m a little surprised that a Wildfire (Bell, Placid or Colden) or a Loon Works Aria isn’t on your list of desires. Or maybe a Red River Élan.
Yeah, the Wildfire is nice enough…but I’m looking for a Curtis Dragonfly, which I prefer over the Wildfire. Yeah, I know; totally different boat. I just don’t find the need to have one for some reason. Little known fact: I worked with Tom MacKenzie years ago when he lived in Madison (it was 17 years ago, to exact). I wasn’t working for pay, I was working to learn how he did stuff. I reclinched a lot of nails in my day. 🙂
I overheard you on the OWL trip. You said: “Brad is to bikes like I am to solo canoes.”
I guess I’ve earned that. I need to count the bikes I own, each time.
Tomorrow, I pick up another one. It should be easy to add “+1” to what I have, but the truth is that it’s just replacing one I wrecked last week.
How many bikes do I own? I don’t know.
How many bikes do I ride? All of them.
It’s a good number.
Thanks for the ammo. I’m going to order the MV
Do NOT pin this on my, Doctor. This is between you and yours.
By the way, I forgot one. There’s actually 16.
We each have a vice. You collect canoes like I collect custom fiberglass fly rod builds.
You have some real beauties in your collection.
Cheers…
Darren,
I appreciated this glimpse into the golden age of solo canoeing.
You said, “A number of small companies were run by devoted paddlers who, like all devoted canoeists, love paddling solo. A number of great designers produced some of the prettiest and sweetest paddling solo canoes, but as the market turned its head to the emergence of recreational kayaks, the solo canoe took a series of grievous hits.”
With the demise of Bell, I guess we are seeing the loss of two or three more beautiful solo designs. Good for you for collecting them and preserving the unique beauty of an age.
I’m wondering if the popularity of kayaks will continue to overshadow the solo canoe. I believe about 1/2 of the appeal of the kayak is the solo aspect,which the solo canoe does as well or better. There is of course the efficiency of the low seating and double blade and ease of use for beginners… tough advantages to compete with…
Your post evoked sadness but also encouragement. If folks like you continue to preserve, show, and inspire others, maybe we can hold on to what remains and even expand the market to folks who are looking for a beautiful and subtly more nuanced paddling experience.
Do you think there will be a renascence?
Richard, I sure hope so, but I am sure it will never return to where it was. The reason they all went bust, from my perspective, is that the boats were a little overpriced and heavy, but gorgeous (Curtis), had quality issues (Sawyer), were not run in at least something of a businesslike manner (too many to name).
I don’t think Bell is dead. It’s definitely in an induced coma, on life support, but when the parent company comes to grips with the real value of the company it’ll sell.
There are folks producing boats that work. Curtis rose from the ashes in Hemlock. They’re sweet, but again, quite expensive and distribution is challenging so they’re hard to demo.
If I could find the molds for Mike Galt’s designs (they’re locked in a storage unit in Florida), I’d probably pay someone like Wenonah to build them for me. Not all of them, but there are some gems there.
Anyway…picked up another boat since the block post. A old Blackhawk that I ended up giving to a friend. We’ll see what else I can find this year.
Hello Canoe Lover
I have a Pat Moore
Reverie II in very good condition for sale if you are interested.
I have a Original dragonfly by Curtis for sale..
wayne8508@gmail.com
Hi there… I stumbled upon this as I was trying to find out more about a solo canoe I bought this past summer. A guy here locally was selling a Blackhawk solo canoe. I wanted one because I love paddling but never owned one myself. He had it stored indoors for years and finally decided to sell it just as I was looking. I haven’t had an opportunity to paddle it and am now finally getting around to wanting to learn more about it. Can you help? I’ll happily snap a picture for you if it would be helpful. In all honesty, I’m considering selling it also.
Thoughts?
Thank You.
Two solos here. Winona Advantage for me, Rob Roy for my wife.
Have paddled the Advantage on lazy rivers, moderate whitewater, and loaded for a ten day BWCA trip. Really need to pack light with that canoe, but can portage in one trip and even trot down the trail.
It was a choice between the Advantage and the Prism at Rutabaga in Madison WI. We took both boats to the water. I got in the Advantage, paddled about six strokes, turned around and said “sold!
It’s a very fast and nimble little beast.
A big recommend.
I have both a Curtis Nomad and a Colden DragonFly. There were only 85 Curtis DragonFlies made. From what I see they are centered in western PA. At our Solo Canoe Rendezvous each June there are a number of them that show up. Colden Canoes continues to make the DragonFly from the Curtis mold..it had a kind of convoluted journey but now is available again. Colden also makes the WildFire, StarFire and FlasshFire previously available from Bell and Placid. There are quite a few of those boats around.
Tom is still building in SC..I will be off to see him and my Galt Dandy..but its not mine anymore. I do have his Aria, Nakoma and Duet
I also have a Swift Heron, a direct descendant of the Curtis Nomad. But its rounder bottom and seems to be faster ..Limited sales. I suspect sitting customers were left in the water at the dock. The DragonFly OTOH..being a river boat probably attracted more kneelers from the get go.. The bottom shapes are similar..that was before DY flattened his ellipses.
I bought the Blackhawk Ariel in October 2012. It replaced my Mad River Independence for river use and is my go-to boat for that purpose, which is mostly where I paddle.
There’s a cedar-strip Galt Dandy for sale on Craigslist in Madison. It’s a gorgeous boat, one of several built by the seller. I test-paddled it today and it’s a bit too twitchy for me (much more tender than my Wildfire). It wasn’t made by Galt but it’s true to form.
Any thoughts on how, if if it takes awhile, I might locate a Moore Cue paddle? Have been looking awhile…
I haven’t seen any around for a while, Jon. I have a friend who bought a bunch of them and sold them off little by little. Pat offered the lot of them to me at what I considered a ridiculous price. He later offered them to my friend for half of that. I think he thought I was rolling in it. I own a paddlesports shop which precludes me from rolling in anything of value. 🙂
Jon, if you are still looking for a Moore Cue, I have a few. Do you have a certain type in mind?
I have just two but I think that you would approve.My Jensen 18 by Wenonah is my tandem racer,but I love to take her out solo on late-nite lake paddles. For true solo work (yeah right,work) I have a Bell Merlin ll In black gold with wood trim. I’m taking a break from sanding right now before a few more coats of Watco. I think you would be happy in either of these,if not,everybody has their own I guess. Happy Paddling. Tom P.S. Which boat do you fly fish from ??
I co-founded Lotus Canoes in 1981 with Mike Galt. I would like to correspond with paddlers interested in living and telling the Lotus Canoes and Freestyle Paddling saga. I have boats and paddles in WA and Florida. I hope to gather pictures, writings,and stories from the adventure called Lotus. Courtney Codrington
If these many years on, you’re still looking for a Blackhawk Zephyr for the collection, I have one that I need to sell!
This leaves off five years ago. Are there still followers/commentators? I have a mere four canoes and my wife has a kayak. We’ve overloaded our small garage. I have two Blackhawk solos, a Nighthawk and a Covenant. I believe the Nighthawk is the ideal boat to introduce children to paddling. As I approach age 72, I need space for a super light tandem, so am considering selling the Covenant. There’s nothing like river paddling in these saddle seat boats. And even on open water they can be pushed, as my son proved when he beat two young men in a tandem down a five mile stretch in the BWCA to grab a campsite below Lower Basswood Falls.
It has been a while for sure. And I have to admit my collection is changing. I’ve sold a few, added a few, and donated a few. The Covenant is a sweet boat. I could take it on trade… 🙂 That Covenant is a fast little canoe. Send me an email if you want to chat about it. darrenb@rutabaga.com