: My ears perk up whenever I hear 'solo canoe'.....

: I built my Northwest Canoes Merlin (the 15'-4" one) back in
: '07 mostly just to shut a couple friends up who had been ragging
: on me to try a canoe. It was weird building a boat I didn't
: particularly want, and that I had no reason to believe I would
: like much. But lo and behold they were right. That boat is on my
: racks right this minute, and I literally love it better each and
: every time I take it out.

: Since I'm such a hopeless cold weather weenie, I've pretty much
: became a winter canoeist and a summer sea kayaker. The canoe
: keeps me dry as a bone from head to foot, from start to finish,
: except for sweat. I was finally convinced to give it a go when I
: saw my paddling buddy in his Swift Shearwater keep up with me in
: my Outer Island, and keep up a conversation the whole time.
: These boats are fast! Also makes the world's BEST fishing boat.

: The Merlin is an asymmetrical design, although it's hard to tell
: just from looking. I also now own a Wenonah Advantage, and
: J-201, both in ultralight kevlar, as well.

: Maybe I need to take a picture of my freshly carved traditional
: ottertail paddle now....

There is just something different about how a nicely designed canoe feels and how it handles compared to a kayak, specially after you get used to skinny kayaks and the "skinny" canoes then feel stable :)

Nice to have both. Now I'd really like to build a couple canoes, perhaps a nice lapstrake one?

Bill H.