Waterlust canoe paddling performance

�I've been in love with the waterlust sailing canoe since I first saw it, and I've been looking for an excuse to build one ever since then. During the summer of 2018 I have a multifamily canoe trip planned. We're basically floating down river for two days, and camping during the one night of the trip. I'd love to use this trip as an opportunity to build the canoe, but I need to know two things: 1. Will it paddle down river at around the same speed as rented recreational canoes? 2. Will I be able to put an adult and a young child (4-7 years old) on the canoe comfortably for a two day trip? I assume I'll have room to stow a backpacking tent and two sleeping bags in the canoe. Any info and/or experiences are welcome... Even if the advice is to forget this build and to focus on (some other option).

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RE: Waterlust canoe paddling performance

I notice that nobody has taken a crack at answering your questions. I confess that I have no direct experience with the Waterlust canoe, so take that into account! That said, the Waterlust canoe is 17' long, 36" wide, and weighs 115 lbs; a comparable Oldtown Discovery canoe is 16'9" long, 37" wide, and weighs 91 lbs. I'm fairly certain that both boats would paddle at very similar speeds. Videos of the Waterlust often show two adults in it so I'm confident that one adult and a child would be fine. Comfort in camping is, of course, very much based on the attitude and expectations of the campers. But the 400 lb payload certainly suggests that it can cary the two of you and your camping gear.

Life is full of gambles, but this is an easy one. Build the Waterlust canoe. It will certainly work for your camping trip -- especially since you already love it.

RE: Waterlust canoe paddling performance

   I own a Waterlust canoe, but I have installed the Hobie Drive for alternative  propulsion to sails. The Hobie Drive is quite nice and I would estimate you can get a constant speed of 3 knots out of it. Paddling down river might be ok, too, but given it's rather wide beam for a canoe it doesn't paddle very comfortably if you don't want to use the Hobie Drive and there is only one person paddling. I guess though that two adults sitting on opposite sides of the side decks can paddle the canoe well (haven't tried that). Two persons fit well in the canoe if the second person sits on the aft deck with the feet in the cockpit and the second on a chair inside the cockpit. 

RE: Waterlust canoe paddling performance

I'd have to think that traditional canoes, having open topsides, would be easier to paddle than a Waterlust?

My sole canoe experience was in an 18' Grumman some 50+ years ago, we paddled from both ends while kneeling or sitting on the caned seats.

With the Waterlust's decking it might be less user-friendly to paddle, in that you can't really get too close to the gunwale? I suppose with long-enough paddles it would work.

My expectations - once I get my kit built then water-borne - is first the Hobie drive then the sail option, finally maybe a pair of sweeps fitted to bronze oarlocks.

Stay tuned....

 

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