Handled like a charm during my 30 minute paddle on the Ottawa river tonight.

I did not find it tippy and it was quite nice
to paddle with a single paddle.

With a double blade ( borrowed from my kayak) it will
be likely sweeter but I wanted to know how she paddled with
the single paddle


MEC has a demo Old town in the Ottawa store and will gladly arrange
a test drive for anyone interested on a Tuesday night between
6-8 pm at Westboro beach (Ottawa River just west of Island Park )

Now , if only they would rent the Old Town ( even this store model)
then I'd be sold after a 2-3 day trip

But then again.. I might just drop in and see about what discount
I'd get on the store model that has been test driven ( I'd put
more scratches on it the first day anywys. Just can't wait till
14th June or at the latest the 24th/25th and I don't want to wait
from delivery once my mind is made up.

Freedom 55 will see me with this solo canoe unless I find the other solo I want to try is a better craft ( But I think I'm sold on the Old Town!!! Price, weight, handling and durability)

Wooo-Hoooo.... Black Fox is calling as well as Bluff and then Litt McCauley for sure

Then perhaps a real test on Opeongo and test the fishing in Mamot, Baldwin, Minnow
and Myra.. 1-2 day trippin and the opportunity to restock at AO and get
a shower and a icecream if so inclined. I think Opeongo may see Racoon in later Aug /
Early Sept in a solo after checking the portaging first before trying a waves handling test

Now I'm working on yoke ideals (slip onto/over Gunnels ) or perhaps from seat to front thwart (would eliminate the sore bump on the back of neck after a long carry
even with a contoured ash yoke and resemble the old days of paddles
between thwarts before we could afford to buy a yoke!





*Rac n*

Well you could not have fallen in love with more of a bathtub than that boat.

Its not a pack canoe but a utility solo. Its going to have the potential of giving you a real workout. Simply put it is slow with that length to width ratio.

It might be a better to shop second hand for a used solo.. I understand that many kinds of solos are hard to get a hold of. But dont let that shopping get in the way of your trip.

By the way Old Town overestimates the burden of the canoe. Halve the listed weight capacity. If you go for the full capacity, the boat is logy to the max. It wont sink but it wont sing either.

Yes I have paddled one and promptly put it on my "paddled that not interested list". But I have access to probably a hundred different models and brands of solos.

Good luck with that on Opeongo..may the wind gods be with you. The OT Pack is simply speaking a turtle.

Ok, so it's short and a bit wide in the beam, but at a suggested retail price of $799 US, which works out to be under $900 CAN, for the Pack Canoe I can see the attraction. For comparison, you would have to get an Opsrey in the Carbon Fusion version to have a comparable weight canoe (32lbs listed for the Osprey compared to 33 lbs for the Pack Canoe. That Carbon Fusion version lists at $2,975 CAN.

___________________________
No your other left!
www.loonislandoutdoors.com

Wooo- Hoo... I am a bit excited,
Yesterday was a better( well actually great ) day and
I have to share with others my decision

I will hopefully buy the Old town Pack Canoe on Sunday
14 June 2009 (God willing and if the creek don't rise any higher)

Then the week/day got better eventually ... IMHO

Sadly the week started poorly with her family concerns
but she received her official confirmation yesterday
that finally came. My daughter starts work on 3 Aug 2009
as an epidimiologist now that her masters is mostly behind her
and then she will get a bump up the ladder once her thesis is complete.

Ooops.. I wandered..... Back to Old Town saga...
If nothing else, I must tell Kayamedic and Rob W.
thanks for your feedback.


BTW: I know that it might make a great LIGHT bathtub but one that is easily portaged as she weighs in a 33 lbs.
I wonder if the initial feedback qualifies Old Town Pack for the Vancouver to Victoria bathtub race .

If not then I must be content with tubbing in lakes like Bluff,Blackfox and Myra!

Raton Laveur



*Rac n*