Nova Craft Canoe Co. New 14 Ft. Solo Prospector Review/Test Run
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- čas přidán 26. 06. 2024
- The Happy Camper and his dog Angel head out on a canoe trip to an Ontario Crown Land Lake to test out Nova Craft's new 14 ft. solo prospector. See all the good and bad points about this new design.
www.novacraft.com/
www.novacraft.com/canoes/pros... - Zábava
Thank you Kevin for giving me something to watch, other than the US presidential debates. Your release timing was perfect.
Kevin, as always, thanks for sharing. Good information about the NC Prospector. Blessings on your quest. Your students are lucky to have you and the school has a gem of a professor. Have a blessed summer!
So nice of Kristina to tell you to get the heck outdoors to chill and relax. Hope it helped as being in nature usually does. I’m sure something will definitely come to you for a job. You are so educated and have so much to offer. So sad that they cancelled all the important environmental courses😡. Great video and thanks for sharing ❤️
Reminds me of when I switch boats. You find what works well in one boat (dog, packs, etc) doesn't work so well in another and it causes stress. Because of my health (have use of 1 lung only) a light boat became a requirement. I paddled a Next and a 119 for a decade+ then switched to a 44# Argosy in Royalex. To me its the ultimate Pennsylvania solo boat. Ignorance is my fear, as I have yet to paddle a Kevlar/composite boat because you know, a glacier came through Pennsylvania a millennia or so ago, LOL. We love rocks!
I am a day tripper but always packed to be out overnight just in case. So for me its the get home pack (stove, axe, saw, first aid and poo kit and tarp) and the other pack is extra clothes, wool blanket and backup knife. The two bags and 1 cooler allow me to setup the ballast as needed for the conditions. I never realized how fat a 17" Prospector was till I went to the Next. And though I am not in a hurry, I love the efficiency of the boats that are less than 33" wide. Its easier for the old disabled guy like me to go in the wind. Love your channel.
Paddle on!
Your portrayal of a solo trip is spot on! Which stirs me to get out there !
Hey Kevin. Such a shock about the college. Stay strong, opportunities will arise. This was an amazing video and I'm so glad you take us on these adventures.
So nice seeing you do a solo trip with your dog! I am enjoying your longer videos greatly!
Thanks. More to come.
"now it's time to take on the world... Or whatever" 😂 absolutely loved that. Fun trip Kevin! The no-bug zone really carried its weight with all those nasty flies. Even got a few nice small mouth!
The bug zone was a savour on this trip.
New chapters can be daunting. Wherever you land, they will be lucky to have you. Enjoyed watching your trip. Thanks for sharing.
Kevin, when one door closes another will open. Thanks for sharing your trip.
the music while you were setting up the tent -👍
Looks like a good trip. Good luck with the job hunt, hopefully change will be a good thing for you.
First heard about your employment prospects on paddle adventure radio. With your skills, expertise, knowledge, passion and enthusiasm, people will be queuing at the door to offer you employment. All the best from a dedicated follower here in the UK.
Thank you Kevin, sorry to hear about the cuts at Sir San. All the best in dreaming your next adventures. You are a teacher in lots of different ways. Thanks Angel too. Susan
Great video Kevin.
I was in your neck of the woods last week.
Love that humidity.
Plan on getting out this weekend for a paddle.
Got rid of my kayak last year and bought an Esquif Adirondack.
Love the pack boats.
Best of luck with your future endeavors.
Looking forward to your next adventure video.
Cheers
How do you like the Adirondack? I don't know anything about that canoe.
@@TheHappyCamper Hi Kevin
I actually like it a lot.
Couldn’t use a kayak anymore.
It’s made in Quebec and the hull material is T-Formex.
The boat weighs 40 lbs.
Esquif Canoes is the manufacturer.
That looked like a great getaway and a good test of the new canoe. In my opinion, with a medium size dog and gear a 16 foot prospector is the minimum for safety and comfort. My prospector has a 34 inch beam that I find to be a nice middle ground width. But without a dog your canoe could be a rocket if properly loaded. I appreciate the challenges of filming with the dog in the boat. Good job! Thanks for filming and sharing. Trevor.
Thanks. I'm going to take it out without the dog this week and check the differences.
Sad that Flemming is going down that path. They were well known for the outdoor programs.
You will find something!!
I'm sure you well land on your feet Kevin with the job situation. Now the pack situation, maybe you need to have Andy build a bag and barrel combo unit?
Enjoyed watching this one!! Your commentary is so funny - love the way you deal with life's challenges... I can promise you, something great is coming up in the horizon for you... Oh, and by the way, I will be on a solo trip (my first ever) soon :)
Good luck on your first solo trip. It can be addictive.
@@TheHappyCamper thanks Kevin
I dont align with you politically but your one of my heros, i love your stuff and its so informative, everything is captivating.
I have a clipper solo prospector 14, love it for big water, salt water, big waves, so much control and maneuverability. Perfect for double blade with a low seat. Still fits 2 dogs. I do walk on the gunnels to get in the canoe, you'll get it with practice. Trust the secondary lol.
Thanks for sharing 🎉
Cool thanks for sharing.....
Hope your job situation works out. And yes you can take on the world. What other choice do we have?
Great Kevin! Had a Swift 14 Prospector delivered to US. They are fast! Recovering from injuries. Using a Mad River Screamer 84’ 16ft solo to exercise shoulders- Really fast carbon double blade with folding seat on floor of Shallow V hull. Have you ever come across one of those in your travels? They aren’t maneuverable due to lack of any rocker.
I haven't tried one but have paddled with people that owned one. It was darn fast.
In my Swift 14' Solo Prospector I put most of my weight in the back. Big dry bag backpack and food barrel in the back. Then just my snacks dry bag which usually also has my dogs food and snacks, and maybe the odd other stuff tossed in with it in the front along with my dog. Seems to balance out just right. But it is tough getting the weight down and balanced just right. I have the adjustable seat height in my canoe so I like the double blade down low like a pack boat but for fishing I like the higher seat height and going slower. But cool to see the Nova Craft comparable model.
Thanks for the info on your packing system. It's helping me figure out mine for the next trip.
I would need a 15 ft prospector minimum with the gear I carry. I have good gear, but it's not ultra light gear. I like to carry lots of fresh food, at least for the first few days, and this is bulky. So I don't go very far - just enough to get away from the crowd. 3 or 4 days is my optimum trip time. I can see this 14 ft canoe being the choice for someone who has ultralight gear and for someone who can't carry a heavy load. A small dog would be an ideal companion in a canoe this size😊
Hi Kevin, I’m an elementary teacher in Woodstock and I would love to book you for a presentation in the fall. I’m sorry you’re stressed about work but I would like to help you out with that!
Thanks for the offer. I present to a lot of schools. Keep in touch and I will see what my schedule is for the fall soon.
@@TheHappyCamper ok, sounds good. Hopefully I could get you booked at multiple schools!
Kevin as a 72 year old senior I must say money is just a nuisance. First and foremost you're healthy and can physically do what you enjoy and you have lots of gear accumulated over the years.. You just need friends of which you appear to have and a little gas money to get to the trailhead. I have a Clipper 14' prospector in kevlar that would twin your canoe. I find the extra long double blade paddle 240 cm to be a blessing. I can keep up to younger paddlers on an ordinary day but it really shines in when paddling into a head wind. It compensates for the muscle loss we all experience. Good luck on the job hunt.
I've never paddled a Clipper 14 Prospector. Sounds like an awesome canoe. Clipper is a good company.
If I didn't know what canoe you were paddling I would swear you had my Swift Osprey. Everything you mentioned is exactly the same. The removable yoke is a pain in the butt on multiple portages. Barrel in the front, pack in the back. No dog though. Definitely getting your feet wet. Looks like the Prospector is a bit wider. Not a fan of double blading either and as you say, I am not in a hurry.
See you on Sunday
I get that prospectors are legendary for being able to paddle them backwards for solo, but I have to put in a shoutout for john winters and swift here. I own the little-known and under-appreciated mattawa, used it as a tandem initially but years later it became my first solo canoe. Because, it came rigged with a kneeling thwart from swift. I never would have thought to rig a kneeling thwart myself, because i never would have thought it would be comfortable enough to use for more than a few hours. But since it was there, I tried it, and it worked. So that's how you can solo a tandem asymmetrical.
The Mattawa was a great canoe. I used one while guiding in Temagami years ago.
what is your preferred way of seats being hung for a solo? tractor seat/ flat even web/ tilted web. i dont something else i'm forgetting?
you have probably forgotten more than most of us will ever know about paddling.
I like a flat seat. My knees get uncomfortable on a tilted seat - but the tilted seat does give you more balance. had a tractor seat in one of my old Wenonah canoes. They were more comfortable than I thought they'd be but it was a tandem canoe.
You didn't show us a lot of the new canoe mate , i would've liked to see video of you paddling with you and the entire craft in the picture ... how does it paddle compared to a 16 footer be more work to make it glide i imagine ? anyway thanks Kevin !
I plan to do a video this week showing it paddling on the water compared to the Fox. My film buddy is going to help.
I would put a fixed carrying thwart in it and move the seat back enough, this way your body weight is back and the pack in front will balance out, you can still kneel at the seat and scoot up the thwart to shift weight in a head wind. Looks like a fun little boat, I suspect it would not be kind to stand and pole it though, I really like my Swift 15 as a solo and my little Old Town Hunter with its seat similar to what I suggest.
I just recently got a solo boat too and that was my exact plan. Unfortunately, while I did check with the manufacturer about how to do this, I didn't do it until after I bought the boat. They informed me there is an extra wide foam rib right under the seat, designed to carry the extra weight just there, but if the seat were moved backwards the force from the weight would be falling on a normal rib or even in between ribs, and there would be no guarantee of the long term durability. So, I had to give up on that plan, and instead I got real good with that removeable thwart. It's ok if the ports are about once per hour on average or less. Still, there is clearly a market niche for a lightweight solo rigged with a fixed thwart and the seat behind it. As you note, that rig simultaneously solves the pack/load/trim problem at the same time. Can't believe no one's done it yet.
@@jb1934 I would risk the move/mod to the canoe.
Is it a 15 Swift Prospector or a Cruiser?
@@TheHappyCamper Oh opps the Swift is a Prospector.
@@downeastprimitiveskills7688 I am going to add a fibreglas rib layer of some sort, once the boat is no longer 'new-ish'' and have a go at it.
Great review Kevin. Thanks for convincing me not to buy this boat.
Kevin what is the brand of footwear are the yellow sandals.
Keen's new Hyperport H2 Sandal. I just got them before the trip. They are incredibly comfortable.
@@TheHappyCamper thank you very much
Does this mean the end of the 15ft prospector?
I doubt it. The 14 is a totally different design.
What happened to "no more ballcaps"?
Very good point. I did buy a new hat for the season but I gotta ween myself off the ball cap while fishing. Old habits die hard.
Good luck Kevin...Just remember the motto of the Whitehorse Star...Illgeliatum non carborundum Don't let the bastard get you down...John SCAAT Forest Tech class of 74
74. Wow. I am a Forest Tech 84
Don't know about the canoe , but you sure know how to solo paddle
Thanks, Alex.
You won’t use the double blade 😄
🖐😎👍🛶
Dogs are good company but they do take away the spontaneity of a solo trip.
Too buggy.
*Kevin, I don't remember you replying to anyone so far, but I hope that you'll read this and fix the problem before too late. You're an official ambassador for the brand, therefore you have to disclose that (description & video insert). First, it's a question of integrity, Second this video ranks in the "contain paid advertising". Failing to this can get you booted from CZcams. And as said.... it's a question of integrity.....*
Thanks for the note. I am a little confused at the point. This is not a paid promotion. I write reviews of gear for Explore Magazine - and this is a review. Yes, I am an ambassador for Nova Craft, and they are good friends of mine for a long time. But no money was exchanged for this. They did let me borrow the boat to review it, and it will be returned (or I will buy it from them). That's the rules when you write a review for a popular magazine - hence the Explore logo at the beginning and not a Nova Craft logo. If I was paid for this then I would certainly tell people that.
@@TheHappyCamper I'll send you an email to explain in details. You're a good guy and it's not complicated to do it right. Cheers :)
@@TheHappyCamper Done! (sent to your personal email address)
Nice one, Kevin. It looked like you got a fish on every cast. 🙂👍🛶🏕️
The fishing was incredible. I should have brought a net LOL