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(Fiona) wrote:

i am not new to paddling.
capella is a great boat but likely much to small.
the capella weight capacity likely caps at 170 or 180 lbs for comfort.
bigger guys or women who are experienced canoists can paddle it well
but if they are just entering the sport the initial tenderness of the
craft could drive then away before the joy of paddling can be
realized.

That's exactly what I was thinking. I paddled a bunch of Brit style boats
at the WCSKS last weekend. All too tippy for my big inexperienced torso.
Exception was the Tempest 180 proto.

I only paddled it briefly a month ago, but the Solstice GT XL seemed to be
at the other extreme. Very stable, relatively slow, stiff tracker, doesn't
edge turn that well. I'm inexperienced at edge turns, so a more experienced
person might get it to turn better. But the Eddyline Nighthawk 17.5, for
example, edge turns very well for me. Only problem with the Highthwawk
17.5 is that the cockpit is huge, and the boat's a little on the slow site.
Not enough contact with the body unless you're built like a professional
linebacker.

TallGuy, you should only take our comments as food for thought. Definitely
paddle them and see what you think. If possible rent some boats for a day.
Many shops will deduct the cost of up to two rentals from the price of a
new boat.

In a ruddered boat, I really like the Northwest Discover hull. Pretty
fast, turns well, fits a big guy. I would put a Seal Line foot peg and
rudder system on it. I was talking to the Northwest designer at the
symposium. I think the factory will retrofit better footpegs for you upon
request, and for an added charge of course. Thigh braces would also need
to be added if you want really good lean and sculling control and want to
roll some day. And you'd have to be ok with the Styrofoam bulkheads (I
think they still use Styrofoam.) The hull is great though, IMO

.

There should be other ruddered choices: Nimbus, Seaward for example.

--
Paul S.