New Boats March 2005

Solo Time It’s strong, lightweight, fun to paddle, and it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg—Grumman has introduced the only solo aluminum canoe on the market. The 129S is 12 feet 9 inches long, 29.5 inches wide, and weighs 44 pounds. $749. (800) 477-2628; www.marathonboat.com.

Anniversary For 30 years, the Mad River Explorer has been the classic all-around canoe. Here’s a commemorative edition in Kevlar with slotted cherry-stained gunwales, cherry decks, cherry yoke, and cherry seat frames. $2,799. (336) 434-7470; www.madrivercanoe.com.

Rudder Souris River is trying something new—a Sealline rudder and three-piece Northwater spray deck so you can take your canoe into the biggest water. Rudder system, $395 installed; spray deck, $695. (807) 597-1292; www.sourisriver.com.

River Touring An agile new solo canoe designed by Dave Kruger for We-no-nah will be right at home on twisty rivers and streams. It’s 14 feet 6 inches long, with moderate bow rocker for crossing eddy lines. Three layups: $949; $1,349; $1,549. (507) 454-5430; www.wenonah.com.

Convertible The Scapa, from Bic Sport Kayaks, features a convertible cover that attaches to keep you warm and dry for sit-inside paddling and removes when you want to sit on top. Two thermoformed layups: $599; $949. (508) 291-2770; www.bicsportkayaks.com.

Surfin’ Fool The Squashtail, a new Corran Addison-designed boat from DragoRossi, is designed for big performance on ocean and river waves, with adjustable fins and stern. $1,400. Distributed in the U.S. by NRS. (800) 635-5202; www.nrsweb.com; www.dragorossi.com.

Breakthrough Robson’s new creek boat, the Prodigy, is made of Armerlite, the first thermo-composite material for boats. The fiber-reinforced plastic is lightweight, rigid, and impact-resistant. Price is still TBA. www.robsonusa.com.

Fun For All The Master TG from Pyranha is a recreational river-paddling kayak designed to make learning easy. It’s 8 feet 9 inches long and comes with a skeg for great tracking. $699. (828) 254-1101; www.pyranhaus.com.

Steep Creeks The Necky Crux is designed for tight, technical creek runs, with a responsive soft-chine hull, a peaked deck for better resurfacing, and energy-absorbing outfitting. It’s 7 feet 7 inches long and 25 inches wide. $1,049. 866-NECKY-87; www.necky.com.

Light Load The Hurricane Aqua Sports Phoenix is a thermoformed sit-on-top that weighs in at 34 pounds. It’s 11 feet 6 inches long and 28 inches wide. $649. (910) 293-2941; www.hurricaneaquasports.com.

Playtime The Ocean Kayak SideKick is a high-volume sit-on-top designed for you and your child to have fun safely. It is 12 feet long and 32 inches wide, tracks well, and is compact and stable. $569. (800) 8-KAYAKS; www.ocean kayak.com.

Classic The Bell Seliga Tripper was designed by north-woods legend Joe Seliga as a classic wilderness canoe. In KevLight, a new Kevlar laminate developed by Bell, the 17-foot boat weighs just 41 pounds. $2,745. (763) 631-2231; www.bellcanoe.com.

Kid-Sized The child-friendly Prijon Flipper is 11 feet 8 inches long, 22 inches wide, and weighs less than 20 pounds. It has a neutral, rounded hull with slight keel lines at front and back for a balance between tracking and maneuverability. $875. (303) 444-2336; www.wildwasser.net.

Fish On Perception is getting into fishing with the Caster, a fully outfitted sit-on-top. It has a multi-direction seating area and a stern area that can carry everything. It's 11 feet 4 inches long and 30 inches wide. $579. (800) 59-KAYAK; www.kayaker.com.