Weekend Expeditions: Connections Across Maine

More of why we paddle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWFSZR4uZ0w

The Passage

Great film about two brothers who were some of the earliest modern paddlers to do the inside passage.


https://youtu.be/kie-a5q8bIE

Understanding Adventure

A must watch for anyone who wants to travel.

I Bough a Savage River Falcon

My new Savage River Falcon ready for its maiden voyage.

Sometime last year I started talking with John Diller, owner of Savage River. They make canoes and other paddle craft. He had developed two new canoes capable of being used for the WaterTribe Everglades Challenge, the solo Falcon and the tandem Osprey. This peaked my interest but being one who plans way ahead I was already committed to doing the race with my daughter in a boat we both know well. Using a Savage River canoe with no seat time in the March 2018 event wasn't something I was comfortable doing. John, interested in the challenge, drove down for the start with a Falcon and Osprey in tow. We chatted some more and I took the Falcon out for a test paddle. I liked it. It fit a gap in my current stable of boats. I saw it as one that could do marathon distances, regular workouts, and local short races. By April I put in an order for a new boat with the intention of using it in the 2018 Everglades Challenge.

Over the course of next couple months John and I worked out the details. Stuff like layup, cockpit size, coaming measurements, rudder configuration, and other little details. I would say, "John, build me a Savage River designed boat and I will paddle it." John would answer, "All my boats are custom." There was truth in that. Savage River is not your run of the mill canoe manufacture pumping out overweight recreational boats. John and his company make hand crafted high end boats out of space age materials using the latest techniques meant to reduce weight and maximize strength. They are primarily known for racing canoes. Go to the website for the biggest race in the country, https://www.ausablecanoemarathon.org/, and you will spot his logo on many of the boats in the pictures. When I go to my local events run by Florida Competition Paddlers Association (FCPA) several of the fastest single blade paddlers are paddling Savage River canoes.

My boat still in the mold. Outer layer is carbon. Inside is Kevlar.

Hull without the deck installed.

John working on the final details.

I learned that Savage River builds quite a few boat each year. A few months went by as they built other boats that were ordered before mine. Now, here in mid August I am the exited to own my own new boat. Saturday I switched out the stock rudder cables for Dyneema, which is a lighter high strength fiber line.

The cockpit  and coaming.

This morning I dropped the boat in my local river and went for my first paddle. Here are my first thoughts. The Savage River has a highly adjustable seat. You can go forward and aft or up and down. I started with the seat in the highest position but quickly decided I wanted it down in the 2nd highest position. I set the seat position forward/aft to the balance point where I was holding the boat after taking it down from my truck. This was a good first guess but I may slide it a bit more forward when carrying a multi day load of gear since most of it will be in the aft section. Why aft? Unlike my other boats the Falcon is asymmetrical. Its wider in the stern than the bow. It give the boat a narrow entry and look to it but the volume in the stern is surprisingly large. The beam of the boat is narrower than my other expedition canoes but still very comfortable.

When having the boat built I asked John to to make the gunwale, coaming high, and coaming width the maximum that would work this hull design. The though being that I wanted the boat to be as seaworthy as possible for the Everglades Challenge. I am very happy with the way it turned out.

Here I am with my Savage River Falcon in the water for the first time. Balance and seat hight felt good.

Sliding the boat into the water was a joy due to the boat weighing 36 1/2 lbs. Easing into the seat I was pleasantly surprised by the initial stability with a light load. The Smart Track rudder was doing its job well too. I took off on a 5 mile test run in protected water. Speed felt good and while  out of my training routine due to a hectic work schedule I felt good pushing the pace. 4.5 to 6 mph speeds were the norm for me but there was a light current helping those numbers out. The boat felt more than fast enough for me to be able to put in 45 - 60 miles a day during a WaterTribe event.

I am exited to be in a new Falcon. I will share more as I start adding some rigging, training, and hitting some local events. If you want to learn more about the boat you can check it out here: Savage River Falcon

Mississippi By Canoe

One of the best made canoe films I have run across. This is what you get when a retired journalist sets out on an expedition.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aoFVA1vmPs

Sailing Zatara

This is a YouTube series about a family that sold their house and are sailing around the world. They begin with no sailing experience. The videos share what they learn and experience along the way. They are about 1/2 way through at the time of this post. Very well done episodes.

The Basics of How to Rig a Sea Pearl by Out-Island Explorers

Good video for anyone looking for a Sea Pearl 21