I am writing about a used Blackhawk Starship I acquired about six years ago to meet my need for a solo BWCA tripping boat. I have done several BWCA trips in this boat and love how it paddles and meets my needs. My boat is maroon, and has the ICS system (ICS = Integrated Component System) with canted, cane seat.
Previous to this boat I did all my solo BWCA trips in a Blackhawk Zephyr. However, after surviving the BWCA Independence Day storm of 1999 I decided I needed a bigger boat that could more easily haul my packs as well as handle bigger lake waves. I put out a "wanted ad" for the Starship and was fortunate to find one in excellent condition.
I love my Starship for a couple reasons. First, it is a fine paddling boat, one that responds to leans and body english well. Second, it handles big water under load well. Only once have I had it shipping small amounts of water in what were really somewhat extreme conditions. Finally, I have modeled the boat to better meet my needs, but I also take pride in owning and paddling a boat that is essentially a collector's item since Blackhawk Canoe Company has long been disbanded.
If you ever come across one of these boats I can highly recommend it. I didn't give it a "10" because it is a tad heavy in its current layup. This is a great boat and I have no regrets about owning it. You won't either if you chance upon one...
