Eagle

I have to give this boat a 10 because that is what I gave my Swift Keewaydin 16, and I feel it is every bit as good or better than that boat. Mine is a Deluxe fiberglass layup weighing in at 65lbs. We bought it as a compliment to our Kevlar Fusion Swift - the Eagle should be a fair deal tougher and is noticeably stiffer.

The workmanship is excellent and the wood trim makes the boat look a treat. It is an extremely comfortable and sturdy craft as well. The generous radius on the ash gunnels feel nice when you push your knee against them or your hand brushes them with the paddle. This is in stark contrast to the harsh aluminum trim found on many lightweight canoes.

The Conk double contoured seats are excellent; extremely comfortable and properly placed. Every little detail adds up to be an amazing paddle. The hull shape is very similar to the Keewaydin and features the 'bubble' sides found on the Curtis Northstar, the current Swift Keewaydin, and the Eagle. The result is a boat with superb secondary stability and narrow paddling stations. It's no surprise both my boats have these - they make for a great hull.

The Eagle seems to have a bit of a magical quality about it though. It glides and tracks fantastically, yet turns very, very nicely. My only slight complaint is it's seaworthiness. For some reason, it seems the Keewaydin is a bit drier. We tested both back to back in some moderate waves and had more splash with the Eagle. It wasn't a major concern and a little water never hurt anyone.

Overall a fantastic tandem boat that anyone could paddle with ease.

This is an astounding craft. Hemlock Canoes are the next generation of Curtis Canoes, built by the well known upstate New York canoe maker and craftsman, Dave Curtis. The Eagle is a 16 1/2 foot prospector type hull, but with all the sweet design embelishments that make Curtis' boats stand out. Ours is the fiberglass version and goes about 65 lbs with the ash gunnels and thwarts. We have been paddling for years and have 7 carefully chosen boats in the family, this being the latest addition. She is a highly capable tandem that has great speed, and is also highly manueverable. Even with a load, it does not feel sluggish. Experienced paddlers will love this boat.

As a solo, she also shines. It has 36" of beam, but with tumblehome she is only 32" across the center yoke which allows me to settle into a very comfortable and stable Canadian style paddling. Dave has reduced the freeboard a bit to give her better handling in the wind, but did not sacrifice the dryness. For those familar with Curtis Canoes, the Eagle is essentially a longer version of his popular 13 1/2 ft. Ladybug, with all the performance and beautiful lines.

It also appears to be a very durable boat. We obtained ours from Hemlock, used, after it had spent two seasons in an outfitters fleet. It had been maintained after each season by Hemlock, but even considering its first two years, the boat shows no more indicators of wear and stress than some of our 8 year old boats.

We highly recommend this canoe. We realize that they may be hard to find because Dave only sells them from his shop, but it definitly worth the search.