This solo is large enough,…
This solo is large enough, 14' 10", for me to put plenty of gear in for camping. Yet its light enough for me to handle alone. A very swift canoe. I love taking it out with no load and getting in a workout or just easy paddling down a slow river. I found mine used about 20 years ago in paddling.com's classified. It is not for whitewater as it is hard-shelled. Best to all.
I finally got my hands on a…
I finally got my hands on a Goldenglass Autumn Mist after having heard from owners how they would never give theirs up. With a length of 14'-10" and a waterline width of 28",it is a small solo that paddles big. I was impressed with her glide and easy speed. The step-flared hull sheds water better than any hull I've been in. The adjustable seat that I needed to repair was worth the time to repair.(I had debated removing the seat and replacing it with simple drops and a cane bucket seat.)
Even as short as this boat is, being able to trim it using the slider made easy work of trimming the boat for both head and tail winds as well as uneven loading. If you like to spend your time watching the scenery go by instead of keeping the boat headed in the right direction, this is the boat for you. It has great glide, gets up to hull speed easily, doesn't wander from the direction you point it, prefers "sit-n-switch" only slightly more than corrective stroke paddling, turns best with a sweep stroke originating at the bow rather than a stern sweep stroke and fished really well letting me give more attention to the fish than what the boat was doing in the wind.
My only disappointment was in the location of the front thwart--it was too far away to read a map on a thwart bag and kept me from using the space for small packs or a 30l. barrel.
I quit solo canoe racing in…
I quit solo canoe racing in the late 1970s, I sold my racing canoe and bought a fiberglass Autumn Mist in the early 1980s. I have used it for a workout boat, fishing, river paddling, and open lake in calm and very rough conditions. It does nearly everything perfectly. The only negative characteristic I have found it that in paddling upstream in narrow, very winding Adirondack streams it is difficult to get the bow to turn into the current as you round the bend. A boat with more rocker and or shorter length would be called for. Autumn Mist is being made again. Google "Sawyer Autumn Mist".
Do not buy an Autumn Mist…
Submitted by:
paddler234538
on 5/24/2012
Do not buy an Autumn Mist expecting a rock solid tripper. It is a slender, tippy, elitist boat that needs as much work as a Rapidfire or Advantage. Absolutely horrible to try and fish out of, or even pour a coffee. This is another canoe that demands your attention 100% of the time.
Fine for a workout day boat, but not much use for anything else.
Overall a neat platform.…
Submitted by:
paddler232351
on 10/5/2007
Overall a neat platform. Clean lines, easy to handle. Would be a 10 if it had a better seat. Handles plenty of gear, and/or a big boy like myself. Light weight makes for easy carry and loading onto vehicle.
Sawyer builds (built) GREAT…
Sawyer builds (built) GREAT canoes. Along w/the Cruiser, Summersong and Shockwave, the Autumn Mist is a STAR at what it does best - flatwater lakes and easy rivers for medium large to large guys. NOT a fast downriver canoe for most persons, it turns well enough on most slower rivers. It handles a gob of gear and is quite fast on lakes. Just a great all-around solo canoe if you want stability, speed and decent river capabilities...
I have been paddling the…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 3/30/2006
I have been paddling the golden glass version of the Sawyer Autumn Mist for years. This is a very versatile and capable solo canoe for both open water and Class I streams. It paddles very easily with great glide so you can go for miles without getting tired. I have the adjustable seat and foot rest. For rough conditions the stability is greatly enhanced in the lower position but it can be raised for comfort on flat water. A highly recommended SOLO canoe for big water.
The Autumn Mist was my second…
The Autumn Mist was my second solo boat and my favorite and most used of the various canoes I have owned. As a heavy duty flatwater tripping boat it is superb. It will handle heavy water very well, will carry a surprising load, tracks well, and is very quick, considering its length. The sliding seat, which is adjustable up and down as well as back and forward, and adjustable foot rest allow great trim control for various load and wind conditions. It is remarkably stable and I have ridden out some pretty dicey squalls in it.
As one other reviewer stated, the sliding seat can be a bit of a potential hazard when carrying the canoe over your head, but that can be easily eliminated by clamping a simple spring-loaded woodworking clamp to the rail just behind or in front of the seat when it is in either the full back or front position. This will secure the seat when you are carrying the canoe.
As an all around flatwater solo canoe, I find it hard to imagine a better boat, especially when carrying a heavy load.
I bought my Autumn Mist in…
Submitted by:
paddler230810
on 9/20/2004
I bought my Autumn Mist in April 1984. Since then I paddled it many miles, mostly on lakes. Use the adjustable seat to compensate for wind and waves and it's very seaworthy. It is not the best choice for rivers given the glass hull. It's a great boat, too bad they don't make them anymore.
Have put about 100 miles on…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 4/26/2004
Have put about 100 miles on the boat last summer. One BWCA trip with full gear and the rest day trips. Great lake boat. Handles well with a load of about 250#. I added partial spray skirts that further reduce wind effects, although the boat is pretty solid without them. It is real quirky in a following sea and wants to broach even when loaded. The sliding seat and load distribution helps but if can be a hand full off the wind in a seaway. Other than that it is a fine tripper and day boat on flat water. No WW in my world so I can't comment on that aspect of the boat.
'Twas owner/operator of…
Submitted by:
guest-paddler
on 3/17/2004
'Twas owner/operator of food-mart gas station & canoe dealer of sorts. Sawyer was 1 of many brand names I sold. Needed a solo canoe to work-out with to get seasoned fer big fall tandem canoe trip. Did sum research & think spent bout $800 on expedition kevlar Autumn Mist. I think 'twas tha name that sold me. Not a fan of over-priced, not all that, "kevlar". But be perfect match glove fit to this here Sawyer solo canoe. Fast & sleek with-out drag. Tha Mist moves just as fast quarteren big waves as it does riden on top with them safely. Portage a bit of problemo, cause of moven seat & parts but only 43 lbs. Just maybe, might skim along, faster than most kayaks but with more space opened fer gear load capacity. Mist-like, leaves trail of fallen fine rain in its wake to those who try to keep-up in tha Autumn of our lives.
I have used my glass Autumn…
Submitted by:
paddler230465
on 2/2/2004
I have used my glass Autumn Mist for 6 years now and would not trade it for anything. I canoe with a 95 # lanky, beautiful chocolate lab and the canoe handles beautifully for us, carrying dog, a week's worth of gear, and me in comfort and with ease. It manages well in wind, manouvers quickly when needed and tracks like a razor blade. Not a year goes by without a number of people making me an offer. It's an offer I can easly refuse. Great canoe!
I recently purchased an Autumn Mist and am extremely pleased with the way this boat handles. I just came back from a 4-day jaunt on the lower Wisconsin River and I found that the Autumn Mist handled waves and wind very well and was a pleasure to paddle. It will carry a surprising amount of gear for a small canoe and becomes very stable when loaded. I was easily able to keep up well with the other paddlers on the trip. I would highly recommend it to anyone and would buy another one for my son and daughter if I could find one!
The Autumn Mist is a great…
Submitted by:
paddler230361
on 9/17/2003
The Autumn Mist is a great solo boat. Tracks well, turns super, sheds waves, and has a surprisingly high load capacity for so short a boat. I use mine for hunting and on more than one occasion it has hauled me, my gear, and a deer with no problem. I take it out when it is so windy other canoeists stay ashore and it has never given me any cause for concern. I recommend it highly.
Have a goldenglass Autumn…
Submitted by:
paddler229737
on 6/13/2002
Have a goldenglass Autumn Mist for about 16 years now and loved every minute of it. It's fast, super stable, and AWESOME in winds and waves. If you've not paddled a solo in seas you won't believe the advantage you have. Have both a flat, bent and twin paddle for this boat depending on the circumstances and I have little problem keeping up on any paddle used.
I recently bought an Autumn…
Submitted by:
paddler229363
on 7/24/2001
I recently bought an Autumn Mist that was advertised on Paddling.net. I had wanted one for quite a few years. It is all that I had ever hoped for. It is fast and carries a good load. I use a double paddle (240cm) because I have a bad right shoulder. The boat seems to be made for one (my apologies to Cliff Robertson). I am short, short legged, 200 pounds and older (61), but I can make this boat move loaded or unloaded. In my opinion, it is a flatwater boat because my streams here are quite rocky and it would kill me to hear that beautiful hull scrapin over rocks. For streams I use a Royalex canoe. I highly recommend this boat to any knowledgeable solo paddler.
