Odyssey

I bought my Odyssey in 1990, Tuf-weave with a white gel coat. It’s heavier when compared to the Kevlar version, but I was younger & stronger, so weight was less of a consideration. It was billed back then as the ultimate tripping boat, and a marathon racer, if I recall. I’ve paddled it in Quetico and on the NW & Scenic Missouri River. Designed by Eugene Jensen. My daughter & I did very respectably in a local river race. It was the predecessor to the Minnesota II & really is the same by a different name. Round bottom, so tippy feeling, at first, especially when paddled empty. At 18’6”, it is not a beginner’s choice. I love mine.

The Kevlar version is light and tough. The boat is high volume, long and fast but it is not for beginners. The rounded bottom lends to high speed but also requires some decent handling skills. For high-speed transit across large bodies of water, with boat loaded or unloaded, this design is ideal. Have had a lot of fun also adding some extra flotation and taking the Odyssey out as a single paddler on New England lakes. If you get too enthusiastic and tip it over, the hull design and light weight make the thing easy to right.

I have a Kevlar Odyssey with a foam core. At first, trying it out on a lake around the corner with two adults and two (small) kids, it seemed a but unstable (and I'm used to whitewater boats), but once we put an additional 5 gallons of water for ballast it settled right down. The round bottom makes it fast, and it has great final stability, but unless it has enough weight in it, it can seem a bit tippy. So, use it as intended.

This boat loves weight and is very fast. With two adults, two kids, and all gear for 3 days the boat was as fast or faster than a 17' Mad River Explorer with only one paddler vs. two in the Explorer--my daughter was still nursing and I ended up providing most of the motor power for a good chunk of the three days.

On the second day we had to head almost directly upwind with 2-3' waves. With just a little quartering of the waves the boat handled the conditions perfectly, and, with a skin coat it only weighs 45lbs. Easy to portage, even with a pack. After several years I still love it.