Profile

The Shearwater is a very large solo (16') and nearly 31" wide. Mine is the exp. kevlar without skid plates. As far as solo canoes go... it's a Volvo station wagon, not a sport coupe. But, it's a very secure and classy ride.

As others have noted, it's not fast. I row it with spoon blades (7 ft oars) and a medium effort yields only 4 mph. I doubt I could row it 4.5 mph for more than an hour or two. Light cruising effort in flat conditions gives about 3.5 mph. So a Prism or Magic are about 10-20% faster depending upon wave conditions. I'm guessing that it's the rocker that limits it's speed so much.

It's a great tripper and casual tourer kind of boat. Best suited to large guys (gunwales span 29.5") and large loads ... although does well empty too. Fine large boat ... just not a speedster.