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This is a very stable solo, initial and secondary stability and rough water handling are excellent: The load bearing capacity is perfect for a week at least of gear. The downside - with the aluminum gunnels and thwarts it resonates like (or worse than) aluminum in an inadvertent paddle bump, or hurried pry. Also not looking forward to the aluminum carry handles and gunnels when the cold weather arrives. But these can be tweaked with some pipe insulation. A large kneeling pad (half a sleeping pad of closed-cell) has helped dampen the noise. At about 215# for me alone, it is just fine. But still miss my royalite Mohawk.

Bought this little gem in Spokane, #4 in the canoe stable. This for lightness (35#) and durability. As a nature photographer I am frequently cached in gnarly places and this boat gets me to them. Rode like a cork in 2 foot swells, but I have added too much tallow and it is a bit shaky with 215# reaching around for cameras and lenses. It would be a 10 but I had to add Cliff Jacobson cutwater loops for tracking in hypershallow water. But few canoes are properly outfitted for tracking anyhow.

This boat has been taken down the Missouri along with tens of lakes. It oilcans badly, despite mfgr. hype that it does not. Came with a bad kerf gouge on wood gunwhale: Mfgr would not acknowledge letter or phone call. It is a good heavy water boat, or was: loaned it to a friend who went to Bowron and claims the crack that appeared was due to overflexing of the hull. Repaired with fiberglass on his trip. Canoe is lovely to look at, Prospector lines. Mid-speed at best, real good for family in flat water: On top of a wave it is a bit eery.