Profile

I’ve owned my carbon fiber Voyager for about 10 years, now. I paddle it 10 to 1 vs my tandem canoes, since I can just go, without a second paddler. I live near the Oconomowoc River which makes many turns in the Loew Lake stretch. Experienced paddlers will really like it. It’s not a novice craft. A quartering wind at the stern, when empty will test your ability. I’ve tripped with it, in Quetico, and as others mentioned, it handles well loaded. I had one difficult experience. The outfitter dropped us off in the middle of Saganaga, on a windy day, and put my pack & gear on the bow. With unbalanced trim, the waves at the stern ate me alive. I paddle it, locally, empty, with a Bending Branches Viper double bent shaft paddle & blow past most other paddlers. It satisfies the Need for Speed!

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.