Submitted: 09-20-2000 by SI
My brother and I tried the 2 Castines (no rudders) a local outfitter rents on our midwestern river. We have a nice drop, with frequent Class I riffles interrupting the flatwater stretches. More importantly one must dodge downed trees and sweepers, or slalom through just the right channels to stay off the bottom. The Castines were a nice balance between maneuverability and speed, much faster than the Loons that he rents to most customers. We did 8 hours plus, covering double the typical daily distance on the river in surprising comfort. We also noted the leakage problems mentioned by others. The outfitter will be providing aprons in the future. You wouldn't want to roll this one, but our river is often only a foot or two deep anyway. It's a fun boat for playing around on our little river, because it's fast enough to eat up the flatwater stretches but easy to steer around obstacles. WAY better than most of the tubs in this price range. With a rudder I think it would even be an economical cruiser. Just caulk up those bulkheads! 9 out of 10 because it's a great boat for the price. |