Submitted: 08-30-2012 by Ski-Patroller
The Appalachian is our all around favorite canoe. It is designed as white water tandem, but is quite easy to paddle on lakes also. Ours is equipped with air bags and thigh straps and we mostly paddle kneeling, or at least one knee down. It is a very dry boat in white water, and turns waves on windy lakes well also. Compared to a Dagger Legend we rented it is much dryer, and it did not oilcan at all.
My wife and I have no problem making it go straight in flat water, although it is certainly not a fast lake boat. It can be a handful in a wind, since the slight rocker and round bottom let it blow around and make leeway in a side wind, but it still stays pretty dry.
If we do serious WW we have two large cargo bags full of plastic peanuts or gear, that strap into the center of the boat, to supplement the bow and stern bags. The rest of the time the middle is occupied by a Labrador Retriever that alternately swims and rides. We have no trouble getting her back in the boat in the middle of a lake. |