Submitted: 06-17-2003 by Rifester
I spent nearly a year looking for THE boat to fit my needs. I found what I was looking for in the Vagabond. The Vagabond and I have a couple hundred river miles, 1 BWCA 5 day trip, 1 Superior National Forest 5 day trip, and many days exploring and fishing local lakes here in Minnesota. This boat is not suitable for heavy tripping and feels very sluggish when loaded with 5 days of gear, myself(175lb), and my dog Bubba (30lb+gear). It is suitable if you take the occasional trip and pack lightly. For my needs it tracks sufficiently well yet is very agile. It is not the fastest boat, but does have decent speed and some glide. I was really torn between the Vagabond, Wildfire, and the Merlin. I really liked the Vagabond compared to the Wildfire for its added stability(for fishing and bringing the dog). The Wildfire, however,is an awesome boat and I would certainly suggest you test paddle it. If I were to become more interested in camping and tripping I would have gone with the Merlin for addded capacity and length. But for my couple of trips per year, the price, and performance I am pleased with the Vagabond. |