Weak opinion
Posted by: Glenn_MacGrady
on Oct-22-12 5:39 PM (EST)
Weak because I have only been in each boat for short period of time, never with a load.
I don't really care for either boat, but I dislike the Wilderness less. The Wilderness can hold more gear and I like bigger solo boats. The Wilderness probably tracks more firmly, but that's sort of irrelevant to me.
The Argosy, on these canoe boards, seems to be either loved or hated. My impression is that it was made to be more of a river boat, but I wouldn't trust its hull shape in real rapids -- pinched bow and low tumblehome -- and it might bog down with a heavier load more so than the Wilderness, and hence might not be all that much more maneuverable on a river.
On many slow or blackwater rivers you don't really need to maneuver that much by heeled turning. Real WW is a different story, but I wouldn't consider either hull for that.