Last season our family ordered the Keewaydin 16 Pack Boat/Combi version that Bill describes and it has been the perfect family boat. We regularly have dad driving from the stern, mom in the bow, and a couple of small kids playing in the middle. Also useful has been dad paddling from the center position and managing kids; mom taking a break to read in the comfy stern pack boat seat, and a kid (or two if small) up front playing in the bow. We’ve even loaded up with three adults (1 of the 3 a Clydesdale), a small kid, and some day trip gear and had a great day on the river with no trouble keeping up with companions in kayaks. I’ve also used it for a number of solo paddles and some light tripping. It’s perfectly suited for this use. A little weight in gear cuts down the windage when paddling solo, but if using a kayak paddle it’s not really an issue even lightly loaded. Oh... and it’s gorgeous. I’d also note that working with the Swift team was a treat and their delivery to the mid-Atlantic area was impressively quick.
I've been a fan of Wenonah since childhood and was about to order a second canoe from them. However, it is obvious that the options provided by Swift far exceed other builders. Not only that, but the passion and build quality appear to be first class as well. My canoe loyalty might be changing, I'm going to give Swift a try and order a Keewaydin 16 Pack with a combi seat in it. Your boats really make me feel excited to own one, I wish I had known of your company earlier. -Will
The Prospector 15 is also a very stable boat, I removed my stern seat and solo from the bow in reverse, this gives me plenty of room between the seat the the center thwart, to stand and pole on lake, river and stream. I also stand and paddle with a longer paddle, as well.
Awesome boats. Looking forward to coming to Canada again in the not-too-distant future and buying one. Just can't wait for this pandemic to be over and get back to Algonquin Park.
@@TURBOINTEGRATYPER i ordered mine in September and it was delivered in January. Keep in mind I was shipping all the way to California so we’re worst worst case scenario.
Great job! I currently have several canoes. 1st OT tripper 17’ my main boat, just solid. 2nd mad river prospector 15’ eh, ok, I guess…. 3rd Nova 17’ fiber, no paint, great lite boat. Go to boat for weight and pack ability. I’ve been looking for some pack boats for over a year. OT has a decent pack boat but I may just have to see what yours is about. I enjoy your videos in detail, some of your designs just make sense! I guide and solo fish/Camp with clients within waters in PA, NY, OH, WV, and been taking folks way north of Valdor Quebec for 10 day canoe fishing trips for over 15 years. Some of my clients want to paddle solo pack boats so I need to get 4 of them. Is there some where I can demo them? I generally buy around 2 to 3 new canoe’s each year. I’m just getting more requests from people wanting to be guided but want to paddle solo. Let me know what you thinking would be best. Thank you, Gary Brown
Another excellent video. If I wanted to develop a skill poling a canoe, is there a particular Swift boat you would recommend for that particular use case? Likely in a heavy/wear resistant construction of course.
I'm having a hard time seeing if the Combi 15 has enough space for my gear when I'm soloing. The front and back seats take up a lot of space from gear and dog. Am I wrong?
If it's a Combi you can remove the bow/stern seats, so long as the centre seat and a thwart stays for structural integrity. That being said, the Pro 15 has enough room for gear and a dog between the bow/stern seats and the centre seat setup. Depends somewhat on how much gear and how big the dog, but I've never heard of someone not having enough space for solo needs.
