lilnorthfork
05-25-2005, 11:06 AM
A couple Ifishers asked how the 14' RapidCat handled on my recent John Day and Deschuttes trips so I thought I would make a few comments here. Please feel free to reply or pm with questions. Although a 14' toon is a pretty big boat, I was wondering if it would be big enough to handle two guys and gear (and a half of a canoe) on a multiday trip, especially since Bruce builds his boats first and foremost for fishing. The short answer is... no problem. There was plenty of room for a cooler, a dry box, drybags, chairs, etc.... not to mention two styly cup holders on one side of the seat and some handy storage on the other side. One look at my friend's 16' Aire/NRS cat and I was thinking I needed more toon - not true.
The second question was how would the boat handle fully loaded. I got to row both boats pretty extensively over the four days on the John Day and found the difference to be night and day. Although it was really stable on the water, the Aire required plenty of advanced setup. On the other hand, the RapidCat handled like a sportscar and quick adjustments in the middle of the bigger rapids were a piece of cake. In other words, it was a blast.
If I was spending 16 days in the Grand Canyon with two or three people and gear, I might be inclined to want the bigger boat. Yet, I would never take that big boat on the coastal rivers. My personal opinion was the RapidCat was the best of both worlds... great for fishing and more than adaquate for multiday trips.
Hope this helps.
lnf
Jon Stagnitti
The second question was how would the boat handle fully loaded. I got to row both boats pretty extensively over the four days on the John Day and found the difference to be night and day. Although it was really stable on the water, the Aire required plenty of advanced setup. On the other hand, the RapidCat handled like a sportscar and quick adjustments in the middle of the bigger rapids were a piece of cake. In other words, it was a blast.
If I was spending 16 days in the Grand Canyon with two or three people and gear, I might be inclined to want the bigger boat. Yet, I would never take that big boat on the coastal rivers. My personal opinion was the RapidCat was the best of both worlds... great for fishing and more than adaquate for multiday trips.
Hope this helps.
lnf
Jon Stagnitti