Friday 5 November 2010

Sold! -- One Close Friend, memories not included (I'm keeping those)

November 5, 2010
January 30, 2011 -- Sold

2008 Wenonah Solo Plus canoe for sale, Kevlar® Ultra-light layup with black anodized aluminum gunwales, burgundy gel coat, and Super Seat. 45 lbs. 
Price: $1650.00 Canadian

Current price on the Wenonah Website (USA prices):

Feature Price
Kevlar® Ultra-light layup
$2399.00
Burgundy Gel Coat
$0.00
All-black aluminum trim
$100.00
Super Seat
$39.95
Total:
$2538.95


Here she is:

She is sitting on Anutz Lake and earlier in the morning I snapped this shot from her gunwales:

She is currently set up for solo paddling from the centre seat:

This was the view I had from that seat on that particular paddle:

You can see I have taken out the front seat. 

But the boat can be paddled tandem as in this shot:
That's one of the beauties of the Solo Plus. But I have to tell you, she shines best as a solo, and that is how I have mostly gone out in her.

Her is a shot that shows the excellent centre seat and how easily you can reach the water with her ample tumblehome:

So if you like a single blade style of paddling, she is well suited. But if you like to use a double blade, that is fine too:

One of the things I like most about her is the feeling of secondary stability and sea-worthiness. Here I am paddling her on Cedar Lake in a bit of a wind. Note the low profile which means she does not catch too much wind:

This boat has great lines, consequently I have taken just a few shots of her over the 2+ years I have had her. Here are a few of my favorites:
On McNair Lake
On Lower Campbell Lake
On Dickson Lake at Sunset (Thanks James, for washing her out while I took pictures. What a friend!)
River Near Claude Elliot Lake
Now that last shot was taken after we did some down-river paddling, and over the years she has, well, you know, grazed and tapped against a few rocks here and there. On this trip a tiny piece of Gel Coat came out and I patched it as some as I got home:

And in the interest of full disclosure, there are a few scratches on her. Here is a video to give you some idea:

Here are a few more shots of what her hull looks like the day I made this post:

And:

You can see a tiny hole in the gel coat there which I just discovered when I took these photos. Pretty minor, and a good polishing would bring her back to showroom shine in in no time. Most of the scratches are on the bottom, but there are a few above water line, and of course on the gunwales:

But all in all she is still in very fine shape. 

One aspect of the Solo Plus I really like is the adjustable seat. Here is a video close up of that feature:


The inside of the boat has been treated annually (sometimes more often) with 303 and is in good shape:


She has been stored on these horses the whole time I have owned her and in August I refinished the thwarts by sanding them down to wood and applying 4 coats of spar varnish.

Additional Info:


If you are interested in coming by to have a look, please e-mail me at: inboxonmars at yahoo.ca

I don't have the capacity to arrange shipping. You will need to pick the boat up in person.
Payment must be certified cheque or bank draft.

I am not flexible on the price, as I believe it is reasonable, and I follow the old Quaker idea that a price should be the price, no games or dickering. 

I'm not in any hurry and will amend this post to say "sold" when someone buys her. If it doesn't say that on this post, she is still for sale. This Canoe is now sold.

4 comments:

  1. I DO hope this doesn't mean you are no longer paddling your lakes!
    I don't want your reviews to end......
    I will spread the word on your canoe.
    It looks like it's in incredible shape and well loved!
    Glad you're keeping the memories:)

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  2. Hi Dawn,

    I am as keen on paddling, and on exploring lakes on Vancouver Island, as ever; and I will be keeping my Spitfire for probably 1/2 of my trips. The other half will be larger lakes and I want something a little faster for getting across the wide open reaches.

    So over the winter I am researching a replacement for the Solo Plus. I probably will make a post or two about that.

    The Solo Plus is actually a fairly fast hull, but compromised slightly for the option of being able to paddle it tandem. With the amount of paddling I do, it seems wise to have a more performance oriented hull.

    Thanks for the encouragement!

    Richard

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  3. Richard,
    Good luck with the sale my friend, it's sad to see a boat go, but exciting to see a new one come home.

    Just remember that these boats hopefully go on to people who otherwise would not or could not afford such a nice model, That is what happened to us and I am grateful that the previous owners decided to let us have it.

    mike

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  4. Thanks Mike,

    I'm going to post soon about my next canoe. It is fun to research and think about a new boat. Compensates a little for the thought of letting go of an old one.

    Glad you found a boat you like. It is a good feeling.

    Richard

    ReplyDelete