Review of the Bluewater Mist

In December of 2010 I sold my Solo Plus and in July of 2011 I sold my old tandem canoe to make room for a new canoe that I hoped would fulfill my desire for a larger, more efficient, more wave-hardy solo canoe.

After months of research I ordered a Bluewater Mist from Peter Harris at Pacifica Paddle Sports in Victoria BC, Canada. In previous posts I wrote in some detail about how I finally decided on the Mist, and here, over a year since I began to paddle the canoe, I give a detailed review of the experience.

First some photos of the beautiful hull:

Bluewater Mist on Durrance Lake

Bluewater Mist on the Shore of Elk Lake

Bluewater Mist on Dickson Lake

Bluewater Mist on Westwood Lake

Bluewater Mist on Muriel Lake

Some Initial Glitches
I received the Mist towards the end of August, 2011, and was disappointed to discover a number of flaws with the hull which included manufacturing defects and damage from shipping. Both Peter at Pacifica Paddle Sports and Bluewater representative Brent Wood were quick to acknowledge the flaws and Brent offered a new boat to replace the one I had received, allowing me to paddle it until the new one arrived. I asked if the skid plates that were installed on the first canoe could be left off the second canoe, and was assured the new one would be skid-plate free. Putting skid plates on a performance boat like this seems like slapping cheap all-season tires on a Ferrari.

Upon hearing that I was looking for a foot brace and a lower seat, Brent also offered to customize the boat to fit my wishes.

Over the fall, winter, and spring I paddled the "first" Mist and earlier this summer I received the replacement boat. Along with the promised foot-brace and lower seat I was delighted to discover that the layup was done with a new carbon/kevlar material which looks nicer and feels like it reduces the weight by around 4 or 5 pounds.

The foot brace was exactly where I had asked it to be and the seat height precisely as requested. I believe that the boat was flawless leaving the build site, but unfortunately the transportation from Ontario to British Columbia gave the hull a good number of scratches, gouges, and dings.

Note the Foot-brace Location and Beautiful Gunwale Lines on the Bluewater Mist

So, regarding Bluewater as a company, A+ for responsiveness to customer concerns, A+ for quality of build (second time around), and C- for shipping and timely delivery. Mid-Canada Fiberglass, the parent company for Bluewater, also makes Scott Canoes and Impex Kayaks. The three businesses combined make MCF "Canada's largest canoe and kayak manufacturer" according to longtime retailer Frontenac Outfitters. It seems curious to me that a company of this size had such trouble getting the boat to Victoria -- over 10 months and many dings in the process. I know that shipping is a major challenge with canoes, and I have heard numerous horror stories about canoes from many manufacturers, not just MCF. It just seems sad to me that a boat of this value and quality receives such harsh treatment before it ever sees the water!

Regarding the build of the canoe -- while the first one was clearly not a good representation of the company's abilities, the second one is a thing of beauty and extremely well made. It is made with what I presume is the "Ultralite Carbon Kevlar" fabric and I have to say I really love it. Aesthetically it catches everyone's eye and for the type of paddling I do, the weight benefit is a big deal.

Ultralite Carbon Kevlar photographed under a bush, so the mottled look is from the shadows

I believe that the Ultralite Carbon Kevlar adds several hundred dollars to the price of a canoe, so I feel more than compensated for my transportation dings.

Lastly, I have to say that I particularly like the style of aluminum gunwale used by Bluewater, with the hidden rivets and smooth substantial feel. All and all the boat presents as a thing of quality and performance.

Price
My Mist cost $3,016.16. That includes $343.00 for shipping and $323.16 in taxes.Compared to the other boats on my list it ended up being more expensive than I anticipated, but in line with it's nearest competitor, the Swift Keewaydin 15. Both the Wenonah Argosy and Clipper Packer, would have been significantly less expensive and I know for sure that I would have been happy with the Packer. The Packer is, however, still shorter and less wave-hardy than the Mist.

The Paddling Experience
The first day I paddled the Mist I was perplexed by the difference between what I had read and what I experienced. The hull was efficient, but not as fast as I had hoped for; and the stability was also less than I had expected. I soon discovered, however, that it was because I was paddling the boat in a way that did not bring out it's inner strengths, so to speak.

The Mist begs to be paddled "hit and switch" style from the kneeling position. Once I shifted to this position the merits of the hull became immediately apparent. Here is a video of me paddling on Spider Lake. Note my sitting position and how at different times I lean forward, shifting my weight to my knees, to really get a good grip on the water for power strokes and turning.

Thanks to Paul for the able camera work!

In the silhouetted shot on the beginning of the next video you can see that I eventually learned to perform a standing draw and other maneuvering strokes in this minimally rockered canoe.

Once I discovered that the boat likes the weight slightly forward (in calm conditions), and can be leaned moderately in a brace or draw I began to love the feeling of control that had initially eluded me. Charlie Wilson warned that the boat was wet because of the "bubble" sides and said that it was tricky to heel over. I found this to be true, but discovered that I could heel it over a bit without freaking out, and while the minimal heeling did not produce the kind of turning results other more highly rockered canoes would deliver, it gave great access to the water and a solid feeling of control.

In a thread on the Canadian Canoe Routes forum Charlie said, "Outside heels, often not quite to the rail, start the bow carving into the turn, so the hull comes around more smartly." I have yet to master this maneuver.

So, after the initial feeling of being somewhat non-plussed, I found that the boat was a true pleasure to paddle, and even my favorite Indian stroke could produce respectable speed and enjoyment, as I think the following video demonstrates:

 In fact, despite my knowledge of psychology and the way that we grow to justify our decisions and like our purchases more over time -- even if they are not the best -- I think I can say that I have retained some objectivity in the matter.

I suspect that I might have been more impressed with the Swift Osprey or Keewaydin 15, as my preferred activity involves a lot of maneuvering and poking into nooks and tight places, but I sure appreciate the straight ahead tracking of the Mist when crossing large water, especially large windy water!

I have a technique I use now in which I pull out my Alton Aleut paddle and lean forward to cut down on windage and motor at a high cadence till I'm across the worst of it. Then I stow the double and take out my single again for pleasurable cruising. This is what I had envisioned for this canoe, and it has proven to facilitate comfortable paddling on larger lakes.

My Pros and Cons List for the Bluewater Mist 

Pros

Cons

Efficient short hull  -- so gets up to speed fast and feels fun doing it, Good tracking, Steeply angled internal float chambers for ease when washing it out, Slimline "hidden rivet" aluminum gunwales, Good fit and finish including smart looking gel coat and layup, Light (around 40 pounds) even with gelcoat, Unique styling (plum ends, step-flared bow) Can be paddled with speed using a double blade, especially an Aleutian style with a high cadence stroke.

Minimal undifferentiated rocker, so impossible to turn quickly, Not easy to do radical heeling without going swimming, and so turning is not much aided by this method, Designed for "hit and switch" paddling in the kneeling position, so sitting can feel unstable in rough water. Absent or outdated foot brace; and fixed seat height (NOTE: Canadian canoe manufacturers need to take a lesson from Wenonah who have the best braces and seats in this sector of the industry from my experience/perspective), Lack of good shipping method to Western Canada.

Summary
So, despite the problems with the first boat, and after giving the hull a long trial period, I can say that of all the canoes I have tried so far it is my favorite. I like it better than my Spitfire and better than the Rapidfire because there are multiple options for sitting/kneeling and it is well suited to both double and single blades.

It feels fast and responsive and just downright fun to paddle. I can sprint in it with a double blade or cruise for hours doing the Indian stroke with seemingly minimal effort. It turns reasonably well, though this is it's weakest quality. It looks classy with a unique style that sets it apart from other boats on the water -- certainly eye candy for me. One observer commented that it had a "pug nose" which I assume was in response to the relatively wide run just forward of the paddling station before it abruptly narrows to the end.

It is light, durable, and not too long to fit in my small house. That's right, I have it on the wall of my office, along with the Spitfire. Despite other newer designs this proven and slightly unusual design holds it's own. I will NOT be selling this one any time soon.

Waiting for My New Canoe

A few weeks ago I sold our old tandem canoe. It had been in the family since some time in the 70s. My brother bought it, my dad fixed it up, and I inherited it.  I paddled with my own children in it for many years.

Graham and me on Brewster Lake

It went to a family from Duncan. They moved from Northern Quebec to be closer to relatives here on the island. The fellow explained to me while strapping it to their van that he had a kayak, but wanted to teach his kids to paddle a canoe. I felt deep gratitude knowing more kids would enjoy that trusty old hull. She has always been around kids, starting off her life at a summer camp on Kootenay lake before joining our family. Who knows how many more kids will experience the joys of cruising a remote shore in the quintessential Canadian icon. Many more I hope.

So I saved money and researched a new hull to compliment my little pack canoe. On a recent paddle in the Cowichan Valley  I discovered a crack in the Spitfire's gel coat.

So I e-mailed Joe at Placid Boatworks and he gave me instructions on how to fix it. I chipped away the compromised gel, and then with Paul's supervision mixed up some new gel coat and filled it in. Lots of sanding and buffing followed and now it is repaired and ready to paddle again. While I was at it I varnished the gunwales and polished the entire hull, first with rubbing compound on the deeper scratches, then with wax. I can't believe how nicely it turned out. I'll post some photos when I get her back (I did the work in James' workshop -- Thanks James!)

A few weeks ago I ordered a new canoe after a marathon research project over the winter comparing a variety of boats and getting wonderful advice from the long suffering folks over at CCR -- see the exhaustive, and perhaps exhausting, thread on the subject here.

The canoe I ordered was a Bluewater Mist from Peter Harris at Pacifica Paddle Sports. In the end it came down to a decision between the Mist and the Clipper Packer. I had paddled the Packer with Paul in moderately windy conditions on Cameron Lake and was impressed with the performance of this understated canoe. Here is a video I took of the Packer, paddled ably by Paul:

The Packer handled the wind and waves well, and I think I would have been happy with one, but delays sorting out details with Clipper presented an opportunity to reconsider the Mist. 

It's funny how circumstances and timing effect a decision. We were driving back from Cameron Lake and Paul and I were talking about canoes, and he told me again about his favorite navel architect /philosopher, Phil Bolger,  who once alluded to the number of boats that sit unused in marinas and he said they were bought to fulfill fantasy uses. Paul finished the story by saying, "And then he added perceptively, something to the effect of, 'but fantasy is a real pleasure too'".

That quote stuck with me like a bur sticks to a dog. So much of paddling for me is participating in a way of life. A romantic ideal that sustains me and reminds me of beauty, solitude, freedom and quiet pleasure on the water. What's more, paddling is a compelling metaphor for the ideal way to navigate life's journey.

Here is an old flyer for the Sawyer Autumn Mist, which is a close sister to the Bluewater Mist:

I liked in particular this line:

"The hull is a vee/arch/vee of uncommonly refined shape, with hollow entry and exit lines for efficiency at touring speeds, a gentle transition curve from working hull to freeboard to slip waves easily, a radical step flare at the bow for dry running in waves, and a slightly rockered hull to both facilitate turning and provide a more efficient displacement line."

I decided that this beautiful and versatile hull was the best fit for both my romantic ideal and my practical need for a stable boat I can take out in wind and waves. A little longer than the Packer (10 inches) and a little wider at the gunwales (2 inches) with slightly less rocker and a higher bow. And of course that radical step flare at the bow. The main factors for me,  however, that shifted my preference from the Packer to the Mist, are a few small details of design that really please my eye: plumb stems, the classic David Yost tumblehome, a slightly more graceful shear line. Small things, but aesthetically significant ones.

I hope the Mist will live up to it's reputation. Here are a few choice quotes about the canoe from online reviews and comments:

"versatile and capable solo canoe for both open water and Class I streams."

"The Autumn Mist was my second solo boat and my favourite and most used of the various canoes I have owned."

"Tracks well, turns super, sheds waves, and has a surprisingly high load capacity for so short a boat...I take it out when it is so windy other canoeists stay ashore and it has never given me any cause for concern."

"If you've not paddled a solo in seas you won't believe the advantage you have. Have both a flat, bent and twin paddle for this boat depending on the circumstances and I have little problem keeping up on any paddle used. I've had the Autumn Mist on two BWCA trips....Of all the Sawyer canoes I think it was the best."

"Mist was an under-appreciated boat in its day. It was pretty quick, tracked and turned pretty well and hauled gobs of flesh and gear."

"Just a great all-around solo canoe if you want stability, speed and decent river capabilities..."

"I have been paddling the golden glass version of the Sawyer Autumn Mist for years. This is a very versatile and capable solo canoe for both open water and Class I streams. It paddles very easily with great glide so you can go for miles without getting tired."

Joco on CCR posted these photos:

 Ozark Paddler on the BWCA site posted these photos:

I ordered my Mist in Navy Blue, influenced by the stunning photo on the Bluewater website of the Splitrock in that colour.

Waiting is hard, but the unseasonably cool weather and rain is helping. Well, ok, not much. But soon I will be filling this blog with photos of my new Mist, and celebrating a fantasy I hope many others can enjoy too.