View topic - Wanting to get a new canoe.

Hello everyone, last year I picked up a Clipper Solitude from the WCK. I didn't really do much research and I left it in the outfitters hands trying to lean on their experience. After telling them I wanted a canoe for flat water tripping, fishing, day tripping with the dog or taking one of the kids out for fun and maybe one day mellow river stuff. The only canoe they showed me was the Solitude. After taking it out 5-6 times for full dawn to day trips and a handful of short local lake fishing outings I found myself fighting the boat. I found the Solitude to be fast, and track straight but hard to maneuver. My local lake is 10mins from me and it's a nice place to get out for a quick paddle but it has lots of wake boat traffic so being able to adjust boat position to face or quarter a wave fast is huge and since I don't have much time I tend to go out in less than favorable weather. If it is windy and waves I just stay close to shore in the little bays and practice paddling in the waves but I found since the solitude was so straight and no rocker it would almost always turn broadside and sit in the troughs regardless of trim or how hard I would sweep or pry. Also did not like to ride over waves.

I started doing some research and noticed Clipper also offered a Prospector 14 and a Caribou S. Was just wondering if anyone has any experience with either of these canoes. I have read some threads on here but they seemed pretty old and not recent. When I'm on the water I'm not there to go point A to B fast I'm there to enjoy the paddle and feel the connection with the water and explore. I just felt the solitude was to specific. Any help would be wonderful.

I have not paddled the Caribou.

My first solo was the Solitude and my wife still paddles one.
This boat responds well to bow strokes and proper trim.

My favourite boat for solo putzing around is a Prospector 14'.
Great with a balanced load: dog and gear, all gear, no gear, etc... solo though.

We've settled on a 16' Prospector as it's a "do all" machine.
Responds well to all strokes.
Incredible with a balanced load, tolerable without.
Solo or tandem.

At 6" longer than the Caribou, I think the 16' Prospector is worth looking at.

The Prospectors do require a solid paddle technique to keep in line where as the Solitude is more forgiving.

I’ll never paddle my 16’ bath tub prospector solo again after picking up my Caribou. It will confidently take on rolling white caps, run cII +, and crush the km’s on the calm days.
As far as true solos go, it’s a big boat, and like a 16’ prospector it likes a load, but the caribou doesn’t feel big. Unlike the 16’ prospector, it has pretty good speed, especially with the double blade, while still being very capable in the fast flowing fun stuff.
Ive paddled the 14’ clipper prospector a number of times and really like that boat as well, it for sure has better initial stability than the caribou and is definitely more nimble, but lacks the caribou’s speed and load carrying ability. I wouldn’t hesitate to take the caribou anywhere foamy and white that the 14’ prospector goes down, especially when a tripping load is involved.
After 30 years, I’m prospectored out. I wanna go fast and still be able to work my way out of river “situations”. Ive found the design of the caribou makes this possible and it is a great option for a western Canadian.

Would you think the Caribou S would be more utility than less specific of use? I want something for day tripping, fishing, multi day trips basically a little of everything. Maybe the Caribou will be my next canoe. What trim and setup did you get your caribou in?

If that is the Clipper 14 designed-solo Prospector it is a wonderful canoe. Had it been a foot longer, even 6 or 8 inches, it would still be on my racks.



I can appreciate that. I don’t much want to push a traditional “Prospector” over the flats, or in the wind, especially while paddling backwards from the bow seat in a tandem. For the first time in years we do not currently have anything monikered “Prospector” on our racks.

We do have some relatively deep, moderately rockered solos, and some soloized tandems, that carry sufficient speed, and maneuverability when needed. “Relatively deep”, I am a fan of spray covers when things get snotty.

Clipper’s construction is top notch, and they have some solo canoes of interest, but Clippers are damn near unicorns in the eastern US.

Marlin should have someone pull a trailer full of Clipper’s cross country to next year’s Western PA Solo Rendezvous.

https://www.cooperslake.com/clchome/eve ... 9bdb79cc94

OK, I know Clipper would prefer to sell that canoe as a demo in Pennsylvania, rather than hauling it back cross country to BC. I would attend just to try out some Clipper solos.

Might have to bring my own sharp rocks to Cooper Lake; “Oh no, I scratched up that Sea-1”, what’s the used price?

If your a larger paddler I’d say it’s pretty versatile. I’m a buck 65 soaking wet and a little lanky and have yet to find a situation where I’m cursing at it. Well...fishing out of any empty canoe on a windy lake is a pita, and the caribou is no exception so maybe I’ve taken the caribou name in vain once or twice . I got it for a long distance river tripper, so it’s packed to the gills more often than not. It holds my 4 packs (2 60l barrels length wise, a Northwoods Duluth and a 110l sealine) and myself in the cockpit, a 350lb payload, and it all tucks in nicely under the spray skirt. This load doesn’t seem to affect its performance much and with the skirt it handles all but the biggest and baddest. The home boss really likes to take it out for evening paddles in fair weather and she’s a wispy little thing.
I ended up getting the boat in duraflex with a few upgrades - vinyl gunnel covers, black aluminum trim, foot brace, and a northwater skirt. I stayed with the webbed seat and find its placement to be pretty much right on for the way I use it and it’s plenty comfortable. Without the skirt it’s 52lbs, which comparably is a touch heavy, but there is a lot of boat there and I have piece of mind in clippers durability. I’ve travelled extensively in an ultra lite Mackenzie with my family and have done some pretty stupid stuff with it and it’s held up superbly, so my faith in the duraflex is devout.
It’s a little perplexing that the caribou isn’t more popular, but it seems to be slowly taking off in my neck of the woods (the little prospector seems to have a better following), however I’ve run into a couple caribou’s on my local slough this year and both owners were more than satisfied.
Does WCK let you test paddle? It does seem to fit your flavour.

WCK does let you test paddle but not right now due to Covid. I'm about 230lbs so something bigger is nice. Between the prospector 14 and the Caribou S if one was to be doing more flat water than white would the Caribou S be the more ideal of the two? I would be really nice to test paddle and I might just have to do that. I have heard though how touchy the prospectors are and could just imagine doing kms of flat water to get old kind a snaking back and forth haha.

A (reputable) paddling course will tame that snake.

Let us know what you think when you get to try them out.

is your solitude glass or kevlar? if Kevlar, and you're in BC, are you looking to sell it?

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It was a glass Solitude. I guess this will just be a hard decision haha. I have heard the Caribou would have less initial stability over that 14' prospector. Is just due to shape or design to make it more of a efficient paddle?