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4/20/2019 7:18 pm  #1


Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

I’m a kayaker, and I’m not really interested in a fundamental change to my camping approach, but I have a 3 1/2 year old daughter who’s starting to show some real interest in coming with me. So by camping season 2020 I may need to diversify my boat portfolio - and I’m taking a long look at the Swift Cruiser. Mind you I haven’t even *paddled* it yet, but there are a lot of people here who know far more about this kind of boat than I do, so I’m curious what your opinions are of it.

Basically I’m looking for a boat I can paddle like a kayak, that ideally retains as many of the properties of a kayak as possible, while being able to carry a passenger and camping gear. Would it fit the bill?

 

4/20/2019 7:52 pm  #2


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?


We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it.
 - George Washington Sears
 

4/20/2019 7:59 pm  #3


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

She’s 3 - she won’t be helping me paddle in any meaningful way for many years, so I don’t see a reason to buy a tandem. The cruiser I can also use as a solo boat for particularly kayak-unfriendly routes.

     Thread Starter
 

4/20/2019 8:26 pm  #4


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

Uppa wrote:

She’s 3 - she won’t be helping me paddle in any meaningful way.

 
Light Weight !!  :-).

Ok Ok... maybe not till she’s 4.

A similar option you can get around here.

http://www.h2ocanoe.com/solo16_6.html

And personally if I were looking at  a swift cruiser I would be considering the pack 14.8.

And I wonder if a removable sling seat would work for you in one of those boats Bob. Maybe one of the 16 footers would be better if it would. Could place the seat wherever it worked best for you.

Last edited by ShawnD (4/20/2019 8:34 pm)


We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it.
 - George Washington Sears
 

4/20/2019 8:34 pm  #5


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

I see a whole lotta pictures of a dude using a canoe paddle. If I can’t paddle it like a kayak, I’m definitely not interested.

Why the 14.8?

     Thread Starter
 

4/20/2019 8:48 pm  #6


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

I think any of those boats you could customize however you want.

Pack seat or traditional seat, kayak foot pegs or a full foot brace.etc. Kayak paddle would work with any of them I think.

The sling seat I mentioned above you could put right in front of you maybe and have her face you. Keep her close.

I have looked at the cruiser 16 before just out of curiosity. and to me it is just too big of a boat for going solo. But that’s likely just me. Thinking about it more you may want the longer boat for your intended purpose.


We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it.
 - George Washington Sears
 

4/20/2019 8:53 pm  #7


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

Well yeah, I have no idea - I won’t pretend otherwise. My kayak is 16 feet long so that’s probably the entire reason I’m defaulting to the same length in a pack boat - not entirely reasonable for sure. I’ll likely paddle quite a few before I figure out what’s going to fit the bill, I was just curious if anyone had tried the 16’8. I appreciate your feedback for sure!

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4/21/2019 9:20 am  #8


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

The biggest advantage a canoe has over a kayak is that it was made by the hand of god and a Kayak is.. well, shit.

Now we can move past that self evident truth and look at different vessels. When choosing a vessel I am looking for something that helps me travel through the terrain that is in my path while enjoying the recreation I choose. On the ocean that would be a sailboat. On road a bicycle. Coast a kayak. 

For an Ontario lake trip it must carry all your stuff. It must be light enough to carry. It must be stable in the conditions you will face. It should be tough. It should be efficient. It should be maneuverable. It should be accessible. It should keep stuff accessible. The first 3 criteria are non negotiable. If it can't carry your stuff, can't safely handle the route, or you can't carry it then it not a consideration. If it does all these things then the questions becomes how well it rates for all your criteria.

Between the Cruiser 16'8" and 14'8". The 16 has a higher potential top speed but I wager the 14 would feel quicker. The 14 is lighter and more maneuverable. The 16 has more capacity. I think the 16 might be more stable. But they would both feel tender initially. I think you will be drawn to the 16'8". Maybe look at a Savage River Blackwater too. Neither will be great for Kayak unfriendly routes (Birchcliffe Creek). A 14' boat with a traditional seat and single blade makes that sort of route easier.

I don't think either are great solutions for a little kid. Kids grow much faster than ANYONE expects (much like Kayaks being crap this is a universal truth!). Kids like to have a seat to sit on. They like to be able to drag their hands in the water. They like to lean out of the boat to grab Water Lilly's. They freak out when they discover Water Lilly's are full of bugs. They don't care how far you have gone. They want to catch a fish. They want you to open the pack to get them a snack. They get bored in the boat. They want to go for a swim and play on shore. They also tip skinny boats when the get in and out. 

I think Bob should get a big tandem for himself, his wife and the kid. AND try some pack boats to figure out which one he likes best. 

 

4/21/2019 10:36 am  #9


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

I paddle a 15 ft keewaydin , love it, and wished such a boat as the cruiser would have been available to me when my children were small. I would try it in a heartbeat. But as mentioned, little kids, portages and distance are not terribly compatible. Stories abound I’m sure from many of us that traveled with little ones. Remember, there will be lots of extra gear, frustrations and unexpected delights. Now go and see if you can rent or have use of the cruiser, and have a paddle around with daughter in tow for a day to see if it’s for you.
I applaud anyone willing to teach and take their little ones with them!

 

4/21/2019 12:45 pm  #10


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

@Shawn: that sling seat looks to be just the sort of thing I'd want - glad to know it exists! I was sort of drawing up plans in my head to build something like that if I needed to. 

@Martin: once I get past your usual anti-kayak drivel (methinks thou dost protest too much), that was a super thoughtful and helpful post. I'm hoping the aforementioned sling seat might take care of the "not wanting to sit on the bottom" aspect, but it's definitely given me pause. The thing is I don't know for sure that my daughter is going to love camping, or if she'll keep loving it. Buying a tandem feels like a hell of an expensive gamble, because I may not have anyone to paddle it with me. A solo boat, that I can paddle like a kayak - that I'll use, no matter what. Especially as I get older and portaging a 50 pound kayak starts to wear on me. So I'm sort of trying to squeeze one boat into serving two very different purposes in my head, and I realize that may not be reasonable. But nor can I go out and buy both. And my wife will not be joining me in the backcountry, at least not regularly. 

@tentserforever: I appreciate the advice. I'll definitely take my daughter on a trip or two first - ideally using the boat I plan on buying to make sure it's going to fit the bill - and to see if it's something she wants to be doing in the first place. 

No matter what, I've got quite a bit of test paddling in front of me. I've literally never paddled any pack boat, or any other canoe that uses a kayak paddle (and I have little canoe experience, period) - so I'll be paddling everything I can get my hands on to start figuring out what works for me. 

Last edited by Uppa (4/21/2019 12:46 pm)

     Thread Starter
 

4/22/2019 8:20 am  #11


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

Uppa wrote:

... The thing is I don't know for sure that my daughter is going to love camping, or if she'll keep loving it.  

Another universal truth is that ALL kids LOVE camping. :-)

Start them young ... you're running out of time if she's already 3. 
Trips with the kids are for the kids! Forget the miles, focus on the experience, the free time and the fun. 
Make it an adventure by treating it like an adventure. 
Campfires rule!
They always carry something on the portage even if it is just their PFD and paddle. 


... and no, the Cruiser is not the boat to be looking at for this purpose. You'd be better off with a <ahem> tandem kayak <cough> than a narrow, fast solo canoe.  Smaller tandem canoes that would be a better fit are boats like a Bob's Special or Swift Mattawa. 

 

4/22/2019 8:38 am  #12


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

@Rob: she's been camping every year of her life, no worries there. We've been camping this year already - and it was her idea!

And yeah, I know I'll have to forget the miles, but I'm still going to want to get away from the access point lakes - which means at least some portaging, and a tandem kayak would be impossible for that. I really, really don't way to buy a tandem canoe, but I guess I'll have to consider all options. 

     Thread Starter
 

4/22/2019 9:17 am  #13


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

How about a shorter Prospector. a 14 or 15.?

Would give you the stability Martin mentioned re kids leaning over etc.

Even the smaller 14 has a good upper load capacity... optimal range up to 400 lbs.

at the 2 min mark of this video.. a set up that might be what you are looking for? again only for a while..

 https://youtu.be/wenwqqDIjzo

The 15 would serve you longer, easy to turn around to solo or with your daughter in the middle near you.. maybe install a center seat ( or just use a sling seat)


We do not go to the green woods and crystal waters to rough it, we go to smooth it.
 - George Washington Sears
 

4/22/2019 8:04 pm  #14


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

If I wanted to paddle a slow boat with bad tracking, I'd already own a canoe ;).

I don't take a kayak on my camping trips out of a sense of perverse stubbornness, or refusal to do things the traditional way. I take a kayak because I love paddling a kayak, and strongly dislike paddling a canoe. While I appreciate the logic behind many of the suggestions in this thread, I can't see myself buying a short, fat, stable canoe, no matter how much sense it might make. That's why I was looking at the 16'8 cruiser to begin with - it's still a long way from a kayak, but it's maybe close enough that I can deal with it. A prospector 15 has a waterline width of 33 inches. My kayak's max width is 22 inches. The cruiser splits the difference at 28 inches. 

But I also appreciate the simple logic that my daughter's not going to be happy sitting on the bottom of a solo boat, so either I find a reasonable solution for a second seat in a solo boat (like the sling seat perhaps, or even something more permanent), or I have to look at tandem options. But it has to be a boat designed to paddle like a kayak, and it has to be sleek enough to be efficient on the water. Maybe that doesn't exist. 

 

     Thread Starter
 

4/22/2019 8:11 pm  #15


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

Uppa wrote:

Basically I’m looking for a boat I can paddle like a kayak, that ideally retains as many of the properties of a kayak as possible, while being able to carry a passenger and camping gear

Why not go to an outfitter with your daughter and a loaded pack and see if they’ll let you test paddle a few boats. Algonquin Outfitters at Oxtouge Lake rents out a 15” Keewaydin solo boat that looks like its a good match for your requirements. Kevlar Fusion plus Carbon trim is rated 29 pounds. If you like the test paddle then consider trying it on a trip before committing to buying.
 

 

4/23/2019 8:22 am  #16


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

The problem I see with putting a sling seat or any other second seat in a solo boat is that it's going to really hurt the performance. That isn't going to improve your enjoyment of paddling a canoe instead of a kayak. 

If you really want to try it, then I agree with Solos that a Keewaydin would be a better starting point. 
 

 

4/23/2019 12:34 pm  #17


Re: Swift Cruiser 16.8 - opinions?

The 16.8 is available with a pack canoe seat or conventional canoe seat. I paddled a demo model with the pack setup on a long day trip last summer. Unlike Uppa, I prefer canoe paddling but I took the kayak paddle because I wanted to cover some distance. The 16.8 is fast, very stable and tracks like it is on rails. When you stop paddling it just keeps on gliding. The tucked-in gunwale line makes it very comfy to paddle with a double bladed stick. A one point I encountered a pretty stiff headwind and the excellent tracking really helped. When I turned around, I forgot to move my pack and ended up being a bit bow-heavy, resulting in the stern getting kicked around a bit by the tailwind. It is definitely a long vessel, which makes portage landings a bit awkward, though I imagine you have similar challenges with a kayak.

Here's a review of the canoe version:
https://paddlingmag.com/boats/boat-review-swifts-cruiser-16-8-solo-canoe/

It is also a very sexy looking boat, which is always a plus.





 

 

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