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Was thinking of a new canoe but I stumbled on a Kipawa in Kajiji and actually got it before someone else (Anyone who has tried this knows what I'm talking about). I haven't paddled one but I know the reputation so I rolled the dice, just wondering what peoples experience is with it. Has a very slight rocker and my current canoe (Alchemist Legend) is I would say moderate. My thinking was that it would track well on large lakes but probably wouldn't be ideal for carving down rivers, not whitewater but meandering rivers like the Crow. I pretty much always solo.
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I have a 2014 Kipawa KF CKT and I really love it. BUT.. at 16.5ft it can be a bit much when solo - especially in the wind. Since its not asymmetrical, you can't paddle it backwards when solo like a normal canoe. The thwart bar at the rear of the front seat makes this very uncomfortable when attempted.
I had Swift install a 3rd seat in the middle - detachable. When I am solo I'll take out the front and rear seats and when tandem, I'll either take out the middle seat, or if I don't have a ton of gear I'll leave it in and have a little table for my gear while paddling.
Overall I really love the kipawa, but she definitely is a better tandem canoe than a solo canoe. She's a great craft tho!
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I don't really mind the length I paddle a 16.7 ft canoe now I actually like the challenge of trying to track into the wind (to a point). I made a kneeling thwart and I think I'll prefer it to sitting but I am a little nervous about not having the option longer trips. I guess there only one way to find out, thanks for the feedback.
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Our carbon fiber Kipawa is our preferred tandem boat. I can see the benefit in having a boat that can be configured for either tandem or solo use if you have limited storage space I also have a Swift Osprey solo canoe and I'm sure it would be a lot more challenging to paddle a Kipawa solo than the Osprey (or any other boat specifically designed for solo use). If you do get the Kipawa, I'd suggest you also get a double bladed paddle. I find that when there is a good wind, I really need a double bladed paddle in the Osprey to keep the boat on track.
You are correct in believing that the Kipawa will be a challenge to paddle down a winding river. It would be even more challenging if you are paddling solo as correction strokes done from the middle of the canoe are less effective than strokes done at either end of the canoe.
I don't think there is such a thing as a boat that handles both large windswept lakes and narrow winding rivers well. Our older tandem boat, a Swift Yukon, was superb on narrow winding rivers but it was a difficult boat to handle if you had a strong quartering tail wind on a big lake. Our Kipawa is a better choice for us now as we do a lot more lake travel than narrow winding river travel. It's definitely slower on the narrow winding rivers than the Yukon even though the Yukon is a noticeably larger boat!
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I've got a Kevlar Kippawa, and used a fleet of expedition kevlars for teaching. they're a very good all round boat and handle rivers quite well (I've run the French, Moon, the grand, and dozens of others). My personal boat is rigged with a kneeling thwart that is set to double as a toe bar. I've done plenty of solo trips with mine and with a kneeling thwart it handles nicely (I paddle Canadian style)
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