A versatile design with enhanced efficiency and seaworthiness.
A larger, more stable version of our versatile Spirit II, the Champlain has the efficiency and capacity to haul heavy loads long distances, but is also pleasant to paddle lightly loaded.
The Champlain is one of our largest tandems. It also has fullness for much of its length, giving it even greater volume than its dimensions suggest. It gets excellent stability from its size, and from its shallow-arched hull, a design that is less sensitive to waves and easier for paddlers to handle. As its name implies, the Champlain is a confident craft to face big swells on vast waters.
More than safety alone, it delivers performance that makes crossing big lakes practical. Its length and profile give good speed and glide, which it retains very well with a load. Its slightly rockered keel-line also lets it turn quite easily for its size.
Good uses for this design? We recommend it highly if two or more of the following conditions apply: big people, big loads, or big waters. This canoe hauls two large people, a week's worth of equipment, plus an arsenal of fishing gear, and it still has reserve buoyancy for waves.
It's also safe and roomy transportation for a brood of children.
With high capacity, performance, and safety, the Champlain is a versatile canoe, but one that has special abilities.