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The second time I paddled this canoe the conditions were much more favorable. There were two of us (both adults) and I paddled from the stern. For a tripping canoe that is made to handle heavy loads, I was surprised with the stability when empty. These are beautifully made, light weight and durable canoes. I have paddled many different light weight flat water canoes and the Nighthawk Leo 17 is equal to or better than any of the top manufacturers.
C.L., Duluth MN, 10/2011
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This is a great canoe! I was able to use one this summer on a local lake. It is extremely lightweight and glides nicely through the water. Anyone considering a strong, lightweight canoe like a Wenonah needs to check out a Nighthawk first. A nice feature of the Nighthawk is that the seat placement works equally well for either tandem or solo paddling.
G. F., Osseo, MN, 10/2011
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We purchased a Cygnus 16 from you a week ago, and Julie and I would both like to inform you that we both believe that this a wonderful canoe. We are very impressed with it's light weight, making it easy to load on the car or to carry it the city block to our launch point on Lake Monona.
Once we got it into the water, we both were REALLY impressed with it's performance. It is a surprisingly fast canoe that handles very responsively as well. Julie immediately commented on the generous tumbledown because she was not banging her hand on the gunwales like our other canoe. I was also very pleased with its stability when we pointed it into the wakes of motor boats and while going into some fairly good swells from a NW wind.
We both look forward to taking the Cygnus out again this coming weekend and taking it out for some trips in the Boundary Waters next summer. I suspect that I will not dread some of the longer portages when using this canoe.
Thanks for making these canoes available.
Kyle and Julie, Monona, WI. 9/2011
We took it out on Waubesa on Saturday in a bit rougher water and were impressed there again. Julie was surprised at how long she can paddle into the wind in the Cygnus and how stable it was even without a load. The kevlar makes it possible to see that the boat only draws around 4" with the two of us in it...
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I love my brand new Nighthawk 17 foot Kevlar canoe. It handles great in the water, and at 43 pounds, is actually fun to carry. It also happens to be the best looking canoe I’ve ever ridden in.
It was a pleasure to work with Benjamin, and see the care and craftsmanship that he puts into each canoe. I purchased the [Leo] 17 foot basic black canoe. (a beauty in and out of the water)
After my last boundary waters trip, and a wrenched back, I decided never to carry a heavy canoe again. At the end of June I’ll head back up with the Kevlar canoe and take some longer portages. (The first is a 380 rod portage) In early July I will let you know about my boundary waters experience, and how the canoe handled in different lakes, winds, and waves.
Rick, Cottage Grove, MN, 5/2011
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Am happy to say we are delighted with the light weight. You made the ordering process simple and straightforward, which we greatly appreciated. Color choices were a bonus, too, even though we finally decided on standard bright yellow.
Mary H., Bismarck, ND, 12/2010
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This past Memorial Day my wife and I had the opportunity to take a Nighthawk canoe for a test drive on a local chain of lakes in Saint Paul, MN. I canoe during the summers on day trips and on multiple-day excursions and have gone on numerous trips through the Boundary Waters.
I found many attractive features about the Nighthawk canoe. It was lightweight and easy to throw on top of the car and to maneuver. The seats were comfortable and adjustable and the construction was solid and stable. The canoe was easy to turn and yet felt grounded in somewhat choppy waters that were disturbed by occasional motor boats towing water skiers. The finish of the canoe was attractive and I was pleased to see the customizable options for a variety of other colors and selections regarding the aesthetics of the canoe.
At the end of the day, my wife and I had a very enjoyable day of paddling and we look forward to taking our 8 year old daughter out in one to see how it works with her parked and paddling from the middle. Based on our current experience, we highly recommend this canoe to others.
Steve G., Minneapolis, MN, 6/2010