Initial performance thoughts on the Peace Canoe

So we have a short paddle in PEACE OF THE PUZZLE under our belts now. I spent a couple months building it (a few have asked me for hours –I have no idea,but it was a good many) –aftre all that work,what is this boat like? Obviously I’ll need much more time to assess,but some initial thoughts:

Strengths:

• Appearance –The Peace Canoe is a pretty boat,no question about it,particularly in the water. We got compliments on and off the water,including things like “unusual,”in a very complimentary sense. I expect we’ll get noticed in this boat for the right reasons.
• Stability –This boat will be a good family boat. I am fairly confident that one could have half the Rockettes do a kick-line on the starboard rail and she wouldn’t go over. In more practical terms,this means a good boat for a family with young children (check) and a good boat for fishing (seems like a good idea).
• Tracking –Of course being long and not very rockered,the boat seems to track pretty well.

Weaknesses:

• Weight –The boat is a lot heavier than I expected it would be. It is basically unmanageable alone,and even my wife and I,two reasonably strong adults,had to work a bit to put it on the car.
• Beam –The stability is a plus,but it comes from being quite beamy. With the sides flared as they are,the boat actually does not fit upside down on our standard car roof-rack. It rode OK right-side up,but I wasn’t wildly comfortable with it like that. I will need to get some additional attachments,and it will be fine,but it isn’t as car-topable as it might seem.
• Freeboard –Maybe it is a function of the weight,but with four of us in the boat –and two of us are small children –the boat sat deeper in the water than I expected,leaving less freeboard than I might like for more open water. I had been planning on trips in the Bay and such,but I will be a bit more cautious for those ventures. This may be more of a true flatwater boat.

More as I learn more…In particular,I haven’t gotten much of a feel for core paddling ability. The weight seems like a slowing factor,but we’ll see.