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As technology continues to progress and stronger, stiffer, lighter materials become available, the restrictions on design are lifted. Much of what made the 16 foot canoe of our youth the "perfect" size was that at 70 pounds it was the longest canoe a person could comfortably lift. Now we can build a 17 foot canoe for great lake-tripping performance that weighs in at under 45 pounds.
Making sensible decisions for the intended use of each model requires experience and modern tools. Most factors like speed and stability can be calculated with accuracy before the boat is built, while other traits, like maneuverability, require the element experience to achieve the desired characteristics. That is where our experience and Steve Killing's advanced design techniques come together to assure us that the performance of each canoe is perfectly matched to its intended use.
Computer software for creating the surface and analyzing the performance is a key tool, but not the decision maker. Although Steve is one of the most technical designers we know (he helped to write the software he uses), he also realizes that experience is one of the best guides. His lifelong passion for watercraft graces every design. The hours he spends on each canoe ensure that our boats are fair, beautiful and a pleasure to paddle -- and yet he insists that we build and paddle a prototype so that his creation can be judged on the water. Only then is the shape committed to a mould to build a boat for you.