STILL LEADING -Mary Garland NOVA CRAFT CANOE. This year. Nova Craft Canoe celebrates its 40th anniversary as a leader in canoe manufacturing. In the last 40 years the company has progressed from making custom built racing canoes to an internationally recognized canoe brand with a dealer network spanning the world. Through it all: expansion, change of ownership, relocations, and technological growth. Nova Craft has stayed true to its classic Canadian canoes and to the people who paddle them. Nova Craft's founder. Ken Fisher, started building canoes as a teen and in 1970 he went into business building racing canoes through his interest in marathon canoe racing. Ken wanted his canoes to be as efficient as possible and he discovered that flaring the canoe aft of the midpoint compensated for the stern paddle^s weight. He built this asymmetry into his racing hulls as well the Tripper and Haida recreational canoes. By the 1980's Nova Craft marathon racing canoes were the best available and in high When Tim Miller and his partners purchased the company in 1986, Ken had just started producing the classic Prospector model in 16' and 17' lengths. At this stage the new owners decided to direct all of their attention to the recreational market and a wider spectrum of paddlers. Nova Craft continued to produce the Prospector, Tripper and Haida, and added the 15' Bob Special for cottage use. Two more Prospector models followed, and then more recently two cruising models, the PAL and Cronje, were added to the family. Nova Craft is now introducing another classic design, the Rob Roy 3.9. Nova Craft has always led the way in innovative canoe construction. In 1974 Ken was the first builder to use Kevlar fabric to make lighter boats. In 1989 Nova Craft introduced Spectra cloth into

WHAT SHOULD I KNOW Think of a canoe as a long term investment; you will probably go through a few computers, TVs, and even vehicles before you start to see the end of your canoe's usefulness. The longevity of a canoe will help you create and reflect on lots of fond memories; from your first quick solo day-paddle, to a weekend adventure with your best friend, to a long expedition with a group of fellow To choose the right canoe, please consider the following: 1. What type of paddling do you want to do? Will the canoe be used on flatwater, Whitewater, or both? A great ñatwater canoe will not be...

CONNECTING US WITH WATER A few words from Tim Miller, President, Nova Craft Canoe I have always had a fascination with water: I remember using sticks for boats and spending hours on end holding races down the street gutter in early spring in front of our house. Water is definitely our world's most precious resource. It is the essential medium for life here on Earth. There are 326,000,000 cubic miles of water in our biosphere and it covers 70 percent of the planet's surface. Even our bodies are It is no wonder then that we have this fascination with water. We find ourselves drawn to the shore,...

THE JOYS AND SORROWS OF PADDLING WITH GREENHORNS canoeing with paddling neophytes. canoe trip with my co-workers. What expect was the varying degree of ego that masked the inexperience of these friends. When a group of guys trip together no one wants to be seen as a rookie. Well, all I know is that once the trip starts, nothing is more evident. Take for instance when some of my gear was redistributed into a newbie's pack so I could accommodate some other bulky gear. Did I know he brought a soft case cooler with ice in it? When it came time for our first snack break, he realized there was water...

MY DAUGHTER LOVES CANOE TRIPPING - HONEST! Kevin Callan I were sitting down Mason's classic family canoe film watching the movie was my daughter's idea. It happens to be her favorite thing to watch. Well, maybe second to SpongeBob Squarepants. But why? After all. Song of the Paddle is a good film but in no way compared to such hits as Barbie the Dancing Princess or Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs. According to her, she enjoys the film because the Mason family's trip on Lake Superior reminds her of our own family trip on that very same lake this past season. How beautiful is that? Ah, the memories;...

PROSPECTOR SERIES The Prospector 15 is a scaled-down version of our larger Prospectors that's faithful to the original lines in every way. You get all the great handling features that make the Prospector a paddling legend in a package that's a bit smaller and more responsive. The P15 is an ideal choice for paddlers who want a tripping boat but don't need the extra volume. Its extra responsiveness also makes the P15 The Chestnut Prospector has probably been described more often in text than any other canoe, it's just that popular. Our version of this venerable craft is faithful to the original....

RECREATIONAL SERIES The Chestnut Canoe Company responded to the need for a lightweight canoe well suited to solo tripping and casual tandem paddling by introducing the versatile Bob Special. While the canoe was very stable due to its larger than normal width, the hull shape was optimized for performance resulting in a canoe that was remarkably fast. Our version is based on the Chestnut original with some improvements to increase It is ideally suited as a tandem day-tripper yet large enough for a weekend canoe trip. It really shines when paddled solo by a competent paddler. The Bob has a unique...

SOLO SERIES CRUISER SERIES Prototype shown above John MacGregor designed the Rob Roy with inspiration from Native American canoes. His goal was to create a craft that would enable him to paddle inland waterways and travel independently throughout Europe. lb accomplish this he needed something efficient yet maneuverable while travelling solo with a double bladed paddle. The Rob Roy is an excellent choice for solo paddlers in need of a quick boat that will cruise at a good pace, while still handling well in windy and wavy conditions. Stability is not sacrificed for speed as both primary and secondary...