C-Forum

would anyone who has seen the boat, paddled it, and/or know what it costs please post. Thanks.

I have never paddled it, but I saw Paul Mason, Mark Scriver and Andrew Westwood paddle it on the Ottawa in the Fall. The boats they had were composite protos, so I have no idea if the production version is exactly the same, or whether Esquif made some changes to it. The boat has a planing hull, looks kind of like a cross between a Quake and a Spanish Fly, but the ends are fuller for more buoyancy. The decks are huge, the opening is not much bigger than the cockpit in a C1. The boat is, as far as I could see, very dry and seems to surf very nicely.
The only draw back is that the thingis really ugly for an open boat . No pleasing lines like an Ocoee or a Prelude for that matter.

martin

Yes, I have run the Taureau. Long, wilderness, dense, beautiful boreal forest for miles on either side, forest that runs up and down the backs and spines of mountains, over several different drainages until it reaches even the smallest semblance of a road. Hard rapid after hard rapid, powerful stuff, absolute solitude, a great feeling of almost spiritual cleansing when you emerge on the other end of that beautiful canyon. Everything seems the same, yet you know that life is now different. I think about going back there all the time . . .

Oh, sorry . . . you meant the boat . . .

Did they use a bulkhead set up? If so, I wondered how you would get to the airbags since the conckpit looks like it would be tight. Are they rpoducing them yet. They haven't answered an email I sent a day or so ago. Thanks.

Did they use a bulkhead set up? If so, I wondered how you would get to the airbags since the conckpit looks like it would be tight. Are they rpoducing them yet. They haven't answered an email I sent a day or so ago. Thanks.

word on the street: March.. Jacques was spotted setting up the new mold and machine last week. That's what I know.

Craig

PS> Airbags will fit.. no worries!

Do you still have the Spanish Fly I sold you. Great boat for a fantastic boater.

Wendy, I didn't get a chance to paddle it, but I knelt in it at GauleyFest. It was set up with a bulkhead, along with a fair amount of foam on either side of the cockpit- enough to make the generous tumblehome perfectly straight on the inside. There were no airbags to be seen, and I couldn't figure out how you'd get to them.

It looked like a fun, playfull little creeker- like maybee a slightly faster, much drier Spanish Fly with a lot more volume in the ends. My only question is this: since it's not really a CANOE canoe, why not design it with a normal cockpit and skirt? Then it'd be really dry!

Please buy one soon, and let us know how you like it!

Wendy, I still have the SpanishFly and use it primarily for creeks and bigger stuff.

As for the skirt or deck issue... it's designed as an OC1... ie. folks that don't want a skirt. For creeks where you have to get out a lot to scout, carry or *gasp* swim it makes things fairly easier. Ask Paul Mason if he wants a skirt on it...nope. I'll be interested to put it head to head against the SpanishFly when the time comes.

Craig

I hope you will post Craig when you get the head to head comparison. I think alot of folks are inetrested. What is a gasp swim? I assume you mean the boat will float better when we are out of it, gasping for breath, pushing it into an eddy? vs a C-1?

I paddled the proto type, same mold that the plastic boat will be made in but this one was glass. I paddle it from Sweets down on the Gauley if it is half as good on creeks as it was on the Upper Gauley it will be great. It was a lot easier to go to it from a Zoom than it was to go to the zoom from a Quake.

I paddled it on the Moose....way too sweet !!! I would have to agree with Louie, as I paddle a Zoom as well. And as said much like the Spanish fly but drier. As for the air bags once they`re in there well protected and you won`t have to remove them. I`ve ordered one from Mark and I should have it for the first of Feb., once he gets back from OZ. I think as UN-pretty as it may look, the boat will sell well because its a paddling machine !!!!!

Al

I am passing this on from customer relations at Esquif.
The first production run of the Taureau will be done in a couple of weeks, more pictures and specifications will be available then.