Dragorossi Mafia? Topo? Any comments

[NZMatt]

Hi

Wondering if anyone has any experience with this boat. I like the idea of a rear hatch and have found one available here used for a good price.

At an even better price I found a Eskimo Topo?

Anyone have any ideas on how either of these will work as a C1?

Cheers,
NZMatt in the land of Holey Cheese

[Craig Smerda]

Hey Matt! How is Swissyland treating you? Hope all is well!

The Mafia would be an interesting conversion for certain. Don't know of anyone that has set one up as a c-1 though. If you can snag it cheap enough let us know. Also check out the critical mass... bit wider bit longer.

I think a lot of folks are waiting for the long heralded FatBoy from Drakkar....but it's been a while since Marko posted anything on here about it and when production will begin. I'd rather buy a real C-1 from a C-1 guy than a kayak from a kayak guy.

Take Care!
Craig

[NZMatt]

Hiya Craig

The snow is coming and I'm looking forward to some skiing. So the land of mountains and cheese is treating me pretty well right now. Work....well we won't go there.

I've also been really hanging out for the FatBoy, but I've nearly given up. My local dealer indicated after the German Kanumesse that the Open Canoe they've been talking about might actually come first. I need a creeker by the time the season starts in late March/early April. If I'm going to have to do a conversion, then I need to start now or I won't have it ready in time.

I did take the WheelBoy down some easy V a few weeks back and it handled it great, but is a little limiting due to the length/speed. I walked one drop where I thought the short length made a vertical pin a significant possibility (you had to boof about 1' down onto a rock and then go off that over a 4ft drop, but the creekboats were hitting the rock fairly close to their bows and I didn't want my bow to go down before the rock - UGLY).

So, if Marko decides to get the FatBoy into production I'll be banging down his door, but until then I need to plan for other possibilities.

Cheers,
Matt

[Marshall]

Yeah, I've also been waiting for the fatboy, which I'm assuming would be a creeky wheelboy. The wb, partly because of it's length, partly because of the balance, and partly because of the small cockpit (which gives better contact between your knees and the boat), is a boofing machine. And the hull is very loose, so I think surfing out of holes would be a lot easier. If they'd just come out with the thing I'd buy one tomorrow.

[Craig Smerda]

I haven't "purchased" a boat in a few years... but the Fatboy was a boat I considered actually paying out of pocket for. I hope they are able to produce it in plastic because a kevlar creeker isn't a reality for most of us simply due to durability aspects. Maybe if we can see a few prototypes and enough folks preordered to help cover the mold costs it would get done quicker???... but that's up to Marko.

The Esquif Taureau is the closest anyone has come to a dedicated "C"-creek boat for us although it isn't skirted.

The Bliss-stik SCUD looks "interesting" but it has a length issue for us in reagrds to hull speed.