Introducing the Esquif L'edge

gumpy · Post by **gumpy** » Mon Jul 06, 2009 10:57 pm

well darn craig, sounds about perfect. now lets start crankin em out! i dont think my detonator will last til september! come on!

milkman · Post by **milkman** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:31 am

I think the Prelude gets a bad rap for stability. The truth is, the boat has tons of secondary stability (providing you're not too heavy for it). It just completely lacks initial stability--but who needs that? Once you're in the boat, you're fine. The trickiest thing is just climbing in and out. Paddling it is a cinch.

My interest in the L'edge would be if the canoe improves upon the already stellar performance of the Prelude--such as increasing carving ability or acceleration. It would be great to get from Dooley a comparison of the two canoes.

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 12:38 am

hades fire it takes a while to bring up a new machine, even a used one that came with the main operator. Mold has to be built, oven tuned, new plastic bought, recepi figured out, QA requirment set, testing method established, cooling racks set up, operators trained even the gunnels don't just get built over night even if you already have a wood shop goin for other boats and don't forget he has other orders to fill, I did two ovens in the past and it takes time. hades fire they only have four season up there you know, almost winter, winter, still winter and July, heck let them enjoy all thirty days of their summer, I'm sure they still have snow in the shade. August will bring snow and they will be forced inside and back to work. It is a lot like Wisconson, except the French are smarter. Dam I wonder what we would have to throw in to get Canada to trade Quibic for Wisconson, Michigan and Ohio maybe, but we would still be screwin them.

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 4:15 am

milkman wrote:I think the Prelude gets a bad rap for stability. The truth is, the boat has tons of secondary stability (providing you're not too heavy for it). It just completely lacks initial stability--but who needs that? Once you're in the boat, you're fine. The trickiest thing is just climbing in and out. Paddling it is a cinch.

My interest in the L'edge would be if the canoe improves upon the already stellar performance of the Prelude--such as increasing carving ability or acceleration. It would be great to get from Dooley a comparison of the two canoes.

You can have all the secondary stability in the world... but I'll take primary stability in a boat over secondary in a heartbeat. To me... if you have to spend more time bracing, correcting and trying to keep it vertical than you do keeping the boat moving forward I wouldn't want it... that's why I got rid of my Skeeter in the first place. One thing that the Fly always delivers on no matter if you are full to the gunnels with water or whatever the scenario might be it's that the boat always has an incredibly planted feel on it's primary. I love coming over a drop and having the comfort of knowing that the Fly's first instinct will be to stay upright and not pitch one way or the other when you land. To me the Fly was a benchmark boat during this process... heck... I love my dar'n Fly... I have since the first day I got into one and I probably always will. Did I feel the same way about the Skeeter or Prelude? Not really... although there were certain things I really did like about them as well.

I hope to hear your opinion... and a lot of other peoples opinions about this boat as well. This is my first swing at the plate in regards to boat design and I really hope people dig it... but I'm keenly aware that not everyone will... then again I know a few people that hated the Ocoee and finally came around to it eventually.

Frankly I'm a bit surprised Dooley hasn't hopped on a plane just to come up and try it out yet... looks like he'll have to wait a few more weeks... and so will y'all for your unbiased review.

beach · Post by **beach** » Tue Jul 07, 2009 11:57 pm

Hi Craig;

Anyway to incorporate a security D-ring into the hull (interior-mid ship) to help reduce the propensity of idiots from borrowing one's gear...

C on,

Kevin

Louie · Post by **Louie** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:46 am

Don't you have a gun?

Marc Evans · Post by **Marc Evans** » Wed Jul 08, 2009 2:08 am

Hey Craig, when you have a little time, can you post a direct comparison between the L'Edge and the Spanish Fly. Yea, I know you've dropped hints about the speed and such, but can you give some detail to the comparison: primary stability, secondary stability, carving, eddy turns and peel outs, and anything else you can think of. I really like the fly, but may need to buy an early replacement, I mean backup.

Marc

kanur · Post by **kanur** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:15 pm

Make mine full open with wood please

kaz · Post by **kaz** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:26 pm

Just when you thought this thread was dead.
C'mon 15,000!
JK

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:29 pm

kaz wrote:Just when you thought this thread was dead.
C'mon 15,000!
JK

I'm figuring after you and Dooley post your reviews of the boat... 30,000 views... without hesitation.

Once it's in production... 1,000,000 views

Dooleyoc-1 · Post by **Dooleyoc-1** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 3:35 pm

My review is coming in T-Minus 2 weeks. I can't wait.

jakke · Post by **jakke** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 5:57 pm

Craig, do you have any indication of the weight with and without the deck-plates?

How dry-running is the boat without deck plates? or should we wait for dooley to clear that.

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Tue Jul 14, 2009 6:03 pm

Until we have a totally "finished product" it's going to be difficult to give succinct answers to some of these questions folks.

cheajack · Post by **cheajack** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 12:33 am

Smerda, your teleprompter go blank?

Craig Smerda · Post by **Craig Smerda** » Wed Jul 15, 2009 4:21 am

cheajack wrote:your teleprompter go blank?

What do you want to hear... some inflated promises and false hyperbole? Sorry...

It's time to let some other boaters that are used to different boats than me that are willing to get on here and type some stuff tell y'all what they think.

Frankly I've been overwhelmed by the positive reception it's gotten... when at times I feared the polar opposite reactions from certain sub-sets.

I can admit I'm not 100% satisfied... but more than a few people have told me I set my bar far higher than I should've for one boat. You really can't have it all without certain sacrifices. The mold isn't done... I've a few subtle tweaks and adjustments I plan to make... but for the most part what you've seen is what should be coming down the pike... in short time.

FWIW... If we'd have had more local water this year or I'd have had the Proto in March the boat might have been kept totally under wraps until it was done and unveiled at or even well after Nationals. Maybe some of this is hype... to me it's all a big load off my chest.

As much or maybe even more than any of you... I'd love to be out with my buddies literally and figuratively beating the living tar from a closer-to production model... but like a fine bottle of wine... all good things come with patience.

For me personally... just seeing it in person or watching my friends paddle it is a huge reward. From the feedback thusfar... I'm relieved.

Until then...