Ross and I ventured out to the industrial outskirts of Saskatoon to pick up one of the brand new Clipper Whitewater II’s. The boat was carefully wrapped in seemingly endless layers of cardboard, bubble wrap, and tape. Sizing up the sleek boat on the floor of the shipping depot, I was eager to take it out for its maiden voyage. So, over the first week of September, Steph and I were joined by a pair of first-class people, who happen to be great paddlers, for a six day trip from Pinehouse to Missinipe Saskatchewan along the Churchill “River”. In reality, the Churchill is a convoluted series of lakes joined together by fast water. Paddling the boat was a true delight, and the warm, sunny weather and near-constant tail wind weren’t too bad either. The boat performed well in choppy water: tracking straight and keeping the bowman relatively dry. We were pleased with its performance in Class III rapids. The boat responded well and took on minimal amounts of water, even without a spray deck. The boat’s light weight and deep dish yoke made it easy to portage. The wildlife provided unending entertainment: we were continuously blown away by the beautiful scenery and the abundance of bald and golden eagles. It seemed like a pair was waiting for us at the end of each crossing. We had an amusing encounter with a group of curious otters too. In the evening we settled into hospitably tiered campsites that offered beautiful views of the sunset. Other highlights included cranberry coated brie cheese, dried egg bagel sandwiches, big bear rock, and seeing a full-double rainbow! After I came back I had tan lines from my sunglasses and my smile lines. In all ways, this was a wonderful maiden voyage for the Clipper. <Nathalie>
