Northstar Polaris Canoe Review

This is my Northstar Polaris review — well, mini-review of the Polaris.

Summary: If I could only own one canoe in the world, this would be it.

Longer Northstar Polaris Review

The canoe is a Northstar Polaris. I’m using one with their BlackLite layup, carbon fiber and Aramid with a resin coat on the outside. It has wood trim, which is an upgrade over the standard aluminum trim. The seats, thwarts, yoke and deck are laminated ash and walnut and the gunwales are ash. I ordered it with a kneeling thwart to use solo after the rest of the crew is hanging in camp and I need to paddle somewhere to capture a sunset or sunrise. The wood gunwales add weight, so this comes in at 48 pounds. The Kevlar layup comes in at 42 pounds.

Performance

It’s fast even when fully loaded and feels like it should be a longer canoe than it is. It’s the efficient hull design that makes it easy to paddle at touring speeds. It turns well and the asymmetrical hull helps keep it going straight by having less rocker in the stern. Rocker measures 2.5 inches in the bow and 1.5 in the stern. If I was going to criticize the hull design, I’d say it tracks too well, but I like a canoe that maneuverable over one that tracks hard.

It’s 34 inches at the widest part and 31 inches at the waterline and gunwales. While some will find the stability of the Northstar Northwind 16 or 17 stronger, it feels plenty stable for my tastes. The flare in the bow provides a dry ride in rougher water and the shoulder keeps paddling stations narrow.  It feels sporty in a way that many other canoes its length (16’9″) don’t.

It’s a canoeist’s canoe. I love it.

Touring Performance

I have to admit I’m cheating a bit here and using experience gained in the past. This canoe used to be the Bell Northstar and now it’s the Northstar Polaris. Both canoes were/are built by Ted Bell. I’ve had experience touring in this canoe in the past when it was a Bell and it was a favorite of employees at the store I worked at back in my retail days. While it’s mainly a Northstar Polaris review, some of my experience with this hull comes from the Bell Northstar, which was basically the same canoe.

Since getting this canoe, we’ve used it strictly for family outings. Our family outings are my wife and I and my 3-year-old. We’re currently use this canoe for all three of us on a week-long trips without any issues. Typically, we go into the Boundary Waters. This summer we’re planning on using it on some slow-moving rivers. I know from previous experience that this should work just fine. If you’re using it for two people and two packs, it has more than enough room for a plush week trip into the BWCAW. You could fit more into it by loading it above the gunwales, which is something we usually avoid for aesthetic reasons.

On short solo trips, I’ve found it paddles fine Canadian-style and leaned to the rails. I’ve been in tandem boats that paddle solo better and some worse, but it’s fine for a canoe that isn’t designed as a solo boat.

This is a fine canoe for tripping on flat water and on slow-moving rivers. While I haven’t run class 2 in it, I imagine it would be fine. Although for that I’d take a Northstar B-17 instead.

Construction

Among the best built canoes on the market. I don’t think I need to say more. The BlackLite layup is stiff and durable. The only downside is scratches show up on the black hull. But, canoes are made to get used.

Disclosure of Material Connection: Northstar provided this canoe to me as part of a sponsorship.