Boat of the Week - Hahn

[Sir Adam]

I know there are several varieties out there - 80cm original versions, 70cm width versions, then Sweet-Hahns and Morrison-Hahns. I have a Millbrook made Sweet-Hahn and it is a neat boat. Very stable, and more lively than you might think given the shape. I believe Charlie Walbridge still paddles one (new a few years ago from PS Composites, who has one or more of the molds).

http://www.cboats.net/c_db/list.php?typ ... &name=Hahn" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;


Then there is the HD-1 open canoe version... but let's leave that for a separate Boat of the Week thread.

And yes, I am alternating open and decked boats for now:)

Any opinions, thoughts, and reminiscing about the Hahn? Please post it up!

[PAC]

A couple of them... different lay ups each....

Great cruiser and forgiving (at least for me). Look like a Battleship compared to current boats. Very comfortable with lots of room for outfitting (or overnight gear) to meet one's needs.

[John Coraor]

A Sweet-Hahn was the first C-1 that I paddled; however, I didn't paddle it for long. As I primarily paddled slalom C-2 at the time (probably a Paramax II at that point), I actually missed the flat-bottom, hard chines, and edginess (all of which the Hahn didn't have) and moved quickly into an Ultramax. However, the Hahn was a reasonably forgiving C-1 to paddle.

[Walsh]

Overheard on Tohickon Creek, squinting upstream: "That C1 looks like a Hahn, but it's just too small to be one. Wait...that's Charlie Walbridge. He just makes a Hahn look that small."

DC locals still see Ed Gertler paddling a PS Composites Hahn, and one other gentleman whose name escapes me has a stash of older Hahns and can be seen from Harper's Ferry to Little Falls. For newcomers like myself, these craft and their paddlers are a direct link back to the early days of the Canoe Cruisers Association and the exploration of the now-classic Allegheny runs.

[TonyB]

My limited experiences in Hahns have been joyful, and is on my list to pick up for winter cruising, my favorite would be one of Charlies, the man has a plug for the mold, to cut some of the length out. Makes for better manuverability.

[madmike]

I have 2 and like them very much. The Older was built by John Berry, and is a very light Kevlar layup. It still has a kneeling thwart. The newer one is built by Kaz, in a heavier (not very heavy) layup with conventional pedestal. Which one do you want Tony? We can make this happen.

[icyone]

My first C-1 was a Hahn, built by Bill McKnight in DC. McKnight boats were highly prized at the time: mine was extremely light but very flexy, & could take a lot of punishment. (I believe McKnight "guaranteed it as long as you don't swim out".) I am not sure of the exact mold, but it had a very flat deck which made it hard to roll: in fact I don't think I ever succeeded with it. I know for a fact that my first successful C-1 roll was accomplished while messing around in a slalom boat borrowed from Ken Fisher . My eyes were opened then: came home & got a smaller boat -- and soon a Gemini to paddle with my kids.

[icyone]

Oops, memory fart: slalom C-1 borrowed from: Ken Stone!

Gotta crank up that morning caffeine a bit!

[clt_capt]

A Morrison Hahn was the first C1 I ever paddled - The big difference If I remember correctly was the flat deck - no grooves like the Sweet Hahn. Served its purpose.

[ezwater]

I started in a locally built Hahn (Bill Crowley) with about 8 glass layers and one of polypropylene. I learned to roll it and eventually ran Chattooga 4, the Ocoee, Chauga Gorge, and the upper Conasauga in it.

Then I switched to a Sage, which was a mistake.

I think the spiritual descendant of the Hahn may have been the Magnet. I paddled one borrowed from Andy Bridge, but wasn't smart enough to buy it. The Magnet had the Hahn virtues, but more speed and sharper handling. I wish Kaz could get a Magnet mold somehow.

[Sir Adam]

Not to digress, as I believe we should keep this threads as boat-specific as we can, but other folks may be interested to know a Magnet mold has been resurrected with permission of Andy Bridge and some (if not all) of the original designers. I'll post images of my new Magnet when it appears.