The Sylva is a dedicated touring canoe. Noticeably narrower than a Lutra of comparable length, it cleaves the water, tracking effortlessly. This is aided by some concavity at the bow and stern which sheds water cleanly and allows for a clean exit.

Whilst some initial stability is necessarily sacrificed in the interests of cruising ease and speed, the mid-section still provides excellent response in waves with sufficient buoyancy and stability to handle demanding lake crossings.

Despite its excellent directional stability, this canoe becomes surprisingly manoeuvrable with a small amount of heel - winding rivers present no obstacle to the Sylva.

As with the Lutra, the Sylva's characteristic recurve reduces the impact of wind, and the tumblehome makes for an easy, natural, efficient paddling position.

The light weight allows effortless acceleration to cruising speed, and even the longest portages become bearable (I hesitate to say "pleasurable"!) And even though at the end of the trip it is easy to lift the Sylva on to the car, you'll probably have difficulty resisting the urge to get back on the water and head off into the sunset ...

Sylva length can vary from a 12' solo version up to 16' (see the pricelist page for details). The maximum beam varies accordingly, retaining the shape and handling characteristics regardless of the size.