The official unveiling. Using water instead of champagne of course. It's only fitting.
Swift Canoe & Kayak is proud to finally unveil the all-new Keewaydin 16! We've quietly been showcasing this boat at some of our dealers' stores so if you're a real hardcore paddler you might have already caught a glimpse of this new machine, but now it's finally time to present this awesome new canoe it to the masses. The Keewaydin 16 will join it's older brother the Keewaydin 17 as part of our "Touring Canoe Series" and will be an excellent option for trippers who need a boat with diverse capabilities. The Keewaydin 16 is remarkably fast for it's size, so much so that it was dubbed "the rocket" by the R&D boys. Even more, it's got the same keynote features of the Keewaydin 17 with narrower paddling stations, lowered seats, and refined tumblehome. This makes the boat incredibly easy to paddle, regardless of your size or position in the boat, while maximizing efficiency and glide. The Keewaydins are also the first Swift boats to incorporate gradual rocker, a technique utilized by designer David Yost that creates a gradual increase in rocker as you move closer to the bow and stern. This helps to maximize glide by shaping the hull for increased water deflection. That's really just a fancy way of saying the boat cuts through the water like a knife through butter, but hey, it's a good tagline.
The Keewaydin 16 is now available for order and purchase at all Swift stores and Swift dealers. If you'd like to follow the evolution of this boat from prototype to production just check out the links below:
The Building of the Prototype Plug- http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2010/11/behind-scenes-new-swift-prototype-is.html
The Completed Mould- http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2011/06/new-swift-canoe-is-coming.html
The First Test with the Keewaydin 16 and Prospector 15- http://swiftoutdoors.blogspot.com/2011/01/sneak-preview-part-v-first-test-of-all.html
THE PHOTO TIMELINE
DY finalizing the shape of the bow during fall 2010
The completed plug arriving at Swift early winter 2011. The plug was then used to build the final mould for production
Test paddling the plug before finalizing mould design. Winter 2011. (and a cold day for paddling...)
The completed mould. Spring 2011.
Bill Swift himself taking the first completed Keewaydin 16 on it's maiden voyage in July 2011
Putting the boat through it's paces
She turns on a dime!
A happy boat builder
If you're interested in checking out the new Keewaydin 16 and are looking for more information, send us an e-mail at swift@swiftcanoe.com or give us a call toll free at 1-800-661-1429.
See you on the water!
