I did a search and could find a little about them, but wonder if anyone else has any experience. It appears to be a one man shop. Benjamin, the owner, informs me that he is in Madison this week with a Leo model, so I may try to hook up with him before canoecopia to give it a look over.

The canoes seem to be in the Souris river category - Epoxy, flexible, etc.

nighthawk canoes

I have no experience with Nighthawk canoes, but maybe This will help.

At the sale price they are offering, I'd sure like to try one.

Edit: Here's a Link to an old thread I found here as well.

They sure look nice, love that you can order it however you want (for a price)

I had a chance to view a few of the nighthawks at the outdoor expo last spring. WOW! I thought what great boats. they are super good looking and seem very well built. If only I was not married to my souris river. I would have no hesitation buying one of those boats.

I bought a Leo 17 in the standard yellow kevlar layup from him last summer. Benjamin was great to work with and will customize just about anything you could want at a reasonable price. He is also very knowledgable about his materials and design.

As far as the canoe itself goes, I am not an expert paddler, and have not had it out in rough conditions, but so far I have found it to be stable, easy handling, and reasonably fast. A solid all-around design.

I will say I was a bit disappointed in the fit and finish. I'm not sure if that is common for custom builds, and it doesn't affect performance, but it is not up to say Old Town standards. Definately look before you buy. Mine was on sale so that may have something to do with it as well.

Overall the performance is good and the price was right, so I'm happy with it so far.