I like the Bob Special but I do not own one....I have rented many when tripping both in Fiberglass and Royalex oh yes and Kevlar/Spectra.
I can put my wife and son (5) and myself in it for day tripping ( small pack with lunch and treats) and we are quite stable with it.
When solo'ing I find I like when I heel the canoe over something like the Algonquin 15 by Swift. I just paddle in the bow like its the stern. I must admit the Swift has a cruising speed over the Bob Special but I still fancy the Nova Craft and wish I could be greedy enough to have them both!
In Tandem, I have kept good pace with other hull designs and two guys, a pile of gear for the long weekend does well.
I do prefer the bigger Prospector to the Bob on river travel, might just be my comfort level talking, but I wouldn't tandem a Bob down a Class I or II river loaded, I have the Prospector's ( 16 and 17) and like the added comfort of only a little water entering the boat.....Never dumped yet!, but then again , I'm typically the portaging fool too!
I took the Kevlar /Spectra for a trip , Lake paddling, and enjoyed it to the fullest. It was weird seeing right through the boat though!
I hope some of this helps, but if your looking, try it out, get the packs loaded take the kids and test paddle it to see if its what you want. Nova Craft also has test paddle nights in the area and they let you try anything , just let them know your interest and they'll most likely make sure they bring a boat of your choice.
Being a member of a canoe club also allows you the opportunity to try other boats.
I haven't got the nerve to try a K-1 yet, but I did help someone back into it!
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[color=green]For love of the wilderness, A journey begins...[/color] [color=brown][b][Nature's Calling...] So get OFF(!) THAT(!!) THUNDERBOX !!![/b][/color]