I tend to get long winded, so to save you from reading below, here is the question. What tandem canoe models could work acceptably well for a week long solo trip?

Here is the long story...

I'm looking around at canoes because I have decided that I want my own boats, and to self outfit. (at least over time get to the point that I can easily self outfit) I am looking for two boats. I have been reading, and reading, and imagining. And pestering the canoe shop people - and looking forward to Canoecopia.

Given my nature (cheap) I will likely buy used boats - I don't mind a boat being pre-scrached and dinged. So what I eventually get will largely be determined by what I can turn up. I am at the early stage right now of just mulling over the various options.

I do not think I will get two identical boats. As of right now I am thinking I would like to get a boat that I could, at least theoretically solo. But which would also hold two people in the BWCA - as long as the other boat had some of their gear.

Any suggestions?

I say I will buy used, though a series of circumstances I can get a really big discount right now on a new Wenonah if I order soon. I worry that I might regret not taking this opportunity and getting a really nice boat just as I want it. But I also realize that I do not know yet what I want so there is risk spending that kind of money for a new boat that doe not really suit my "needs".)

All of my previous trips have been in rented Aluminum canoes, I have enjoyed them. So maybe I should just pick up a couple of Alumacrafts and be done with it. I have a 90# barge of a Grumman at home that I am not man enough to portage.

Which Wenonah is the deal on?

I only have one Wenonah and that is the Odyssey. At 18.5 feet it is possible to solo it Canadian Style, kneeling on the bottom in back of the yoke. So..it is not all about the boat but about your paddling skills to and whether you want to engage in kneeling at all.

Its hard to self outfit unless you tryout a bunch of boats. Never let the dealer scare you with "this offer expires tomorrow". It will be back.

Another thing that matters is where the solo station is and your height and the width there. For most people under 6 feet anything wider than 30 inches makes their strokes a sweep as they follow the gunwales..that is not efficient.

More info please on the width of the paddling station of the boats you are considering.

If you don't know right now that is fine. What you want to look for in a tandem that you can solo in a seat (and its going to tend to be not 18.5 feet!) is the adjustability of the seat, and the position of the seat. Many people who solo sit on the bow seat backward. Now seats that are sloped low end forward tend to bite less on the back of the thigh but that is tough to do for people who might need to face both ways.

Look for seats that are adjustable fore and aft. Solo you want to get as close to the center as you can(within that above 30 inch measurement)..unless you are toting rocks to throw in the new bow. A model that only has tractor seats is going to work against you.

Hopefully we can all work together to make your Copia shopping experience more meaningful. Take the tape measure to gauge the width of lots of models at your expected solo paddling station.

I know a few people that have had very good luck using an SR Q16 for solo use, but they won't be at Copia, they will be at the Milwaukee Sports Show that weekend instead

yellowcanoe,

I do not think I was clear. It sort of an employee discount kind of deal so I can get the Wenonah at (slightly below) cost if I get my order in with the shop's main order - no shipping charge etc. . From what I understand I can do this any boat in the Wenonah line. It seems like a good bargain, but I will not be in a position to get a deal like this next year.

But it will still be more expensive than a used boat.

I am 5' 10 - 170 lbs. A bit longer than normal arms.

I have spent a lot of time paddling canoes and kayaks, but most of it on local rivers and creeks. I have made a grand total of 2 BWCA trips. But now I have caught the bug.

I teach college so I have plenty of summer time to make trips north.

And I happen to have a little "gun fund" money right now that I could play with. So it seems like a good time to just jump in with both feet.

i don't know all the canoe types and models but i would say get the lightest weight "normal" style 16 foot boat you can afford.no odd lines,tumblehome,sliding seats,all that stuff.for some 20 years i used a Oldtown Pathfinder.just under 15 feet and 57 pounds.i soloed all over the Q with it and a buddy went on several two week trips up there with
me.tight fit but it worked.for solo i did the paddle from the front seat,boat turned of course,with the other seat removed to make room for the packs to lay flat.my new boat is a 17 foot Bell Prospector,as a "normal" canoe as you can get.when the buddy went up to the Q in this one we had lots of space to stretch out our legs.i use it solo by doing the seat swap thing again.this time to get the right trim i had to move the seat forward a bit.your weight a such in whatever canoe you buy will vary..i loved both boats,the Oldtown was heavy with a flat bottom but stable and felt safe in bad water.the Bell runs like a sports car but is a bit to tippy to stand and paddle when my legs get stiff.
sooooo..in a word/words,get the most "normal" looking canoe you can find at around 16-17 feet and when you paddle solo do the seat swap trick with the packs far forward to mimic the weight of another person and your good to go.

Another example of a canoe that fits the bill is a Mad River Malecite. I've used one on over twenty trips in the BWCA. It's 16.5' long with three seats and maximum width of 34". It's a good tandem boat that also works good for solo paddling. It's not excellent at either but good at both IMO. When paddling solo, I can sit in the stern if I have a good load in the bow, or I sit in the bow paddling backwords if I have less weight or it is windy, or I can sit or kneel in the center if I have no gear or it's real windy. But like YC says paddling from the center in this canoe is inefficient (because of the width) and it's my least favorite position.

If you're going to get 2 canoes, you may want to buy one tandem and one hybrid tandem/solo.

Curious post and curious responses.

If you are not soloing Canadian Style and want the responsiveness of the center position (which gives the soloist the most control) , you do need tumblehome.

Sticking to the Wenonah models on their website they have one dedicated to the OP..the Solo Plus.

SP is a bit wide but the OP has long arms. Seems fine. I don't have one.

Take a look at a Nova Craft Bob's Special. Rutabaga's stocks them, and Nova Craft will be at Canoecopia. It's 15 ft, fun to paddle solo (backwards from the bow seat with some weight for counterbalance).

In Royalex Lite it weighs about 54 lbs. It's a small tandem, but more fun when used as a solo. Handles really well solo with a pack or two.

Where do you live, Drab? Urbanboatbuilders.org in Saint Paul (they work with at risk kids and hire the promising ones as apprentices) has a 15' Cheemaun wood/canvas built from a form donated by Rolin Thurlow. Last summer and fall I was in the market for a smaller tandem that I could paddle solo. I paddled the Cheemaun for a day and was very impressed by it. I ended up getting a different craft, a 15' Will Ruch wood/dacron, but the workmanship on the Cheemaun was quite good. With a kneeling thwart or a canted center seat it would be great. If memory serves it was about 62#. They've had it on sale for some time and I think they would entertain a reasonable offer.

I live in Southern Illinois - near St. Louis.

Pretty far away from St. Paul to check out a boat.

I've been using tandem canoes as a solo for a long time now. Hoping to get my first rue solo canoe end of next season, used from an outfitter in Ely.

The last couple years, I've used my Bell Northwind as a solo. Here's a pic from last summers trip. I removed the stern seat and put another seat closer to center. Also purchased a 280cm carbon shaft yak paddle. Made a 100+ mile Quetico solo and it handled well in some pretty rough winds.

OK, expert paddlers will laugh, but I actually like my entry level RX Wenonah Heron. It's wide and stubby. I have paddled it solo from the stern and it handled very well (two trips with a child in the bow as ballast). I don't think I've paddled it from the bow...



I have also paddled it tandem on multiple occasions in the BW, though I don't bring many packs (two large packs and maybe a day pack is completely fine).

I say expert paddlers will laugh, as Wenonah Royalex does "oil can" a bit (bottom flexes inward when unloaded anyway). For me, that didn't matter - the price and weight was right and the design seems stable. I own two kevlar boats for BW and wanted a Royalex for rocky BW trips and my back yard lake. It's a keeper and I'm looking for a second one to make a pair. It won't win any races, but it's easy enough to paddle solo for me when I need to, and just fine as a tandem too.

I'd look at different Wenonah models if I was looking for a flex-core or kevlar layup. I wanted to stay UNDER 60 pounds and in RX.

I purchased a Bell Yellowstone 2 that I set up to paddle solo or tandem. I did this so I could paddle with my young son. When the wind came up or in light white water I could move to a kneeling thwart in the center with thigh straps and make the boat work like a solo boat. It is not fast nor is it a great WW boat but it does excell as a down river boat that can handle some WW and trips ok. Jack of all trades, master of none kind of thing. Not a bad boat but not great at anything other than maybe an great ozark float stream boat.

I would check out a SR Quetico 16:

SR Q16

I am impressed that anyone can use an 18 foot tandem canoe as a solo. No way would I want to be in rough, windy conditions in that. But maybe I am underpowered!

quote BWPaddler: "OK, expert paddlers will laugh, but I actually like my entry level RX Wenonah Heron. It's wide and stubby. I have paddled it solo from the stern and it handled very well (two trips with a child in the bow as ballast). I don't think I've paddled it from the bow...





I have also paddled it tandem on multiple occasions in the BW, though I don't bring many packs (two large packs and maybe a day pack is completely fine).


I say expert paddlers will laugh, as Wenonah Royalex does "oil can" a bit (bottom flexes inward when unloaded anyway). For me, that didn't matter - the price and weight was right and the design seems stable. I own two kevlar boats for BW and wanted a Royalex for rocky BW trips and my back yard lake. It's a keeper and I'm looking for a second one to make a pair. It won't win any races, but it's easy enough to paddle solo for me when I need to, and just fine as a tandem too.


I'd look at different Wenonah models if I was looking for a flex-core or kevlar layup. I wanted to stay UNDER 60 pounds and in RX."

How could anyone ever laugh at a gal that loves canoes?

Thanks for that JW/Kim...! I'm sure my own boat needs/likes will evolve over time. This Heron happened to be a CL buy, new, from someone that won it in a raffle. So %50 or more off list price, right time, right weight...

I got an OT Penobscot 16 RX shortly afterwards with similar intent (sometimes solo, sometimes tandem). Same kid in the bow of that boat (actually paddling) and I couldn't cross a windy lake without crazy effort. But I know many people have enjoyed a Penob for that purpose, so I presume my situation is somehow different.

The pic I shared in the Heron is Big Sag with a little wind, and it was totally fine "solo" - and I am NOT an expert paddler. Yes, I used muscles, but always felt in control of the boat and tracking was not an issue.

I guess my best advice is to TRY the models on your short list - if at all possible! We are all different and what works for me may not for you and vice versa.

@whiteH20, adorable pic of your son!!

quote Drab: "I live in Southern Illinois - near St. Louis.
If you ever get as far north as Tiskilwa IL shoot me an email , I have a SR Q16 you can test paddle.

I use the Wenonah solo plus as a solo canoe. Its huge for a solo and I like it a lot for fishing out of. It has three seats in it but I take one out when I solo sao I have more room for gear. I don't think it would make a good tandem tripper unless the paddlers were small and with very light gear.




tony

Thanks for the offer otter1. I will definitely keep that in mind.

A lot of opinions and good advice here. I have a Bell NorthStar which is the Black Gold layup, and they are 16' lots of tumblehome and a pretty large (wide) solo. But a good deep boat. I have soloed it, and did what pineknot did, I put a seat in the center and took out the tandem seats, and then put them back when I wanted a tandem.
Not a lot of them around, and not suggesting you do that, just making the point, that this sort of thing can be done and works.
SunCatcher

All of them.
just turn the canoe around and sit in what is/was the bow. You're not quite in the middle of the canoe, but can trim it well and have better control by being somewhat back.
You can remove a thwart or leave it in - up to you.
I did a long solo in my SR Q17 last fall and it was perfect.

i had a penobscot 16 for 14 years. solo'd it on one trip and bass fished out of it more times than i can remember. it was an adequate twofer.

kanoes,

I just missed a Penobscot RX 16 on the local Craigslist.

Oh well it was bright red so maybe it is for the best. I'd prefer green ( or especially drab :)

I have a drab Old Town Loon Kayak that was made for Cabelas.

Take a look at Savage river canoes.


Savage River Canoes


Jb

Wow. Those look really sweet Jb.

I see that niceness does not come cheap. That is more than I am going to spend for one canoe right now.

Looks like great boats to dream about, though.

I use my souris river 16 for solo trips. It works pretty good when trimed well.

quote PineKnot: "I've been using tandem canoes as a solo for a long time now. Hoping to get my first rue solo canoe end of next season, used from an outfitter in Ely.


The last couple years, I've used my Bell Northwind as a solo. Here's a pic from last summers trip. I removed the stern seat and put another seat closer to center. Also purchased a 280cm carbon shaft yak paddle. Made a 100+ mile Quetico solo and it handled well in some pretty rough winds.



"

Got to agree with a 9ft paddle. Allows you to sit in the center of the canoe and paddle without much difficulty. The extra length really makes a difference.

JB

i have 16 ft penobscot too. i actually prefer to go solo with it too. portaging is no fun because it is heavy. just put your load in the front maybe keep an inflatable water container to add some more weight if the wind and waves pick up. it tracks really well. i think nova craft makes something really close to it but lighter. it might be a cronge.