Looking for recommendations for a tandem Kevlar canoe which would be used for day trip purposes or maybe just an overnight. The primary use would be for fishing. I would be steering and have had some experience in a canoe but definitely wouldn't consider myself a strong paddler so I need something manegable and also light weight so I can also portage. Any advice would be appreciated. Thinking about a 17 ft Wenonah Spirit 2.

Check into a Northstar Nothwind 17

That's on our list but haven't seen too many and there is a price difference. I've paddled a Northwind and it was a good canoe but I haven't paddled a spirit.

There are always good deals on used canoes from outfitters or from people that never used them. If you can accept a few scratches and have some patience, they do become available.

I was happy enough with my Northwind that I got a second one just like it.

quote Sologirl: "That's on our list but haven't seen too many and there is a price difference. I've paddled a Northwind and it was a good canoe but I haven't paddled a spirit."

Actually the Northwind 17 lists $130 less than the Spirit II in a comparable layup

Patience is always good advice, the 130 less-new? I have been looking used and maybe that is the indication of a better canoe I have seen better prices on the Wenonah though there hasn't been a lot listed and I've only been looking about 3 months.

I've owned a Spirit II for many years. It paddles well on lakes and rivers. It handles waves very well because of its bow and stern depth, but the depth can mean you'd have to work hard in crosswinds. The capacity is more than what is necessary for day trips; I've loaded it for a week-long trip. It has good secondary stability for fishing. I've even had 3 people in it fishing.

For your purposes, you might want to consider a 16-foot canoe like Wenonah's Adirondack.

I don't think you will need 17 feet unless you will be out for two weeks or carry a large dog as a fishing partner

I don't think you can go wrong with either but make sure your bow partner is comfortable in the Wenonahs you try.. Sometimes the bow footroom is cramped.

I have a personal preference for Northstars as I know the designer has the bow paddlers stability and comfort in mind.

Thanks for the input we are considering the 16 foot as an option. My bow partner has a lot of experience from a young age and is pretty laid back about the gear. And does believe that what ever we choose will work as long as we are not lifting 80lbs above our heads. I am the weak link and so I want to get a canoe that will help equalize out our skill differences. But I guess the only that will really do that is time in the canoe.

I like your thought on the Spirit II. I also like the recommendation of the Andirondak. My all time favorite tandem to date is the Wenonah 16' Prospector.

I may be the only one, but I'm not a big fan of the Wenonah Spirit II. Unloaded, it's a bit too tippy.

For day trips, I would suggest something like the Sundowner. As luck would have it, I may have one for sale in a couple of weeks;-)

quote roling: "I may be the only one, but I'm not a big fan of the Wenonah Spirit II. Unloaded, it's a bit too tippy.
For day trips, I would suggest something like the Sundowner. As luck would have it, I may have one for sale in a couple of weeks;-)"

Not a big fan of it either. If you're just doing day trips, and you're sold on Wenonah, test paddle the Adirondack. Lest windage, a little flatter hull than the Spirit II and feels steadier IMHO?

Better yet, look at the Northstar 16, which is actually 16'6". Supposed to be a composite copy of the old royalex Bell Northstar which was a good hull. Dedgrass here on BWCAW.com uses his royalex Northstar for fishing all the time.

I have a spirit ll ultralight. It is a nice canoe for tripping, I have people that love it. But I didn't like it as much. I plan on selling it and getting another model I have in mind. The two Wenonah's I would concider are the solo plus or the escape. The Adirondack although I like its appearance, it seemed wide to where if you paddled it solo backwards you'd better have a good reach. Your welcome to try my boat, but water still hard and I'm on a boat run west... that means grandkids involved. Haha. Water should be open when I return in a week or so.

Thought I'd illustrate the thread with a few pictures of the Wenonah Adirondack and the Bell Northwind 16'6 (old, royalex version of Northwind 16). For about a decade I paddled a Wenonah Adirondack EXCLUSIVELY, both tandem and solo. Spent a ton of hours in that boat on BWCAW trips, river trips, fishing, etc. For fishing, we would often fish facing each other, me in bow seat facing the stern and she in the stern. As it paddled so well solo, it worked well.







The Northwind paddles well enough solo, but I would give the Adirondack the edge on solo use. Tandem, the Northwind is wonderful, both the 16 and 17' versions. I know, I've not paddled the COMPOSITE version of the 16, but if I was that enamored with the royalex version and the composite 17...... Here's a few pics of our royalex 16 Northwind that Dedgrass here now owns. The empty boat you may notice the stern seat has been moved up so it would be better for solo. Since I outweigh my wife quite a bit, it worked well for us in this position both tandem and solo.

quote roling: "I may be the only one, but I'm not a big fan of the Wenonah Spirit II. Unloaded, it's a bit too tippy.

For day trips, I would suggest something like the Sundowner. As luck would have it, I may have one for sale in a couple of weeks;-)"

No offense, but the Spirit 2 is not tippy at all, IMHO. I had a Sundowner and now have a Spirit, I found the Sundowner more tippy. The spirit is popular with renters because it is stable and has more room in it, especially the bow. It is a bit more susceptible to wind. I also have an UL Adirondack, it is less stable but pretty solid itself.

All that said, "stable" is often a point on which reasonable men disagree.


Hmmm.....

quote Winemaker: "

quote roling: "I may be the only one, but I'm not a big fan of the Wenonah Spirit II. Unloaded, it's a bit too tippy.
For day trips, I would suggest something like the Sundowner. As luck would have it, I may have one for sale in a couple of weeks;-)"

No offense, but the Spirit 2 is not tippy at all, IMHO. I had a Sundowner and now have a Spirit, I found the Sundowner more tippy. The spirit is popular with renters because it is stable and has more room in it, especially the bow. It is a bit more susceptible to wind. I also have an UL Adirondack, it is less stable but pretty solid itself.
All that said, "stable" is often a point on which reasonable men disagree.
Hmmm....."

Well, one says po-TA-to and another says po-tah-to, and Dan Quayle says po-ta-TOE (LOL)! I am fine with the Spirit II, but 3 different bow partners I've paddled with in one felt it was a bit "Tender" to fish from? No one ever felt that way in the Adirondack, or they didn't SAY it anyway?

I own an royalex adirondack, it's a pretty stable, with enough room for 2 people to fish. I wouldn't plan on winning any races with it, it's like paddling a bathtub.
That being said I use that canoe more then any other one I own.

I have had my Spirit II since 1994. I fish a lot, that is the main reason I bought this canoe. Very stable platform for fishing.

Here is an interview I did for Canoe and Kayak magazine last year about my canoe.....

Canoe and Kayak article

quote Captn Tony: "I own an royalex adirondack, it's a pretty stable, with enough room for 2 people to fish. I wouldn't plan on winning any races with it, it's like paddling a bathtub.
That being said I use that canoe more then any other one I own. "

Having owned a royalex Adirondack and two composite ones, they are different creatures. The composite paddles much nicer.

I paddle a Spirit II with two big 200+ lb guys, two personal packs, 1 common gear pack, blue food barrel and a large fishing pole carrier. It handles us just fine and it's very stable for fishing even when mostly empty. That being said, with the weight we are carrying, the Champlain would be the better boat (same hull design but 1 ft longer) for us. At times I feel we are plowing thru the water a little and making paddling harder than it should be. The Champlain would fix that problem.

If you like a Spirit II, I would highly recommend it. If you are smaller though and carrying only a pack for a day trip, the Wenonah Aurora is a smaller, 16 ft version of the Spirit II. I think that boat should be one of the first on your list for a lake/day cruising boat.

The Adirondak is another good boat, it would be a little more efficient but it's also slightly more narrow. I have been in one before as a rental and spent a few hours in it. It reminded me of the Sundowner I used to own. The Sundownder was fast (efficient glide), with a straight tracking hull but it was the most tippy feeling canoe I've ever been in...absolutely scary to fish out of. The Adirondak reminded of the Sundowner for the same reason.

Everyone that has ever been in my Spirit II loves it and always feels confident while fishing. If you have less weight to carry than I do, I'd think the Aurora might fit you perfectly.

We purchased the spirit 2 and it's a great canoe for us. I've paddled in the stern and the bow to accommodate fishing and I've done pretty well. Yesterday my guy took me to Fourtown Lake for a picnic lunch and it was the best peanut butter jelly and banana on rye I've ever had and fabulous swimmkng! Tomorrow I'm going to do some work at Stegers place and after I'm done he's picking me up in the canoe for my ride home. Nothing like a good man and a good canoe to make your world wonderful!

Nice to hear things are going well. Your canoe seems a little shy!! Hiding like that.

Yes. She's enjoying the view