I am basically a first-timer taking the kids (9,12 boys) on an adventure. We are good navigators and avid campers, just lacking in canoe experience. I have been to the BWCA a couple times before - 2 decades ago and sans kids. We did a test run yesterday at Lebanon Hills in Eagan, MN to test out portaging etc and it went surprisingly well. However, a 1/4 mile with a 60lb canoe is about all I want to do. I was thinking that going to the 42lb one would be so much better and I could definitely do the longer portages so much easier. If we go through Sawbill Outfitters, are we allowed to put the 9 yr old in the center of a tandem on a cushion? What model would you recommend? We will likely base camp on Cherokee for 2-3 nights, and then on S Temperance, any day trip recommendations?

Yes you could put him there if you don't have to much gear. If he can sit low enough in the canoe it should be just fine. Don't want a high center of gravity out in rough water for sure. If you pack heavy, as I tend to do , you might consider a 3 man canoe. Not much more weight then the tandem.

As a former youth pastor I used to take my youth groups to the BWCA/Q every year. More often than not I put 3 to a canoe simply to eliminate the extra cano to rent and portage. These were the standard outfitters aluminum canoes and the kids were between 13-18 years old so pretty much adult size and we were on 12 day travel trips with maybe 2 layover days. The duffer (passenger) sat behind the bow paddler on the floor (sometimes on a cushion) with 2-3 packs in the space behind the portage yoke.
For the most part the duffer just rode without paddling. While they had a paddle it's difficult to paddle from the floor of a canoe especially with the width of the canoe and the need to stay centered. I did not like them to sit on a pack as it raised the center of gravity too high leading to potential flips, not to mention squashing something in that pack that shouldn't be squashed.

A flotation cushion will help keep him from sitting in water. And can be sat on around camp.

So to answer your question. Yes it can be done.

Great, thanks. I reserved the 18.5ft one and will borrow a crazy creek seat. He is actually happy to have the seat back and to not have to paddle. I think it will make this doable. I know the website says the 3 seater is 50lbs, but other websites say 55lbs and so does the Sawbill online reservation form. I am a 5'3" girl and 13lbs is a lot to me. The 42lb is about what my toddler weighs and I know I can carry that a long time on my shoulders and the canoe won't even pull my hair.

Just remember you need to load and unload those Kevlar boats while they are floating in the water. And you need to lift them up and set them down in the water. You can't drag them up on shore or you'll rip up the bottom and the outfitter will invite you to buy the boat at the end of your trip or pay for expensive repairs.

I think we made it work with the 17 ft version, 18.5 will be luxury, or may at least allow you to keep a pack laid flat vs upright.

When I have gone with 12 year olds, they generally wanted to portage the kevlar canoe vs. the packs and gear. It was more "fun"?

For the duffer we found this chair to be the best solution and cost $10.00.
low beach chair

It keeps the duffer's duff off the bottom of the canoe. It also ended up being the most popular seat at camp, compared to crazy creeks, and other expensive lightweight camping chairs. I put multiple wraps of duck tape an inch or two from the 4 corners as "feet" to avoid scratching the bottom of the canoe, foam pipe insulation would likely work better.

Good to know on the loading. I mean, who doesn't want to own a canoe? Me, for the price those Kevlars go for.

I'll give the kid the low beach chair option for a seat. He is being really nice at being denied a seat and we don't want to upset the chef, so we'll try to keep him happy.

The outfitters do expect some scratches. They are inevitable. Just look at the rentals stacked up. It's the gouges that reveal fibres of the fabric and plain old holes that can cause problems. My then 12 or 13 year old son picked up and dropped a loaded brand new at beginning of week kevlar on a sharp rock. Very clean hole. Duct tape got us back fine. Outfitter did not charge us. (Value in being loyal to one outfitter). So be careful with them, treat like you own it, but don't be paranoid.

We had a Northwind 18 on our trip, it's about 45 lbs and would be big enough for you. My 12 year old daughter portaged it on the flatter portages and I took the more challenging ones. Don't know if that's an option for you, but 45 is a lot lighter than 55.

Lebanon Hills is a great place to do some practice BWCA paddling/portaging. What a fun adventure and Cherokee Lake is a beautiful destination. Assuming you are planning on heading north out of Sawbill, it is ambitious in this sense. Once you leave Sawbill to the north, you are committed to getting there through 4 portages and no camping options to stop early if the troops get tired. I would typically advise first time trippers to plan a shorter first day with just a couple of portages to allow the group to acclimate to the paddle portage routine and to reorganize that first night. Your practice run at Lebanon Hills helps accelerate some of that learning, but unless you brought all of your gear and know whether or not you'll need to be double/triple or quadruple portaging, it might help to have an earlier stopping point available.

I would see Beth Lake to the west or Burnt Lake to the east as good first day destinations. A friend and I took our kids to Beth Lake for their first BWCA experiences and did a day trip through Ella to Grace and back. They had a great time.

That same friend took a group of boy scouts out of Sawbill, and despite advise to the contrary, tried to get them all to Brule the first night. They made it, but at a cost. The other adult was in the BWCA for the first time and was so exhausted that he pretty much organized a mutiny. They ended up shortening their trip with lingering hard feelings.

If your plan was to head east out of Sawbill and get to Cherokee the first day, then at least you'd have additional camping options along the way if they are needed. If you do go in that direction, a point of interest is the abandoned gold mine shaft between Kelly and Jack Lakes. Going from Kelly to Jack it would be at the end of the portage on the left as you get to Jack Lake.

Hope you have a wonderful adventure with your boys.

quote CharChar: " The 42lb is about what my toddler weighs and I know I can carry that a long time on my shoulders and the canoe won't even pull my hair."

Love it- this is how I judge the weight of things, too!

Thanks for the tips and stories. I have to admit I am getting a little weary of that route and especially Ada to Skoop. I have been watching the head cam of it (I love the internet) and it really is a boulder field and it would really wreck the trip to roll an ankle the 1st day. Plans are flexible and we will decide once we get all the gear (some lighter stuff on the way and some is being borrowed).

I do admire your friend's boyscout troop. I was hoping to get my son's whole troop to go, but although they camp once a month, they have very little interest in backpacking. In 2 years, the most treacherous was a mile in on a paved trail and after the dramatically exhausted boys, that was deemed sufficient. His excitement to do this trip is what is driving me.

I'd second the recommendation for something easier for a first trip. I went into Cherokee from Sawbill last summer, and it was more strenuous than we had expected. Our group consisted of my husband and I, a family of 5 (kids 12, 8, & 5 - I think), and their former au pair. We had 2 MN 2s and 1 MN 3. We got a late start after driving up from the cities, and camped the first night at the far end of Sawbill, right next to our first portage. We probably would have been ok if the map represented conditions as we found them, but it was late in the year with low water levels, so the section that shows as two short portages with a wide flowage between them turned into one significantly longer portage. Everyone was exhausted when we finally got to Cherokee.

Answering the actual question you asked, though, yes, you can totally put 3 people that size in the 18.5' canoe - I'm nearly positive that's the MN II, which is what we have. We've had 3 adults in ours, which works but doesn't leave you much freeboard.