I am planing a trip this summer and need some advise. My canoe partner weights around 295 and me 180. I have a quetico 17 canoe but feel with 10 days of gear would be close to if not over loaded. Anybody have experience with heavier folks in a canoe and which one works best. I was thinking of renting an 18 foot aluminun? Thank You.

Itasca
Quetico 18.5

The Quetico 17 is probably fine but without any knowledge of how you pack for 10 days it would be hard to say.

Hex

The Q17 has a max payload of 1100 lbs. I suggest you get together well in advance before your trip to check freeboard when you, your partner, and your gear for the trip are in it. Most aluminums have a max payload in the 700-800lb range, so you may be better off with your canoe....

I would think that in most cases the q17 would be fine. I think the biggest issue would be your experience and the conditions on the larger lakes you would be paddling.

I have a Souris River Quetico 17. I have had close to the same amount of weight in it for people as you and had gear for 8 days with no problems whatsoever. It handled just fine.

The amount of gear you bring won't be be any more than a shorter overnight trip, I wouldn't think. Food, maybe, but I can't imagine that it would be any more food than the two packs of fresh goods that our men's group hauls in for a 3-night basecamp trip. We have often gone in with Q17s (2 guys, 3 large packs mid-ship, 1 small pack in the spot behind the stern paddler's seat), but do enjoy using the 18.5 on occasion when we have an odd number of guys. Lots of space in both of those.

We used the Q 18.5 for 3 of us with a combined weight of almost 900 pounds due to SOL who came in over 450. With gear and all it handled well and will travel further per stroke than the shorter 17 ft canoe. The only time we were even close to being stranded for a wind day was because of the top heavy load mostly caused by the upper mass of our heavy SOL. To compensate for that he was asked to bend over to keep the balance more manageable.

You're fine.

You're fine weight-wise. Your issue will be distribution. You'll have to strive for equal weight fore and aft or very slightly bow light.

The 18' will paddle about like what your used to.

When you hit 19+, you are in a different class of canoe. The key variable to your issue, is the difference in your paddlers. I have a Bell Northshore...20.5'. I weigh 325. Once did Crooked loop for an 8 day trip. The only way we could travel loaded was with me in front. Weight would have been fine, but my stroke was much stronger than my partner, who weighed in at around 200. He was skilled enough to compensate.

Wouldnt presume to advise you, more than to say its always great if you can meet your partner for a paddling day before the trip. Who knows? Your 17 may be fine.

We did a 6 night deer hunt back in '09 with 1100 lb loads. Took in a wall tent, big wood stove, guns, chairs, all 250 lbs. of me, fresh food packs, cold weather clothing. We used an Bell Northwoods (Northstar Northwind 18) and a 20.5' Bell Northshore (their new one is the Northwind 20). We were fine. That Northwoods could really take a load, but obviously the 20.5' could too.

We had two portages and traveled 10 river miles on the way in, upstream.

I agree and think that the Q17 will be fine.

I agree about focusing on weight distribution for proper trim is the issue. I have traveled the last 30 years with this issue. We are 300 and 190 lb folks.

First, if at all possible, the heavy person needs to be in the bow. A bow sliding seat is useful pushed all the way back. This puts the most weight nearest the middle.

The question then becomes... is there enough people and cargo weight in the stern to achieve trim. Usually there is, but the packs must be placed as far back as possible, maybe crowding the stern paddlers leg room a bit. I did this for a few trips in a 16 foot Prospector. I even had a day pack snugged down behind the stern seat. It was worth it for the good trim, especially in rough water and wind. I later modified our boats moving the forward thwart back toward the center allowing the sliding bow seat to be back far enough that we could be properly trimmed with no packs at all. The stern seat was also tucked as far back as my butt would fit.

For your situation I would recommend a longer boat Like a Souris River 18.5. It would allow having the packs placed way back and still give the stern paddler some room.

If you decide to have the heavier paddler in the stern an asymmetrical hull like a Northstar Northwind 18 would be better as it is fuller in the stern and would be easier to trim.

Canoes, even those with sliding bow seats are not designed for partners with large weight differences, but buying a stock boat and making the modifications is not that difficult and well worth it!

Thanks everyone. I will likely end up using my canoe. I may consider giving my friend some driving lessons between now and then so he could be in the back. I think I could ballance better that way but it would be hard for me to give up that seat. We shall see.

To achieve trim with 295 lbs in the stern seat you will need to have you(180) and 115 lbs of gear an equal distance from middle(the portage yoke) as the stern seat. I don't see how that will be possible. Even with all the packs forward of the yoke you are going to be very bow light. It is certainly possible to travel that way and I see it lots of times in the BWCA. Your canoe will not be moving through the water very efficiently and it won't take much wind to make staying on course difficult. It is certainly fine to except that and work around it and have a wonderful trip. With a little experimentation there may be a more comfortable way. Just sayin'.

Hopefully you will have some time before your trip to experiment with this.