Been paddling and duck hunting out of an old Grumman aluminum canoe with my father since I was a kid. I have a family of my own now and I'm looking to get into canoe camping/portaging/tripping. We have an OT Discovery 169 with the awful, huge plastic seats and that is serving us fine day paddling lakes and rivers with my wife and me plus two kids (ages 4 & 6) and a medium sized dog. When I add up all of our weights and consider gear as well for overnights, I'm honestly looking at 850-900 lbs of load (me being 350 doesn't help). The Discovery is a barge with a supposed capacity of 1400 lbs. It also weighs over 90 pounds which is far from portage friendly and has me looking at used Royalex and kevlar boats.

I guess I'm wondering if there is any way we're all getting into one canoe or should I just plan on two from the get-go. I've been looking at canoes like the Holy Cow 16'6" which claims an 1100 lb capacity or the Wenonah Itasca which, of course, doesn't list a capacity, but is a freighter.

The plan initially is flat water, short portages and mostly base camping and exploring. I'm sure my wife and I can handle reasonable portages with one of us on each end of the OT. I'll probably make some hickory or ash seats for it here shortly to increase its flexibility and comfort a bit. Part of me feels that I should just pay my dues with this beast.

Sorry for the book. Been lurking a while and I guess it had to come out. Thanks for any help you can give.

My humble opinion is that a 16'9" canoe is too short for two adults, two small kids, a dog, and a load of gear. I wouldn't go shorter than an 18' canoe if I were you; longer is preferable. A Wenonah Champlain, Itasca, or Minnesota 3 come to mind. Try renting one of these or something similar.

Souris River Quetico 18.5, Bell Northwind 18 or 20, maybe a Wenonah Champlain, but have no experience with one.

We use our Quetico 18.5 with our two boys. It is three feet wide, the boys sit side by side for now in the middle seat. They are almost too big at 8 and 11 so this year might be our last with this set up.

T

We took our two boys on their first Quetico trip when they were five and nine years old. We used two aluminum canoes. Last weekend our oldest son, now 49, and I took a three day canoe trip guiding Boy Scouts down the Alapaha River. Our sons are still into canoeing and I think that part of the reason is that they grew up paddling canoes. I suggest using two canoes. My wife is a very skilled paddler. With two canoes you and your wife will both need good canoeing skills.

I would consider a Wenonah MNIII. Big boat, good capacity. As the kids get bigger, you are going to need a second canoe. Being a big man, I suggest you evaluate your own conditioning. Canoe tripping can be strenuous. Good luck.

Thanks to all for the great advice so far. My wife and I are both strong, if not super technical, paddlers. We've spent considerable time in canoes and kayaks, including a fair amount Class III and under whitewater in the latter. Additionally we live on a small lake, so plenty of opportunity to practice and try out configurations. Kids are currently sharing a drop in center seat in the Discovery and are paddling and coexisting side by side as good as kids that age can.

I am not finding any rental options for kevlar or larger boats in general in my area (West Michigan). I suppose I can keep an eye out for demo days in the surrounding area or states or just plan a trip north.

Knowing that we will eventually need two canoes...If I go with something like an 18, 19, 20 footer, will it still paddle well when we split into two crews? Guess it all depends on loading. Thanks again for the help.

For what it's worth, I've used (and just bought a used) We-no-nah MN IV. At 23' 1" it is a tank, but with two adults and two kids (ages 10 and 12) it works great. And despite it's size, it handles surprisingly well and it doesn't feel like 64 lbs on the portages. Granted, some portages can be a little challenging given the length of the canoe, but given the age of my kids, we do choose easier routes right now with fewer portages.

That is an amazing craft. I've never paddled something that long. As you stretch the boat, but keep the same width is the stability affected at all? Any tippier (is that a word?) than something say 17 feet long with the same width?

I'm truly surprised how stable it is, especially knowing that my 10 year old son can get restless at times. But I can say in four trips with this boat (including one with wife who had never really canoed), we've never come close to tipping it. I think at it's widest point it is 36".

cunnibra: "I am not finding any rental options for kevlar or larger boats in general in my area (West Michigan). I suppose I can keep an eye out for demo days in the surrounding area or states or just plan a trip north.

Knowing that we will eventually need two canoes...If I go with something like an 18, 19, 20 footer, will it still paddle well when we split into two crews? Guess it all depends on loading. Thanks again for the help."

I was thinking that if you were planning a BWCAW trip, you could rent a large canoe from an outfitter. The outfitter I use has, for instance, Wenonah Champlains and MN3s, so that you could try both before making a final decision.

However, it sounds like you intend to buy. So, here is my experience in paddling Champlains, MN3s, and a Northwind 18. Just so you can consider my experience in context, I'm only 5'8" tall and 160 lb, and most of my paddling partners are under 200 lbs. The Champlain unloaded is too big for me and my usual partner. Because you are considerably larger, you may find the Champlain OK. I've paddled the MN3 unloaded with just 2 of us in it; it is OK but we are too far apart for my taste. Of the 3 canoes, the Northwind 18 seemed to be the best for me paddling unloaded.

I second the above post. The best thing you can do is rent then buy. Also don't forget used. Most Ely outfitters have a good stock of used canoes. Finally get wooden gunnels, thwarts and cane seats. Those Winona tractor seats are not fun on a long trip. Which reinforces point one. Try one out on rental before investing.

Souris River Quetico 18.5 is what we purchased used from an outfitter in Ely when the girls were 2 and 4. They fit side by side until last year when they were 10 and 12. We also have a 90 lb lab that joined us. That thing is rock solid stable. When the girls were little they liked to crawl up to mom to surprise her :) It's so stable she didn't even notice that they were coming up to her.

It's a great multi purpose canoe because it also works very well as a tandem canoe. The 3rd seat is easy to remove to eliminate a little weight when using it tandem. I used it tandem for trips with my wife, buddy, and even on a couple of daddy/daughter trips when it was just one of the ducklings along. With a little one in the bow I stayed on small water and had the packs as far forward as possible for trim. With an adult in the bow it really works well as a tandem.

Here are some photos of the Family Truckster in action...............

If you are coming to the Twin Cities anytime soon, I have a MN III for sale. See it on Craigslist at MInnesota III for sale

I’ve got an 18.5 ft Bell Northwoods (Northwind 18 equivalent), and I took my family of 4 (kids 4 & 6) in it last year. I felt like we were maxed out on space, and pretty close to the weight capacity, and you probably have more weight than us. I’d go with at least a 20 ft boat, especially if you’d want to add a dog. I’m a Bell fan, so the Northwind 20 would be where I’d start. They’re easy to find to rent in MN.

An 18.5 may work if you all collectively decide to go ultra-light, but with kids this would be a challenge.

Good luck!

I own a Champlain & a Seneca. Both are great boats that are stable with lots of people/weight in them. Not a fan of the MN3 or 4 boats myself although others seem comfortable in them. I paddled the Champlain like a stand up paddle board in the Q fishing last week it is so stable, can't do that with the tippy models.

Just wanted to check back in and say thank you to all who contributed to this thread. The information was very valuable and really shaped what I was looking for. I ended up finding a used Bell Northwoods on Craigslist and picked it up a few weeks ago just before taking my father to BILW. It was a great trip and the boat worked out great for hauling our gear and fishing. Looking forward to a possible trip to Sylvania this summer with the family. Thanks again for all the help.

i agree go much bigger than 16 foot. 30 inches wide.
my 16 foot penobscott isn't long enough. for 2 big people. it's ok for 1 and a small kid.but not with luggage. it's doable, just not encouragable. good luck

Can't tell from those pictures but I can't see a flying moose sticker!

Big fan of my Souris 18.5 , heavy payload and extremely stable.