Boundary Waters Quetico Forum :: Gear Forum :: Souris River Q16 vs 17
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ozarkpaddler |
Spauldo: "ozarkpaddler: " " Actually that's the St. Francis, not too far from here. The friend I sold the Q-16 to moved to Alaska years ago and we lost touch with him? I guess it's possible he could have come home? He would be thin, tall, and an excellent paddler. My wife and I also each have a similar colored canoe; she has a Mohawk Solo 13 and I have a Mad River Independence: |
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thomps33 |
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SourisMan |
I've done a number of solo trips with my Q16. As others have said, it works very well paddled backwards, and with a pack in the front. Once I'm set up on a site, I tend to stay put if it's at all windy. When my Q16 is not loaded with gear, it is definitely tougher to keep on track. I've tried weighting down the bow with a big dry sack filled with water as recommended by some. That did help a bit, but it's not as good as a full pack. I've never tried to paddle a Q17 solo, so can't help you there. |
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AmarilloJim |
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Bumstead |
1) a lighter weight boat 2) more leg room for bow paddler If not sure, 3) how often do you paddle large lakes with wind driven waves? Both should handle all the gear you need, more bow space and large lake capability with the 17'. I own a Wenonah '17' and Adirondack 16....would take the boat that best suits paddler size and lake conditions. If bow paddler would be okay in 16' and going on smaller lakes, I'd take the 16' because of 6-7 lbs less weight; however if I would only have 1 size for all boats, it'd be 17'. |
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andym |
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Spauldo |
ozarkpaddler: " " Is this the current river? I think i remember seeing this canoe last year. How does it hold up on the rocks? I exclusively use aluminum Grumman 17' canoes on the river. |
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just saw your op. your concerns about the sr17 as a solo boat are spot on. i have an sr17 and have paddled it extensively both solo and tandem. great tandem boat, but does NOT handle well as a solo especially in wind. |
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andym |
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jhb8426 |
I paddled a 16 ft Ranger Otter for a long time. Got to feeling a bigger boat would be better so I bought a Bell Northwind (17.5 ft). It's a nice canoe with lots of room and capacity. As time went on it got to feeling too big for my current needs. Bought a Bell Northstar (16.5 ft) recently. They're only a foot different, but the Northstar feels like a better fit now. Granted the Northwind and Northstar are different boats, but sizewise the Northstar fits my needs at this point. I know this doesn't directly answer your question, but just wanted to point out that while a foot doesn't seem like much, it makes a big difference in a boat. The bigger boat handles different, and handling it on land and putting it on your vehicle are different as well. |
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ozarkpaddler |
As for the Souris canoes, they didn't make the Quetico 17 when we traded in our Wenonah Adirondack for one. We tested the Quetico 16 and the Wilderness 18. We really loved the Wilderness 18 but we needed a boat that could be used solo also. The more I paddled the Q-16, the more I liked it. And it not only got paddled solo, it did tandem trips with a pair of 200lb guys. I reviewed it on Paddling.net years ago. Here's the link and look for the review from "Wildernesswebb." As for the Q-17, sorry I can't give you a review on it. It would still be in my barn if not for a plethora of medical bills. Quetico 16 |
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bwcadan |
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thomps33 |
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bwcasolo |
it was a little tight with my packs and my wife on the few trips we went on in it. i upgraded to the 17 and was much happier. more room, rock solid stability. i have sold that and moved into wenonah boundary waters model, roomier yet. i own a prism as well for my solo adventures. |
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bwcadan |
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ducks |
We had a Q18.5 that worked great for the ducklings sitting in the 3rd seat starting when they were 4 and 2. They are now 13 and 11 and last fall was the last time they'd fit side by side so we decided it was time to sell it because they are too big and we will hopefully end up as a 2 tandem canoe family. We used the money from selling the q18.5 to get the 16. We went w/ the 16 because I was confident it would work well both solo (I rented one for my 1st ever solo) and tandem based on conversations w and reading reviews from people that used them tandem. As far as using it solo...... it's not as fun to paddle solo as a true solo canoe but it definitely gets the job done and is a good combo if you can only get 1 canoe. I've done 2 solo trips in it and I look forward to doing more. |