Hi All-

Anyone have experience paddling a Spirit II on rivers? I'm thinking Bigfork MN type rivers, twists and turns, some good stretches of Class I-II and III on rare, high water occasion. Looking at one in the royalex layup for that reason, not backcountry portage use- except maybe on the no-portage trips.

My main internal debate question is-- If i'm buying this for 90% river/ 10% recreation lake use, should I really get a river canoe- like the prospector? I will likely never do heavy use whitewater type of rivers in the far north, and if I do- will figure out a boat for that at the time.

Any thoughts?

Thanks

I had an Adirondack for a while, which was ok on twisty streams like Minnehaha Creek. I’ve always found Wenonah Royalex boats to oil can too much for my preference. Lots of other options for Royalex besides the Spirit II. I also prefer a boat with more rocker, though that requires more skill to paddle straight. A common but very capable option is the Old Town Penobscot 16. I like dagger boats and the old bell Royalex too but they’re less common now. Esquif has some good options.

In attempt to answer your question more directly, i would not buy a Spirit II for your described purpose. It tracks rather hard, is too long (unless you need the freeboard for camping gear or heavy paddlers), and oil cans too much. Also, rather than a prospector, I’d suggest looking for something with differential rocker (more in the bow than stern) and lower shear (sides) to minimize wind age. I use the dagger reflection 15 for the same purpose, but the 16 might be better for a heavier crew or gear. The bell north wind Royalex comes to mind. Much more common and capable though symmetric: Penobscot 16.

I should clarify- the reason for the Spirit II is because I’ve found a good deal on a used one.

I've paddled a Spirit II flex-core Kevlar on medium-sized rivers with class I and II rapids. It was fine. It also easily handles 2-foot waves on lakes. I can't say how it would handle class III rapids. Maybe ok. I might prefer a boat with flared ends for class III.

If you were starting from "ground zero", I agree that something like the Penobscot 16 would be better than the Spirit II, but since if you have a good deal on a Spirit II, it would handle what you want just fine.

I have 2 Spirit IIs - great all around canoe.

I used to have a Spirit ll in Royalex and liked it fine. Took it on a Wabikimi trip a few years ago and it was a good fit for that trip. It carried good size load and handled well. imho, a good deal on one would be worth pursuing.

Owners certainly seem to like them.

https://paddling.com/reviews/product/we-no-nah-canoe-inc-spirit-ii-1-canoe/

I used to regularly do upstream paddles on the Huron River in the Ann Arbor area and there is one spot where there is a rock wall across the river except for a six foot opening where the water drops about 4-6 inches. I used to run that drop upstream and I never saw anyone else do it except one day a father and son in their Royalex Spirit II decided to try it and after a couple of failed attempts they made it. That impressed me. They clearly had confidence in their boat and the boat clearly had some capability.

My neighbor had a spirit 2, never paddled it in whitewater but I’m sure it would be fine for class 1-3 whitewater. I like the lines on the Penobscot much better. I had a 16’ Penobscot that I’d paddle hells gate with, it was useless in this stretch of river, the 17’ worked much better. These aren’t play boats, it’s mostly about getting down the rapids, avoiding rocks and mostly not taking on too much water. The thing with whitewater canoeing most upper Midwest rivers is long stretches of flat water. A canoe that tracks decently is really appreciated. Also the skill levels of the paddlers is an important point, whitewater paddling involves many different techniques, taking a class is useful.

I've used my Spirt 2 in rated class 2 and possibly higher. It's ToughWeave construction and held up very well, I don't think Royalex is needed.
It's just my opinion but I liked downriver runs in the composite Spirit 2 better than the Royalex Penobscots I've paddled. Might have been it's tracking as it seemed easier to keep on a line/course picked out ahead of the river feature.
Far as durability on rocky rapids, no trouble. Sliding easily off rocks and just getting scratched up gel-coat the fixes easily, it took lots of impacts. I used it in northern WI mostly and some northern MN/MI.

butthead

THEGrandRapids: "I should clarify- the reason for the Spirit II is because I’ve found a good deal on a used one. "

People love those boats and it would surely sell later if you found something different. It would be fine for your needs, though maybe not my first choice (I like to play in eddy turns, etc).

I had both a Spirit II and a Penobscot. The Spirit II is my favorite tripping canoe and it handled rivers but wasn't great for it. I did Hog creek in one and it was a handful. We nailed the shoreline several times. My uncle was in a Penobscot and they had a blast cranking around the turns.

For 90% river trips, the Penobscot is a hoot to paddle. I could spin that one around on a dime and it was great for pulling sideways into shore. I tripped with the Penobscot a couple of times and it was a fine canoe for that. The Penobscot is also a boat you can get for a very good price.

The Spirit II for river trips would be a compromise and you'd probably later wished you had a boat with more rocker like the Penobscot or Prospector.