Morning guys

What are you thoughts on the boundary waters model canoe? I currently own a Souris River 18.5. Are these comparible canoes minus the length and third seat? Recommend this canoe?

Is there a differnce between Wenonah and Souris River construction?

Thanks so much!

I own a wenonah BW and have paddled it tandem as well as used it solo. They haul a lot of gear. Not the fastest, but when your in the BW who cares slowing down gives you more time to enjoy the view.

My impression is that the wenonah BW model is their hull shape that is most similar to the SR quetico series. So should be good for hauling stuff but still feels good unloaded on a day trip. One of our friends has one and enjoys it for day trips. They don’t do overnight camping. And as stated above, it’s not a shape for racing but great for enjoying the wilderness.

I have paddled and spent time in both of these canoes. They share very much the same "genetics" of design. The BW model is only 17 feet long with two seats so it has a little less volume vs the 18.5 of the Quetico. If the BW model was stretched to 18.5 they would be basically the same hull shape. Both share 36.5" width, 20" bow, 20" stern, 14" center, Rocker: BW - 1" and QT - 2". I'm sure the extra inch of rocker on the QT helps turn the canoe about as well as the 1" of rocker on the shorter BW model.

Both of these are excellent canoes for the BWCA. They haul a ton of gear and are very stable for fishing and loading/unloading on the uneven rocky shorelines seen in the BWCA.

Hull materials and prices are what sets these two apart. Wenonah has three types of hull material with various pricing where the QT comes in just 2. Wenonah being the slightly cheaper version.

As I understand it (correct me if I'm wrong here), Wenonah uses Kevlar outer layer covered by a vinylester resin of some sort. It can't really be sanded "as" easily for repairs as the underlying Kevlar surface will turn fuzzy. It can be recoated however and restored or repaired like any canoe.

The QT boats have a thin layer of fiberglass over their Kevlar then coated with Epoxy. The fiberglass layer can be sanded easily and repaired or restored then covered again in Epoxy to protect the hull. The Epoxy can fade in the sun easier and needs to have some UV treatment if left outdoors for months on end. Both hulls are tried and true, tested to their limits and both are very good. This is a hot debate on which hull is better and why...but as long as you don't go crashing down the rapids in any Kevlar boat you don't have to worry about damaging them.

If money were no object between these two, I go with the QT especially if you need the volume or extra seat and of course if you can afford it! Otherwise the BW is a great canoe for the money. If you think it's a little piggish to paddle but love its attributes and feel you want a little more speed and maneuvering, a Wenonah Spirit II is the better choice. Actually, the QT 18.5 and the Wenonah Champlain are pretty much the same if you want to compare apples to apples.

Thanks so much for the info. There is actually a spirit ll for sale as well same price. You like the Wenonah spirit ll?

I paddled a Wenonah Boundary Waters and a SR Quetico 17 multiple times over a period of several days last fall because I was going to purchase one of them. 4 of us all decided that they paddled pretty much the same but the Wenonah was slightly more stable. One canoe was loaded with 700 lbs., the other with about 500 lbs. There was no noticeable difference in speed or handling with the light weight or the heavier weight in either canoe. I ended up purchasing the BW. The Wenonah Champlain is closer to a SR Quetico 18.5. If I was to add another canoe, it would be the Champlain. The BW has a lot of room for the bow paddler and it doesn't have a thwart behind the bow seat so a larger person with a large load could solo in it backwards.

I have to agreed with all of the above comments. As a family we have used the Wenonah BW model and found it to be very stable and capable of handling 2 adults and 2 children (8 and 10) and all gear for 3-4 day base camping trips. I have also used SR canoes in Canada for the past 12 years with the Wabakimi Project and found them to be extremely durable and capable of handling 2 adults and a very large amount of gear. I have owned a Wenonah Escape for the past 13 years and compared to SR the Wenonah would not at all stand up to the abuse the SR can take. Last year in Canada the Wabakimi Project paddled a SR Wilderness for half the season with a buckled hull (from water line to waterline in the mid section) which was patched with several pieces of gorilla tape.

i have owned a souris river el tegre, now i own a boundary waters and we love it! got a great deal on a 2016 model 2 years ago from canadian waters outfitting, that i could not pass up. it hauls allot of gear, good speed, and great stability.
very happy with it.

deerfoot: "I have to agreed with all of the above comments. As a family we have used the Wenonah BW model and found it to be very stable and capable of handling 2 adults and 2 children (8 and 10) and all gear for 3-4 day base camping trips. I have also used SR canoes in Canada for the past 12 years with the Wabakimi Project and found them to be extremely durable and capable of handling 2 adults and a very large amount of gear. I have owned a Wenonah Escape for the past 13 years and compared to SR the Wenonah would not at all stand up to the abuse the SR can take. Last year in Canada the Wabakimi Project paddled a SR Wilderness for half the season with a buckled hull (from water line to waterline in the mid section) which was patched with several pieces of gorilla tape."

I'm sure there is a good story behind that buckled hull.

Paddled the BW on this year's trip and I was impressed. Holds a ton of gear and was super stable loaded and unloaded compared to ANY other canoe I have been in.
I was going to go with the SRQ17 but after reading numerous reports of how the BW was super stable for canoe camping and fishing I went that route.

There were times I wish it had a tad more rocker for those twisty BW streams but they were so tight I'm not sure another 1" of rocker would have made a difference.


Speed was good enough for me as I wasn't racing and it didn't need constant paddling. A few strokes and glide, a few strokes and glide.

But...those SRQ's in El Tigre are awful pretty! LOL (I'd still love to own one.)

airmorse: "

deerfoot: "I have to agreed with all of the above comments. As a family we have used the Wenonah BW model and found it to be very stable and capable of handling 2 adults and 2 children (8 and 10) and all gear for 3-4 day base camping trips. I have also used SR canoes in Canada for the past 12 years with the Wabakimi Project and found them to be extremely durable and capable of handling 2 adults and a very large amount of gear. I have owned a Wenonah Escape for the past 13 years and compared to SR the Wenonah would not at all stand up to the abuse the SR can take. Last year in Canada the Wabakimi Project paddled a SR Wilderness for half the season with a buckled hull (from water line to waterline in the mid section) which was patched with several pieces of gorilla tape."

I'm sure there is a good story behind that buckled hull."

Not sure what happened and no one fessed up. Our outfitter, Don Elliot of Mattice Lake Outfitters, felt it was no longer seaworthy but we used it for a week in early August until we could get Uncle Phil's remaining SR moved up to Armstrong from Thunder Bay. All three of Phil's SR canoes were at Mattice Lake Outfitters at the end of the season and Elliot was interested in purchasing them for his operation. I don't know what happened but I don't image Phil's son who was handling his estate traveled 300 miles to retrieve the canoes. Two of them were really beat and the red SR just needed the gel coat refreshed on the bottom of the hull. It would be fitting if those canoes finished out their days in the bush at Elliot's outpost cabins.

i ordered one on the black friday sale from vno, cant wait to pick it up

Oneofmanyblessings: "i ordered one on the black friday sale from vno, cant wait to pick it up"

you will love it!