Was planning on a trip using our Wenonah Seneca....until we got a warning for having more than 3 people on board while canoeing here in Iowa.
This got me thinking about our BWCA trip and our plan to put two kids under #60 side by side at the center seat and two adults around #180 at bow and stern . Would you be concerned about the legality of this?

Thanks

Legality....hmm. I wouldn't be concerned on the weight at all as you'll be under the max. We had 3 adults in one on 2 separate trips plus all our gear and it was great. Legal...I'd say as long as you're under the max weight listed you're good. They don't have the coast guard plates like boats listing max occupancy or weight so if anyone questioned you there's nothing on the boat saying that info.

I don't think you will have any problems. Seneca is a big canoe and two small kids should fit just fine. I am not aware of any "legal" issues.

Just got back from BW last Thursday. We had this canoe (I think) and put 2 children in the middle seat with no problems. The outfitter knew the need for 4 in the canoe and did not reference any problems with that either legally or capacity wise. We took at least one "kitchen sink" along and while both my 16 foot SR and the Wenonah were both loaded, the weight distribution both vertically and length wise worked out well.

That has to be an Iowa thing. The Seneca could carry 4 or 5 adults if she were otherwise unloaded. You should be fine in the BWCA with this plan, and lots have done similar with kids when they were young.

mirth: "That has to be an Iowa thing. "

Yeah, it kind of is an Iowa thing. Here is a link to the the Handbook of Iowa Boating Laws and Responsibilities. If one scrolls down to page 9, Display of Vessel Capacity, it indicates that the capacity number is to be noted on the starboard side toward the stern.

If a DNR officer saw a boat with a stated capacity of 3, and there were 4 people on the boat, he/she might give a warning or citation.

However, Wenonah does not state passenger or weight capacities on any of their boats. See this link (Wenonah FAQ) question #3, What is the max capacity for a particular model.

As there is no stated capacity on the canoe hull plate, one would correctly indicate the canoe's capacity number as "OR", meaning it is the Operator's Responsibility to safely load the boat. I have my Wenonah Spirit II with such a hull marking. Do this and you should be fine in Iowa or any other state carrying 2 adults and 2 small children.

Thank you this helps alot

We have a Seneca, and bought it specifically so we could have both our kids in it for our BW trip this year. We did a week at fall lake recently and brought the canoe up to get some maiden runs in, it worked flawlessly with everyone in it. Looking forward to our trip in august!