BWCA Solo / tandem dual purpose canoe Boundary Waters Gear Forum
Chat Rooms (0 Chatting)  |  Search  |   Login/Join
* For the benefit of the community, commercial posting is not allowed.
Boundary Waters Quetico Forum
   Gear Forum
      Solo / tandem dual purpose canoe     
 Forum Sponsor

Author

Text

Onemanwolphpack
member (28)member
  
08/29/2022 01:12PM  
My wife and I are thinking over the idea of getting our own canoe. Ideally it'd be something we would take when going together and also each being able to take on solo trips. I know dual purpose equals compromise, but am looking to hear from those who have done similar.

From my research, a Wenonah BW model or Northstar B16 seem to be mentioned for this purpose. How do these handle solo? Any experience would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
justpaddlin
distinguished member(540)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/29/2022 05:30PM  

My two cents is that you might consider a Northstar Polaris. I'm biased since I have one. It paddles quite decently solo; the comfort and roominess is superb and the handling is great. It gives up a little efficiency compared to a dedicated solo so you'd cruise slightly slower. I think at wind speeds of 20 mph or more you might wish you were in a dedicated solo but under many conditions it solos just fine especially if you two are reasonably fit. If you want to cover 20 or more mile in a day I would be taking one of my solos. But a 20 mile day in a Polaris tandem would be easy and you might even paddle it in 25 mph winds for fun tandem if you have some paddling experience under your belt. Mine has the optional center seat for solo use.



 
YetiJedi
distinguished member(1449)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/29/2022 06:51PM  
Justpaddlin...fun process to consider getting your own canoe. Enjoy!

I have the BW and it is my favorite canoe for many reasons: stable, carrying capacity, and it was my first. :) It has taken two adults into the wilderness for two weeks with no problem. It tracks well for tripping too but it isn't the most efficient. As far as a solo canoe, I have used it that way and it is serviceable but I now have a dedicated solo for that purpose. It is just a lot of boat, and all that comes with that, for a solo canoe...especially in the wind. Without the wind, if you are going on a solo trip, just be prepared to move slowly. That's not always bad, mind you, but you should be aware. Again, I fished and tripped solo with mine and had a good time. It is first and foremost a large, stable, tracking tandem...and will always be my "first" canoe!

Regardless of what you decide, let us know so we can celebrate with you!

 
Onemanwolphpack
member (28)member
  
08/29/2022 07:44PM  
This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for! Our young family of 5, just got back from a 5 day trip and we are hooked. We rented a northwind 20 with 4 seats and the kids loved it. So much so, we are hoping to pick one up from an outfitter after the season. This led my wife and I to talking about the best way to enjoy going ourselves and our growing family. The 20 will serve us for years as a whole family, but we are considering a second boat for us. Currently we use a sit on top touring kayak when we each take a solo trip on lakes or rivers. The other thought we had was a true solo and using the northwind 20 as a tandem when we have the chance, but I am thinking it would be too much boat for just us 2, maybe not. Keep the info coming, greatly appreciated!
 
YetiJedi
distinguished member(1449)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/29/2022 09:23PM  
Onemanwolphpack: "This is exactly the kind of info I was hoping for! Our young family of 5, just got back from a 5 day trip and we are hooked. We rented a northwind 20 with 4 seats and the kids loved it. So much so, we are hoping to pick one up from an outfitter after the season. This led my wife and I to talking about the best way to enjoy going ourselves and our growing family. The 20 will serve us for years as a whole family, but we are considering a second boat for us. Currently we use a sit on top touring kayak when we each take a solo trip on lakes or rivers. The other thought we had was a true solo and using the northwind 20 as a tandem when we have the chance, but I am thinking it would be too much boat for just us 2, maybe not. Keep the info coming, greatly appreciated!"


Hey OneManWolfPack, I hope you hear a lot of options from others and that you enjoy the process! It's great to see young families get excited about canoeing and wilderness tripping. I have six daughters, the oldest is 20 and the youngest is 8, and the time we have spent in the wilderness has been a key part of their growing up while at the same time keeping me young! I owe my parents a debt of gratitude for doing the same for me.

I also have an SR Quetico 18.5 which has been great for three adults and the two youngest can share the middle seat on trips as well. Lots of really great options to consider!

Enjoy growing your fleet and your family! Both give me hope for humanity! :)
 
08/30/2022 06:49AM  
My favorite dual purpose tandem/solo is the Northsar Polaris. My dream canoe would be one in the Stealth lay up if I had the cash for one. 32 lbs would be so nice on the portages. It tracks straight and is easy to turn in twisty streams. It glides so well and gets up to speed very quickly. It is also rock solid stable. The tumlehome makes it easier to paddle solo in the center seat than the other ones. I rented one on a trip with my then 9 year old daughter and 90 LB lab.

My 2nd choice is the Souris River Q16. I own one now and the only reason I got that over the Polaris was that I found a used one for $700 less than the cheapest used Polaris that I could find and it was in better shape.

The solo/tandem canoes that I have paddled are the SR Q16, Northstars Polaris and Northwind 16, and the Wenonah Adirondack and Aroura.

I think that the Polaris paddles the best solo and is also great as a tandem.
 
Onemanwolphpack
member (28)member
  
08/30/2022 08:21AM  
Thanks for the input. The polaris seems like a great option, but haven't seen any used ones for sale. I've found a BW and Adirondack, can anyone explain the main differences between the two to this newbie? Thanks in advance
 
08/30/2022 09:09AM  
Are you looking to use this on rivers and lakes or just lakes?
 
Onemanwolphpack
member (28)member
  
08/30/2022 09:14AM  
keth0601: "Are you looking to use this on rivers and lakes or just lakes?"


Mainly bwca and other lakes, I have an old grumman we take on rivers.
 
Onemanwolphpack
member (28)member
  
08/30/2022 09:15AM  
I've also come across some excellent condition older royalex old towne Penobscot 16, would this be an acceptable cheaper option for my purposes?
 
Northwoodsman
distinguished member(2059)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/30/2022 04:46PM  
I had a Boundary Waters and loved it. It was the most stable canoe I have ever paddled. I just sold it last month. The BW is 17', the Adirondack is 16'. Not based on my opinion but based on Wenonahs ratings: Boundary Waters - Efficiency (1-10) is 6.0, Maneuverability is 8.0, Capacity is 9.5, Stability is 10.0 and Seaworthiness is an 8.5. Adirondack - Efficiency (1-10) is 6.5, Maneuverability is 8.5, Capacity is 7.0, Stability is 8.0 and Seaworthiness is an 7.0.

Your Royalex options will be 25% - 35% heavier. A Souris River Quetico 17 would also be a good option, it's very close to a Boundary Waters in size, weight, handling, etc. The Boundary Waters advantage is that it doesn't have the front thwart so it could be turned around and paddled as a solo and has more legroom for the bow paddler than many tandems because the bow seat is back farther (this eliminates the need for the front thwart).
 
MReid
distinguished member (443)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/30/2022 06:32PM  
Onemanwolphpack: "I've also come across some excellent condition older royalex old towne Penobscot 16, would this be an acceptable cheaper option for my purposes?"

I've had a couple of Penobscots in Royalex. They are great general purpose boats, and I've soloed them through some impressive whitewater. They are good river tripping boats where hull speed is not your primary value. Although they're probably the fastest/most efficient Royalex canoe out there, they don't compare to well designed fiberglass/Kevlar boats from competent manufacturers. One of my Penobscots (1982) weighed probably 70 pounds, the second (2001) was 15 pounds lighter due to a lighter Royalex (Oltonar) layup.
 
Onemanwolphpack
member (28)member
  
08/30/2022 06:51PM  
Northwoodsman, great info thank you!


MReid: "
Onemanwolphpack: "I've also come across some excellent condition older royalex old towne Penobscot 16, would this be an acceptable cheaper option for my purposes?"

I've had a couple of Penobscots in Royalex. They are great general purpose boats, and I've soloed them through some impressive whitewater. They are good river tripping boats where hull speed is not your primary value. Although they're probably the fastest/most efficient Royalex canoe out there, they don't compare to well designed fiberglass/Kevlar boats from competent manufacturers. One of my Penobscots (1982) weighed probably 70 pounds, the second (2001) was 15 pounds lighter due to a lighter Royalex (Oltonar) layup.
"


Again great info, its all coming together ha. The reason the older penobscot had my interest is its a '99 looks new and would be cheap relative to the others at $750.
 
08/30/2022 08:18PM  
I was actually going to recommend a Penobscot 16 if you said you were going to do any river tripping. If you don't mind the weight and want to save some money they are a great BWCA tripping canoe as well tandem or solo.

I just picked one up myself for poling and solo river tripping around home (Brule) as well as some use as a loaner for BWCA tripping. For the price they're a great value.
 
Onemanwolphpack
member (28)member
  
08/30/2022 08:32PM  
keth0601: "I was actually going to recommend a Penobscot 16 if you said you were going to do any river tripping. If you don't mind the weight and want to save some money they are a great BWCA tripping canoe as well tandem or solo.


I just picked one up myself for poling and solo river tripping around home (Brule) as well as some use as a loaner for BWCA tripping. For the price they're a great value."


I'll have to see what weight my wife would be comfortable carrying across a portage herself before I go any further. The royalex penobscot doesnt seem to be too much heavier than the BW, but I may be wrong.
 
justpaddlin
distinguished member(540)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
08/31/2022 06:44AM  
I had a Penobscot 16 and I agree that it's a fine general purpose solo/tandem. I also think you're asking the key question around whether the weight would be a problem (I think they weighed 59 pounds so relatively light for a Royalex tandem...but my Polaris is 20 pounds lighter). $750 is a very fair price for a clean used Penobscot. You could probably buy it and just resell it if you don't like it, at least here in Michigan I think a clean $750 Penobscot would sell very quickly.
 
08/31/2022 08:41AM  
I have a SRQ16 that does fairly well for both.
 
08/31/2022 09:20AM  
Onemanwolphpack: "I've also come across some excellent condition older royalex old towne Penobscot 16, would this be an acceptable cheaper option for my purposes?"


I have always liked the Penobscot 16 as a solo, especially in Royalex. A nice tough boat for river use as long carrying the 60# weight doesn’t bother you. And as you pointed out there are a lot of them out there.
 
Onemanwolphpack
member (28)member
  
09/02/2022 07:20AM  
Thanks everyone for all the input, makes this process much less intimidating. I'm liking the northstar options more and more from my reading. But I'm curious the difference between the b16 amd the northwind 16. Anyone able to help me understand? Does the b16 lend itself better to the solo trip or would either be great? I see the differences on the website, but not sure how that translates to actually using it. I like the polaris, but don't know that I can find many used ones.
 
09/02/2022 11:27AM  
To toss another choice into the mix, I own a Nova Craft Prospector 16 which is a tandem boat that can be paddled solo by sitting on the bow seat facing the stern. I like it a lot. Best of luck in your search.
 
MDVancleave
member (31)member
  
09/02/2022 01:20PM  
Northstar's B series are classic Prospector designs with 2.5" of rocker in the front and back, making them more nimble to maneuver.

The Northwind series have asymmetrical rocker with 2.5" in the bow but just 1.5" in the stern. Northstar says this helps the boats track better (paddle straighter) while still being more nimble than boats with no rocker (like a some Wenonah designs). They're also 6" longer than their B series counterparts which also helps with tracking and provides a bit more capacity.

Generally folks doing lake tripping prefer Northwinds while those spending more time on rivers might prefer a B series. Personal preference though.

Northstar's own Bear Paulsen made a video breaking this all down in detail .

I'd be a little hesitant to take any of these boats on an extended solo trip. My Polaris is nice to paddle solo on lakes around home or at a camp site, but it isn't nearly as easy to maneuver as a dedicated solo boat.

*I've paddled MNII/IIIs pretty extensively, previously owned a NW17 and currently paddle a Polaris.
 
Kestrel222
member (17)member
  
09/19/2022 03:13PM  
The Hemlock Eaglet is a solo/combi canoe that comes in three versions: the I a solo, the II a tandem, and the III a combination canoe that has three seats for paddling either solo or tandem. The Eaglet has been a very popular model. Hemlock Canoe Works is located in just outside of the village of Hemlock in western New York and is owned by Dave Curtis. http://www.hemlockcanoe.com. Dave makes his canoes in three different layups, a choice of seats, a choice of wood trim either ash or spruce, and a variety of colors. They are absolutely beautiful. I have the Kestrel, a solo.
 
Solobob1
distinguished member (193)distinguished memberdistinguished memberdistinguished member
  
09/23/2022 07:27AM  
Have tripped solo and tandem in the Penobscot 16 , great boat!!

However, I think for ease of finding used or new and best paddling efficiency as well as capacity ... the NorthStar Polaris can not be beat. I just returned from a trip with myself, 65 pound dog and good amount of gear - 10 day trip. Lots of rain, high winds, open water, twist turny narrows ... it is a terrific canoe with great stability, pretty maneuverable and easily portaged. I do not think there is a better boat for what you are looking for.

Bob.
 
Onemanwolphpack
member (28)member
  
09/23/2022 07:34AM  
Thanks for all the input! The polaris has me intrigued, now to find a used one....
 
MDVancleave
member (31)member
  
09/23/2022 08:44AM  
If you're in the Twin Cities area Pioneer Midwest knocked a couple hundred off list price when I picked one up there a few months back.
 
      Print Top Bottom Previous Next
Gear Sponsor:
Myrmel Maps