Hi all,
I am looking at 2 used tandem canoes. A Mad River Explorer, Kevlar, 16.5’ and a Wenonah Spirit II Kevlar Flexcore.

I’m wondering which would be a better all around canoe for the type of paddling I’m looking to do. Mostly flatwater tripping, but don’t want to rule out occasional rivers and larger water that could have larger waves/ rough conditions. Maybe a potential NFCT trip down the line.
I want something that is stable in wind/ weather and tracks well. Not too concerned about speed, but it would help on larger flatwater.

Which of these two canoes would you recommend?

Thanks.

I haven't paddled the Explorer so I can't share an opinion on that one, but I have paddled the Spirit II and that canoe would be a very nice option.

Not sure where you're located, but if you're anywhere close to be able to consider a Souris River Quetico 17, you'd be very pleased with that one, too.

I owned a Spirit II in Kevlar Flex-Core for 2 decades, paddling it down class I rivers and on lakes in both calm and rough conditions. It is a great all-around boat with plenty of depth. It has a flat to shallow-arched bottom. It turns easily enough and tracks reasonably well with good glide and secondary stability. The Kevlar version is about 4-5 pounds lighter than the Tufweave version.

The Mad River Explorer was one of the canoes used for the book "Paddle Your Own Canoe" by Gary and Joanie McMuffin. They described it as a "whitewater canoe ... suited for both river trips and for just plain fun playing in whitewater...." Without providing numbers, they further described it as having moderate, symmetrical rocker, a shallow-V bottom, "lots of freeboard", and "great secondary stability." I have not padded this boat.

Either canoe would probably work for the uses you describe. Compare the weights and consider whether you would want to portage either if that is important to you.

I have 3 Mad River Explorers. A red expedition Kevlar at 52 - 56#,
A light royalex at 65# and a ultralight at about 48#.
The Explorer is my favorite general purpose canoe. It is a very good river canoe and not too bad of a lake canoe. I’ve used it solo with my 92# poodle and used it with two large men. It’s a great fishing canoe, very stable.
Down sides, very deep so can be a little difficult in the wind and the shallow fee is prone to wear. A standard Kevlar explorer is somewhat heavy for its length but is a very durable canoe. One I had meet many rock with no real damage.
A tuff weave Spirit II and a Kevlar Explorer would be about the same weight. The Spirit would have less rocker at 1.5” compared to 2.5” for the Explorer.
I have not paddled a Spirit II. All my Wenonah’s are performance paddling canoes.
The most I have payed for a used Explorer is $900. If the Explorer is in good condition and around $1000. That would be a fair deal. Most Explorers would be pre year 2000.00
Carl

I have not owned a spirt II, but have owned a MR explorer for over 30 years. This is a good river canoe because it has enough rocker and depth. At 16' it is shorter than many more standard tripping canoes like the SR 17 or NS northwind 17 which I also have. The Explorer has the advantage of being symmetrical and can be canoed easily by one person in reverse. I think the Spirit is slightly asymmetrical. The Explorer is not fast on flat water and with the shallow V has a definite side by side feel when under way. The Spirit may be a better flat water boat in terms of glide and speed. I think the wood gunwales on the Explorer are classy but do require periodic maintenance. Not necessary on the Spirit. Both canoes would be good to have and work well for tandem tripping but you can carry more gear in a 17. As for price, $1,000 sounds in the ballpark. I sold a royalex MR 17 Duck Hunter this past fall for $750. Good luck.

Lu22, after you posted the images of the canoes, I noticed that the Spirit II has bucket seats, a sliding bow seat, and a stern foot brace. I'm partial to all 3 features. Other people dislike or are ambivalent about them. I appreciate the combo of the stern bucket and foot brace because it provided a stable, consistent seating position that enabled me to generate more power in combination with the foot brace. That sliding bow seat was also useful for me and in several situations to balance the boat's fore/aft trim. Just food for thought.

I own two Spirit IIs. I find them to do everything well but nothing exceptional. If you can't own 5 or 6 tandem canoes for different scenarios, then the Spirit II is a good all around choice.

I own one of each of these, in royalex. Both perform well and would do well for your purposes. The Spirit II is usually billed as more of an all-arounder while the Explorer is more of a downriver tripping canoe. If I had to pick one I'd pick the Explorer but I own a couple other Wenonahs in Kevlar for flatwater tripping. If I had to narrow my entire fleet of 9 down to 1 canoe I would have a hard time choosing between the Spirit II and the Explorer but those two would be the finalists.

Some people, myself and Ausable included, really love the bucket seats with a foot brace and a back band. Many others do not enjoy bucket seats and would rather have a bench with a cushy sitbacker strapped to it. I would let your choice in seating determine which one you buy. The MR undoubtedly has bench seats.

Every canoe is a compromise.

The correct answer is always: buy two canoes.

Mad River Explorer for me. I own two MR Explorers, and I do love them. They aren't fast per se, but I love how they glide and handle. Their cargo capacity is unreal without feeling like you're paddling a complete barge. Aesthetically, I love a gel-coated Kevlar with wood gunwales. And I know the shallow v can be a bit controversial, but I personally love the feel of it. They are shorter than a lot of modern canoes, but that has its perks too, like more maneuverability in a narrow creek or on a brushy portage.

Now, I wouldn't mind owning a TW special or a Lamoille at some point for a faster tripper, but the Explorer is as reliable as they come.

As for the Spirit 2, it's a great canoe. I just have never loved the feel of Wenonah canoes. That's entirely a personal opinion. Many of their models have very narrow front seats, though that's not as much a issue in the Spirit. It's an all around great utility boat.