My brother and his 12 year old son have expressed serious interest in going with me on a trip this year. I'm wondering what the pros and cons are of taking my solo canoe and renting a 2 person canoe for them, or just renting a 3 person canoe for all of us. The vast majority of my paddling has been solo, and neither of them are very experienced paddlers in case that makes a difference.

Another factor is that my brother and I are big guys - 6'3" and 6'5" - and my nephew is almost 6 feet already. So not sure about putting that much beef in one canoe lol.

LOL, since you have so much solo experience and they are newer paddlers I say take your solo and a tandem. You'd have some fun options for switching things up during the trip, or taking out the solo in the evenings.

It's a little less efficient for portaging. Maybe a little slower on the water overall. But if you're not on a mission to cover miles then great. I'm tall, too, and I like having space and freedom.

Are you planning on fishing?

There is some good discussion about 3-person vs tandem + solo in these threads:

https://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadId=1271569&forumID=16&confID=1

https://bwca.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=forum.thread&threadid=1343343&confid=1&forumid=16

I would almost always say a solo and a 2 person. If the boy was smaller and more like 8ish then a 3 person.

I guess it also depends on the size of water you will be on. I may focus on small or medium lakes for them. Wind wont be as big of an issue on smaller lakes and if they dont have much experience, this could help.

I think you'll appreciate the extra room/freedom that 2 canoes provides.

Like others, I'd go with the tandem + solo.

But if you decide to trip in a single boat, I would not recommend a Northwind 18 with three seats. I think you'd be significantly overloaded. I'd point you towards a Northwind 20...other possible hulls would include Northstar's B19, Wenonah Seneca or maybe a MN3 or even MN4.

Any chance of adding a fourth person so you have two tandems?

What jackfish said, even is always a better option, maybe the kid has a friend to bring.

I have a NW 20 and take out the second seat to make it a 3 person, I also moved the third seat 6" forward, holds a ton of gear, still got to pay attention fishing, but much better than an 18'6" canoe.

You feel even is the better option because then the two tandems keep up with each other better? Or some other reason?

apk: "You feel even is the better option because then the two tandems keep up with each other better? Or some other reason?"

Paddling at approximately the same pace is part of it. It also makes the portages go easier since each canoe is carrying similar gear, etc. Just the overall balance... and one more person for camaraderie. :)

I agree it's nice to have a buddy.

I was leaning toward taking two because the idea of being in a canoe with two inexperienced paddlers makes me uncomfortable lol. Sounds like I was on the right track, if not necessarily for the right reasons.

Regarding fishing, my brother and I both enjoy fishing but my nephew is absolutely crazy about it. It's his main reason for wanting to go. So that's definitely a factor to keep in mind.

I don't think adding a 4th person is likely but I'll keep the idea in mind.

I've already thought about things like avoiding big water, which I do when soloing anyway. We'll probably do either the Baker or Homer Lake EPs.

The fish-crazy nephew will appreciate the opportunity to hit the water solo at times. Whether his uncle feels comfortable with the concept is up to him. :-)

Did some trips into Mountain as a kid with my father and uncle in my father’s 16 foot OTCA. At some point they decided three was too many in that boat, so the next trip (pre-‘78) involved portaging a 13 ½ foot Alumacraft boat and a five HP motor into Mountain. We all agreed that once was more than enough for that foolishness, however comfortable it was as a fishing platform.

As for as the weight in a canoe, rest easy. The Souris River 18.5 can easily handle over a 1,000 pounds. Keep the center of gravity low and it works fine. On a trip, I took a pair that weighed in at some 700l pounds to go with my 220. Normal gear for a one week trip. I did call SR to check for canoe tolerances. I would not wish to go with 2 that had no or a very little experience in a canoe. Even on small lakes, the possibility for a mishap or worse is not a risk you should take.

PS

Be sure to take a paddle for the youngster.

We did a 3-man trip last year in a Northwind 20 and we were glad for the extra room. We never felt overloaded. The only major negative is that the paddler in the middle seat has a LONG reach over the gunwales to be an effective paddler. Make sure he selects an extra-long paddle and experiment with sliding him from side to side so he can reach better. Also, very difficult for the guy in the front seat to hear the ones behind him. It's a long boat but we thought it really worked well for our trip.

Three guys that tall in one canoe is not ideal. Like others said if you are looking to cover a lot of distance that would be the most efficient way to do it. But most people would find two canoes to be more enjoyable.

It sounds like two is what you want to do, then that's the best way to go.

For me I would have chosen a Northwind 20 and all go together. Since you are more experienced you could help them out and the comradery of all traveling and fishing together.

I've done three or four people in a Souris River Quetico 18.5 and Northwind 20 probably 12x (vast majority of trips are tandem, though). All of those trips have been productive fishing and fun.

I get the benefits of two canoes, too. Just starts to be personal preference. There isn't a wrong answer.

T