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campnfish
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Dan has a 4 person canoe, you could skip the 3 man and rent the 4 man, he can take out the second seat, you will have more room to paddle and fish. I have a Northwind 20, which is 20.6 in length and likely 2 feet longer than any 3 man. My canoe weighs 48lbs and I've taken on a few quetico trips now, very rarely an issue on portages, holds a lot of gear. It isn't the easiest to keep straight and the person in the 3rd seat needs a longer paddle, 54ish, but if your fishing it's so much better than a 3 man.
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Freddy
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A nice gal and good friend of my wife begged us to accompany us on a multi-day trip since she had never been in the BW. With some reservation I rented a larger kevlar canoe and we all had a great time. I would just suggest you all agree on the type and amount of gear you bring.
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Digger07
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Wenonah seneca worked great for us!
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goblu79
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I'm a 6'2" and 270 lb guy. I did this on my very first trip, and will never do it again. That said, I told my friends I'd go back to Q the next week if I could...but never again in a 3. I was in the middle and miserable the whole time.
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A1t2o
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What are your goals for the trip? A 3 person canoe is better at long distances and open water, but a tandem and a solo are better for fishing and exploring. Having 2 boats also provides a little extra security just in case something happens to one canoe.
The 3 person canoe is functional, it will get you there. The tandem and a solo is fun and allows you to spread out. It just depends on what type of trip and the skill levels of those going.
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RodPortage
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I've done this through Canadian Waters a couple times. Figuring out how to balance the paddling was trickier than in a tandem, but we got there just fine. I would worry most about how much space you have for packs. We were able to get two large packs (CCS Guide, Granite Gear Superior One) and a 60L blue barrel into the Northstar Northwind 18 that they gave us, but there was no extra space.
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thistlekicker
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We've done the 3-person setup a couple times and I'm not a fan. I'll echo what others have said about the duffer being in an awkward spot, too close to the stern paddler and not really able to get into a good paddling position because the boat is so wide there. The duffer both seemed like "dead weight" to some extent, and sitting in the duffer seat wasn't super comfortable. I will say that our experience has been with 3 larger guys, all over 6' tall. We also found stowing packs to be a challenge, but maybe we just bring more than most people. And it's possible a different 3-person canoe may have been more comfortable. But we've gone a couple trips with a tandem + solo instead of the 3-person boat and have much preferred that for the reasons listed above, plus the solo boat is a nice option for daytrips, fishing, gathering firewood away from camp, etc.
A couple 3-person boats we've tried:
Wenonah MN3 (too cramped in the bow seat for tall people)
Northwind 18'9" (too small in general, duffer seat too low)
Wenonah Champlain with a 3rd seat seemed the closest to "comfortable" for us
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brp
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I like how social it can be with 3 in one boat.
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timatkn
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Agree with everything said, have done this several times. Great experience.
T
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LindenTree
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Done it a few times and it is fine except I hated being the Duffer the whole trip.
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bri
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100+ miles single portaging in the Q, 3 dudes in a B19.
At times, we had to make a conscious effort to slow down.
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bwcadan
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If your stern paddler is fairly proficient, there will be no need to ask either of the other two paddlers to use one side or the other for paddling. Definitely have paddles for each of the three and use them for sure. In cool weather, the mid paddler will stay as warm as th other two. The exception for me was in windy weather when I needed help paddling on a given side to keep a good line toward my destination. Then I requested one or two of them to take one side or the other for paddling.
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afromaniac
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We did it last year and it was awesome actually, with 2 paddlers up front and a guy steering it's great and if the person in the stern needs to muscle too, you really move
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PaddleIN
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Three adults in a Minnesota 3 worked very well for us.
Paddling and portaging was very efficient. We put the novice in the center seat. Only two watchouts: 1) Need to pay attention when fishing 3 people in one canoe. 2) Solo paddling a MN3 in the wind is challenging.
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1egads
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Thank you for the reassurance!
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1egads
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We've planned a trip for August/September and only three people are going. Does anyone have experience with three adults, one canoe? We're using Canadian Waters Outfitters and they've reserved a 3-person canoe for us and assure us it will be fine.
All tips and suggestions welcome. Thanks.
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Ausable
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LindenTree: "Done it a few times and it is fine except I hated being the Duffer the whole trip."
I agree. I found that I needed a paddle with a longer shaft. I also needed a backrest.
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prettypaddle
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We've even done three adults in a tandem canoe on several trips. Mostly the adults were on the smaller side but have had one that was about 6 feet/180 pounds. We can fit three bags just behind the yoke and the third person sits on the bottom of the canoe just in front of the yoke. We would rotate out who was in the middle and the middle person just got to sit back and relax. Portaging was so easy without an extra canoe to carry.
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RatherbeDuffing
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Just got back from a three person - it works just fine.
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Jakthund
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I've used several 3 person canoes and it was only out of need as my group had an odd number. After my last time I decided that I would not personally drive one again. I would get a solo for the odd man.
Let me explain.
I am always the stern guy and in a 3 person canoe I've always felt the middle guy was right in my lap. I found fishing to be more difficult also as you have 2 other people to deal with snags and being the stern guy, you're distractions are doubled.
I also feel like my view is diminished with someone so close in front of me.
There is also less space as you essentially have 3 people in a canoe not much bigger than a normal 2 person.
That being said, I am usually on a fishing centric trip within a day of the entry point. If I weren't fishing or were on a longer lightweight trip, my issues would be much less important. If your doing lot's of portages and traveling light there are advantages to having 3 guys and one canoe.
In the end, they paddle fine and I wouldn't worry unless my issues could be relevant.
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JSingleton
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I usually go in a group of 3 and we've tried a tandem + solo and a triple. We prefer the triple because we like to single portage and we weren't able to swing that on longer portages with tandem + solo. That said, we're all on the smaller side, we're not fishers, and we pack on the lighter sides (2 bags for the 3 of us). We also usually rotate seats around mid-day so that nobody is stuck in the center for too long.
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Arthurmanning
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I’ve done a few trips with 3 adults in a proper 3-seat canoe works fine as long as you pack smart and balance the weight. Center paddler can use a kayak paddle to help. Portages are a bit more work, but overall it’s totally doable.
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cowdoc
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Since my son got married, our group morphed from 4 to 5. Borrow my buddies Q 18.5 and we do fine. Takes a while to arrange packs efficiently but the extra person lends to easier single portaging. If its just 3 of you going....it may be a bigger challenge to pack correctly. If there are 2 other people in another tandem (like us)....no problem.
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1egads
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The experiences are so good to read. Thanks.
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Speckled
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I think it's personal preference. As the outfitter stated, it'll totally be fine.
We tried, then subsequently rented a solo for our next three person trip and have stuck with the tandem and solo plan ever since.
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sns
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Once, I thought the idea of 3 in a canoe was laughable.
Then I tried it.
The outfitter is correct - it will be fine.
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Ausable
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I have rented a Wenonah Minnesota III for several week-long trips with 3 adults. It worked very well for us. You should be fine, too.
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preacherdave
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Digger07: "Wenonah seneca worked great for us!"
+1
Did a trip a couple years ago into Knife with three adults. Rented a Seneca and it was excellent, no issues at all. I think its 19' 6" long.
I have a three person Champlain and the middle seat is too close to the rear to make it comfortable for three to fish out of.
Have also used the Souris River 18' 6" and it didn't seem to handle three big guys very well.
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andym
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Done it on one trip and it was great. We used a Souris River Quetico 18.5. The middle paddler was closer to the stern. I just asked him to paddle on the same side as my wife in the bow and we had no problems. It was our adult nephew in the middle and he was definitely not a duffer. Three of us paddling was great.
We had three large packs in the space behind the bow paddler and in front of the yoke. And then each had a day pack near us.
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portagerunner
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Most of the comments have covered the bases. One thing regarding model that was touched on some is how much gear/how many days your trip is could make a difference.
A MN III or Northwind 18 can be tight for 3 adults with lots of gear. If you have the option and need the space go with the Wenonah Seneca or Northstar B19. Not as efficient as the aforementioned models but can haul more gear. I have a Seneca I use for trips with the family (can still fit 4 with kids ages). Sometimes I’ll use it for groups of 3 as well depending on who goes with me vs a solo + tandem. While I really enjoy being in my solo, the camaraderie keeping all 3 in your group together can be worth it as well.
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CityFisher74
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My Dad, brother and I always use a 3 man canoe when we go. Never have had any issues, and that includes with a lot of fishing which is our primary entertainment up there.
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1egads
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Thank you to everyone who has chimed in. We are taking all comments to heart and doing a bit more research on the canoe we'll have. Still welcoming all input!
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kickingbird
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Just jumping with all the positive comments. Yes 3 worked well for us, 2 big portage packs and a food pack. We are by no means experienced paddlers, took a little to figure out the dynamics for that but worked well and all three did paddle. Sometimes one taking a break.
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Stumpy
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3 in a Grumman Standard works fine.
One sits on a Duluth Pack in middle.
All paddle.
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