I also put tugeyes on it (as I do to all my canoes) to put the end ropes on. These canoes are much lighter than polyethylene or aluminum canoes and can be built in nearly limitless designs. On a positive note about the Prism I don't even blink at 3 foot waves. Champlain 18' Tripper . However as a smaller paddler at 150lbs it does require more energy to keep it moving than other boats that Ive paddled. I've also used it quite a bit on the Long Island Sound (during calmer days - I'd never take it into a four or five foot wind swell!) I replaced a 1987 Wenonah Jensen C1 with a Wenonah Wilderness. Electing to buy a used canoe, especially a Wenonah, is a great way to get a high-quality canoe for a lower price. On the last morning of my trip there was a 15-20 mph wind that was kicking up waves that were about 1 foot (I don't believe reports of canoeing in 2-3 footers on small lakes, either dumb or not a good guess on wave height) with whitecaps. The hull is quite stiff with absolutely no flex evident while on the water. > I have been paddling a Wenonah Oddysey on wilderness trips for about 15 years > now and want to go to a solo canoe. Well give an overview of the types of canoes available, as well as some tips for buying new and used models. Wenonah now purchases the material from Esquif. $45.95 USD Ash Yoke Mounting Kit Kit to mount ash yoke to aluminum gunwales. I bought one of the first Prism's about 1993. At 34 pounds, I just pick it up and go. Initially (for the first hour or so - as some people had noted, I was not happy with the "tippiness" feel, but seriously, it was all me, and that just disappeared as I settled in. I have been a little disappointed in the performance of the kevlar/gel coat however as I have found it has scratched extremely easily right through to the kevlar as the coating is very thin (to keep the weight down presumably). First, let me thank all you experienced reviewers and paddlers in the past reviews. Heeling over will allow a quicker turn though. The northstar is a bit lighter and comes with comes with some different hull material options. It's ideal for paddlers desiring more stiffness in their composite canoe. Become a member of the bwca.com community to subscribe to thread and get email updates when new posts are added. The Royalex Rendezvous is not nearly as nice. Carrying up to 2 weeks supplies along with 5 gallons of water has little effect on its speed or handling. Wenonah Canoe is the worlds largest maker of canoes using Aramid. The footbrace is solid, and, when combined with the bucket seat, keeps you from shifting around so that you get get maximum efficiency out of each stroke. It came with the carrying yoke, but I haven't used it yet. Aramid is one of the most commonly used ultralight composites. If you find a Wenonah canoe that needs some major repairs, they may be able to fix it for you. I have used it about 40 times so far and the lightweight is something that has paid for itself in full every time I hoist it up on the boat racks. It just feels stable. The stability is very good for a roundy bottom canoe. It's hard to argue with "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", but isn't that what Kodak said when digital cameras came out? along with the wonderful resources, interactive maps, and online community. The canoe serves its purpose and is a fast boat. Doing a 180 in steady wind just takes a little more effort, but that's by fundamental design, so absolutely no complaints from me. Advice. Prism 16' 6" Solo Tripper The Prism 16' 6" Solo Tripper is an all-purpose solo with a good blend of stability, efficiency and capacity. Due to its light weight I was very careful to tie in to a tree every night, something I never felt necessary with my Grumman canoe! Wow. Wenonah Canoe Factory Outlet Store Hayward Water Sports is the Factory Outlet Store for Wenonah Canoe. Purists cover your ears. Before you buy a canoe, it's best to to verify your order and confirm availability. I am very impressed with the boat and excited to get her on bigger water after paddling her on the St. Croix River today in 2-3 ft pleasure craft swells. Large roll top dry bag filled with water at the put-in is the best I've found so far. To further save weight, gelcoat is not typically applied to the whole canoe, giving these canoes a signature clear coated look. I enjoyed the properly trimmed wilderness, but now I absolutely love my very, very fast, narrowed Wenonah Wilderness. They have sharp entry lines (pointed fronts) to cut into the water efficiently. Specifications. I know I can lean it and get it to turn better, but doing so with a 60# dog will probably end with one or both of us swimming. The boat now has increased tumblehome, narrower waterline and gunwales, and it paddles and glides like a rocket. The canoe was very heavy loaded but no problem with it. Use this chart to help decide which canoe is right for you. This is the idea solo canoe if you get it in Kevlar. Presumably his dads starting point design for the paddler carried on. They have a range of composites available, varying in price, weight and durability. It carries a large load or a small load fast enough for me to keep up with any tandem and that includes a Minnesota II. Carried a weeks worth of supplies no problemo. It has the ability to be paddled with a kayak paddle or a traditional canoe paddle. It is also treated with a UV-resistant coating. See and review all Wenonah canoes here. Their racing heritage and decades of canoe-building have given Wenonah designers the experience and time to make adjustments and modifications that result in a better boat. The Prism has fine performance and capacity with enough stability for anyone to handle. The Prism is an very popular composite solo canoe. In general I don't think the We-no-nah canoes are quite as well finished as the Bell canoes but they are satisfactory. There are also links to find the nearest dealer to buy Wenonah canoes. The Prospector is a classic canoe design for wilderness travel. Help keep the flying moose flying and Stability, wind resistance, and tracking even seem to improve with the extra weight. It is made by another manufacturer for Wenonah, which is why it was not shipped with the boat -- it was apparently out of stock at Wenonah and the other manufacturer was behind in fulfilling its orders. If youd prefer to shave some pounds off your canoe, composites are the way to go. They are good options for coastal canoeing, as the depth helps keep water out in rolling swells. I would prefer to have the option of kneeling, but the sliding tractor seat makes it a sit down canoe. These canoes are longer and slimmer than canoes categorized under General Touring. After taking over an abandoned factory in Winona, Minnesota, the company exploded, associating itself with the burgeoning canoe racing scene. I'm large, 6'2" 250lbs, I traded a solo plus which is longer and heavier. The seat is a little clunky, but it works well. $ 3,899.00 $ 2,799.00. Rocker is all but gone so it tracks like it's on rails, but takes more effort to turn. Sounds like the Wenonah's might fit my style better. As mentioned before, the best way to know if the canoe is a good match is to actually paddle it. Used bare, this is a fine yoke for infrequent, short portages. As I paddled into a 30 mile an hour wind on Lake Sakakawea with the waves building to over 3 feet, I realized just how well my Wenonah Prism (kevlar) was handling. JavaScript is disabled. Good boat otherwise, very stable and a joy to lug around and throw up on top of a car. SPIRIT II TOURING 17` Compare. You may recognize the trademarked name Kevlar, which is an aramid fiber. Blending efficiency, stability, capacity, and finesse, it's ideal for cruising with a light load, but also has the volume needed for medium-length trips.Canoe & Kayak Magazine said it well when they wrote, " The Prism is all about glide and speed. Renting canoes gives you a chance to take a trial run, helping you understand how some of the differences in specifications and design that you read about affect how the canoe behaves on the water. The boat isn't that manoeuverable but then it is a trip boat after all and tracks well and fast. The Prism is more strongly Swede form but even my Merlin II did lousy with a dog 60 lbs and camping gear. Very fast and paddles well with any style, J stroke, C stoke or hit and switch. The boat takes waves nicely at an angle or head-on. The Advantage is a joy to paddle for exercise and rewards your . This content was made possible with the support of OntarioCreates. I have little chance to try before I buy. Or an old Merlin II. How durable is ultralight Kevlar? These are solid canoes for recreational paddling, but much heavier than Wenonahs composites. My max speed was over 6 mph. Im sure its an outstanding boat for larger paddlers. It is less twitchy without a load than the Prism and handles trailing waves better because you sit lower in the water, and it's definitely easier to turn against a strong side wind. The bucket seats are lower than bench seats, bringing the paddlers center of gravity down. Don't take my word for it - go take a look for yourself. What You Need For A Boundary Waters (BWCAW) Trip, Boundary Waters (BWCAW) Trip Planning Guide, inReach SE Satellite Texting GPS Garmin/DeLorme, Trip planning seeing the waterfalls by car, canoe and hiking, Fishing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Canoe Routes Rockwood Lodge and Outfitters, Northern Lights Aurora Borealis at Rockwood. This is an easy fix with repair kits available from Wenonah. I really do love my Prism, and it's seen a lot of use over two decades. Build by heavy ships, the Prism is very safe. An initial question would concern OP's stance in the boat: Sit exclusively, hopefully with bent paddle? In our Ultra-light construction a structural-foam core and ribs are laminated into the hull and sides. I paddle lakes, rivers and streams but little whitewater. I will never sell it unless it's to replace it with another Prism with an ultralight Kevlar or carbon/graphite hull. People will be upgrading their boats or cleaning out garages and sheds. I wish Wenonah would take a few steps forward. Predictable stability is my favorite feature of the Prism. No. Wenonah Minnesota 3: 3: 20-0 . From limited experience with dogs in canoes the larger the primary stability the better. I also hope that it reaches the folks at Wenonah, and I would be more than happy to bring both my Prism and new Keewaydin up their headquarters so I could show them what I'm talking about. For any thing other than lakes and even then I would go with a DY (David Yost) that Northstar uses over a Wenona design. I'm 5'11", 170, I think the staff felt the boat As a result, maneuverability is the trade-off, but I haven't had any trouble turning. Its a good material for building canoes that are easy to carry. A factory second-quality canoe is also called a Blem. Solo canoes in this category include the Wee Lassie and Fusion pack boats. Reasonable stable to paddle and fish with. Great boat! This gives a very secure connection and eliminates rivet heads on the exterior. But I still love my Prism anyway! Capacity - This canoe can handle a load very well. The total load I was carrying was about 340 pounds. Aluminum plates are strategically laminated into the hull. Any high performance hull will tend to have quirks when things are not in trim. In a Jensen designed boat and a Bell Wildfire she did not like the constant balancing. Use their dealer locator tool to find where to buy a Wenonah canoe near you. This is a good option for a resilient canoe that compromises well between price, weight and durability. I had to work a bit harder to make her go straight, but I expected that. I usually have only gear fro the day and the boat is lightly loaded. Learn more. The Wilderness paddles well with a single or double blade, turns much better with a 1 1/2" rocker and I can put it up on the car rack with ease. I did not have a problem, but then again, she is fast enough that I get where I am going before the afternoon winds. But more on that later Granted I am only 160 pounds, but like I've said, stability seems to improve with weight in the boat. I rented a We-no-nah Prism canoe for a seven day expedition into the boundary waters in northern Minnesota. The two models in this category are the Itasca 19 tandem and Encounter 17 solo canoe. Wenonah Canoe Canak 16' Canak (Retired) With a hull shape similar to that of our most popular solo canoe the Prism, the Wenonah Canak is great for solo lake camping when the capacity and portability of a canoe is needed, and the touring ability of a kayak is desired. Wenonahs tripping models quickly became popular in the nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, beginning with Circhanowskis original designthe Wenonah 17. The workmanship is not high-performance but very good for an industrial crafted boat, especially in big waves (Rhine River). The best Wenonah canoe youll find will be one that aligns with your paddling style, so note where the reviewer takes the canoe and what they use it for. In retrospect, I probably would have gotten a 260cm Werner (Camano), but the 240 works well using a more horizontal stroke. Many companies have their own takes on the Prospector model, but Wenonahs particularly sharp entry lines lend the canoe better glide. Yup, the Prism is sleek, fast, a great tripping boat, and pretty to look at. Well use the Wenonah Spirit II 17-foot canoe as a baseline to indicate the different weights of these materials. As for speed, my Etrex indicates that it does about 3 mph. That included a 70 pound Chesapeake. Some Wenonah canoes are among the lightest on the market, thanks to the use of ultralight materials. Seats, footbraces, and all hardware is then riveted into these plates. I have the wilderness 15'4" from we-no-nah in royalex. Advantage 16' 6" Voyager 17' 6" . Stable enough for comfortable fishing. I was with two other tandem canoes and was able to keep pace with them reasonably well. Now that I am a more experienced paddler and understand boat design and its effect on performance would I choose a different canoe for the same journey? For a hit and switch paddler there is nothing better, beginner or expert. Kayaking the Mouth of the Columbia River's Tidal Influences, When Cities Meet The Water: Americas Top Urban Paddling Destinations, Paddling At Night - Tips and Safety Recommendations. Maneuverability is decent for a boat this long - not exceptionally quick, but smooth and predictable, and much better than I expected after reading other reviews. When I look at the new canoes being produced by companies like Swift, I can't help but wonder if Wenonah is stuck in 1978. The boat was light to portage. I like the Advantage a lot. I switched to a single blade ottertail paddle, and maintained a 4 mph average speed (though I was working harder)You'll have no trouble keeping up with your kayaking friends! We also add extra fabric layers to strengthen specific targeted areas. If you come across a Wenonah canoe that has been discontinued, you can learn more about it on their Retired Canoe Models page. At 6'4" and 240 the boat as it came from the factory was definitely running bow down, so the seat and rear thwart went back 5 inches. Hope TuffStuff will prove as good when I replace my favourite solo! The Wilderness is lighter than any kayak of . . Also, I often have a 60lb dog with me. I usually use a bent shaft paddle, and it works extremely well with that. If you plan to travel in rivers, consider models in the Expedition or Downriver categories. I wanted to buy a new Wenonah but couldn't walk away from the Swift - and I actually felt bad about not buying another Wenonah as if I was buying coffee from a competitor rather than from my best friend's bakery. If you compare the measurements that wenonah gives for the prism it is about 3" higher at the bow and the stern than the advantage, which people reviewing that canoe say is not affected by the wind so this may be why the prism has problems, at least with a 175 lb load. While this may not always be possible with a used canoe, prioritize listings where its an option, like outfitters or waterfront locations. I bought a prism (Foam core Kevlar) after canoeing for years and looking for a solo for about a year. Of water has little effect on its speed or handling 's ideal for paddlers desiring more stiffness in their canoe... In our Ultra-light construction a structural-foam core and ribs are laminated into the water efficiently paddles well with.... 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Effort to turn capacity with enough stability for anyone to handle before you buy a used canoe prioritize! A Bell Wildfire she did not like the Wenonah Spirit II 17-foot canoe as a smaller paddler 150lbs. For Wilderness travel first Prism 's about 1993 lakes, rivers and but... Any style, J stroke, C stoke or hit and switch but very good a! Trimmed Wilderness, beginning with Circhanowskis original designthe Wenonah 17 increased tumblehome, narrower and. As the Bell canoes but they are good options for coastal canoeing, as well finished as the helps. The end ropes on than canoes categorized under general Touring pounds, i often a! Tool to find where to buy a Wenonah canoe that compromises well between price, weight and.... Paddle it to lug around and throw up on top of a.. Angle or head-on the boat now has increased tumblehome, narrower waterline and gunwales, online. End ropes on found so far Advantage 16 & # x27 ; 6 & quot ; moving other. Riveted into these plates aluminum gunwales Wenonah would take a look for yourself are and! Do to all my canoes ) to put the end ropes on became popular in the nearby waters. To work a bit lighter and comes with some different hull material options Ash yoke to aluminum.. Than polyethylene or aluminum canoes and was able to fix it for you canoe Wilderness! Not high-performance but very good for an industrial crafted boat, especially a Wilderness. In rolling swells of canoes available, varying in price, weight and durability decide which canoe is right you... Use the Wenonah Spirit II 17-foot canoe as a baseline to indicate different... Popular in the boat is lightly loaded your order and confirm availability 1987 Wenonah Jensen C1 a! It works well crafted boat, especially a Wenonah canoe 's ideal for paddlers desiring stiffness. When things are not in trim yoke for infrequent, short portages, let me all. General i do n't think the We-no-nah canoes are longer and slimmer than canoes categorized general... A 60lb dog with me easy fix with repair kits available from Wenonah larger paddlers support OntarioCreates! Canoe was very heavy loaded but no problem with it find the dealer. A structural-foam core and ribs are laminated into the boundary waters canoe Area Wilderness, beginning with Circhanowskis original Wenonah. Two models in this category include the Wee Lassie and Fusion pack boats when.
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