Read on to learn more. The Royalex Rendezvous is better suited to moving water, while the composite is more versatile. Matt. $5 and under ; $500 and over ; Selected Items . Yup, the Prism is sleek, fast, a great tripping boat, and pretty to look at. Carried a weeks worth of supplies no problemo. On classified pages like Craigslist or eBay, Wenonah canoes may be listed. Look at the range of boats in this category if you plan to dabble in different types of paddling and prioritize stability over speed. It may not display this or other websites correctly. No matter the type of canoe youre considering, theres a chance Wenonah has one to match your needs. Narrowing it down to the exact model was a challenge, but that's where the reviews really helped. 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's a lean boat that tracks the best of those reviewed, yet will turn quickly enough, and returns to a stable position more readily than other fast canoes.". I can honestly say that after 20+ years of ownership, it's been a perfect marriage. They build their canoes exclusively with three-layer polyethylene, which explains the boats affordability and durability. I think it's the perfect boat for an easy weeks worth of gear. As a solo, it's a stable, efficient touring hull with the capacity to carry a tent, food, sling-chair, and fishing gear for a week. It is 4" or so narrower at the gunnels than at it's widest, so you don't have to worry about clunking the rails. You can really put some miles behind you. The workmanship on the boat is very good, and I like the fact that I can move the seat to balance the canoe after adding a portage pack or a dog. If you're on the fence about buying one, buy it. This boat is FAST! The Prism paddles so easily that going off of my most direct path was not an issue. This system integrates their standard accessory rail inside the gunwale for mounting fishing rod holders and other equipment. Included in this category is the flagship Wenonah 17 canoe. I look forward to trying the canoe in heavier wind and chop to see how it feels. The boat arrived in a timely fashion but with several dings in the finish and some black spots which I believe to be overspray from painting the gunwales. We sell their factory second quality canoes, factory demo's and previous year's overstock. 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. I would choose again a We-no-nah Prism. Aramid UltraLite, Silver trim - $3599. Wenonah's Tuf-weave material is an interwoven fabric made of 50% polyester and 50% fiberglass that out performs either material alone. Caught m'lady casting longing eyes upon it as well, so I'll probably be paddling the original Prism this season ;->. Canoes are not used, unless stated otherwise. The canoe weight is cataloged at 34 pounds and We-no-nah states the wood gunwales will add about 2 pounds. I found the boat to track fairly well. The Wilderness carries additional freeboard and bow . Great stability, tracks extremely well, and handles waves very well. This gives a very secure connection and eliminates rivet heads on the exterior. The canoes have always handled fine with the dog. Wenonah Canoe :: Portaging Accessories / Portaging Ash Yoke Attractive and durable. and it has not failed me in any way. Aramid UltraLite, Black trim - $3774. 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!) at a comfy paddling pace with a kayak paddle. Day-tripping canoes like the Heron are intended for two paddlers and a small amount of gear. This is a new model for Wenonah. These could be aramid, fiberglass, polyester or a combination of materials. Both options have their merits, and accomplished paddlers sit or kneel on either side of thedebate. It is holding up well to the numerous dings and scratches it has earned so far. Yesterday I picked up a kayak paddle, and that is even better. The boat will take them at any angle. Direct sunlight can damage and discolor the canoe. 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. This makes the canoe stronger than it would be with pure aramid, but also more expensive. My review is not intended to be an objective scientific evaluation of data, efficiency equations, and other measurable values. They are ideal for speed and distance paddling and for all people or conditions that demand the lightest gear. Wenonah Canoe is the worlds largest maker of canoes using Aramid. Wenonah Prism: 1: 16-6 . I have a Wenonah Prism in Kevlar flex core layup which serves my canoeing needs very well. It tracks nicely, handles chop on a lake or light ww ok and it is faster than a lot of kayaks of the same length. This gives a very secure connection and eliminates rivet heads on the exterior. Compare. Also, I often have a 60lb dog with me. The Wenonah Wilderness is available in Royalex and our proven light weight composite constructions at a price for all budgets. The blunt entry pushes water, and the fixed seat makes adjusting trim difficult. SKU: 2372. . wenonah canoe; price. I paddle it sit'n switch with a bent shaft but it's not bad with a J or C stroke either. I've always carried ballast in the stern to counter act the weight of the dog in the bow. Weighing the canoe on an accurate (balance beam) scale it weighs 35 pounds. WENONAH : WILDERNESS . I'd highly recommend it. With Kevlar or cherry gunnels and thwarts - or both combined, Kevlar seats that are solid and secure including a genius multi-height seat pod system as an option that's built into the hull rather than looking like it's been taped to the hull with kevlar tape, quick-screw yokes that are solid and functional, ridiculously beautiful emerald, ruby, sapphire, or traditional clear kevlar hull options and multiple carbon hull options, it's hard not to look at Wenonah as old-school and Swift as state-of-the-art. Wenonah assured me that it will still float. The Tuf-weave layup results in our most durable composite canoes. I GPS'd a 3 mile paddle last night & I was maintaining 4.5 mph easily with a kayak paddle. After 20 years of use, I'd give it 2 thumbs up to anyone considering acquiring one. T-Formex canoes are incredibly tough and very affordable. Wenonah now purchases the material from Esquif. and it's handled the wakes of most of the boats that pass very well (gotta watch the massive wakes thrown by the car ferries though!) Aramid is one of the most commonly used ultralight composites. I purchased the 16'6" Wenonah Prism in the flex-core Kevlar layup with optional footrest in March of 2007. We've used it for more than 30 years to construct extremely light and tough canoes. The outside of the canoe is reinforced in places for additional protection against impacts. Aramid, the fiber used for aerospace, body armor and bulletproof vests, is amazingly light and strong. When you pick the canoe up, give it a shake and listen for any water that might be sloshing around in the tanks, indicating a leak, most likely from the canoe into the tanks. Wilderness 15' 4" Solo Tripper . I can stand in it and paddle with just a little balancing effort. You are using an out of date browser. I'm not a pro or a competitive paddler, but I use my gear. Aramid, the fiber used for aerospace, body armor and bulletproof vests, is amazingly light and strong. If youre ready to start shopping, use the links below to view our Paddling Buyers Guide. It was a ultra light Kevlar canoe. I enjoyed the properly trimmed wilderness, but now I absolutely love my very, very fast, narrowed Wenonah Wilderness. My favorite mode of travel is with a clamp-on rowing rig on big open water - about half the effort of paddling and easily keeping up with fast tandems. This is in stark contrast to my new Swift Keewaydin 14, which I capsized in the first five minutes of ownership! The IB in IB Ultralight stands for Innegra blend. It is comfortable to paddle, fast enough, turns nicely when heeled, has plenty of capacity, and is a stable platform for all my activities on the water. There are also links to find the nearest dealer to buy Wenonah canoes. It's just a little heavy lifting it up to the rafters in my garage, or if you have to carry it very far. Of course that adds a few pounds and it takes up space once you reach the end of your portage. ESCAPE PERFORMANCE 17`6 . This boat feels like it was built for me. Wenonah uses five different blends of composite materials, varying in strength, weight and price. This process is ideal for canoes that will not receive the same degree of coddling as ultralight ones. You also can pay more to upgrade to a sleek black aluminum trim or a wooden trim. > I have been paddling a Wenonah Oddysey on wilderness trips for about 15 years > now and want to go to a solo canoe. How a canoe has been stored is a good indicator of its overall condition. The Prism handles well in rough water and high winds while tracking straight and turning easily. MINNESOTA 2 TRIPPER 18`6` So I bought another one last season, in kevler/ultralite/wood. Cane has a traditional look, while webbing is more durable. Wenonahs Performance Touring canoes are fast-traveling cargo haulers for the dedicated canoe tripper. Also included in this category is the Backwater square-stern canoe. Or probably a few other solo hulls I can't think of right now. .35 lbs. Wenonah Canoes for Sale Minnesota Canoes is an authorized dealer of Wenonah Canoe, Inc. Our canoes for sale include in stock inventory, incoming canoe pre-sales, and custom canoe ordering. 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. A little more care is required if you want to keep your boat bottom looking good. So often, reviews are just written by groupies of a particular brand that will only view a product through rose colored glasses. It just seems to me that the materials and construction that Swift uses are next-level. I really do love my Prism, and it's seen a lot of use over two decades. It's ideal for paddlers desiring more stiffness in their composite canoe. New to canoeing with the idea of paddling the entire Missouri, I had no real idea of what canoe to purchase for a trip the length of such a big river, the longest on the North American continent. (probably added 4 ounces and $10. As well, leaving a canoe sitting upright on its hull deforms it. This boat is designed to be equipped with a small two-to-three-horsepower motor. I recently purchased a second canoe (one that would be more nimble and maneuverable in rivers), and looked hard at all of the Wenonah solo canoes, but ended up buying a Swift Keewaydin 14. This baby moves. It's not that Wenonah's quality is poor - my canoe has lasted 20 years without a single problem. They dont provide a specific number for their weight limits or capacities of particular canoe models. Very fast and paddles well with any style, J stroke, C stoke or hit and switch. Models in this line include tandem canoes from 14 to 17 feet long like the Fisherman, Kingfisher or Boundary Waters, as well as the square-stern Backwater. The bow and stern flare perfectly to deflect waves, and the (12"?) I paddle lakes, rivers and streams but little whitewater. It tracked well on flat-water and turned responsively, satisfying my every expectation, but also quickly gave birth to an appetite for increased speed. By taking one 100-liter drybag pack and placing it aft and sliding the comfortable tractor seat and foot brace all the way forward trims the Prism and gives me the ability to hike the portage trails just once. Don't get me wrong, the Wilderness glides, but on a 4-5 hour day trip it feels like a bit more work than perhaps it should. Learn more, We use cookies to enhance your experience, for analytics, and to support 3rd party content and advertising providers. I just picked up a Prism in Kevlar ultralight. On the other hand I bought it for the BWCAW not as a white water boat. I'm not real wild about the tractor seat, but it does slide to help adjust the trim. Graphite transfers energy better than any of our other materials, which makes these the most crisp paddling canoes. MN II is stable under paddle (secondary) but may feel a little tippy when sitting still or moving slowly (initial stability). We own two other solo canoes but purchased the Prism in 2018 for the bit more volume for solo overnight canoe trips to the BWCAW. 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. I am way lucky to live within minutes of 3 rivers, Wisconsin, Kickapoo and Mississippi, so I do mostly back water and long river runs, with a few trips each season "up North" (BWCA, etc) Trimming is easy and seems best with a little more weight top the rear. Today, youll find a variety of canoe designs available in different materials. Just picking it up is a pure pleasure, the weight factor alone of an UL is going to give me a lot more years paddling as I do a lot of solo. The Royalex Rendezvous is not nearly as nice. Its heavy but more durable than any other composite from Wenonah. The Prism was a close second and I found a used one (44# kevlar composite) two years ago. The company founder, Mike Cichanowski, still owns Wenonah canoe. They dont require much maintenance, and can withstand impacts and abrasions impressively. Its more rigid than Tuf-weave and a little bit lighter. Seal Kayak Skookumchuck Kayak. Read the Wenonah Canoe Buying Advice below for an overview of their canoe materials. Wenonah builds tandem and solo racing canoes that regularly win flatwater canoe races. Wish I'd bought this year's ago. Proving a very good choice, it fulfilled all my expectations for a touring boat. Any high performance hull will tend to have quirks when things are not in trim. pblanc February 5, 2013, 1:07am #4. In this process I change between straight shaft and bent shaft paddles. I would prefer to have the option of kneeling, but the sliding tractor seat makes it a sit down canoe. I generally use a bent shaft paddle with the sit-and-switch technique. All this being said, I think the Prism is the most well-rounded solo canoe that I've ever used when it comes to stability, capacity, tracking, and overall performance. Coming from a Wenonah Prism, the Vagabond feels slow and doesn't stay straight nearly as easily. As a result, maneuverability is the trade-off, but I haven't had any trouble turning. Now though I really love this boat for the weight - it is so easy to carry and even though I am a retired woman of 61, I have no trouble getting it up on top of my high top camper van on my own. I have the Flexcore version in Tuf-weave. Last week I finished a trip for 100 miles in frosty weather conditions on "Main-River" close to Frankfurt. Its also the most affordable composite material available from them. Handles well in all conditions. The boat tracks very well. I can tell you that I took some advice from every review below. The only reason I'd use anything else would be take my partner and/or our dog. Well use the Wenonah Spirit II 17-foot canoe as a baseline to indicate the different weights of these materials. Ever. If you continue using this website, you agree to our privacy and legal agreement. I actually find my tandem canoes much easier to portage than the prism. Wenonah has an extensive network of dealers across North America, including REI. Tracking - This canoe tracks a straight line. I do like the tough Royalex material in our rocky Missouri rivers, and the weight is manageable, though I'm starting to see the benefit of a lighter canoe. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area is practically in Wenonahs backyard. Get the latest Wenonah news: JOIN. Any time the canoe rubs along the groundeven just across the sandit may show scrapes. Pay more to upgrade to a sleek black aluminum trim or a combination of materials all! A close second and i found a used one ( 44 # Kevlar composite ) two years ago review not. I absolutely love my Prism, and pretty to look at the range of boats in this is... Are also links to find the nearest dealer to buy Wenonah canoes may be listed solo racing wenonah prism vs wilderness! Of kneeling, but that 's where the reviews really helped off of my most direct was! Paddle it sit ' n switch with a small two-to-three-horsepower motor was built me. 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