I have a Northwind 17 and I'm trying to decide if I should rent a solo for our trip to Little Sag coming up. We each weigh about 200lbs. Plus our gear, I know we'd be pushing it. Just wondering if anyone else uses one for three guys?

Thank you!

I did it twice. Once with my skinny wife and skinny sister and dog and gear totaling 610 lbs. We did Mudro entry to Beartrap Lake. It was great and the canoe was very stable. The second time I did it was with two other heavier guys and gear totaling exactly 700 lbs. We went from Kawishiwi Lake to Alice. It was nerve-racking and thank goodness the winds were calm all five days. I would never do that again. The canoe felt like it was teetering at all times. Northstar is exactly correct when they say optimal load goes up to 650 lbs.

We did a 10 day trip to Wabakimi with 3 guys in a Northwind 18, each pushing 200 lbs. Our outfitter told us they had 3 person canoes, so not really our choice. Very little room for guys and gear for 10 day and it was not comfortable. You really need a proper 3 person canoe like a Minnesota 3. At one point in rough weather the guy in the middle was bailing water with his hat while the other two paddled to get to safer water. A Northwind 17 would be even worse. As already noted - not doing that again.

pd

We tripped 3 guys in a NW 18 last year; average weight maybe 195. Dog and gear were another ~240, for a total of about 825.

We were definitely overloaded and slow, though never felt unsafe.

Doing that in a 17 could be dangerous.

Agree that it is a crazy idea. Like having three people on a motorcycle. Two on the seat and one on the handlebars.
Tom

Walleyeguy24: "I have a Northwind 17 and I'm trying to decide if I should rent a solo for our trip to Little Sag coming up. We each weigh about 200lbs. Plus our gear, I know we'd be pushing it. Just wondering if anyone else uses one for three guys?

Thank you!"

Wouldn’t even consider it. Take the solo or rent a Seneca. We rented one last year for three guys and it worked great

portagedog09: "Our outfitter told us they had 3 person canoes, so not really our choice.
pd"

The customer gets what the customer wants.... sounds like you got bad advice from your outfitter.

bobbernumber3: "

portagedog09: "Our outfitter told us they had 3 person canoes, so not really our choice.
pd"

The customer gets what the customer wants.... sounds like you got bad advice from your outfitter."

Most outfitters probably assume that the third person is going to be a kid. A Northwind 18 worked well last year for me and my two daughters. I wouldn't use one for three grown men and gear. A 17 would be a non-starter.

I'd go with the solo. A Northwind 20 or similar would work too but personally I think separate canoes would be more fun.

I own a Northwind 17 and have taken it on several trips, all tandem. this is a great canoe but I personally think it is too small for 3 grown adults at 200 lbs each. You will not feel comfortable in most conditions and submit yourselves to unnecessary risks. Strongly recommend one solo canoe. It will make the trip not only safer but much more fun and enjoyable.

A 17 wouldn't have enough room for gear after fitting a third person, and would be quite overloaded anyway. I'd go with a Northwind 20. I've done a Wenonah Seneca and Wenonah MN3 and much preferred the Seneca. It's a pretty big boat and slightly unwieldy on portages, but not that much more so than a 17 footer. You can cruise pretty fast and everyone can take a break more often if they so choose. It also makes for less stuff to portage, so you could possibly single carry without totally overloading yourselves. For fishing or exploration, it would've been nice to split up once and a while, but it depends on your comfort in a solo and how much water you're covering. The solo might get totally outrun by the tandem, or vice versa.

If you're feeling adventurous, rent the solo and have your crew swap in and out as they feel comfortable, but prepare to have someone who is "maining" the solo if neither of the other folks want to paddle it. It'll be cheaper to rent a single canoe though (unless you already have a Northwind 17, then a solo is cheaper), and more efficient for the reasons I mentioned. It's fun to be in the same boat just chatting and telling stories and whatnot.

Three in a 17 ft canoe would be no fun, rent a solo and take turns in it.

I have NW 17 and agree, too cramped for your group.

For 3 adults I’ve used the NW 20 and the SR Q18…both as 3 seaters. I think a 3 seater NW 18 could work, would be tight. If you are experienced the solo might be a better choice.

preacherdave: "

Walleyeguy24: "I have a Northwind 17 and I'm trying to decide if I should rent a solo for our trip to Little Sag coming up. We each weigh about 200lbs. Plus our gear, I know we'd be pushing it. Just wondering if anyone else uses one for three guys?


Thank you!"

Wouldn’t even consider it. Take the solo or rent a Seneca. We rented one last year for three guys and it worked great"

I have a Seneca and it held 800# of humans plus gear no problem, we gave the mid seat a kayak paddle and together cruised 4.5-almost 5 mph on the gps.