Touring Canoes

Featured review by Mumblefords

The We-no-nah Escapade is a 16.6 tandem performance touring canoe available only in "tuff weave"material. Produced mainly for lakes and gentle rivers, this boat is sleek and agile with great response to the paddlers commands.

I got in my new We-no-nah Escapade late last week and have taken her out every day since. The Escapade is a 16.6 canoe and it just so happens that 16.6 is the perfect length for a solo canoe. This canoe is only available in Tuff Weave material. I do like the feel and weight of tuff weave over royalex. The big drawback to the tuff weave however is that it does not take well to scratching. Structurally, you do no damage, but aesthetically it is easy to scratch your tuff weave paint job (why I bought the boat in white).

Read more: Wenonah Escapade reviews (2)

Featured review by Second Gear

My friend and I describe ourselves as middle-aged "fat-packers"-- but my best friend and hiking buddy got injured--really messed up her ankle, so hiking was out of the question for the summer. She grew up doing lots of canoeing, so it seemed like a good solution. Bottom line is she really had no idea where to jump in with selecting a boat. I helped her out by watching and watching Craigslist. Then this Wenona showed up. I read every bit of literature I could get my hands on...so she made her choice.

Read more: Wenonah Spirit II reviews (2)

Reviewed by Joe B

Responsive and ultra stable, the Prospector is a very good down river canoe. If you have dogs or often go fishing, this is a good option for you. It's not fast, and it has some design issues, but overall, it's a good value.

Wenonah's Prospector 15 is a fun boat for river trips. It's rock-solid stable and can turn on a dime. It's a great choice for beginner paddlers, dog owners, and fisherpeople. It's not the fastest boat out there, so you won't win any races. Keeping it going in a straight line takes a little work. But if you're going to be running rapids and want a boat to play in, this is a good choice. It has enough volume for camping trips, but if you're not a careful packer, you may want to opt for the 16-foot model.

Read more: Wenonah Prospector 15 review (1)

Reviewed by Dave Schnaithmann

I've owned a Northstar for about 3 years now and the more I paddle it the more I like it. I put a kneeling thwart in for solo paddling and raised the back seat. It handles very nice with a heavy load and is very stable. I do a lot of paddling up in New York in the Saranac lakes region, it seems to be in its element there with the portages and paddling lake to lake.

I bought this canoe used from an outfitter in Saranac Lake. The first time I got into it I almost fell out the other side. I wasn't expecting it to be so tippy being used to an Old Town Discovery. I am a solo paddler so I had to put a kneeling thwart in it if I decided  to buy it. I used the thwart in front of the rear seat for kneeling. As soon as you start paddling it becomes stable and seemed to glide across the lake. I was hooked! The model I got was the kevlar with aluminum gunnels, it only weighs 43 lbs.

Read more: Bell Canoe Northstar review (1)