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Spirit II

The ribs are there to add stiffness to the floor. If they are not there the floor is weaker and may oilcan and at worst may collapse under you. Do you use a kneeling pad? Its masochistic not to.
 
It's a good tripper for two people. I've had it through every condition imaginable, and have run rapids up to class 3. However, it wouldn't be my choice for a solo.
 
"Take the tractor seats out and put regular ones in and then you can go backwards from the front seat."
Christy[/QUOTE]

Yup. That would certainly be easier than surgery on the boat. Good suggestion.

The ribs are there to add stiffness to the floor. If they are not there the floor is weaker and may oilcan and at worst may collapse under you. Do you use a kneeling pad? Its masochistic not to.

Yes. I use a kneeling mat, but it isn't thick enough to make kneeling on one of those ribs comfortable for more than a minute.
I thin I might just drop the idea of using the S-II for anything else than tandem use. Paddling from the stern seat, there is a flat spot for kneeling
 
I am kind of old and never kneel...just not possible for me. So what I do is lower my seats an inch or two to make to canoe more stable...lower center of gravity. That might help too, if you eliminate the need/desire to kneel.

Yes that is a great boat Mem. We were back in the Mattawa this weekend and it sure felt twitchy compared to the Spirit two. It took a bit to get used to it again
 
I like those tractor seats. Leave the stern seat intact and replace the bow seat with a web or cane seat if you want to paddle solo from there. There is a 3" difference in bow/stern heights so that will effect handing in wind when paddled that way.
Have fun with it. I like the Spirit !!.
Regards,
Dave
 
Attach the front seat directly to the sides, it will act as a thwart the few times you solo in it.

And make the thwart removable.
 
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Always keep acetone around.
I just repaired an OT Canadienne from 1989. It was faded, scraped up and needed repairs in 3 places. After some repair and sanding I painted it with Rustoleum topsides enamel. It looks like a new boat.
 
I missed this site. Glad it's back up.

I've had a 44 lb (kevlar 49) Spirit II for 15 years. It is a terrific tandem for lots of gear and fishing. I seriously love the design for mostly sit and switch with a load. I do not have the skills to comfortably solo it in any kind of wind, absent a boat-load of ballast, and even then, ...

In August, my cousin and I did 6 nights on Lake Lila with it. I will post a trip report when: My cousin sends me the pics he took; and 2) when the weather turns non-paddling friendly.
 
I ordered a new Spirit II once from Wenonah when I lived in Wyoming. The boat came on a truck and the hull was really wavy. I sent it back for a refund. A friend rented a Spirit II for a week on the Willamette River. The boat did really well, but they did manage to capsize it once. A good all-around boat.

I have been repairing fiberglass and kevlar boats for 40 years. Some were beat up when I got em and some got cracked up in rivers. I have had very good success with painting them. The old gel coat is hard to bring back. I just sand em and paint em.
 
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