Versatility of a tandems as a solo

[Robin]

The nice thing about using a tandem canoe as a solo is it's versatility, turn it around and sit in the bow seat you have a solo, on the portage no pesky portable thwart to install, stand up and pole, need a cooler, lots of gear, maybe a wall tent with a stove this week.Maybe take it solo one week, the family the next, a 16-17' tandem can be a very good option. I used them for years and still do,


I saw a friend posted a trip report on Facebook of a recent trip down the St. John's river in Maine, all but one canoe where tandems. Nice shots of tandems as solo's in action.

 

[Canotrouge]

I use mine as a solo all the time. Even running class II III rapids!!

 

[Steve in Idaho]

I have to agree - if I was limited to one canoe for any reason, it would be a tandem in the ~16' range. And for those faced with such a choice, learning to pole makes the tandem canoe so much more versatile.

 

[UPpaddler]

I have to agree. I have a dedicated solo and a tandem, but even when soloing, the tandem is my preferred boat. If I had to pick only 1 canoe, it would probably be a ~16ft symmetrical tandem. Fifteen footers are too small for a tandem (to my liking, anyway) and 17 footers are starting to get tough to manage as a solo (again, to my liking).

 

[shanks]

I paddled a 14' Mad River solo canoe until I got a 17' Old Town Tripper about a year ago. I only paddle solo, and that poor MR just sits there.


Great photos, thanks!

 

[Alan Gage]

All I've got is solos but the other day, after repairing the seats, I took my dad's 16' OT Penobscot for an evening cruise down the river with the dog and some extra ballast in the bow (stern). It was more enjoyable than I expected. But the wind wasn't blowing either. I used to have a Bell Northstar and tried paddling it solo a few times. Of course the wind was blowing each time and I hated it.

Alan

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Wind is THE problem. We have a favorite stretch of the Snake nearby that almost always has an afternoon headwind. (Although my last trip down it was more downwind sailing than paddling) One trip in the lightly-loaded Prospector, I almost rolled it when a sudden gust slammed me sideways against the current. On another trip with the Prospector, I offered to carry any gear or provisions that other paddlers might prefer not to carry in their own boat. I ended up with about another paddler's worth of weight, and that made all the difference in the wind. Get that deep tandem down out of the wind and more into the water, and it acts a lot more like a canoe and less like a sail.

 

[clemency]

This weekend I'll be about 2 hours from some brand new Wenonah Prospectors in Rx. Fortunately I think my wife has my schedule completely booked, so my credit card is safe.

 

[Sweetfancymoses]

I tend to have problems with trim. My legs don't tolerate long periods of kneeling, so I have to sit in the bow seat facing backwards. I'm weighing in at 200# and seem to need an inordinate amount of ballast which kind of takes the fun out of soloing a tandem for me. (Bobs Special)

 

[Odyssey]

I was out this weekend day tripping, soloing my tandem. Saturday a slight stiff steady breeze blew down the river channel making my afternoon a little tricky. Down river and down wind was fun and easy, allowing me to paddle leaned and with little effort covered some distance comfortably. I was nervous of the return upstream/upwind, and for good reason as returning was a constant battle. I hadn't taken any packs or ballast of any kind, and so was riding very light. I acquired a whole new respect for the hit and switch crowd.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

A few weeks ago, three of us went down the south fork of the Payette in the cl2 stretch known as "hot springs to confluence". Since I was feeling a little rusty and not much recovered after my injury, I chose to go in the Coho rather than the solo canoe. We had so much headwind that I had trouble fighting it with a paddle - my right hand grip still being pretty weak. So I stood up and poled. I have much more control of the boat against wind when poling, due to the longer lever. The wind got so strong that I was soon standing ahead of the yoke. By the end of the day, I was standing in the front third of the canoe just to keep it pointed into the wind (sure could have used some ballast). That tactic worked pretty well, until I got cocky and started playing with the more powerful eddies. The boat finished one hard eddy turn without me, and I got to test my dry suit for leaks. But the point is that if it was just a matter of getting down the river in an otherwise empty tandem with a strong wind, it was still do-able.

 

[Alan Gage]

The wind got so strong that I was soon standing ahead of the yoke. By the end of the day, I was standing in the front third of the canoe just to keep it pointed into the wind (sure could have used some ballast).

No rocks out west? I carry a water jug for ballast but used to, and still will on occasion, load up on rocks at the put-in or along the way when necessary.

Alan

 

[Steve in Idaho]

No rocks out west? I carry a water jug for ballast but used to, and still will on occasion, load up on rocks at the put-in or along the way when necessary.

Alan

You know, for a while there, I was in the habit of bringing at least one large cheap dry bag to use for ballast. Fill it with water and leave a little air in it and it makes great ballast. Infinitely adjustable, doesn't roll around, and won't sink the boat. I could have used rocks if it was really needed - but day trips are all about building skill, aren't they?

 

[Bothwell Voyageur]

I'll paddle our tandem boat as a solo if I am on a river trip with less experienced paddlers; I like the extra stability in case I have to pick them from the water or if I am taking our 70 pound dog along. Otherwise I prefer the agility of a proper solo. My Wildfire is more fun on the portages as well.

Putting rocks in your canoe is dumb. Works fine until you swamp. Just carry a heavy duty dry bag and fill it with water.

 

[Odyssey]

Just carry a heavy duty dry bag and fill it with water.

I remembered to bring one of those, where it remained securely locked in my vehicle back at the put-in.

 

[Will Derness]

15 foot tandems must be my favorite. I've got 3 of them and they make nice solos. One is now a dedicated WW solo. The other two make for nice solo tripping as the wider tandem gives you cargo room.


The flipped around bow seat is just a little closer to center than you would in a 16 footer and makes it easier to trim out. Along with day gear, I find 3 gallons of water up at my bow end settles the boat down in the water.

All other things being equal, a 15 footer will weigh less as well.

 

[Guest]

I used to love soloing my prospector heeled way over on short calm paddles.. Anymore, on long trips,I just don't have the horsepower or ability to do it. My lite, narrow solos have spoiled me. besides, I trip lite and don't need the capacity. You guys are stronger than me.
Turtle

 

[Bob B.]

I gave up on dedicated solo boats years ago. they are fine no doubt and have many advantages ... but for me personally I like a 15-16 foot tandem (or my 17 foot cronje). I am 6'4" about 230 pounds and just fit better in a tandem. I travel with my dog who is about 55 to 60 pounds - and my gear on any given trip is in the neighborhood of 75 pounds. I move about the boat, fish, rubber neck, etc. and have come to appreciate the stability of a tandem, especially with a dog who likes to move about. I further have come to appreciate the predictability of a symmetrical hull in a following sea or just in big waves and wind on a large lake or flowage. In my experience a tandem as a solo is not as trim sensitive as a differential rockered canoe. Soloing a tandem is not the most efficient nor is it for everyone, but I sure love wilderness tripping in mine, it fits my style of tripping very well.

Bob.

 

[yellowcanoe]

If I hunted I could not imagine not using a tandem..try to subdivide a beast for a dedicated solo.. but I am not a hunter and do prefer the greater precision of steering from a center seat.. I am way too short armed to do that in a tandem.

 

[charlie wilson]

I prefer dedicated solos too. They allow cross strokes and cross maneuvers, the bow generally draws to the paddleblade, the stern can be skidded and they can be had narrow enough to allow "Stacking our Hands", across the rail for efficient forward strokes. Most of those control issues are surrendered we drive a tandem backwards. And, if the tandem has modern, differential, rocker the deeper stern being forced into service as a bow, tends to stick and resist the paddle's draw; partly because the paddler is so far aft of center but also because it is deeper in the water.