Versatility of a tandems as a solo

[JagDaddy]

I went back and forth on this for three months before I bought back into canoeing haha and here recently a hardly used, stored inside, 15' Wenonah Prospector in green RX came up on the local market in the $500ish range with 2 Grey Owl paddles. Hopefully it sells fast so I don't have to muse buying it anymore, because my next canoe needs to be a very lightweight and portable canoe for fly fishing high country lakes :- )

In the end I really think it's in the eye of the beerholder, there's excellent reasons to go either way, so you makes your choice and live with the compromises :- )

Ultimately I compromised on the compromise :- ) My Nova Craft Ex. Tuff Stuff Supernova is 14' 10", 32" at the gunnels, 15" deep with a fairly rounded bottom and good rocker for general purpose that seems to start in the middle of the boat making it more maneuverable than it seems like it should be. I was warned when I bought it that it's right on the edge, if not oversize for being a true solo canoe, but won't carry weight as graceful as a 15' tandem. On flat water day trips she definitely need a 5gal water can up front for best effect, but standing up to fly fish works fine once I got used to it. On Class II/III river trips she really shines, gracefully handling rapids with a trip load and being efficient enough on the flats.

I like to think of her as a 'performance' Prospector :- ) and even though she doesn't handle in white water like my former Mad River Genesis, she does a better job overall with a trip load and I'm about the tripping. I definitely appreciate the nearly center paddle position and ability to use cross strokes and would probably been just as well served with a Clipper Caribou S or maybe the Clipper 14' Prospector and the Esqif Pocket Canyon was also on the short list, but in the end I had to choose haha

My wife took this pic, she said 'Pose, so I have a current photo of you and the canoe for the S&R guys haha' She has a keen sense of humor :- )

 

[yellowcanoe]

I cant imagine bringing a dedicated little solo that is finely suited to Ontario portage lake to lake routes on a western river with the need for additional accoutrements like a firebox and a toilet. Add Dutch oven and you are in another world of canoe tripping!
My Raven is actually a dedicated solo but could be tandem for two wee people.

 

[Guest]

Different strokes for different folks. If i'm going "heavy" I take my big "freighter canoe- a swift Osprey solo! My heavy is other peoples lite.
Turtle

 

[yellowcanoe]

Obviously no one is going to change their mind but it's interesting to note history. In the 1930's it became common for summer camps in Ontario to teach solo canoeing to youth so they would have skill soloing a tandem in case of emergency( incapacitated paddler) and a a group exercise..canoe dance.
An entire curriculum ensued from Paddle Cananda ( formerly CRCA)
https://www.paddlecanada.com/style-canoe/954-style-canoeing-program.html

The manoeuvers are quite fun in a tandem paddled solo and are insanely spinny if you want..or precise to an inch.

Now the thing is no one has mentioned Omering.. from a center position or perhaps just slightly back. Often as Becky does on some sort of saddle Most of us do not have great knees nor do watch TV kneeling all winter on the floor. I can't do that so I made a portable pedestal seat

The Azland sling seat is great for those with open gunwaled wood canvas canoes.

 

[lowangle al]

I prefer tandems because I like to paddle standing, especially in wind, thick lilly pads or in the narrow crooked channels that I encounter.


The goal I wanted to achieve by tripping in a solo boat was to eliminate the double carry portage, which would cut my travel time in half, but I was never able to do it comfortably.

 

[Robin]

The point I was trying to make in the OP was that lots of folks use tandems as solo, lots of very experienced trippers. Small women, big guys and everything in between as the pictures clearly show.

I'm glad so many folks chimed in with their appreciation for paddling a tandem solo. My hope is that some guy/gal who wants to buy a canoe but circumstances dictate they buy a tandem with the odd chance they can get out solo in it sees this post and learns something. (long arse sentence, but I'm putting my garden in and I'm in a hurry)

Changing anyone's mind on tandems vs solo's was not the purpose of the post. Solo canoes are great, but (solo)tandems have their place too and are sometimes more practical for some paddlers in spite of their drawbacks.




​

 

[Uncle_Skwid]

I suppose there are two sides to this thought: a boat outfitted tandem such that can be turned around and paddled solo (and essentially still remain a tandem boat), or a tandem boat outfitted solo paddled solo, which then becomes less of a tandem. The difference is significant, in terms of achieving that pivotal point of the boat for maximum boat control and establishing the appropriate level of attachment to said boat (i.e. saddle, pedestal, seat, what-have-you in the RIGHT spot). Paddling any boat from the wrong spot can be frustratingly mind-bending and wearisome, or, on the other hand, wildly unpredictable and spectacularly fun. I currently paddle a tandem boat that I have outfitted solo. But it's a tandem "whitewater" boat that is 14' long, 32" wide, 15.5" deep, with 6" of rocker in the bow and 5" in the stern. Some would probably consider 14' a little short for the designation of "tandem" (Jeremy Laucks makes an 8'10" tandem canoe). Some would probably consider the rocker a little much for tripping comfort. Some would probably consider the boat a little too wide for solo. Nonetheless the boat is sold as a tandem "playboat" and I love it as a solo go anywhere I want boat. I can stand up, crawl around on it, feel stable in big water, carry lots of gear, and still feel as if I'm light and responsive enough to go--within reason--wherever I want. The responsible free board weight is something like 450 pounds. Perfect!

It's the greatest canoe in the world (read: greatest canoe I've paddled) for the sort of paddling I do. Which is all any of us can say, really, even those of us taking long trips on glorified surf boards (find that discussion elsewhere in this forum). But being a relatively recent convert to the art of canoeing, I've only owned four canoes and built none (as in, zero), each one progressively closer to the style and paddling I enjoy, which is admittedly fairly big whitewater with enough camping gear to last me three to four weeks (I haven't yet hit such an extended trip, but have a undoubtedly epic 16-18 dayer through some big water in January!), or in comparison really tiny mountain streams with enough gear to get me all the way home. I haven't yet found the upper limit of what I can carry in my current configuration, I'm working on the addition of my third watershed bag, adding another 4900 inching cubes to my already spacious and gracious cargo load. And yes, I add my cargo cautiously, one careful piece at a time, configuring tie down rings as I consider the bag so everything stays quiet and still and nothing gets rowdy and shifty. It's important to not only carry those mountains of gear, but also get the canoe back upright in the event of

whathunk.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

I suppose there are two sides to this thought: a boat outfitted tandem such that can be turned around and paddled solo (and essentially still remain a tandem boat), or a tandem boat outfitted solo paddled solo, which then becomes less of a tandem...

There are a few other options. All three of my current tandems can be paddled solo without facing backwards. None of them is dedicated solo. The Prospector has a kneeling thwart well behind the yoke. The Malecite has no yoke (I use a clamp-on) but has a seat just aft of center instead. My Coho has no seats. For that boat, I have a portable pedestal with attached knee padding. The Coho has never been paddled tandem yet, but I have a second pedestal waiting for that occasion (haven't convinced the wife to try kneeling yet). All three of those options work pretty well and all three are most appropriate per boat, for my use.

 

[Odyssey]

My hope is that some guy/gal who wants to buy a canoe but circumstances dictate they buy a tandem with the odd chance they can get out solo in it sees this post and learns something.


​

Yes. For those of us restricted to one single canoe purchase the decision is difficult. Buy (me) a solo and rent (us) a tandem, or buy (us) a tandem and rent (me) a solo? The need for a tandem was immediate for us two, so having a tandem to do "double duty" was the decision. I don't regret it, and perhaps might eventually solo trip with it, but smaller lighter dedicated solos sure look appealing. A tandem is doing it all for me right now, given that I only tandem trip and solo day paddle.
Kinda begs the question - if you could only ever own one canoe, what would it be and why? I'm still pondering that myself.
My kneeling thwart positions me nicely, but kneeling is brutal after an hour. I wouldn't mind paddling from the stern (asym canoe) but I'd need to trim down the bow considerably...something I'd hate myself for on the portages.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Most people when they start canoeing go with a tandem . I surmise it's rare that a couple initially bites for two solos
Then the wife might not want to go out and what's a guy to do if he wants to fish?
My first three canoes were all tandems before I found the joy of solo. Kayakkk!
Ack!
Then that led to solo canoe. And too many of em all the kids are different
I've just got big problems powering a tandem in 20 mph winds. Too much boat
Life is a balance

My favorite old wood canvas canoes are courting canoes. There are no solos there.

 

[sweeper]

I've soloed a few times from the front seat and really enjoyed it. My dedicated solo is being built, I guess more will be revealed this summer.

 

[Jim Dodd]

Keep it up guys, and I'll have to break tradition, and build a tandem !

I have a few tandem plans, but open for stripper plan suggestions !

Thinking of something that I can SUP paddle in, a Prospector may just fit the bill.

Jim

 

[yellowcanoe]

Keep it up guys, and I'll have to break tradition, and build a tandem !

I have a few tandem plans, but open for stripper plan suggestions !

Thinking of something that I can SUP paddle in, a Prospector may just fit the bill.

Jim

..Oh no A Prospector is incredibly round bottom. My balance is not good enough. I prefer a Tripper or even an Explorer..
Enjoy your bath.

 

[Steve in Idaho]

Depends on who's Prospector you're looking at, eh, Kim? I've read that the Chestnut is rolly, but my NC has been described as "like standing on the sidewalk". I wonder how the available plans compare.

 

[Guest]

my favorite tandem canoe that I paddle solo is a novacraft pal that I installed a 3rd seat behing the front seat facing backwards and slanted like a solo seat. A sweet paddle!
Turtle

 

[Rippy]

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

I have a NC Bob and a Pal and on day trips this is what I do also.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Depends on who's Prospector you're looking at, eh, Kim? I've read that the Chestnut is rolly, but my NC has been described as "like standing on the sidewalk". I wonder how the available plans compare.

The Chestnut adaptation I have is quite round bottomed
Made by Loon Works

 

[Jim Dodd]

..Oh no A Prospector is incredibly round bottom. My balance is not good enough. I prefer a Tripper or even an Explorer..
Enjoy your bath.

A friend had built one using plans lofted from Canoecraft, and I remember it being round bottomed. It would be easy enough to flatten the bottom.
Or look for another stripper plan.
The idea is to avoid the bath in my book anyway ! Water around here can get toxic !

Jim

 

[rebelcanoe]

I have had solo and tandem canoes, and I prefer the tandems for their versatility and stability. I fish from mine a lot including fly fishing. I also like to carry extra gear for camping, bushcrafting, collecting driftwood, etc that I may not be able to do as well in a solo.

That being said, there is no doubt I was faster on the water and more maneuverable in my solo than I ever will be in a tandem, especially my current canoe - it's like paddling a milk truck. But, I can do interpretive dance in it if I want to.

 

[wgiles]

I have a different reason for turning the canoe around. My wife is too frail to paddle and is hydrophobic. The only safe way for me to paddle with her in the canoe is me solo backwards in the front seat and her in the rear seat.