I generally get about 3.5MPH when using the traditional single-blade canoe paddle. Aramid, the fiber used for aerospace, body armor and bulletproof vests, is amazingly light and strong. Maneuverability is decent for a boat this long - not exceptionally quick, but smooth and predictable, and much better than I expected after reading other reviews. It does not turn readily (due to its 16'6" length and lack of rocker) unless well heeled over. On the other hand I wanted a canoe without rocker and Bell doesn't make one. They are ideal for speed and distance paddling and for all people or conditions that demand the lightest gear. Yesterday I picked up a kayak paddle, and that is even better. Maine-based Old Town is another storied American canoe builder. If you compare the measurements that wenonah gives for the prism it is about 3" higher at the bow and the stern than the advantage, which people reviewing that canoe say is not affected by the wind so this may be why the prism has problems, at least with a 175 lb load. Excellent all-around boat. Presumably his dads starting point design for the paddler carried on. T-Formex canoes are manufactured from multi-laminate sheets, painstakingly designed specifically for each model. Have the Wilderness in Royalex for paddling and camping on a wild Highland loch close to my house. Great stability, tracks extremely well, and handles waves very well. Canoes are not used, unless stated otherwise. They have a combination of primary and secondary stability, so the canoeist will feel reasonably comfortable no matter if the hull is flat or on edge. Ultra-light hulls are stiff and incredibly light. It weather-veined in the slightest breeze and had no appreciable glide. I cured this by widening the pedestal base 9" and lowering it 5/8". All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community! If I buy another solo, which is likely. If you want to turn on a dime or do whitewater forget the Prism. Even ask the seller if you can take a lap around the neighborhood with it. Named in remembrance of Dick Proenneke, a legendary wilderness man who spent 30 years of his retired life living alone in the wilds of Twin Lakes, Alaska, the Wilderness is a solo canoe that can take you far away from it all. Seats, footbraces, and all hardware is then riveted into these plates. I agree with the awful rattly seat and have now fixed it in one position so that's ok. Wenonah takes an interesting approach towards the specifications of their canoes. I stick to wind protected waters and don't take it on open water if there is any kind a breeze at all. Great stability, tracks extremely well, and handles waves very well. Stable enough for comfortable fishing. My first boat was a SoloPlus and it's great for moderately twisty rivers. Interestingly, initial stability actually seems to improve when I've got gear in the boat. JavaScript is disabled. I went shopping for a solo canoe suitable for BWCAW tripping and after looking for a couple of years settled on the Prism in ultralight kevlar. Solo paddlers can sit backward in the bow seat and paddle these canoes stern-first. Generally, longer boats with ultralight materials will be more expensive than shorter boats that are built with T-Formex or Flexcore. In the wind it really helps to be properly trimmed. In this process I change between straight shaft and bent shaft paddles. Wenonahs Performance Touring canoes are fast-traveling cargo haulers for the dedicated canoe tripper. It does not require nearly the effort that it does to solo a tandem canoe. Incidentally, the Prism handled like a barge fully loaded until I rearranged the gear to improve the trim, after which it was fine; the sliding seat definitely helps the trim, especially when lightly-loaded. The only beef I have is Wenonah's adjustable seat, it's noisy and clanks. I was testing the limits of the Keewaydin, and it turned over a LOT quicker than I thought it would, and not nearly with the effort it takes to intentionally capsize my Prism. Some models have the option to have the hull gelcoated for extra resilience. Kayaking the Mouth of the Columbia River's Tidal Influences, When Cities Meet The Water: Americas Top Urban Paddling Destinations, Paddling At Night - Tips and Safety Recommendations. Ever. This canoe is very easy to paddle fully loaded for a week long trip or just a couple of hours at Town Lake, Austin, Texas. You can also source epoxy or gelcoat from marine suppliers, and there are many good articles explaining these fixes online. T-Formex outperforms single or triple-layer polyethylene plastics as it is stiffer and lighter. These models are characterized by their flat bottoms. Caught m'lady casting longing eyes upon it as well, so I'll probably be paddling the original Prism this season ;->. I test paddled a Wenonah Advantage and a > Wenonah Prism today. It just takes to much effort to bring back on course paddling Bill Mason style. I have added the Wenonah seat back and cushion which helped a great deal. I have only paddled on flat water so far. It tracks nicely, handles chop on a lake or light ww ok and it is faster than a lot of kayaks of the same length. Wenonah uses five different blends of composite materials, varying in strength, weight and price. The boat isn't that manoeuverable but then it is a trip boat after all and tracks well and fast. These canoes have wide, flat hulls, making them ideal for paddling in flat waters with families, dogs or nervous paddlers. Inspect the entire canoe before you buy it. I did slow down going into the waves just so that I wouldn't spear them, with unpleasant results. Great boat! Innegra is a polypropylene-based fiber mixed with other materials like aramid or fiberglass to add strength without compromising weight. Loaded with 4 days of supplies, it made it when even tandem canoes were turning back and giving up! A Spirit II 17-foot canoe built with Ultralight aramid weighs 42 pounds, or 45 pounds with a gelcoat hull. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area is practically in Wenonahs backyard. Dont be afraid to walk around with it for a while. Doing a 180 in steady wind just takes a little more effort, but that's by fundamental design, so absolutely no complaints from me. Quebec-based Esquif Canoes developed T-Formex to fill the hole left by Royalexs departure. On the other hand I bought it for the BWCAW not as a white water boat. How durable is ultralight Kevlar? They build their canoes exclusively with three-layer polyethylene, which explains the boats affordability and durability. It adds a bit of weight, but also, with the extra durability, youll worry less about damaging the canoe when youre out paddling. It is 16' 6", and weighs just 34 Lbs! Choose one of these if you need the high storage capacity that comes with deep wells. Understanding the different types of canoes Wenonah builds can help you to find one that matches the type of paddling you plan to do. Used bare, this is a fine yoke for infrequent, short portages. Talk about a smooth operator! It's ideal for paddlers desiring more stiffness in their composite canoe. I'm large, 6'2" 250lbs, I traded a solo plus which is longer and heavier. A 17-foot Spirit II canoe with this material weighs 54 pounds. 02/18/2014 12:45PM (Thread Older Than 3 Years). A good boat, a sports car compared to the solo plus. The Royalex Rendezvous is not nearly as nice. I've never thought twice about loading up a week's worth of gear. Also, I usually have only gear fro the day and the boat is lightly loaded. Wenonahs bench seats can be either cane or webbing. By taking one 100-liter drybag pack and placing it aft and sliding the comfortable tractor seat and foot brace all the way forward trims the Prism and gives me the ability to hike the portage trails just once. I would get a lighter layup but this was my first solo and I'm quite attatched to it. Seats, footbraces, and all hardware is then riveted into these plates. All in all I have been very satisfied with this canoe. The Tuf-weave layup results in our most durable composite canoes. Jensen V1-Pro 18' 6", Jensen V1-A Mens 18' 6", J-193 18' 0". Or a Wilderness. I paddled this boat up the Thoroughfare River in N. Idaho (between Upper and Lower Priest Lake) last Memorial Day against a very strong current from the snowmelt. Read reviews for the Prism by Wenonah Canoe, Inc. as submitted by your fellow paddlers. If I won a million dollars, I'd ask Swift to build me a replica of the Wenonah Prism using their carbon construction techniques no matter how much it cost. I'm sure a Prism would work too. The gunwales are stronger; its better to rest the canoes weight on them. As mentioned before, the best way to know if the canoe is a good match is to actually paddle it. Wenonah canoes are made with T-Formex plastic or composite woven materials. When you pick the canoe up, give it a shake and listen for any water that might be sloshing around in the tanks, indicating a leak, most likely from the canoe into the tanks. Renting canoes gives you a chance to take a trial run, helping you understand how some of the differences in specifications and design that you read about affect how the canoe behaves on the water. I have since purchased and installed new thwarts and a seat, all of which I reduced in length by 15% from stock seat and thwarts. Beyond the ABS is a proprietary abrasion-resistant skin layer. For a hit and switch paddler there is nothing better, beginner or expert. Enter the Wenonah Prism. In a Jensen designed boat and a Bell Wildfire she did not like the constant balancing. Good boat. The staff there will be more then happy to give you some tips that really work. Access is limited so I usually have the loch to myself. In general the canoe is well made. Electing to buy a used canoe, especially a Wenonah, is a great way to get a high-quality canoe for a lower price. I guess to summarize this boat I would say that she is a sweet boat that paddles very well light and loaded. Weighing the canoe on an accurate (balance beam) scale it weighs 35 pounds. and the ultra light layup weighs 34 lbs. Composite canoes are finished with a gelcoat or a clearcoat to protect the resin and cloth. Seats, footbraces, and all hardware is then riveted into these plates. Anglers can decide to upgrade to Wenonahs VersiGunwale system. Wenonah builds tandem and solo racing canoes that regularly win flatwater canoe races. It carries a large load or a small load fast enough for me to keep up with any tandem and that includes a Minnesota II. Compare. Talking to ALOT of good folks and reps at the annual Canoecopia in Madison got me headed toward a Wenonah. The composite construction is easily repairable, and the T-Formex is rugged enough that these canoes will last many seasons. It just seems to me that the materials and construction that Swift uses are next-level. The advantage of building canoes with this method is that it produces stiff, lightweight canoes. The Wilderness does all of these nicely and has a nice glide on flatwater. I love my Kevlar Prism. I've used it extensively in the backcountry of the Adirondacks - the Saranac Lake chain, the St. Regis Canoe region, the Raquette River, etc. as a camping vehicle on northern Wisconsin's flowages. The Prism is our most popular composite solo canoe. For extra control, the Fusion has a rudder. The Prism is an very popular composite solo canoe. I noted other reviewers concern for the wind. At times I'm a weekend warrior, and other times more than that. This boat feels like it was built for me. Advice. Youll have to get the canoe to the factory, and it will take some time, but this is an option for those who are less handy. At 6'4" and 240 the boat as it came from the factory was definitely running bow down, so the seat and rear thwart went back 5 inches. The blunt entry pushes water, and the fixed seat makes adjusting trim difficult. The justification for this is that a number cannot adequately account for the weight distribution or conditions the canoe will be paddling in. 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