Outfitting . . The Spirit II has been around for over 30 years with no change to the actual shape of the boat. While it is not light at around 75 pounds (we installed a third seat and some other customizations), it is lighter than my old aluminum battleship and I was able to portage it without difficulty. After a summer's use (2015). We problem solved and she decided to buy a canoe. When you buy something using the retail links in our stories, we may earn a small commission. Paddled from the kneeling thwart is the way to go in windy conditions. It will handle well in wind and waves, probably better than my nerves. 5 Pieces of Gear to Help You Sneak a Hike Into Your Non-Hiking Trip, This Lightweight Daypack Can Handle a Dunk in the Ocean, These 20 Pieces Of Gear Changed Backpacking Forever. I mentioned in my first review that it blew off a roof rack while traveling at speed and it was not pretty anymore but the scrapes and dings did not affect it paddling ease and stablility. was solid and it has had good reviews, but the size and the cane seats forced me
At just 17' it fit perfectly in the garage and was perfect to handle and carry.. Moving back to the lower 48 and larger lakes and rivers, I missed being back on the water. Initially introduced in fiberglass and Kevlar, by the 1990s the Spirit II was being produced in Royalex. Its solid as a rock. Since it still makes me happy every time my wife and I use it I haven't found a reason to replace it. These canoes are much lighter than polyethylene or aluminum canoes and can be built in nearly limitless designs. It was just a few inches off the water, and we landed just fine. Spirit II (68 lbs) - Wenonah 16% X 17' = 32.64 (minimum width at 4" waterline using 16% rule) 17 Sundowner, 17'0" (65 lbs.) When loaded heavy, it digs in but doesnt compromise its maneuverability. expensive) damage. Unloaded there is a tendency to oilcan just a bit (between my wife and I we make about 400 pounds of cargo, thus increasing the likelihood of oilcanning). stability, speed, and durability of this Royalex canoe. 2012 Wenonah Spirit 2 II Royalex canoe, 17ft. Of course, there are other factors that apply. It has not been used much at all in the last 6 years. In 1983 the Spirit II was born. If I lived in Minnesota, I would have a touring kevlar boat, but for multiple uses, this canoe is hard to beat. Wenonah Spirit II Royalex Forum Sponsor. I have a Wenonah Spirit II (17') and the Aurora is essentially a shorter version (16') of the spirit II. The Spirit is also a great solo as long as your not in a hurry. I have had the boat out in a local bay, Tomales, and on one occasion it got very rough, 25 knots of sustained wind and a brutal 2-3 foot wind chop. Stay tuned next week for more sacred . I have owned a Spirit II for about 9 years now. Aramid, the fiber used for aerospace, body armor and bulletproof vests, is amazingly light and strong. However I'm a little concerned that it will be to heavy for BWCA trips. No wonder Canoe & Kayak Magazine said, "if you could have only one canoe to serve all your needs for the rest of your life, the Spirit II would be one of the very few candidates.". I rotate paddling techniques during a trip, to keep myself from straining muscles. I bought it when I was sixteen after getting a lot of advise on canoes from people all over Canada and Minnesota. Nova Craft makes one in poly that is a great deal if you can handle the weight, Royalex, or royalex/lite if you want a lighter one. I may just keep looking. didn't want to go less than 17' and the Royalex version of the
Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It paddles well and moves easily, but not fast and effortlessly. We put in near Shawville, PA, after loading up with about 175 pounds of gear. No, I did not test paddle everything in the Spirit IIs class from other MFGs. The boat is very responsive and both inital and final stability felt secure. My girlfriend and my sister took on a very stiff northwest wind on Bailey Bay of Basswood lake comming off the Burke Lake portage heading for Prairie Portage. Handles well solo from bow seat. We put a center float bag I got very cheap at the death of Galyans sale and when over inflated this helps the oil canning some. I find the Spirit II to be ideal for my purposes. The price was $2098 I think. It just isn't the same canoe beyond the 6 inch waterline. Forgot your password? I've paddled it tandem and with both my wife AND two young kids aboard. It's also stable as a rock unloaded. It's my first elbow paddle. It was a major blow to the canoeing community and kicked off a canoe material soap opera. #3. Conditions and price being equal, what would you choose? This canoe can hold up to 4 people. Aurora Description. It was a Spirit II which was just under 50 # and a delight to canoe and transport on my little wagon. Wenonah Canoes Spirit II in T-Formex is the culmination of a classic and widely loved canoe with a long-awaited material that underwent a tumultuous journey to production. I've gone as far as 850 pounds and the canoe was a little slower, but behaved the same. I use it mostly in lakes and 2-3 day river treks. Check out Sawbills web site. And my Royalex boat did come with nice looking wooden thwarts and a portage yoke. We found it in the California Canoe and Kayak shop in Sacramento while returning from a canoe trip near Lake Tahoe. Complete Canoe Outfitting Packages; . I have a Kevlar hull with red gel coat and wood trim. $1,499; 69 lbs. If you cannot conceive of paddling solo the Spirit II is the standard, all-around cowboy craft for you. The lighter weight of Royalex helped it gain traction as a good material for recreational canoes. I bought my Royalex hull Spirit II two years ago. The construction is meticulous. The production of the Spirit II in T-Formex is a major event in the canoeing world as it comes on the heels of a multi-year saga following . Product Number: . Quite stable and maneuverable when loaded. Have had the canoe down a couple of local rivers. The capacity was more then adequate, seaworthiness was amazing (even in rough chop produced by Memorial Day speedboat traffic on the 12 mile lake before Williamsport), and the tractor seats were remarkably comfortable. We bought our Spirit II (royalex) last year at Canoecopia, so this has been our first season. We do not accept money for editorial gear reviews. Find the perfect canoe in seconds. In an unbiased statement, it tracks and maneuvers better than many canoes Ive been in, and this includes some high rated big name canoes. Ive been very pleased with the
I've been paddling this canoe for about five years. Tuf-weave Flex-core canoe shown with Standard Options, may not be . Thanks for any help. The canoe handled it great. Tuf-weave canoes offer improved impact resistance and are a great compromise between light weight, performance, and price. The canoe holds a tremendous amount of gear and is stable. And I owned both composite and royalex Wenonah Adirondacks and they behaved differently . and our This one weighs in at about 57 pounds, so not an ultralight, but not a heavyweight either. Clearfield to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania this May. Wenonah bakeda sheet, formed a Spirit II and shipped it here to Canoeroots. I was extremely impressed with the Spirit II's maneuverability and tracking (for a royalex boat), even agains strong headwinds at times. 17 Wenonah 17' 0" Spirit II 17' 0" Champlain 18' 0" Seneca 19' 4" Compare All General Touring; . This after 40 years of Old Town Oltonars, 16 and 18 foot, and a Pack 12 which was horribly tippy and tracked bad. Cookie Notice Wenonah Canoe is the worlds largest maker of canoes using Aramid. Great canoe! I've canoed quite a bit with my father as a kid and now decided to make a purchase on a quality canoe so I can share it with my wife and kids. I had to pull through a couple of open waters with heavy wind one day, accompanied with waves and some rain. I wanted a high quality all around canoe that did not weigh more than 55#. $400 difference due to year -end sale). I would buy another if I lost this one. Amazing boat. I felt that it was "paying my dues" dues for what I don't know. Dec 5, 2019 2:51 AM EST. Its soft chine causes the Spirit to feel a bit more "tippy" than its predecessor (we feel it more when the dog switches sides), but ultimately it is extremely stable. And they dont concentrate bottom damage along the keel line like V hulls and those with keels. I found the boat to be a true pleasure to paddle, has a nice glide, easy to turn, and very stable even with my weight, The boat is not too heavy. Single-owner Wenonah Spirit II purchased new from Midwest Mountaineering 04/2014. The reason is simple: If it performs, dont mess with it. performed great fully loaded.This boat is fast,tracks well and maneuvers well enough to catch eddies even fully loaded.the best tandem river canoe ever.This is the boat of choice. The price of the base model, a 68-pound plastic boat, is $1,199 and includes shipping. I am very happy with it. I was also impressed with the ease with which the Spirit II rolled over rocks on which I typically would have at least paused. Widths: max. This is accurate. Added comfort: Wenonah has as good a reputation as anyone. Portage? I am totally happy with the boat. The Tuf-weave layup results in our most durable composite canoes. If you like to hunt, fish, photograph wildlife, or just sneak around, this is the vessel. Just locally, not in the BWCA. So if you are looking for an incredible canoe, with attributes listed above, get a Spirit II, or another Ultralight of suitable size. Thank you Wenonah for your Ultralight Spirit II. It paddles and handles very well. We had at least 12 inches of freeboard and were drawing about 5 inches (not bad considering how much weight we had on board!). It paddles well and tracks well too. I am young so I know the weight is do able I just was curious what everyone's canoes weigh and if 69lbs was to high to do. That said, I've sold the J-18 and I really need to demo a Solo-Plus Back to Spirit II and stability. Last Visit: 03/23/2023 09:26AM Sort by. then. Love the light weight of this Kevlar ultra lite. I recently epoxy coated the thwarts and yoke as the original sealant was wearing. Length: 17 Weight: 65 lbs. The Spirit II has an indescribable good feel that only Wenonah seems to be able to build into thier designs.I find it very easy to paddle solo . Our spirit II in royalex performed great on an extended river trip. I have canoe for many years - from 6 week long trips to Class 4 whitewater. (Try comparing hull stiffness with, say a NovaCraft 17') The RX also seems very soft, as is wearing at an alarming rate compared to my other boats. The Spirit II tracks beautifully, and manages to be steady and stablewithout being sluggish. The Sea Eagle TC16 Travel Canoe is an inflatable canoe that is designed to be easy to store at home and convenient to transport. At 54 lbs, it's not the lightest canoe for long portages, but for a guy in his 30's it's definitely doable. Well, I decided to keep the Grumman but after paddling several canoes, I decided on the Spirit II in Royalex. Too much effort is spent correcting its course (in racing canoes, you want every stroke of the paddle to move you forward, not back onto course). 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