Souris River Canoe

[MikeT]

Well, we have decided to purchase our very own canoe. Based on our research and looking around, we are looking at a Souris River Canoe "Quetico 17"

It can be seen at: http://www.redrockstore.com/quetico17.html

Our plan would be to order it from the Red Rock store in Ely and picking it up on our way to the island this September.

Anyone with experience with this canoe or something similar, we would appreciate your feedback.

Our use will be on the island with a few trips in our future (hopefully) that will have some longer portages. I am not getting any younger and that 45# weight sounds great. We also might try a couple of BWCA trips. In addition, we live on Lake Huron and will be using it there. I do not think there will be any white water trips in our future.

Any thoughts or opinions would be great!

[Ingo]

Mike, we rented a Quetico 17 for an I.R. trip and LOVED it! I've also taken a couple of different Wenonah kevlar canoes, and this beat them hands down in handling and build. If I ever buy a kevlar myself, this will be it. For a tripping canoe, has a great balance of tracking, maneuverability, stability, and ease of paddling. And the Le Tigre pattern looks great . The only caveat is that I would consider getting ash thwarts--I accidentally knelt on an aluminum one while unloading and it bent a little. Not enough to bother the outfitter though (or the canoe).

Pic at Daisy Farm:

[NancyT]

Thanks so much Ingo. Your opinion is well considered.

Mike and I have been looking at canoes ever since we got back from our spring trip with a rented Grunman.
I'm really looking forward to getting it! We have not ordered it yet as we need to make sure we will be able to get the time off work to pick it up on our way to the Island in the fall.

I was bored at work today, so I went and read through all the old posts and came across your reply to someone else and your review of the Souris River canoe was about the same. So thank you for answering the question, again.

[NancyT]

WooHoo!! Mike put the deposit on our canoe today, to be picked up in September, for our fall trip.
I'm sooo excited!

[Gimp]

It's too late for my input but I would have suggested that you consider the 17 foot Ohneka canoe from Placid Boatworks. http://placidboats.com/ohneka.html
I took delivery of their 15-foot Rapidfire model in April and have been enjoying getting to know it. We're bound for IR next summer. Kevlar / carbon fiber composite canoes are pricey, but when it comes to IR all you have to do is think about the Moskey to Lake Richie or Tobin to Duncan Bay portages and you know they are worth the money.

[Richard1961]

I too am thinking about the 17 foot Souris River canoe. However since I will be using my 26 foot sailboat to carry it is the extra money I will have to spend for the light weight worth it. I am thinking about getting one of the rental clearence models this September. Or would I be better off just shopping local for another model? I had bought 2 kayaks I was going to use but my brother borrowed them for his kids to use this summer and I may never see them again. They are great kids so its hard to ask for them back. Thanks again Richard

[Ingo]

A 17' canoe on a 26' sailboat sounds like alot to me. And you certainly don't want to tow a canoe! Unless you want to portage a lot, I'd consider the Porta-bote http://www.porta-bote.com/index.php. I've only taken a quick row on one at a boat show, but it handled well with oars (considering what it is). And the smaller ones, at least, are light enough for a short portage or two, say into Siskiwit, if not quick--probably a couple trips and takedown/setup. I can't give it a full endorsement of having one, but it's always intrigued me.

If you do go the canoe route and decide the lightweight kevlar option isn't worth the cost, the Old Town Camper is a good stable canoe. Not quite the pleasure of paddling (or portaging) the Souris River, but does just fine--have used one on a couple of I.R. trips and in some significant weather.

[Richard1961]

A 17' canoe on a 26' sailboat sounds like alot to me.

What I will do is hang the canoe from the safty line stantions. I have seen this done and it works great. The only drawback is that it limits my heel to apx 35 degrees. So it will limit the speed on long reaches. I can run a line through the block on my mast spreaders and use that to hoist and lower. I had planned to do this with 2 Kayaks but my brothers kids are using them. Richard

[drobarge]

Richard,
I would encourage you to look very dilligently at other ways to bring a small shore boat on your trip. Having anything hanging off of the beam on a sailboat underway is at best less than ideal. I don't mean to imply that it won't work...just speaking from experience, alot of experience.

[Ingo]

Just ordered the Quetico 17 myself ! But now I have to wait until July to get it, being in NC . We're staying at the lodge this year, and planning to pick it up on the way home (logistically easiest), but am now thinking about trying to get it before, just to have it with us on the island. In any case, it's time to start planning a real canoe trip for '14.

Nancy and Mike, how are you liking yours? Don't recall a TR from your trip last fall (or could just be my memory....)

[MikeT]

Our trip report is still in our journals to be entered into the computer.

We loved the canoe. It handled great full or empty and was a breeze to pick up. It was worth every penny. We are looking forward to getting it out again this spring on Lake Huron and we will be taking it out on the first boat to the island this year. We will be doing the long portage from Richie to Chippewa as part of our trip this time and I believe I will like the new canoe even more after that

I also have to mention that she is beautiful too!

"IR Us" at the dock in Windigo last fall.

We got ours on our way up to Grand Portage from the Red Rock store in Ely. Joe was great to deal with and I highly recommend them. It is a bit out of the way, but a lovely drive. It is also a very cool store.
website: http://www.redrockstore.com
Phone: 218-365-4512

[Ingo]

Yeah, we're getting ours through Red Rock also. A brother in Duluth will pick it up for us, then get it to the family cabin in N. Wis. where we'll all be on the 4th (after Pictured Rocks and I.R.). At least that's the plan for the moment... Now get typing!

[Midwest Ed]

Mike and Ingo,

Your posts almost convinced my impulsive side to pull the trigger yesterday on a SR canoe from Redrock. They had a sale ending Saturday. My son and I together weigh around 650 lb. so I have been looking at the 18.5 ft Quetico. My wife could occasionally come as a third person on day trips locally with no gear. But I was also hoping to go solo locally as well (no portaging), but the 18.5 seems an unwieldy choice. Still looking I guess.

[NancyT]

Ed,
Joe from Red Rock told us the the Quantico 18.5 didn't handle as well as the 17. I don't know about the 18.5 but I can tell you that our 17 is a dream. It handled the waves wonderfully, turns on a dime and remains stable even when the nose was under water. I got quite wet on our way to Rainbow Cove from Grace Island this past fall. Not once did I feel unstable.

[Ingo]

Hey Ed, since you missed the sale this year I'd make an effort to rent both a 17 and 18 this summer and see what works best for you. If you're willing to go used, fall is a good time to pick up a rental from an outfitter anyways.

I about drove myself crazy debating in my head between the 16 and 17, since I anticipate doing a fair amount of soloing around home. But since I haven't paddled the 16 I was concerned about how well it would work loaded up on a trip with 2 bigger folks and gear. And I realized my primary motivation is tripping with 2, so went with what is best for that (the 17). The one thing about soloing the 17 is that you have to take a thwart out (or kneel) -- Joe at Redrock said it's only an issue for really big guys.

It sounds to me like the 18 is probably the right choice for you, even if it does limit when you can go out by yourself. You'll get better tracking but less maneuverability--but the capacity to handle the 3 of you comfortably and 2 of you with a load seems overriding. Obviously being able to try it out is the only way to really know, and it's all a compromise in the end. Or just do what I can't do and get a couple . We'll see how I feel about about my compromise when I'm out by myself being blown around on a windswept NC sound .