First Solo: 12 Foot Or 14 Foot?

[Hays]

Howdy! My first post on the site. I'm looking for advice on whether to get a 12' or 14' solo canoe for Ozark canoeing and fishing. I've canoed many of the Ozark streams in Missouri and Arkansas and done a fair amount of smallmouth bass and goggle-eye fishing both wading and from a canoe. All the canoeing has been tandem, however, and my canoeing buddy has moved back east. Is a 12 foot boat like the Old Town 119 easy to master, or would a Wenonah Vagabond, for example, feel more like what I'm used to in a tandem Mad River? The extra room in the bigger boat would be nice, but I want to get down the river without too much trouble. I guess I would also appreciate any comments on the big differences in maneuvering a solo versus a tandem. I was always stern man in the tandem and managed most of the water with little help from the bow, but that was from the stern. Any over view on life in the middle? I'm 5'10" and about 210lbs. Many thanks for your comments.

[Guest]

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[ColdWaterFshr]

I'll 2nd what Siu says. Or consider a short tandem. Lots of good choices in 14 -15 range.

[Terrierman]

I normally solo my Mad River legend 15. I don't think I'd want anything shorter than a 14' boat. Actually I don't want anything smaller (canoe) than the boat I have.

[cnr]

I'm partial to the 14' length in a solo, but I'm a bigger guy at 6'4" and 215lbs. I fish out of my buddies 14' solo (I think it's a Mohawk Odyssey 14) and really like it.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Well I feel slighted! I fish from a 13' Mohawk Solo and I don't think I would want anything shorter. Mine has just enough rocker to make it barely track decently at that length.

If you can afford it I would go with the Vagabond or the Mohawk. There are also those who solo a tandem like the OT Penobscot 16 which is within the weight limits of most (59#?)and at 16' not out of the question to solo. You also have room for another if the need arises.

[Al Agnew]

Get the Vagabond if you can find one. The Disco 119 and Old Town Pack are certainly serviceable solos, but longer is better for several reasons. The longer canoe tracks better, ferries better, and it's easier to stow your fishing rods in it. I don't know how available the Mohawk and Wenonah Royalex canoes are going to be this year, given that Royalex is no longer being manufactured.

You will find that solos are quite a bit different to paddle compared to tandems. They turn easier and are a lot quicker to respond to paddle strokes. Where it takes several strokes to get a tandem moving well, it only takes one or two with a solo. Paddling a tandem canoe solo is work, paddling a solo canoe is fun.

Since you're used to paddling a tandem from the stern, there are paddle strokes that you can do a lot easier, and some that won't work as well, when you're in a solo, mainly because of the seating position. Draw and pry strokes work beautifully, but J strokes are a little more difficult, for instance.

[GloryDaze]

I normally solo my Mad River legend 15. I don't think I'd want anything shorter than a 14' boat. Actually I don't want anything smaller (canoe) than the boat I have.

Got the same boat as terrieman.... perfect length for me solo. I'm 2 15 lbs and 6'4 and have plenty of room for overnight trips.

It's easy to maneuver since there is a little rocker but not enough to make it hard on the slow stretches. If I have a passenger it's a little tight but manageable. It's also pretty light, I think 60 lbs or so. If I had to do it over again, I would buy the exact same boat.

[Al Agnew]

The Legend may very well be the best tandem you can get to use solo. Unlike the shallow V bottom of most Mad River canoes, it has a shallow arch bottom, which in my opinion is better for floating and fishing skinny water like many Ozark streams. The Legend 15 is barely big enough for tandem fishing and floating, but is certainly decent for solo paddling.

However, since it's not a dedicated solo, the seat arrangement and the width of the canoe make it a little less than optimum. If I was getting a canoe for solo paddling and also wanted to be able to occasionally use it tandem, I'd get the Legend, but if I wanted a pure solo canoe, I'd get a solo canoe. If you want more volume, the Wenonah Wilderness solo canoe would be a better choice than the Legend. Especially since the Legend weighs in at 66 pounds, compared to 49 pounds for the Wilderness.

[GloryDaze]

Yeah I looked at the Wenonah as well but landed on the MR legend, but think I would have been happy with either. x2 what Al said regarding the Royalex..... It may be difficult finding any boat made of that material depending on where you live.

Good luck