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PostPosted: January 4th, 2017, 1:19 am 
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I mostly do solo tripping and would love to buy a solo canoe but suspect that would not go over big with the family. Wenonah has their Solo Plus which has tandem seats and a middle seat when doing solo paddling. Seems to be a good compromise.

Unfortunately I have rarely seen compromises result in anything good.

Thoughts on this option?


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PostPosted: January 4th, 2017, 11:34 am 
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I think the 3rd seat would eat up valuable cargo space.

Is paddling a prospector style (symmetrical hull) canoe backwards from the bow seat not an option?


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PostPosted: January 5th, 2017, 4:07 pm 
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Seats generally don't have to be permanent fixtures in the canoe, and can be removed when not needed. Plus, seats can be packed underneath and above when not in use.

As swampwalker mentions, a common solution is to take a symmetrical tandem and turn it around so that you are sitting on the bow seat, facing the stern. Of course that only works with flat mounted bench-style seats, and if there is a thwart in the way it may need to be moved.

Some folks like a kneeling thwart for this purpose.

In our large tandem I have a 3rd seat mounted in front of the yoke for the kids to sit on. I pull it out when I don't need it - it's as simple as removing the 4 hanger bolts, and takes just a few minutes. I don't see why a similar system couldn't work for tandem/solo use.

If the seats are mounted on brackets attached to the sides of the hull, the brackets stay in place and the seat would get removed from them. Seats at each position need to be certain widths so they won't usually be interchangeable.

Another option is something to sit on when going solo - like a foam block, for instance. I have a rubbermaid toolbox that I use as a tacklebox that I sit on - it's tough enough to handle even my substantial weight standing on it. That box is a tad small, but you might find something similar that works for you.

Lots of options & where there's a will, there's usually a way.

Cheers,
Bryan

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PostPosted: January 5th, 2017, 4:19 pm 
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Sorry, I was thinking you were asking about solo/tandem use canoes in general, but after re-reading I think You're probably after info on the Solo Plus, specifically.
https://www.wenonah.com/Canoes.aspx?id=122
I've never seen one in person, but this is an internet forum so why let a simple thing like that get in the way of me professing my opinions! :)

It looks OK to me, as long as it suits your paddling/tripping style. In the image, the thwart/seat placement seems a bit odd to me. Why the redundant aluminum & wood thwarts (maybe just a bad illustration)? I'd prefer a solo seat farther aft of center so that I can not be reaching across the hull at the widest part, but it is fairly narrow with plenty of tumblehome, so maybe not an issue.

Bryan

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PostPosted: March 13th, 2017, 9:08 pm 
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You might want to check out the Swift Keewaydin 16 Combi. It's a tandem with a third solo paddling seat in the centre.


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PostPosted: March 14th, 2017, 9:12 am 
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Quote:
Why the redundant aluminum & wood thwarts


I think that's an aluminum foot brace for the stern seat.

Alan


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PostPosted: March 14th, 2017, 10:10 am 
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Alan Gage wrote:
I think that's an aluminum foot brace for the stern seat.

Alan

That makes a LOT more sense! Thanks for setting me straight and helping me to find the right perspective. :)

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