Recommended Canoes
We divide canoes into three classifications according to
how they will be used after conversion into rowing boats:
Any of the canoes listed below will require some minor
modification to make them FrontRower ready. See
installation drawing.
Solo only
If you will always be rowing solo and a
little extra speed is important to you, a solo canoe with a narrower beam
can be used. One model that works well for this situation is the Wenonah
Prism; length:16'-6"; beam at gunwales:26"; rocker:0. This
boat is more efficient than most tandem models and moves a little faster at
the same power level, but has less stability. And it does not have
room for a passenger.
Example solo only rowing canoe.
Wenonah Prism shown.
Solo with passenger
Tandem canoes make excellent solo row boats,
perfect for going out by yourself. And they have the capacity to
bring a passenger and lots of cargo along. (For optimum trim, the
rowing station can be repositioned when going from "solo" to "with
passenger" mode.) An optional passenger seat can be used. One
person rowing can generate more power than two people paddling, so you
will not feel underpowered, even with a passenger. On long trips you
can always take turns rowing. This is the most popular arrangement
and the one we recommend most often.
Here are a few tandem models that will
work well:
- Lincoln Concord; length:16'-6"; max
beam:36"; rocker:0
- Wenonah Escapade; length:16'-6"; max
beam:35; rocker:0
- Bell Northstar; length:16'-6"; max
beam:34-1/2"; rocker:2"
- Mad River Malecite; length: 16'-6";
max beam:34-1/2"; rocker:2"
Example solo with passenger rowing canoe.
Lincoln Concord shown (in solo mode).
Doubles rowing
Doubles rowing is a special situation,
and we do not recommend it for beginners. It's a something like
riding a bicycle built for two— most people would prefer two separate
bikes. It is best to wait until you both have some solo experience before
considering doubles rowing.
For doubles rowing, you need a longer boat.
Here are some models that should work well:
- Wenonah Minnesota 2; length:18'-6";
max beam:35"; rocker:0
- Bell Northwoods; length:18"-6"; max
beam:36"; rocker:2"
- Wenonah 18 Jensen; length:18'-0"; max
beam:34"; rocker:0
Already own a canoe?
If you already own a canoe and it is not special purpose
(like whitewater or racing or a sportsman's canoe) it will probably make a
pretty good row boat for the Frontrower.
The main restriction is the maximum beam at the gunwales,
which should be 36 inches or less and more than 26 inches. Lengths
between 15 and 17 feet work best.
What material should it be?
Any material will do but we recommend kevlar
as the material of choice. 40 to 60 pounds is a good weight for a
rowing canoe. Over 60 pounds can be hard to handle out of the water by yourself.
Under 40 pounds and you will tend to get blown around in the wind.
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