Recommended Canoes

Installation drawing Conversions drawing FrontRower footprint drawing Maximum beam limits

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 (set up for solo rowing).

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 between 25 and 36 inches. Maximum beam limits Lengths between 15 and 17 feet work best (18 feet for doubles rowing).

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.