Wenonah Escapade as solo

Hi,



I’m planning to buy small tandem/big solo canoe. Mainly I’m planning to paddle it tandem but sometimes I would like to paddle it solo as well.



I have test paddled Solo Plus, but it’s tandem capacity was quite limited. I’m curious to hear how Escapade paddles solo compared to Solo Plus?



Can Escapade be paddled on lakes if it is winding for example 5 m/s ?



Yours,



Pete

waves and wind?
I have not paddled it in that kind of conditions (yet).

I think it depends a lot on the waves. I would not mind paddling it on the swallows lakes over here with wind like that.

so close
Those two canoes look so similar on paper. I guess that the Escape is slightly bigger. If you do not solo much the kneeling thwart in the Escape takes up less room.

depends on your size
My buddy Rusty races tandem with his 13 yr old daughter in an escapade, but he has a seat also set up to solo if he so chooses. Of course he is abut 210 and one helliecious paddler.

Escapade as tandem
Does Escapade have capacity as tandem for few day long trips?



Is is possible to maintain 7,5km/h cruising speed all day as tandem?



Pete

Escapade for Tripping
The speed is no problem. I convert 7.5km/hr to 4.5 mph and that is loafing in an Escapade.

The carrying capacity is relative for your trip. It depends on how much stuff you take. It will carry as much stuff as you can portage on one trip, and maybe as much as you can portage on two trips, depending on how much you can carry over the trail on one trip.

Friends who backpack a lot and are accustomed to all their gear weighing less than 25kg, think the Escapade can haul enough for a month. Others who camp out of an RV, can’t fit their stuff into an 18’6" Minnesota II. Not knowing the paddler weight makes it hard to tell you how much gear weight the Escapade could handle. With 130-140Kg paddler weight, you should be able to take another 75-85Kg of gear.

For a short boat it is a very nice paddling hull, really nice with lighter paddlers

Bill

Wildcard entry… Millbrook AC/DC.
Sixteen feet, about 31" wide, fairly fast, spins well enough when not loaded with gear. Originally designed by John Berry to race the Combined class, slalom and downriver. It was plenty fast but did not turn well enough to win, compared to more slalomish boats.



42 pounds, S-glass over Kevlar.



millbrookboats.com



Pretty much a one man operation. Kaz wins the open boat slalom championship most years.

Total weight of paddlers is 130-170kg
Total weight of paddlers is 130-170kg and gear will weight 40kg at maximum. So I think Escapade will do fine with that load.



Is 8km/h cruising speed possible with Escapade?



Yours,



Pete

haha
The Escapade will run away from the ACSC like it was still sitting on shore.



The new Escapade, as redesigned last year, is a totally different boat than prior years. Specs stayed close to the same, but with significantly more tumblehome, and squared-up sheer lines. In a citizen class race, the Escapade is still a contender.



Wenonah now refers to the Escapada, unofficially, as the Tandem Minus. I would agree at the assessment of the Solo Plus being too small for tandem use. The Escapade is a fine tandem. As a solo, it will feel large unless the paddler is large. Tall and heavier paddlers will find the performance of the Escapade not that much different than the Prism.