Does anyone have a Wenonah Wee Lassie? If so what are your thoughts about it pro or con. There are no reviews on it yet. Thanks
If you search the archives on this site,
you will find some comments and feedback on the Wee Lassie. If you’ve never tried this search function before, it may take a few tries to find those discussion threads. There aren’t very many.
I’ve never paddled one, but would like to try one sometime.
Good luck.
Wee Lassie
I have a Wee Lassie and love it. It allows me to go paddling by myself. I’m a 63-year-old woman and I can easily load it on top of our mini van myself and can carry it with one hand. It weighs around 24 pounds. I paddle it with a kayak paddle. It feels very stable to me. The only minor irritation is that I drip a lot of water into the boat from the kayak paddle.
Mrs H2O_BUOY
Wenonah Wee Lassie
Yanoer, thanks for the reply. I did check the Pnet search on Groundspeak. I was also hoping to hear from people who own one of these canoes.
Mrs H2O, Glad to hear you like your Wee Lassie. What length paddle are you using. I’m wondering if using a longer paddle would cut down on the dripping water problem.
This might seem radical
but drips might be less of a problem if a canoe paddle were used. Just a thought.
I would also
like to try the Wenonah Wee Lassie, as well as the Placid Spitfire, the Hemlock Nessmuk, and the Hornbeck Lost Pond. I think a light weight solo canoe is in my future, but no luck so far finding one in Florida.
April 11th…
I will be at Mosquito Creek Outfitters in Apopka, FL. I will have a Vermont Canoe Tupper demo there to paddle (it’s a pack canoe in the same category as the aforementioned hulls you’re interested in).
Rob
light solo canoe- me too
Lakie and Sissy-
Yes- I have a sit on top that is on the heavy side at @ 45 lbs and I am also considering a lightweight solo canoe. I do have access to trying out an Old Town Pack Canoe but would like to try out others as well.
Wish things were easier and that there were more choices for smaller paddlers. All I want to do is diddle around on calm water for fun and relaxation and not kill my back in the process.
Lakie and Trish,
You live in Pennsylvania and Maine, respectively? I’m in the Orlando, Florida area.
One of you Yankee girls 
should check to see if this Lost Pond in New York is still needing a home. I would have bought it but the cost plus shipping was just too much for me to pay without seeing and paddling it first.
http://www.hemlockcanoe.com/used_&_demo.html
Check with Dave Curtis at Hemlock Canoe. He is a real sweetie; took the time to answer my questions.
How long will you be in town?
I may be paddling the Edisto that weekend.
Light solos don’t have to be short.
They also don’t have to be sit on the bottom.
I suspect that I’m not as small as you, I’m 5’6" and 160 lbs and have been much enjoying paddling the Wenonah Advantage that I bought used last fall. It weighs about 32 lbs.
http://www.wenonahracing.com/marathon/Models/Advantage.html
The Advantage is 8 lbs heavier than the Wee Lassie and 2" wider, but the gunwale width is narrower and it moves along quite nicely with a bent shaft single blade canoe paddle if you’d rather use a single blade than a double blade.
Of course, if you need either a boat that’s lighter than 32 lbs or one that’s closer to the 12’ range, rather than the 16.5’ range, the Advantage wouldn’t be the boat for you. I haven’t paddled the Advantage in rough conditions, so I can’t comment ont that. It does get blown around a bit more in the wind than a shorter boat might, but unless you’re in a hurry, it’s not too annoying. It glides quite nicely.
I’ve found the Advantage to be a pleasant boat to diddle around in and it can move along quite nicely if you want it to.
I use a CVCA pedestal mount Solo Yoke to carry it.
Wenonah Wee Lassie
Very nice boat, highly recommended. Light, paddles well, fast, comfortable adjustable seat, reasonable price, fun. The boat had a few small leaks and the dealer replaced it with a good one. I use a 260, seems like the proper length paddle for me.
Wee Lassie
– Last Updated: Mar-22-09 12:17 PM EST –
I've paddled a Wenonah Wee Lassie forabout a year now. It's a great boat for lillydipping around the local lakes and ponds though I have done some overnighters with it. It's very stable, basically unaffected by the wind and easy to maneuver. At 24lbs it's easy to carry and load on the car. It's also low maintenance as there is very little wood in it. The seat and seat back are comfortable though the seat back is a little tall for shorter folks.I'm 5'10" 215lbs and it's a great fit for me. My SO is 5'2" 110 and she thinks it's a little large for her especially depth-wise. She paddles a Hornbeck Lost Pond 10. As with all boats, if possible, try before you buy. If you're short definitely paddle the Wee Lassie before you buy it. There are many options if a pack canoe is what you're looking for. Placid Boatworks, Vermont Canoe, Hemlock, Hornbeck, Bell and Savage River come to mind.
By the way, I started a pack canoe discussion group on Yahoo Groups a little while back. There's not much there now but I'd love to see it get going. Pardon the longwindedness. Thanks
Joe
See, I knew I should have
bought that Lost Pond. I’m about an inch taller and 3 pounds heavier than your SO, so that is very helpful information. Looking at the specs for the Tupper, it looks close to the Wee Lassie and probably would feel large too.
I think
you should not write off either the Wenonah or the Tupper, or in fact any of the pack canoes, until you get a chance to paddle them. Specs are specs but only in numbers. The Tupper and Wee Lassie are very different canoes. The Tupper has longer layout at the stems and I believe narrows out quickly from the center toward the stems. The Wenonah stems are relatively vertical and fairly full toward the stems. The seating is also different which may make a difference in fit. Generally, all these pack canoes are different from one another and should all be paddled in order to make an educated decision.
Joe
Good advice,
and I would be so happy to paddle them all, but this hasn’t been possible in central Florida.
Our local Wenonah dealer (Travel Country Outdoors) doesn’t keep the Wee Lassie in stock, so no chance of a demo there.
Very occasionally I will see a solo canoe on our rivers, but there just aren’t many around.
A few days.
I’ll get into town around the 10th and then stick around the area till midweek. The goal is to get out with some locals and paddle. I might try to hook up with a paddle club or two. Any suggestions?
Rob
Sissy
Hound your local Wenonah dealer a little. The rep should be able to bring a Wee Lassie for a demo. Also, if possible, try to demo openboater’s Tupper when he’s in Fla. They’re really sweet boats. I think pack canoes are really great boats for Florida, especially for the springs and lakes.
I agree…sounds like the dealer
is afraid to take the plunge.
There are alot of older people down there that you see lugging around rec kayaks and they really dont need a boat with a deck.
Maybe he makes money selling boat carts!