Thanks for the comments.  I have used "true" solo boats and I know that is probably the best way to go, but I'd like to save $30/day.
My Northwind has the wood trim option, so to put a seat where I am thinking only requires drilling 2 additional holes, both through the wood inner rail.  I would use the existing thwart holes for the others.  It seems like a prudent option.  There is even a narrower (looks like 4" versus 8" at the seats) piece of structural foam in that position of the hull sides.
As far as handling, I paddled with my 2 boys last summer on some big lakes in a strong wind.  They are not strong paddlers so I know what it would be like to paddle it from the stern solo.  And I know the boat will be riding higher with just me, but that is why I like moving myself closer to midships.  The canoe should be much easier to handle solo from closer to the middle.
I think I will go ahead and give it a try in the next few weeks or so on one of the local lakes and see how it does.  I'm pretty good with wood, so I will try to make my own canted seat supports based on the existing ones and a solid slab board seat for the trial.  If I like it I will see if the bow seat fits and use it or get another cane seat to use.
Now, if I had the $$$ I would buy a solo canoe, that would make 3 in the house, and it would be a Stewart River Traveler.  

solotripper wrote on Apr 21^st, 2010 at 7:29pm:

Yep.  Symmetrical canoe, the 'bow' is the end that hits the shore 16' before the 'stern' does. 

Maybe just move the bow set back a foot or so.  That puts your solo weight more midship with the added bonus of more bow legroom when paddled tandem.  Trim can be adjusted more easily, just shove your heavy stuff in the other end.

There's some differential rocker & sheer bow to stern, but not a worry unless you have the cash for dedicated solo.  If you have that cash, you should buy a royalex Argosy.

 I'd say a little experimentation is in order.

 Load it with your full packs, try paddling from stern and reverse front and see what works for you?
 
 Worse case scenario you learn you need to rent a true solo.

Better finding out now, than struggling thru a trip, dreading being on the water when the wind picks up.

Happyjack,

I purchased a Northwind in March 2009.  I've also soloed in tandem canoes on many trips over many years.  I used the Northwind on a 9-day Q solo last July.  Since I've never used a true solo canoe, I can't speak to how much "better" they may be for a trip, but I had little problem soloing my Northwind, even in moderate wind/waves as long as I had it trimmed right.  I paddled from the stern, as that's the way I've done it for almost 30 years.  The Northwind is heavier than a true solo, but lighter than my earlier Royalex canoes.  On some tighter landings/portages, it took a little more time and effort to navigate the Northwind solo through the brush compared to a shorter canoe or with a partner.  Sometimes, when fishing in the wind, if I felt I needed more weight, I'd just find some rocks to place on a towel in the bow.  Someday, I may just go ahead a buy a solo canoe, but with a couple of kids in college now the true solo will have to wait.

The Northwind and I will solo for 20 days or so this July/Aug and spend some time in the Camel Lake area...I bought a cane seat and may attempt to add a third seat closer to the center and test it out on a local lake here in Ohio in May.  Or I may just say heck with it and stern paddle as I've always done....20 days solo might be a little crazy, but I can't wait for July and Quetico...

Happjack -- I tried using my Northwind as a solo years back.  It was a pain.  I agree with snow_dog: I'd get a solo canoe to make a solo trip.

prouboy

All sound advice...I dont think that I would go to all the trouble and drill all those "new holes" in the boat you like. If solo paddle a solo boat, IMHO Paddle the northwind in the wind solo on the "flatwater" of one of your local lakes, run a "dry run" so you can experience the feel of it all...and me thinks that you will feel like a weather vane.

"Before I went to all that effort, I'd just paddle it backward from the front seat"

don't think that would work very well at all, with the differential rocker - would probably work better paddling from the stern seat with most all the gear far towards the bow for trim

my thoughts are you should just rent or buy a dedicated solo boat

and at the least, take that boat out on the lakes and see what heppens when you paddle it solo in the wind - I'd think it would be hard to control and hold a course in the wind

Before I went to all that effort, I'd just paddle it backward from the front seat
 I rent/paddle a SR 16 that way, and once you trim it out properly, its a really stable cruiser/fishing platform.

I load my two packs (gear/food) as far forward as possible. You want the trim either level or my preference, slightly bow heavy.

As the food pack lightens, you might need to use a waterproof bag for weight in bow as many of the true solo paddlers do.  You might want to use the "ballast" bag even when packs are heavy to get the right trim, lower center of gravity.

I'd maybe consider dropping the front seat a little, as long as you can get your feet under it, if you want to kneel to lower center of gravity in adverse conditions. Keep your packs low to avoid the sail effect.

Any solo canoe has front end issues in a cross wind but a little planning and the right stroke can limit this.

Of course on portages your yoke is facing the wrong way, unless you back in, so in tight landings you might have to wade out and turn around in water.

One good thing. A tandem will draw less water than a true solo in shallow areas. On Jean Creek, I've stood up in canoe, braced my feet wide and against the yoke, and used my double paddle like a pole to go thru water others couldn't.

I think you'd be a much happier jack in a true solo boat than trying to reconfigure a Northwind.  I'm sure it can be done, but wind is going to be more of a problem than you think, even on small lakes.  Your odds of being windbound will go up enormously soloing a tandem rather than paddling a true solo.

However, if you really want to do it...

"Seems like it would fit" won't be good enough if you are going to move a seat.  The seat will need to fit the width of the gunwales very closely wherever you install it in order to not significantly stress the hull.  If yours isn't very close to an exact fit, then you'll need to buy a new seat (not too expensive) and cut it to fit the new location. 

You also likely would need to add thwarts where you remove seats as a seat acts just like a thwart as far as eliminating unnecessary stress from the hull material by helping the boat (and gunwales) to hold the proper shape.  Do you really need to remove the seats for anything other than aesthetic reasons?  If not, I'd just leave them as is.

I've had my Bell Northwind for several years now and really like it.  It is ideal for me and another paddler, and I have used it with my two teen aged boys and myself too.  It is a little tight with three.  
In September I'm thinking of doing a solo trip.  On my past solo excursions I rented a Prism.  Another great boat.  
But I'm thinking of using the Northwind solo after having used it solo on a river trip last year.  On that trip I pulled the portage yoke and plopped in my Crazy Creek camp chair midships.  I sat a little to low for really efficient paddling, but I was just going with the flow downstream so it wasn't a big deal.  Control of the boat, trim, and tracking seemed good though.  
I need the portage yoke so my thought is to remove both seat stations and the rear thwart and then locate the front of one of the seat mounts where the thwart bolt hole is.  The front seat seems like it would fit the width at that point in the boat.
It would be a very big solo canoe and would ride high on the water with the moderate load it would be carrying.  Winds would be a likely problem, but be heading for Stewart River/Stewart Lake/Dahlgren River/Agnes/Oyster/Green/Gebeonequet.  No really big lakes.
Thoughts?  Would relocating a seat promote damage/cracking to the hull?  
HJ