First off, I'm sad to say that I won't be making the trip to the BWCA this year or probably next year. Work just won't permit me so my fishing will be limited to creeks and river float trips in indiana. My question is, I'm looking for a decent 13-15 foot canoe for trips around here. I've been canoeing for 16 years now and average atleast 10-20 day to 2 day float trips a year (Between March and october). Now, here's the catch. I'm going for a 3 seater (I figure when solo I sit in the middle and when my fiance is with me I can put her up front. And because this will be a fishing vessel and my fiance isn't the best in a boat (point of fact she's not great at all) I'm looking for something stable. Any suggestions on what to look at would be appreciated.

Look at the Souris River Q16 or Mad River Malicite, neither have a middle seat but when paddled backwards from the stern seat work pretty well as a solo.

Troy

If you want a canoe that can serve as both a solo boat and a tandem, I'd get a 16 footer.  It is possible that shorter canoes will work well solo, but I've never yet seen a canoe shorter than 16 feet that will comfortably hold two adults and camping gear for a weekend.

Hey, I'd even consider 17' in this case FWIW.

k

3 other boats recommended for the solo/tandem options - The Mad River Malecite, The Wenonah Solo Plus, and the Bell Northstar.  

You can add a center seat to any of them, or install a kneeling thwart if you prefer.

If you want to paddle a tandem solo, backwards from the front seat rather than from a more center position, you can do what you want with any boat.

The Bell Morningstar and the Old Town Penobscot 16 are good candidates from that perspective, and both can be had in royalex if your rivers are rocky.  

It sounds like you are looking more for a river boat than for a lake boat, and if so, then look at the rocker on the boats - you want a more manouverable boat.  If you are looking for a boat to also be used in BWCA style lake tripping, I think you can get any of the boats I mentioned in a Kevlar version, except the Penobscot?

I just took a look at hte Mad River website - Mad River has kind of refocused on canoes, bringing back some discontinued models.  The Malecite looked pretty good for your stated uses - 51# in Royalex - I guess they don't make them in kevlar anymore, though you might be able to find a used kv somewhere.

I have a Northstar as my tandem lake boat - I've only soloed it once, kneelin using the thwart.  It is not a good boat to use paddling reversed from the front seat.

"If you want a canoe that can serve as both a solo boat and a tandem, I'd get a 16 footer.  It is possible that shorter canoes will work well solo, but I've never yet seen a canoe shorter than 16 feet that will comfortably hold two adults and camping gear for a weekend. "

I disagree with that - I have done a lot of paddling in a 15' Grumman, many trips in Quetico of up to 10 days, with two average sized adults and all the gear - everything packed to fit below the gunnels; and hundreds? of day trips on local rivers and streams - works fine;  did the Allagash, up to and back down from A lake to the town - worked fine.  A 15' canoe is more nimble on rivers and small streams, though a 16 footer would be better on lakes.  Depends on weather you buy a canoe to fit all the gear you want to take, or you take the gear that fits the canoe.  For some people, they need an 18 footer to fit thier gear - whatever works for you.

I bet that Grumman is pretty high volume for a 15 footer, though?  I used to paddle a 17 foot Grumman, and it could haul a TON of people and gear.  We paddled the Allagash with 3 of us in the boat with no problem.

I may be biased to big boats.  I am 6'4" and 250, my wife is 5'10" and 175. And I like to pole.  Small boats, even unloaded, simply draw too much water with my weight to pole well, but that's my concern, not yours.  

There may be some 15 foot canoes that will serve, but I doubt anything smaller than that will work.  Here's one that's 15.5 feet     (You need to Login or Register

Note the recommended load and displacement info, though.  My wife and I together, with no gear, already have that canoe drawing 4 inches.  Not a lot of room for extra gear, or the kids or dog, if that's a consideration.  A shorter canoe will be maneuverable, and easier to solo.  

I still think you'll be more comfortable with a 16 footer, or longer.

If you are looking for a Royalex canoe, I'd suggest a Mad River Explorer for all-around use.  If you will paddle more whitewater than lakes, the Old Town Appalachian is nice.  More lakes than whitewater, the Old Town Penobscot 16.  I don't know why, but I find the Penobscot 16 paddles much better than the 17 foot version.

All of these are symmetrical boats, so they will paddle well solo if you sit in the bow seat, although you will probably need to put some weight in the "bow" then to get the trim right.