I am looking for opinions for the above.  I know no tandem will not equal a solo, but I was hoping there would be a good option.  I want to paddle in the middle, or off center, probably with a 3rd seat.  It will not be used in any open water or big rivers.  It needs to have aluminum gunwales (so no Hemlock canoe) and it cannot be roylaex.  I figured 16 to 161/2 feet is a good length. Here are my choices (feel free to add): Bell Northstar, Wenonah Escapade, Wenonah Solo Plus, Swift Keewaydin 16.  Thanks in advance for any input.

My 2 cents ...

I personally don't know the Swift Keewaydin 16, but based on its layout, it seems the most easily adaptable to solo use.  If you sit in the bow seat and paddle the boat backwards, it looks like you are good to go.  All of the other canoes would need to have the "permanent" yoke removed in favor of a removable option or don't lend themselves to a "paddle backwards" option based on thwart location vis-a-vis the bow seat.  (I assume you are trying to avoid paddling from the normal stern position which would be somewhat problematic in a cross/quartering wind.)

dd

I paddle a Bell Norhtstar mostly for tandem but I have been very pleased with it when I have used it solo.  However, being that it sports an assymetical hull means, as DD noted, that you have to add a permanent paddle station for solo use.  I simply replaced the thwart nearest and behind the yoke with a kneeling thwart but if you're not comfortable kneeling or you want something for fishing then you'd have to install a seat and that would be a bit trickier because the new seat would probably make a pretty tight squeeze between it and the existing yoke while reducing space for gear when tandem tripping.
The Keewaydin 17, which, by the way, is also an assymetrical hull design, is, according to Charlie Wilson (a colleague of David Yost) about as close to the Northstar as you're going to get without actually buying a Northstar (which is lucky since Bell is currently out of business and no one as yet has purchased the moulds.)  They are both designed by DY and have his signature tumblehome which makes both these boats quite adaptable for solo use.

I'd say that the Wen Solo Plus is likely your best bet.  IT already comes with a third seat, and I've heard it said that it is better at solo than tandem - I've never paddled one

I have a Northstar, and have only solo'd it a couple of times kneeling at the rear thwart - it is my Quetico tandem - it was OK kneeling, but not all that comfortable.  I suppose you could replace the kneeling thwart with a seat, but I think it would be better placed a bit more towards center for sitting.   (I have 5 boats - that is the only tandem, so I'm prejudiced in favor of a solo rather than a tandem for soloing - that may color my opinion a bit.) 

There are a couple of other boats I can think of still available new that fit your bill of goods.  One is the Mad River Malecite- symetrical hull small tandem (often cited in the tandem/solo discussions) the new version in Kevlar light looks really pretty - similar in specs to the Northstar and Solo Plus - I think it used to be offered with a center seat option.

The Souris River Q 16 is another tandem offerd with a center seat options - i.e. you can get it set up as either  a tandem, or as the Q 16 solo version, or maybe with 3 seats. 

If you can find one on the used market, the old Dagger Reflection 16 was another boat touted for tandem/solo use and was offered wtih a factory center(3rd) seat.  Mad River makes the boat now, but its not the same boat.

If you are buying new, I'd see about special ordering a boat set up with a center seat and no bow or stern seats ( if you aren't going to use the boat tandem), or with a third seat option. 

If the thwarts are going to be a problem, you'll just have to reconfigure the boat for a center seat that works for you.  "Center" isn't accurate - most solo boats have the front edge of the seat at the balance point, so the seat is behind center.   For portaging, you would have to use a removeable portage yoke, or use the front of the seatframe in a Knu-Pack type of packframe rig, which is what I use on two of my solos.

I really enjoy paddling my Swift Keewaydin solo, but you don't need a kneeling thwart.  I kneel with my camera case for butt support which works perfectly.  :)

My longtime "solo" canoe is the SR 16 tandem.
Removed the stern seat so I can slide packs farther forward to trim and reversed the yoke. Not as fast as true solo BUT I value stability more solo than speed for the way I trip.

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I spent a 2 weeks trip solo in a 17&1/2 Ft barge.  I started off paddling it backwards from the front seat and found the boat too wide to easily paddle.  I eventually settled on setting in the stern seat and putting gear as far forward as I could to balance the load. Many of the tandems are so wide that you will need a slider seat sliding right to left to get the paddle in the water on both sides of the boat(well maybe that is not a good ides)and (just joking).  As far as what boat to get I would start off looking at your tandem requirements and look for the smallest boat that would meet those requirements.  You will get a new respect for the wind. 

MP is right about the width issue.
I'm a dedicated Double Paddler so I just use CANOE double paddle which for a tandem is a 9 ft one.

I still use the single paddle for slow trolling/backup paddle and have one that is long enough I can still paddle in the center of Bow seat solo.

You just have to make "adjustment" to accommodate your new ride.

The Wind IS a big issue solo and even more so in tandem being paddled solo.

I see pics of tandem paddlers with the packs standing up, which is fine maybe for 2 people, but you do that in a solo, your talking "sail" and whatever wind direction except maybe a tailwind, you're going to have even MORE control issues.

Even with the "learning' curve involved using a tandem to solo, for me, the tradeoff is stability is worth it.

On MORE than a few occasions, I've STOOD in my "solo", knee's braced against the yoke for balance, in shallow/muddy water that would have been hard to wade, and like a Gondolier used my double paddle to POLE my way thru.

I don't think you could do something like that in too many true solos :-/

Another thing about a tandem vs true solo, you can ( in my experience) get thru shallower water because of the increased hull size/buoyancy.

way to go to wake me up! - till I see that this is revisiting a 2012 thread I'd already replied to.