Above: our most-versatile canoe, the Spirit
paddles well on calm water, but it also has the agility and seaworthiness to
cope with medium rapids and wind-driven waves.
Our most versatile tandem hull,
also available in Royalex.®

| Spirit II availability: | Weight* | |
| Kevlar® | Ultra-light | 42 lb. |
| Kevlar® | Flex-core | 54 lb. |
| Tuf-weave® | Flex-core | 63 lb. |
| Royalex® | 68 lb. | |
| *Weights published
are for canoes with all standard equipment.
"Balanced" is the
best word to describe the Spirit. It travels distances easily yet
maneuvers well. It's capable on rapids, and on open water, too. It's big
enough for trips. It's also very stable. So, does this canoe obsolete all others? No, because if you want an
elevated level of a certain attribute, say tracking or capacity, then a
specialized design may suit you better. But if you need a canoe that
delivers a good level of all types of performance, the Spirit is
ideal. When Canoe & Kayak Magazine tested it, they concluded,
"...this canoe is simple and functional. If you could have only one
canoe to serve all your paddling needs for the rest of your life, the Spirit
would be one of very few candidates." This model has the longest history of any in our line. Its full name
is "The Spirit of We.no.nah II." Our first canoe in
1968 was named simply "We.no.nah." It was a
highly-versatile yet performance-oriented hull. Today's Spirit II
is a third-generation refinement of it. At 17' long, it strikes a good balance between the efficiency of a
longer hull and the maneuvering of a shorter one. The Spirit is safe and roomy, too, having the capacity for
medium-heavy trips. With two large people it draws just 4," leaving
lots of reserve buoyancy for gear. With more load it becomes more stable
yet still handles well, even on waves. Should you have a Spirit? If no single We.no.nah model seems
ideal due to its specialization, you likely need the wide versatility of
our Spirit, or its cousins, the Heron, or Aurora. All have
similar design aspects but differ in length. The Heron is the
most agile and lightest, but the Spirit suits the greatest range
of uses. Also, you may consider the Champlain in certain cases. Similar
in concept, this hull is significantly larger. It can better suit larger
people, heavier trips, or families with multiple children. The Spirit,
though, is more manageable. We make the Spirit in three composite versions that deliver
excellent paddling. We also make it from Royalex, which is the sensible
choice for canoe-camping if rapids or rocky streams will be a factor.
|
||