Been looking for some time for a used tripping canoe -- not a whole lot of selection on Craig's List or Ebay here in Southern California. Finally found a guy who moved here from Minnesota and was looking to unload his boat. It's a Bell Northwind, 17' Royalex tandem. A bit heavy at 60 pounds, but pretty much just what I was looking for.

My son and I took it to a local lake last weekend, and it was a pleasure to paddle. Tracks pretty straight and seems to have good stability, which is a good thing with a ten-year old and a squirming dog on board. Easy to fish from, too, with lots of room for all our gear. My son is hooked -- he had a blast and can't wait to go out again. We're planning a ten-day trip to Boundary Waters next summer, so we'll be sure to get lots of practice in the meantime.

very nice! I have two Bell canoes. My solo is a Bucktail in glass, and my tandem is a Morningstar in Kevlar. I have not yet had the chance to paddle the Boundary Waters. Perhaps some day. Until then I will have suffice with the Adirondack lakes and ponds closer to home.

Haiwee,

Congrats on your Bell purchase. They are great boats. Went to the Boundary Waters in 1985, and always planned to return. We drank out of the lakes in those days, and saw lots of wildlife including bears and eagles. Beavers were everywhere. Within one day, we all had French names and spoke with an accent. The fishing for pike, walleye, and small mouth bass was sensational and really helped the food supply after a week of dehydrated food.