The Winisk

For Canadians, the two week wilderness vacation in a canoe is a tradition. But, paddling into remote wilderness is not a job for the timid nor for half-hearted compromise canoes. For this you need a serious tripping canoe that can carry up to 580 pounds and still be fast and maneuverable. For this, you need a Winisk.

Experienced trippers appreciate speed but not the kind that requires hard work. They want a canoe that can cruise at better than six or seven kilometres per hour at normal paddling rates but still have more speed in reserve in emergencies. They also want the seaworthiness provided by the full length flare for those big lakes like Superior.

Like its smaller sister, the Kipawa, the Winisk is a true multi-purpose canoe. For families with children or those who prefer the security and stability of a larger canoe, the Winisk is the logical choice. It has the safe and secure feel essential for tripping with children, yet rewards the enthusiastic paddler with a rare combination of beauty and performance.

John Winters comments "Every designer has a favourite canoe. For me it's the Winisk. I weigh in at a hefty 200 pounds as do my usual partners, so a larger canoe is essential. At the same time we like to travel fast, and the Winisk's length, shape, and narrow beam provide plenty of speed even when we're loafing along. This canoe reflects what I consider to be an ideal mix of speed, stability, and maneuverability in a big water tripping canoe."

For myself, this is also my favourite canoe design, and I have now built four. The photo on my home page is one of mine, and John Winters also has one of mine in his personal collection. Even though my paddling adventures are not as 'hard core' as John's, I can still attest to the tremendous reserve the Winisk offers that got us through some scary situations when we faced some unexpected rough conditions miles from camp on Lake Superior.

These two photos of my fourth Winisk, the "Agawa Bay", ready for the first leg of its journey to the 1999 Wooden Boat Show in Maryland, show well the fine lines that contribute so much to the outstanding performance of this design, as well as its shorter sister, the Kipawa. You can begin to get an idea of why these two canoes have developed such a fiercely loyal following.