I'm advising an outfitter on some canoes for his livery, mostly for
class 1-2 tripping (4-8 day trips) and possibly some fla****er day
use. He is strongly leaning toward We-no-nah canoes, probably because
of shipping issues. However, I am not as familiar with their hulls as
I am some others, so I'm looking for insights from folks who have
paddled them.

What can people tell me about the Rogue 16' and Cascade 17'6"? They
seem wide for their length, which means they'll be real pigs on
fla****er (although they should be quite stable for novice paddlers).
The Cascade seems quite long for a general purpose tripper. They also
both look like whitewater boats designed to crossover as expedition
boats, rather than expedition boats that can handle whitewater.

I'm thinking he should look at the Prospector 16 and Prospector 17
instead. I prefer classic designs and simple lines for general use,
and the 17 footer has almost the same specs as an OT Tripper. However,
its a few inches narrower, which might make it a bit tippier and
wetter in waves. Is this true? These boats also have quite a bit of
rocker (4"), so how do they handle on the flats?

I know that Mad River merely 'stretched' their 16' Explorer to make
the Explorer 17', and the lines don't work so well on the longer boat:
its wet in big waves, hard to turn, and does not handle as well as the
16 footer. Is this the same with the Prospector series: did they
merely 'stretch' a good boat and make a longer one that is not so
good?

Any general insights about these hulls from folks who have paddled
them would be appreciated. I'm looking for a boat that will be stable
enough for beginners, big enough to carry gear for week-long trips,
able to ride over waves and able to maneuver in class 2 rock gardens.
Being able to nestle for shipping and transport is a big plus, also.

For the record, if I could choose the make and model, I'd recommend he
get OT Trippers as his tandem boats, and MR Malecites as his shorter
solo/tandem boats.

--riverman