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Northwind Description

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Northwind Reviews

Read reviews for the Northwind by Bell Canoe Works as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

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5

I submitted a review back…

Submitted by: WonButi on 6/27/2019

I submitted a review back 4-23-2001. I love this canoe. Not only is it beautiful to look at (forest green with ash gunnel's and walnut end caps) it functions excellently. Flat water, white water, wind, cold and rain, loaded with kids, solo...it has been great over the 14 years I have owned and paddled. I have been in this canoe with my young boys in some awful condition and NEVER felt insecure (I LOVE the tumblehome it has). It have provided me with crazy adventures and fun and NEVER let me down. Only negative is that it seems to me that the royalex is softer than other brands. That being said I have added kevlar skid plates front and rear (excuse me bow and stern). That and a bit of sanding / watco on the wood and everything is great! My original review was an 8 because I could only say that this canoe was better than 80% of the canoes out there.....today I would rate it 9.5 because while I love it and would get another I am guessing there maybe another canoe SOMEWHERE in the world that is better....for now this is the best I have ever had.

5

I originally reviewed the…

Submitted by: Marty1 on 6/27/2016

I originally reviewed the Northwind 16 in 2010, giving it a 9. I've changed my opinion after five years of heavy use.

The canoe is one of my favorites and I also own a Mad River Explorer,and a Wenonah Prism.

Rather than repeat much of what has been said about stability and toughness, I will add a bit on capability. I just paddled 200 miles of the Yukon River in the canoe that was certainly overloaded. (I love to over pack on week long trips)

The boat performed perfectly, albeit with less free board than I would have preferred on thirty-two mile long Lake Leberge. My spray deck made that possible.

The Northwind is back in production by Northstar Canoes, which is owned by Ted Bell. I would recommend the Northwind as a great family canoe. The current versions are composite canoes that are much lighter than my Royalex version, making a good flat water canoe even better.

5

Where do I begin to describe…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 8/17/2014
Where do I begin to describe such a wonderful boat. I purchased the Northwind from a friend a year ago. This handles beautifully on the Northern New England lakes, with it's low profile. My larger Canadienne gets blown about and I have to struggle to keep it straight. What a different experience!

I was worried about the Northwind's performance when I asked on some class II-III rapids, but I decided to take it anyway (between plastic and glass, plastic made more sense). This boat handled beautifully! It took some water on the big waves (I had about an inch in the stern) but I was glad for the ability to turn on a dime. My family now calls it "the Sportscar".

4

My stomping grounds have been…

Submitted by: paddler235375 on 10/14/2013
My stomping grounds have been the Magnetewan River in central Ontario. Having a cottage in Dunchurch made it possible to regularly run a fun day stretch of river with class 1, 2, and 3 rapids. For twenty years I've gradually become more confident to navigate this stretch of river in a old smashed-up rotten orange fibreglass cottage canoe. I'm sure there was a time this beast of burden was surely a 75 pound wonderful canoe, but has since gained about 25 pounds, or more, of amateur patchwork. It is important to regularity bail her out on flat stretches of water as it seems to seep in from several different new holes.

So my initial review of the Northwind would be a hands down 10/10. It was dry! Also faster and handled much better then my old flat bottomed no rockered orange canoe. I'm tall and strong and have been solo canoeing my old canoe all my life, so switching to the Northwind was an amazing improvement. It sits on its side so comfortably that it is no longer a circus act, like before. I put a foam pedestal and knee pads in it and tackled the locally famous three snye rapids In low level conditions. And failed miserably... my fault not the canoes! I then took the Northwind down a small local creek during a major flood and came to the obvious conclusion that the Northwind is not in fact a 9 and not a 10.

For a canoe that fits somewhere between a tripping canoe and a river canoe, having the key features of both types, the Northwind is perfect. Definitely worth every penny. Without having tried one, however, I would assume the perfect canoe for me, would have maybe been the 15 foot tandem Yellowstone, outfitted for solo canoeing.

4

Update to my previous review…

Submitted by: Brock on 5/17/2013
Update to my previous review after purchasing the canoe used. I have used it a couple dozen times mostly in tidal rivers here along coast and on some old rice flats chasing redfish. Boat has been exceptional on the narrow feeder canals entering the flooded rice flats....

Bood stability and tracking in slow to medium rivers depending on rising or falling tide and wind. Recently took her on a 4 day camp/canoe/hunt excursion in Georgia...put in at landing...paddled solo almost 8 miles against the wind but at least I had a slow following tide. Boat was loaded completely with cooler, water, camping gear and my recurve, arrows, etc...plus clothing in waterproof bags. Boat was a little uneven with front up about 8 inches even with water and cooler of food in front which caused the wind to catch it on the paddle to camp. I was able to learn the boats nuances and paddle fairly predictable by playing the wind and current and staying to edges and cutting corners. During the stay it worked great for going from island to island chasing feral hogs. On final day it was loaded for the paddle back to landing just above freezing. The falling tide was much swifter and with the lower water it exposed a lot of sweepers and water obstructions... even a fairly fast exit into a diversion canal to save time that was blocked by a sand bar and a sweeper with a strong wind to my port side trying to push me into the obstructions I was able to dig with the paddle and keep it moving without dumping on me. Some good chop and with a boat fully loaded I was very pleased with the handling of the boat even in a precarious situation.

It is not the fastest though with two people on flat water it flies in my book...not most manueuverable but is able to make good turns even in small tight lowcountry tidal creeks and swamps...stability is good especially secondary. This is not the best canoe I have ever seen or paddled but is a good, solid, reliable and stable canoe that will cover a multitude of situations in a GOOD to VERY GOOD response. It excels on flat slow water with two paddlers but is up to the task for an occasional solo paddle or in faster moving water if needed. To me this is the epitome of a expedition/trapper styled canoe that can handle it all well...but really showing its worth on flat water when loaded.
Good paddling....

5

I love this super-stable and…

Submitted by: paddler234721 on 8/20/2012
I love this super-stable and beautifully made boat [Royalex]! But sadly, it is not the perfect boat for me because I'm searching for a boat for multi-day Class III Wilderness trips (Esquif Prosp 17?). This boat feels like an elephant with a load of 700 lbs and ships water if you hit waves head-on. When I had less experience I swamped it, as did my buddy on the next rapid downriver. Still it felt stable, full of water!

Now I have more skills and can avoid swamping in Class III and I can dig deep to harangue it to maneuver with a big load, but it isn't ideal for either of those tasks, as Bell freely admits when they say "favorite for flatwater tripping." The differential rocker and asymmetry mean that it will never be able to spin like a top, and isn't the best for Bill Mason style back ferry.

Working as a guide for a livery, I regularly paddle this boat solo down a mellow, shallow, Class I river and it is perfect for that. It withstands years of abuse from clients and still looks awesome. I've seen clients zigzag backwards hitting everything imaginable all the way downriver and still not go for a swim. At the takeout, it lifts easily onto my back to portage 1/4 mile up a scree slope to trailer and it can then be lifted up onto higher trailer racks, i.e. it is well-balanced and has a nice yoke. I've had more trouble with lighter canoes (like badly designed Wenonah Rendezvous, see review).

I'm still searching, but right now if I had to commit to only one canoe for life, this would probably be it. An excellent boat.

4

This is an update to last…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/26/2011
This is an update to last year's review (7-14-2010) when the boat was new. I've had it for a year and a half now, and made dozens of trips including lakes, and class I and II rivers.

I stand by my initial score of 9. Once I got to know the canoe, I was completely satisfied with its performance. For a Royalex boat, it has a great glide. I haven't found it unstable at all. I've only manage to tip is once when a "sweeper" got the best of me running a class II river. That was chalked up to tactics, and not the canoe.

I am sad to hear that Bell Canoes are going out of production, because I would love to pick one up in Kevlar layup. I've seen by these reviews that people are finding used ones at good prices. Consider yourself fortunate. I've posted some videos on YouTube that could certainly be found with a search for Bell Canoe if you want to see a NorthWind in action.

4

Purchased the royalex version…

Submitted by: paddler234012 on 5/24/2011
Purchased the royalex version in Dec. 2010 based on reviews here and other sites without test paddling (normally not advised). We replaced a 1989 Oscoda family 17 which we purchased new and loved but it became too heavy for us to lift onto the car now that we are approaching our mid 60's.

The Northwind royalex is not the lightest canoe available but is a good compromise between weight and price, since budget was an issue. We have been paddling flatwater in canoes and kayaks for over 20 years and, although not experts,we have acquired decent skills and knowledge. The Northwind purchase is working out great and we are impressed with the design.

Some have said initially it feels a little tippy--we did not find that to be the case. Yes there is movement which is normal for a quality canoe and the secondary stability seems to kick in fairly early which makes for a very secure feel. We have encountered power boat wakes and are impressed with these handling characteristics as well--it seems to cut through the wakes more than riding over them, which makes for a smoother transition. The differential rocker seems to transform into a good tracking canoe that also turns with ease. While my wife gently controls our path from the bow I have casted for bass from the stern with great comfort and security--a great fishing platform.

The only complaint and reason for a 9 rating is the seats. Although the quality is decent the comfort is not great. The cane seat surface is only 11" wide and not enough for my 240 lb back side. My wife is a fairly small person but she was not happy with the seats as well. Those will definitely be replaced by Ed's contour seats in the near future.
Once we get the seats replaced this will probably be the perfect canoe for our needs.

4

Picked up a 2010 model for…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 3/15/2011
Picked up a 2010 model for $750; used only once. It was too good of a deal to pass up, but I was hoping for more of a river boat. This is the 16.6 royalex version. The Bell site states 2.5" of rocker. Not sure how they are measuring this, but it has much less than my Mad Rivers 2.5".

It is wet in CIIs, however, I still love this boat...It has better tracking and glide than any royalex boat I have paddled (mostly MR and OT). The quality is the best among those as well. I solo more than tandem with this, and on a wide river, I get along quickly and easily. the kneeling thwart works great and the tumblehome is your friend if your a loner. I did taking it fishing a few times, and my buddy raved over the increased leg room in the bow over my other two 16 footers. Stability is great too.

Overall, for what most people do (lakes and calm rivers) I think this is the best family all-rounder. If you truly paddle (not just intend to) II+s this is not quite the right boat.

4

Having paddled the Northwind…

Submitted by: BoyScout on 3/7/2011
Having paddled the Northwind more both tandem and solo (loaded for camping and just added wight for trim), I can say it is forgiving canoe. and the learning curve is decent. the more experienced paddler will adapt quicker than i did. the seat i installed for solo paddling is decently placed. but a little more centered would help. as a tandem with a good partner it does great. plenty of room with the solo seat installed, for the normal placed rear seats leg room. moves along nicely and both tracks/and turns nicely. loaded for camping it does well to. skill level and load distribution being the factor in my case. over all a good canoe for my needs that will just improve with more time. for the more skilled paddler a even better canoe. just center the solo seat a bit more than i did.
4

Paddled my new (used)…

Submitted by: Brock on 1/3/2011
Paddled my new (used) Northwind on Saturday...New Years Day. Temps got out of the 20-30s here and were up to 68*F... so took the wife out for her first voyage in canoe though I have been in and out of them since my youth. Found a quiet lake near home with access only by light portage.... only 50 meters at most or could go to a floating dock. I did not take any cooler or gear so the canoe was expected to ride quite high in water and be a little tippy.

Got her in and settled and then I pushed off and settled in my seat. A little tippy at first as it was empty save for my large frame in rear and her much lighter in front. Good 15knot wind started across from us and front wanted to turn with wind but got the feel for boat and was able to side slip until the turn to get it as a headwind.

The canoe paddled very nicely...my own rustiness and lack of familiarity with this particular canoe was more of an issue than the boat itself. After 30 minutes she was settling down and I was able to more precisely paddle her where intended. The tumblehome I had always heard about from a DY canoe was all I had been told...I was able to maintain posture while paddling in near vertical position without impacting canoe....and the Bending Branch Traveler paddle propelled us forward quite efficiently...with limited disturbance at completion of each stroke. The rx material was solid and the only time I felt any movement in skin was when going over a submerged log with only 3-5 inches of water....so at that time I was thankful we were sitting high in water. LOL

With another 75-100 lbs in the boat with 75%of it towards the bow for balancing the load I could see this as being a very stable craft. Even empty save for us paddlers and its tippiness...it really wasn't bad. Once I got settled it was very stable...

There is good secondary stability as well though at my size I felt like I could easily dump it if I gave more than a little effort...think I will try Canadian paddling style solo when the water warms a bit. :)

I look forward to my next trip and for a full year of paddling this fine craft....so far it is all I expected and look forward to many hundreds of hours of pleasure this year.

5

With limited amount of time…

Submitted by: BoyScout on 9/27/2010
With limited amount of time in this canoe i can say i love it. using the kneeling thwart to paddle solo it feels pretty nice. with the new seat in the same relative spot it feels real nice. can switch from kneeling to normal sitting pretty well.(that's just with slightly over one hour in it) still need time to get all i can out its abilities. but the learning curve is pretty friendly so far. will update when i have more time but expect mostly good things to say.
4

I've had a Northwind in the…

Submitted by: Marty1 on 7/14/2010
I've had a Northwind in the Royalex layup for about a month. I have had it out five times so far, all on lakes. I've paddled it in windy and calm conditions. It tracks great, and is easily controllable.

I like the canoe a lot. It's proved to be very stable, and durable. It's not the fastest canoe around with a hull speed of about 4mph with a moderate load. If I wanted something faster, I would have got a longer, narrower canoe. The speed and glide are fine for a 16 and half foot canoe. The tumble home sides are a rarity for a Royalex hull. They give the canoe a nice profile, and make paddling a bit easier, especially for smaller paddlers.

The only dislike I have is the design and placement of the forward thwart. It is right behind the front seat and it prevents solo paddling the canoe backwards from the front. This is the only thing that prevented a rating of 10. It has a point on it that will hit the front person in the back if they lean back. It's kind of a minor issue really, but something my wife discovered while attempting to lounge a bit.

I haven't paddled the canoe solo yet, but I surely it could be done from the kneeling thwart in the rear.

4

Took my Northwind Rx for two…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 4/12/2010
Took my Northwind Rx for two outings (Keuka Lake, NY) and thought it prudent to give my INITIAL impressions:

Think I may have found as close to a 'Perfect' canoe as reasonably possible. The stability on this canoe is absolutely unprecedented. As an experienced canoeist, I can appreciate a boat that bespeaks stability at every wave. Secondly, even though we were using a beaver-tail paddle instead of the faster, larger poly-paddles, you could tell this was an excellent boat - the genius of David Yost really is something!

One of the previous reviews spoke about how fast the Northwind was, once you've got it up to speed-I know now what he was talking about! This boat isn't quite as fast as the Sundowner by Wenonah, but it's got the stability and maneuverability you want when heavy-laden in the Adirondacks with tons of camping gear and your novice buddy... and your son. The only thing I feel it is negative is the fact that the Rx version doesn't have sliding bow seat.

For what you pay vs. what you get, I think I've finally found the perfect match for canoe-camping and lake water tripping: Bell Northwind in Royalex. One thing I feel confident in, make it two: this boat IS what others say it is on this excellent website and you will not regret investing in a Bell Northwind in Royalex. Found a winner, finally!

5

I just got back from Spanish…

Submitted by: stevebaker on 8/5/2009
I just got back from Spanish River country, NW of Sudbury ON. It was the maiden voyage for the Northwind on a rain-swollen river that got fairly challenging in spots. The outfitter who shuttled us of course wondered if that light canoe (Black Gold) would hold up on his river. (Have you ever met an outfitter whose river wasn't way rougher on canoes than all the others?) Of course, it held up just fine.

Once again Dave Yost has done it right. We were easily the fastest canoe out there yet even heavily loaded, we were able to maneuver through the big water without incident. Winds didn't push the boat around at all. It's stable, aside from a slight wiggle on center, and confidence-inspiring.

All things considered, this is a great tripper, and should work just fine on day trips as well.

4

Well, here I am, shopping for…

Submitted by: paddler233251 on 7/23/2009
Well, here I am, shopping for a new canoe and end up commenting on my 16'6" Royalex Northwind I have had for 8 years.

There are many canoes built to "do it all" and they all aim at that goal from a slightly different angle. The Royalex Northwind is relatively light for a royalex boat, making it much more manageable. If you look around, there are several high quality 16'6" fiberglass or kevlar boats that approach this royalex boat in weight. I have found the make-up relatively stiff, never noticing any oil canning, unless I'm rolling over a big rock!

I have used this boat on 5-10 day prairie streams and found it a bit tight for glutinous touring (this includes carrying 10 days of water, musical instruments, dutch ovens, etc) just give a slight nod to traveling light, and it'll go fine for up to ten days tandem. On one semi-gluttonous trip, I paddled it with a buddy, the pair weighing in @ around 450, on a river with several class II rapids and days worth of technical rock gardens. I found it easy enough to maneuver buts found it takes on water fairly easily, you'd want it w/ at least 8" inches of freeboard in waves, we probably had 6".

I frequently use it to paddle upstream solo on a fairly swift river outside my front door as a way of avoiding getting air conditioning during the summer and getting a little exercise. I have found it is more efficient to paddle solo than tandem in this way. I'd say it performs admirably at this task, tracking well and moving upstream as fast as you'd expect.

I've also paddled this boat loaded, solo, down a river with about 40 mile an hour headwinds and standing wind waves three feet tall. I could do it, but I'd occasionally get pushed sideways. I was surprised how well it handled in these horrible conditions. As an aside, I've recently learned if you are in a stiff headwind and having a hard time keeping the boat straight, get in the front of the boat and keep paddling, you'll act as the flag pole and the boat will fall out in line behind you like a flag in the wind. Looks a little funny, but keeps you moving in the right direction.

I've recently outfitted this boat with float bags (end and center) for doing up to class III whitewater. Also, I changed to kneeling seat drops and a full yoke for portaging. This boat is outfitted to handle an incredibly wide range of conditions in both solo and tandem. I look around and only think of getting a dedicated solo whitewater tripping boat to broaden my ability on the water. If I did it again though, I'd get a black gold version, just for the ease of portage and the pure beauty.

4

I bought a used Northwind in…

Submitted by: jgumby on 4/7/2009
I bought a used Northwind in white gold layup, aluminum gunnels, outfitted w/ Whenona tractor seats (the bow seat slides). It really shines as a tripping canoe - handles well fully loaded, and the sliding seat helps trim it to wind or load conditions. I put some Bell portage pads on it - comfy! However it works fine on rivers as long as you don't want to do whitewater or scrape it over rocks. You just have to work hard if not paddling a flat water river - it tracks straight even for a 17'6" boat.
5

A quality canoe in every…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 8/3/2007
A quality canoe in every respect! I bought this canoe from Jersey Paddler, and the people there are great: they all displayed great patience with me over a two week period, during which I bought and returned 3 other canoes!!!

My Northwind is the 16'6" Royalex version, with wood trim. It doesn't feel as light as the Old Town Charles River I briefly owned, but it also doesn't oil can the way that beast did. The Northwind is much faster, easier to paddle due to the tumblehome gunwales, and glides forever. The cane seats are hung from walnut boards, and the ash is much more substantial than the Old Town's seats (which drooped quite a bit).

The amazing thing is that the Royalex Northwind is very affordable when compared to other manufacturer's canoes in the same material! The Northwind has tracked great solo and tandem, and doesn't rely on a keel to help stiffen the bottom. My wife and I flyfish from our canoes, and the Northwind is the most quiet boat we've owned. Maybe it has something to do with the wood gunwales.

An excellent boat at a great price!

5

I researched for months…

Submitted by: paddler231733 on 8/7/2006
I researched for months before moving to buy a Bell Northwind in Royalex with the aluminum trim. I am more than completely satisfied--the canoe is a thing of beauty, both in looks and performance. I've had the pleasure of paddling a lot of different hulls over the years, and this boat simply paddles like a dream.

Everyone will have different needs and preferences, but here's my situation: I'm 6'1", 260 lbs., and I like to do long-trip (1-4 weeks) paddling, but locally will be using mostly as a solo day-paddler. I chose the Northwind in Royalex because it proved to be an excellent solo craft for a guy my size and still gives plenty of capacity for decent tripping with a fellow paddler. It turns like a dream, and the glide on the hull is like a Stradavarius--I was blown away! Also, with the single exception of a gorgeous wood and canvas original Seliga I used to paddle, it is defintely the most stable canoe I've ever been in. This was important to me because my wife, and neophite friends, are not so comfortable in a canoe without the stability. The secondary stability is awesome, but even the initial stability feels reassuring--it's simply amazing!

The Royalex is supposedly 60 lbs., but actually feels lighter, to my astonishment (I opted away from composites, because my local water is shallow and rocky, and 'up nort' I like to do whitewater, I am much more comfortable seeing my buddies portage my Royalex hull and not Kevlar, plus the Royalex costs about 1/2 as much!). It's a breeze for me to put on and take off the car top and to portage. I have added clamp-on portage yoke pads, which I'm very pleased with. They're super light, easy to put on and take off, and with the canoe being so light, they are barely necessary except for the longest portages. I also mounted a Bell kneeling thwart--wow. It's a dream to solo with the kneeling thwart--places me in the optimal position, very comfortable, and I get a great, powerful stroke. I very much noticed the difference w/the kneeling thwart vs. simply kneeling in front of the stern thwart. I do not recommend soloing this canoe from the bow seat backwards--it's just unwieldly compared to the kneeling thwart.

In short--this canoe exceeds my (well researched and obsessive) expectations of a boat that can meet my needs: great manueverability, terrific speed/efficiency, great stability, nimble enough for a 'big guy' to solo, and a dream for two adults to tandem--and even better with gear; sturdy enough for whitewater use and novices alike, and light enough even for the longest of portages. I LOVE this canoe--can't believe all these points are addressed so well with one boat, an EXCEPTIONAL value for the money. Thank you, Bell!

4

This is to go along with my…

Submitted by: paddler231490 on 3/22/2006
This is to go along with my previous review on the same boat now that I have had it for a while. The boat paddled well in all kinds of conditions and once on the Colorado really did well with 2 ft waves and lots of wind causing other canoes to capsize. It was also easy to manage solo. The problem is with the structual integrity when transporting the boat. While on a back road at Lake Meade my rear cam strap slipped off the end of the bar and when I hit a did the canoe shifted foward and tipped down then back up. This snapped the gunwale and tore at least a foot into the hull material (Black Gold) Bell said it was going to cost nearly as much as a new boat to ship it back and get it repaired and returned.I had to make an insurance claim and unfortunately I had a $1000 deductable. Needless to say this was not a good experience for having the boat only a couple of month's. Bells workmanship was first class and the boat was a jewel but if I got another composite boat it would have hard anodized alunminum gunwales. Bell canoes are great and so is their customer service but wooden gunwales and BlackGold need pampering to last.
5

I have a Nova Craft…

Submitted by: paddler210485 on 12/20/2005
I have a Nova Craft Prospector 16ft in Royalite but wanted a faster composite flatwater canoe. I chose the Northwind in Blackgold with wood trim. I was considering the Minnesota II but although lighter and faster it would not double as a solo boat. I also thought the Bell's finish work to be better.

The boat is gorgeous and paddles like a dream. When solo I paddle Canadian style and use a Turtle Paddleworks Ottertail. With about a 70# Load and my 195# the boat handles beautifully. I have paddled it on Lake Mead with 2 ft waves and on the Colorado River with a light current. The boat steers effortlessly and glides well with each stroke. Fit and finish is excellent and a kneeling thwart was a great addition. Anyone who has trouble paddling this boat straight needs serious work on their J.

It's a great boat. I bought mine from Mr. Canoe's Paddlesports in Forestville, CA. They met me at a nearby lake for a demo and I was smitten by this fine boat within the first 10 minutes of paddling. Shane and Tom were great people to deal with and they absolutely know their stuff when it comes to canoeing. Go by and see them and while you are there have them treat you to the Bell Experience!

5

I've owned a Bell Northwind…

Submitted by: paddler231222 on 7/27/2005
I've owned a Bell Northwind Royalex for a couple of years now. It's a well built, capable canoe. The cane seats are comfortable on long trips, and more versatile than tractor seats (Wenonah stock option) when fishing and moving about. Bell slopes the seats down to assist with a kneeling style of paddling, but if you prefer to sit, you'll want to level them out a bit. This requires a bit of reaming on the seat holes and power sanding of the seat drops to get everything just right. You could just level it by throwing in some washers in for a lower albeit sloppier look. Since this is really a recreational canoe, it seems to me that most people will be sitting and that it should come stock in a level position...who fishes from a kneeling position?

The Northwind Royalex is more nicely appointed than the competitors. The gunwales are full and nice to handle, with the rivets hidden, and the thrusts are all stained hardwood. The location of the yoke on my boat makes the stern heavy when portaging, but with paddles strapped in the front, it rides level.

Although Royalex boats in general do not have as fine an entry as Kevlar boats, this seems more pronounced with the Northwind Royalex. Bell says the blunt entry and exit is a design feature (a la Dagger, whom they acquired, and who specialized in river canoes and kayaks), and that unless you are paddling very hard, you won't notice that the entry isn't as narrow. I agree somewhat, but kevlar boats with a fine entry paddle much more smoothly and provide more glide.

The flip side of the blunt entry is that the canoe excels when you are doing anything but going fast in a straight line on calm water. And if you run into something hard, the blunt end is less apt to crack, which is why many Royalex canoes have blunt reinforcement on the ends anyways.

The hull has a rounder tumblehome than many other Royalex boats (some Mad River boats I've seen are very flat) and is VERY stable on large (30 mph wind building over an 8 mile lake) chop and waves. For example, to avoid taking water from large waves when paddling crosswind, I can lean the boat (loaded with kid, gear and dog) nearly to the downwind rail - and feel very stable doing so.

The day I dropped it 6 feet onto concrete while putting it away in my garage, I knew I'd made the right choice choosing Royalex over Kevlar. After paddling it on calm lakes, rocky rivers and large windblown lakes in the boundary waters, I knew I'd found the perfect all around boat. At a price under $1000 on sale, I don't get all freaked out when it gets hung up on a rock or bangs into something. $2000+ for a Kevlar boat would have taken some of the fun out of canoeing for me, because I would have been too worried about damaging it.

I guess that's the most important thing when choosing your boat - don't spend so much that you'll miss out on fun because you're fretting about the hull. If that means a banged up aluminum canoe for a couple hundred bucks, then that's the best boat for you.

4

Well folks it's been a little…

Submitted by: paddler231168 on 6/28/2005
Well folks it's been a little more than 4 years since my first Northwind review. I bought (back in March 2001) the Black Gold with wood trim and clear/clearcoat (minor mistake) and the hull clearly shows all the rocks, trees, floating tires and other crap I've smashed into. I've paddled many small and large lakes, run rivers (in Oregon) rated at Class III+, and spent a few lazy afternoons just drifting along casting for Bass or Trout. Although I primarily paddle solo, this craft tracks and turns well with two, three or 600lbs of gear.

Having read all the other reviews here and comparing my experiences, I think the Northwind is a good investment. The only advice I can offer is to try several other canoes (ie. Souris River, Mad River, Clipper, Wenonah etc.) with similar characteristics, weigh each with similar variables and you may find that Bell still leads the way. If you're looking for "bang for the buck"; I've banged at least $4000.00 worth of rocks and my Northwind still runs strong and true.

4

My wife and I bought our Bell…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/12/2004
My wife and I bought our Bell Northwind a few weeks ago and I wanted to take it for a few trips before I gave a review on it. We bought a Royalex because the Blackgold was a little too expensive for us. At 63 lbs. it’s one of the heavier boats that we tested. However, a few pounds compared to the competition, is not a huge deal. We’ve had it out on a number of lakes and rivers.

We had concerns about how “tippy” the boat was before we bought it. It seemed to turn very easily, almost too easily. So, I called Bell Canoe in MN and talked to a guy named “Bear.” He told me that weight distribution may not be equal since my wife sits by the bow and I the stern. He told me to balance out the weight discrepancy, to carry a large jug with us and fill it with river water every time we went out to balance out the weight. I may be new to canoeing, but I thought this was the strangest/most ridiculous suggestion I have ever gotten in my life. Well, we worked out the weight/balance issue with some self taught lessons.

However, we noticed that if we got anything over a three+ inch wave, we were rocked like we were in a hurricane. On the Bell web site it reads that it’s a “joy in currents and choppy conditions”. I don’t know if a three inch wave is a “choppy condition”, but I can tell you that it wasn’t a joy. It almost seems too flimsy, but it hasn’t really affected us ...yet.

Other than these issues, it’s been a good boating experience. It looks great and I do, for the most part, enjoy paddling it. There are some days that I’d tie some boards together just to be out on the water.

Also, I don’t know if spending two times the money on a Kevlar boat would change the experiences that we have or not. If you're looking at one, take the Kevlar out for a test drive too.

4

I just bought a 4 year old…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/11/2004
I just bought a 4 year old used Bell Northwind Black Gold with wood trim a week ago. I chose the boat for its excellent primary and secondary stability, its high efficiency, its maneuverability and its capacity to carry two (light-weight) adults and two 10 year old boys for weekend flatwater trips.

The beautiful design and the fine woodwork undoubtedly helped me with my choice. I tried a number of other canoes before, especially Wenonah’s. In the end, I preferred the Bell Northwind over the Wenonah Escape because the latter was in my feeling by far less stable and family friendly.

I think I would have preferred the Kevlar ultralight version for portability (therefore the 9 rather than the 10), but that one was not available used in my area.

Why did I go for a used boat? Because high performance canoes such as Bell and Wenonah are ridiculously expensive here in Austria and Germany - about twice the price of the US (both new and used). I think this has to change before canoeing becomes as widespread a leisure sport in Europe as in North America!

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My wife and I bought our…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/6/2004
My wife and I bought our Northwind from the Kansas City Paddler. We are both active kayakers and wanted to add a canoe to our collection for fishing, photography and future planned BWCAW trips. Previous to paddling the Bell we have had limited experience in Royalex and Aluminum canoes. We have spent this last year enjoying this boat. It's fit and finish is excellent. The wood trim is warm and aesthetically pleasing. The Kevcrystal material is light yet has proven to be strong for our purposes. Its stiffness allows this canoe to track well with little flex. Two paddlers can really bring this boat up to speed and cover distance. Solo paddling is not this boat's strong point-it makes a better tandem.

I have tested the stability of the Northwind this summer by using it as a bass fishing boat. No problems landing fish or casting. Nothing like the quietness of a well designed canoe to sneak into small coves. It also handled larger lake waves (wakes) with poise. Overall, we have been very satisfied with the Northwind. We look forward to taking this boat on longer trips. All boats have strong and weak points. I have listed strengths. Areas to consider would be: Kevcrystal would be more easily damaged by rocks; wood trim requires maintenance, higher cost. It is noteworthy that this boat is also available in Royalex w/o wood trim. That being said, I feel that this Northwind has been a good balance of low weight, quality and performance.

5

I had a hard time deciding…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 9/18/2003
I had a hard time deciding between the Northwind and Northstar...the Northstar handled better solo and was good tandem. The Northwind was the other way around. Either boat would have made me happy but this was to be used tandem most of the time, so I went with the Northwind. My wife rides in a duffer seat, so solo is a matter of position rather than propulsion for me. The duffer seat with a boat cushion on it makes for a great solo station when placed forward of the aft thwart.

As to layup, I wanted Black Gold (who doesn't) but the boats at hand all had wood trim, which I didn't want. To pay $250 bucks for an option I didn't want made no sense, so I saved $500 bucks and went with KevCrystal...could have gotten White Gold and kicked myself a bit for not saving a few more bucks and getting a more rugged boat but the 47 pounds of the KevCrystal was a powerful attraction and the boat is GEORGEOUS!!!

My two cents on Bell and its dealers; It is impossible to overstate my appreciation of Bell. Not only do they do the best job with design, fit and finish but they have both patience and a sense of humor in dealing with pesky customers. They really want to see you in the best boat for you...not just the most expensive boat they sell (thanks Craig). And they don't hang up on you once they have your cash. But if you are buying in the Adirondacks, go see Ike at Lake George kayak Co, in Bolton Landing. He is a great match for the best canoe co around. Again, I can't praise him enough. DON'T go to Mountainman in Inlet or Old Forge. I found them to be rude, unhelpful and entirely unwilling to work with their customers.

I've paddled the boat for two weeks now, in Lewey Lake and the Fulton Chain. This boat paddles like no other tandem I've ever found in 50 years of paddling. Every good thing you read in the rest of the reviews here is absolutely true.

I have had only 2 problems...the gelcoat shows every bump and scrape. This is a minor disappointment, given the beauty of the boat, but if you don't mark 'em you ain't using 'em... The other problem is that I have to carry a rag around with me to wipe the boat down after other paddlers drool all over it!

5

My wife and I have been…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 8/26/2003
My wife and I have been paddling a Grumman 18’ standard (which we affectionately call the tank) for 26 years. This year we decided to go to Isle Royale. I knew I couldn’t handle the portages that we had in mind with the 90 lb. tank, so we began looking for a lighter tandem. We eventually settled on the Northwind in Black Gold. We averaged 3-5 days a week throughout the late spring and summer working out on local lakes and rivers. We are absolutely delighted with the speed, handling and secondary stability of the Northwind. Loaded, and one thing we AIN’T is minimalists, the Northwind simply amazed me. Running, the first day on Isle Royalle, the 10 miles of Rock Harbor in the afternoon we experienced considerable chop. This wasn’t even annoying. As we passed the Middle Islands passage we got the full force of Lake Superior whitecaps into our side for half a mile. That was work, but we took no water. On our return we had to pass a ship which sent 4-5 ft waves to greet us. Again we took no water. As flatwater paddlers we feel the Northwind is the finest canoe we have ever used. (Did I mention how nice the 52 lb. weight is on a 2.5 mile portage?)
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I have had a bell northwind…

Submitted by: paddler230137 on 5/23/2003
I have had a bell northwind in black gold and wood trim for 2 years now. It has seen 3 years to the Quetico and some lazy river paddling. I do not like this boat. It seems to have an optimum cruising speed but once this is exceeded the bow or stern paddler who is stronger overpowers the other person and the boat begins to turn big time and no matter how hard j-stroking or other corrective stroking it done, it will not straighten out. It is s a pain to keep it tracking straight when going faster.

Also, we found it not suitable in the wind. On our quetico trips we had to try major weight shifting to get it to handle better. The only thing that improved it (only improved it some) was loading it extremely stern heavy. We had to jam a full food pack behind the stern seat and the stern paddler had about 30 pounds on the bow paddler.

Everyone else posting liked this canoe. I think it's overengineered. Anyone else out there had problems? Anyone know of a good tripping canoe without differential rocker? I like the canoes looks and no wind paddling but add wind or try to speed it up some - this canoe doesn't cut it.

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I really enjoy the Northwind,…

Submitted by: edr56 on 11/12/2002
I really enjoy the Northwind, it is everything I need in a tandem. I would suggest this model to anyone looking for a well made, good preforming, reasonably priced, and good looking canoe!
5

We bought our Northwind Kev…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 10/23/2002
We bought our Northwind Kev Crystal Thanksgiving 2001 as an upgrade to the fiberglass Stowe we've had for 10 years. We outgrew the old canoe and looked for a boat that would handle my wife and I, our dog and gear for a week. After paddling several Wenonah's Bells and a Swift, we purchased the Norhtwind as the best of the bunch.

The boat handles like a dream empty or with a full load. Plenty of glide and stability. During heavy winds the boat stayed dry. This is a purchase that exceeded our expectations. Meeting up with 2 other couples for a week trip in Canada this year, low and behold, one of the other couples had purchased a Northwind in Royalex. We were both pleased with the Bell product.

5

I started my search for our…

Submitted by: paddler229907 on 9/3/2002
I started my search for our new canoe at Canoecopia in March. I had an open mind to any brand and model that would best suit our needs. I was looking for a top performing canoe for my wife and I for day tripping and a once a year week long trip. We are an athletic 50 years old. I wanted a center seat for an occasional solo or three person outing. After attending several demo days and trying any canoe that would be a good choice from Bell, Mad River, and Wenonah, I came to the following conclusions.

There are major differences in models. The canoes must be tested on water to see these differences. If you can not demo a canoe, do not buy it. Bell and Mad River had several demo days that we were able to attend. We also did demos at the different dealers. The dealer’s recommendations were a start, but I often liked a different canoe better. After the demos, we decided on a Kevlar canoe over Royalex for performance and weight. The Wenonah dealers recommended the Spirit II. I liked the Wenonah Escape the best of the Wenonahs. The Escape was fast, but it could have turned easier. It had good load capacity and handled rough water. The fit and finish of the Wenonahs did not compare to the Mad River and Bell. Wenonah’s weight advantage vanished when a gel coat and wood gunnels were added. The aluminum gunnels were hot to touch and noisy.

The Mad River Explorer was the Mad River model recommended by the dealers. I did not like its performance. I felt like it was a Volvo station wagon. Getting into a Malecite was a night and day difference. The Malecite was fast but stable. Its down side was its limited load capacity, and it did not handle rough water as well as the Escape. The fit and finish of the Mad River canoes was very good.

The dealers recommended the Bell Northstar. The Northstar was very fast and turned well, but was very unstable. It was the only canoe the I paddled that had a stability problem. I always felt that any wrong movement would put us in the water. We then tried the Northwind. The Northwind had it all. It had the speed of the Escape and Northstar. It turned much better than the Escape. The Escape has no rocker whereas all of the other canoes have some rocker. The Northwind had the stability that the Northstar did not have. The Northwind had the load capacity and could handle rough water that the Malecite could not handle. The Bells had the best fit and finish of all of the canoes we looked at although the Mad Rivers were almost as good.

We purchased the Bell Northwind in the Black Gold Kevlar Graphite material, wood gunnels, sliding front seat, foot brace, and removable center seat. We chose the almond color as it does not show scratches like darker colors. It weighs 52 ponds without the center seat. Our testing was fun and essential in finding the best canoe for our needs. We are very please with the canoe and feel that we made the best choice.

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I used the kevlar with clear…

Submitted by: paddler229789 on 7/8/2002
I used the kevlar with clear gel coat. I loved it. It has very good secondary stability! Initial stability is much better than others I have paddled. It handles great! it looks cool.
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Note: Royalex version is 16'…

Submitted by: paddler229197 on 4/23/2001
Note: Royalex version is 16' 6". I think I am one of the first around to own a Bell Northwind in Royalex. The royalex version is a foot shorter than its counter parts at 16' 6". It only weights 63 LBS and is a dam good looking canoe. I have only paddled it on moving water thus far and I have been very happy with its performance. Both days of paddleing have been very windy(25-30 MPH with gusts around 35 MPH). The canoe handled as well as I would expect in those heavy winds. The canoe was surpringly fast and very manuverable. Tracking was good, even with the high winds, but not great. Stability, primary and secondary, was great with just two paddlers and very little gear. I would assume that stability would only get better as weight is added. I am 6' 1" 210 lbs and I fit in the bow and stearn with ample room to spare. I am looking forward to really loading the canoe up with gear and my wife and son for an extended trip. From what I have seen it only seems that every thing will get better as it is loaded. Two brief notes in finishing. First, I rated this canoe an 8 not for any specific deficiency but because I can only say for certain that this canoe is better than 80% of the canoes ever made. I really like this canoe and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great general purpose tripping/family/fishing/moving water canoe. And lastly, if anyone out there is thinking of buying a Royalex canoe make sure you get vinly trim so you don't have to worry about cold cracking.
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At 17'6" this vessel is a bit…

Submitted by: paddler229188 on 4/16/2001
At 17'6" this vessel is a bit long for the average solo paddler, but as a tandem, this boat really moves and tracks quite well. Even a brisk cross-wind doesn't seem to critically affect the overall performance. As a large paddler (6'8," 275#), I find little difficulty paddling this craft solo. Kneeling just aft of the center portaging thwart or sitting on a couple "Mae West" lifejackets provide a stable platform for extended fly-casting. I am able to effectively stand (not recommended) while flyfishing and secondary stability is quite good. I would highly recommend this canoe for a pair of experienced paddlers or a solo paddler of large proportions. Mine is the BlackGold Graphite/Kevlar composite and though spendy, it should provide a great platform for many years.