This ultimate expedition canoe hauls amazing loads, yet is easy to handle.
Versatile enough for all-around use, the Itasca is an extreme design -- a seeming contradiction that takes some explaining.
This is our highest volume tandem, giving it huge capacity and rock-solid initial stability. This 37"-wide hull has lots of reserve buoyancy so that it scoffs at big waves, even when heavily loaded.
Large as it is, the Itasca handles like a smaller canoe. The wide and slightly-rockered hull turns much faster than you'd expect of its 19' length.
Notice, too, that the gunwales pull in strongly at the seats for a much better paddle reach than otherwise would be possible. It travels well partly because you can apply efficient strokes. While not as fast as our Minnesota II, the Itasca carries more weight.
This hull carries more while retaining better glide than any other tandem making it the perfect choice for extreme voyages.
It travels quickly if lightly loaded as well, making the Itasca ideal for coastal touring, or wherever waves can be huge.
Many people feel a canoe should be 16' or 17' long, but the Itasca illustrates a different point: Only a longer hull can combine excellent paddling, capacity, seaworthiness, and stability. These varied aspects make the Itasca a superb canoe. A small loss of maneuverability results from its length, but a bit of paddling skill will fix that.