“have owned a 20-foot Winnipeg Yawl for over 30 years.
The first time a saw one was in the fall of 1993. My dad, brother, and a wonderful friend were late-fall fishing for lake trout and northerns in a large lake in Saskatchewan when we watched a family of indigenous people making a crossing in some very large waves. We had been struggling with the rough water in our boat but their vessel was carrying them without effort or distress.
We were so impressed that after we returned to port, we asked the locals about “the boat”. We learned that it was a Winnipeg Yawl. I purchased one as soon as I was able, and I have been using it ever since.
I love the Winnipeg Yawl because its semi-displacement hull, which combines elements of displacement and planing hulls, allows the boat to travel at any speed. This is especially important when quartering into a heavy chop, when being on-plane can be extremely jarring to the boat and it’s passengers. By adjusting the speed of the boat and the load, the Winnipeg Yawl can handle nearly any sea.
We have used our Yawl for numerous family cruising and exploration trips including crossing the west end of Lake Superior from Two Harbors to the Apostle Island National Seashore; the Canadian islands along the north coast of Lake Superior; the labyrinthian channels of the Mississippi River near Lansing Iowa; the maze of islands in beautiful Lake of the Woods.
The Yawl has performed well regardless of the task – cruising, hauling freight, or fishing. I love my Winnipeg Yawl. I feel safe in it in either rough or smooth water. I think you will too!”
Rodney Johnson, Two Harbors, Minnesota
