The Winnipeg Yawl

I have owned a 20-foot Winnipeg Yawl for over 30 years. I first saw one in the fall of 1993, while my dad, my brother, a wonderful friend, and I were fishing for lake trout and northerns on a large lake in Saskatchewan. We watched an Indigenous family cross the lake in very large waves. While we had been struggling with the rough water in our boat, their vessel carried them without effort or distress.

We were so impressed that, after returning 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 combines elements of displacement and planing hulls, allowing the boat to travel comfortably at a wide range of speeds.

This is especially important when quartering into a heavy chop, when traveling on plane can be extremely jarring to the boat and its passengers. By adjusting the boat’s speed and load, the Winnipeg Yawl can handle nearly any sea.

We have used our Yawl for numerous family cruising and exploration trips, including crossing the western end of Lake Superior from Two Harbors to Apostle Islands National Lakeshore; exploring the Canadian islands along Lake Superior’s north shore; navigating the labyrinthine channels of the Mississippi River near Lansing, Iowa; and traveling through 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 on both rough and calm water, and I think you will, too.

Rodney Johnson, Two Harbors, Minnesota