Hou 13 Canoe Junior Tandem
A compact 13ft canoe, solo at heart but set up as a junior tandem — ideal for teaching a child or young adult to paddle two-up, or for two smaller paddlers sharing a boat.
Hand-built in Norfolk on the same Peterborough-lineage "baby Prospector" hull as the Hou 13 Solo, and much lighter to manage than a full-size tandem.
Hou Canoes are currently running a Duralite Special in partnership with The Boathouse. This is on selected Hou Canoes boats such as the Hou Phoenix, Prospector and 13. See the description drop down for more info or click here to see the Duralite Special.
Please note that some images may not show the exact configuration you have chosen.
Hou 13 Junior Tandem
A Solo Hull That Doubles Up as a Junior Tandem
The Hou 13 Junior Tandem starts life as the same 13'3" "baby Prospector" hull as our Hou 13 Solo — a genuinely pedigreed shape tracing back to UK canoe-builder Colin Broadway's Mobile Adventure moulds and, before that, a classic Peterborough Canoe Company design. Rather than being a separate model, this is that same solo hull set up to be paddled two-up, which is exactly why it responds so much faster to paddle input than a full-size 15–16ft tandem canoe: less hull to turn, quicker feedback for a learner, and far easier to carry and manage off the water once you're done.
Built for Teaching, Not for Two Adults
Be honest with yourself about who this boat is for before you order: it's built for a parent or instructor teaching a child or young adult to paddle tandem, or for two genuinely smaller/lighter paddlers sharing a boat — not for two average-sized adults. The Hou 13 Junior Tandem's 110kg carrying capacity is the maximum combined weight of both paddlers together, not per person, and a 13ft hull this compact simply isn't sized the way a standard tandem is for two full-grown adults. If that's what you need, take a look at our Hou Phoenix Tandem or one of our full-size Silverbirch/Hou tandems instead — this page is for the smaller-crew job specifically.
Where It Performs Best
At home on flatwater and calm moving water — lakes, slow rivers, sheltered estuaries and large lochs in settled conditions. Its shallow rocker and fine bow/stern profile mean it turns easily with light paddle and body input while still holding a straight line, so a learner gets fast, clear feedback without the boat feeling twitchy or unforgiving.
Built in Britain, Three-Layer Strong
Every Hou 13 is made from polyethylene in a three-layer foam-core sandwich construction, hand-built at our own Norfolk workshop rather than imported and assembled elsewhere — real quality control from mould to finished boat. In this tandem configuration it starts at 23kg, still light enough to manage off the water without help. First quality Hou 13's carry the same 2-year manufacturer's warranty for personal use as the rest of the Hou range, covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal conditions.
Make It Yours
Standard spec pairs the solo hull with a second seat and thwart for tandem teaching use. If you'd like a different yoke, trim height, lacing, end grabs or a lighter Duralite construction upgrade, let us know when you order and we'll help you configure it.
Legacy Hou Canoes
Please note that some images show legacy Hou models and may feature previous Hou Canoes branding and older components, including gunwales, seats and yokes. Current Hou Canoes are now available with the same range of outfitting options as our Silverbirch Canoes. We still offer ongoing support for Legacy Hou Canoes, therefore if you have any enquiries regarding spare parts or repairs for a Legacy or current Hou Canoe model, contact us using the workshop services form.
For current Hou Canoes parts, visit the Canoe Parts & Repair Kits Page.
Deliveries
Once your boat is ready, delivery to mainland UK addresses usually takes 10–15 days. We'll contact you to arrange a convenient delivery date and time once production is complete.
If you prefer, you're also welcome to collect your canoe directly from our facility.
See full delivery details here.
Warranty
Typically, 1st quality boats have a 2-year manufacturer’s warranty for personal use (B2C) – covering defects in materials and workmanship under normal use.
An Insight Into Canoe Set Up Options, Materials & Outfitting
FAQs
Yes — it's the same 13'3" hull, configured with a second seat and thwart for tandem paddling rather than sold as a separate design.
110kg is the maximum combined weight of both paddlers together, not per person. It's a genuinely compact limit, which is why this boat is built for a parent-and-child pairing or two smaller paddlers rather than two average-sized adults.
Not usually — its 110kg combined capacity and compact 13ft length are built for a teaching pairing or two smaller/lighter paddlers. Two average-sized adults should look at our Hou Phoenix Tandem or a full-size tandem canoe instead.
The Hou 13 Junior Tandem is a compact solo hull configured for junior or smaller-paddler tandem use. The Hou Phoenix Tandem is a larger boat, around 14ft, built as a genuine tandem for adult paddlers who mostly go solo but occasionally want a second seat.
Yes — its shorter length responds much faster to paddle input than a full-size tandem, so a child or young adult learning to paddle gets quicker, clearer feedback on their strokes.
Specifications
| Quality | Premium or 2nd Quality |
| Colour | Blue or Forest or Firebrick Red or Purple |
| Trim Height | Low-Line Trim or High-line trim |
| End grabs | No rope end grabs or Yellow with black fleck or Orange with black fleck |
| Seating | 2 x wood/web seats or 3 x wood/web seats or 2 x Wood Web Front Sailing Seat |
| Yoke | Standard Yoke or Deep Dish Yoke or No Yoke |
| Kneeling thwart | No kneeling thwart or Fitted kneeling thwart |
| Lacing | None or End Black or Full Black or End Yellow or Full Yellow or End Orange or Full Orange or End Red or Full Red or End Electric Blue or Full Electric Blue or End Pink or Full Pink or End White or Full White or End Purple or Full Purple or End Grey or Full Grey or End Forest or Full Forest or End Lime or Full Lime or End Blue or Full Blue |
| Packaging | Sleeved or Unwrapped |
| Construction | Duracore plus or Duralite |
| Model | Polyethylene |
| Internal Colour | White (standard) |
| Gunwales | Vinyl Gunwales |
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