Paddling into 2014

Paddle sizing is a very personal choice. A lot of variable are involved. I have four different paddle lengths myself, two of which I have come to use the most. One school of thought is to measure one to your armpit when standing. This doesn't make sense to me because people have different leg and torso lengths, thus when seated in the canoe, it doesn't matter how long your legs are. What matters is your torso length, seat to shoulder. So I sit, pit the grip on the seat (chair) between my legs and want the throat of the blade to start around my chin. But that is just a place to start. Your canoe seat height and paddling station width matter too. How far is it vertical from your butt to the water? How far out from center will you need to reach?

So the seated measure method is a good starting point, IMHO. I suggest that you buy a cheap "snake beater" (ABS blade, aluminum shaft, Tee or pear grip) Mohawk or Carslile paddle or two. Around $25-30. A stern paddler will likely need/want a shorter paddle since they have the narrowest paddling station. A bow paddler will want/need one a tad longer since that station is wider. A solo (center) paddler will want a longer paddle still since their station is typically wider still. Thus I have a "quiver" of cheap paddles which I choose from depending on the canoe I am paddling and my position. I only bought a more expensive laminated wood paddle in the length that suits my solo canoe and, it also works for stern station in my wider canoe when I tandem.

What should I use on the hull?
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Chances are that what you are seeing is chalked gelcoat, not paint. You can buff it with car compound (white) after washing it well with mean green or the like. Then finish off with 303 Aerospace Protectant, applied lightly and wiped/buffed by hand. I don't suggest using car wax myself, though I hear some people do. Again though I would be interested in hearing what others suggest. My way is by no means the only way and not always the best.
 
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I hit the Current river last week from Baptist Camp Access to Cedargrove. My lady and I camped two nights a little bit down from Baptist. We had a ton of gear and dragged a ton in the canoe. I would advise anyone carrying a good amount of gear/doing a multiple night trip to float from Aker's Ferry down. I'm going back with a group of guys this Friday and am gonna do a 4 day trip from Williams Landing(near Jerktail Landing) to Two Rivers. It's only a 12 mile trip but we like to canoe to a nice camp spot and setup for a couple days.

I would like to try the Buffalo river some day but have been spoiled with the clear spring fed water in the Current I'm afraid to change it up. I'm also gonna be on the Lake of the Ozarks this Summer and was thinking about trying the Little Niangua River but don't know a damn thing about it.
 
There is a lot of info available online now for most rivers, including the Little Niangua River.

http://www.missouricanoe.org/river-maps/littleniangua.html
http://www.nrocanoe.com/float.html
http://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/places-go/natural-areas/little-niangua-river
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?site_no=06925250

The last link is the USGS water level gauge for that river.

The Current is indeed a nice river. And it is hard to justify exploring others if your "current" favorite fits your style and expectations nicely. At the correct water level, I don't think the Buffalo would disappoint you.
 
Here is a new video for you. AETN, Arkansas Educational Television Network produces films in and about Arkansas. In this first clip, narrator Chuck Dovish and Mike Mills, owner/operator of BOC on the Buffalo River take an 88 year young lady on he first canoe trip. Excellent scenery and good commentary by Mike Mills. The rest of the segments look at other Arkansas rivers and streams from a paddling perspective. Hope you enjoy it.

[video]http://www.aetn.org/programs/exploringarkansas/august_2014[/video]
 
I've taken three more paddling breaks over the past two weeks.

Only took pictures of two.

Went a pothole lake Lower Goose it is called, and paddled up the chanel that connects it to the upper goose lake. We beached, and got out to hike up to a waterfall.
Here is the waterfall.



Then we hiked back over and down to the canoes and let the kids play in the water.










We went camping this last weekend and I took another float down a swifter waterway.

A woman died right were we were, so I was a bit more cautious.rhis is right by the camp site.













We paddled down the Frenchman for 1.5 hours. We dumped 3 times. We had to pull over and dump out the Canoe 5 times. We lost one paddle, and broke the canoe.

We hit a hole with a large wave behind it. It snapped the left gunwale instantly! Without hitting any thing else.

We were both pretty sore and banged up by the end. I'm thinking I'm going to have to replace it with ash, because the original costs too much to ship. The part is 100, with a 250 shipping bill.

I can get ash gunwales for 200.



The younger boy caught a frog....
 
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Very nice! And that looked like a pretty mean sluice! Ed's Canoes and others have the breakdown ash gunnels which ship at a reasonable price and which Mewolf tells me are easy to install. Sorry to hear about the damage. I bet you double up on the spare paddles from now on too!

My last canoe trip was 1,830 miles. Both canoes passed inspections for invasive species on the trip. The Old Town is still on the canoe trailer and the Bell is hanging in the shop waiting for me to clean and polish it. Our weather is supposed to warm back up next week and we will be taking both to a local lake to give the family an orientation paddle. Then likely find a calm section of the Snake River nearby for a couple hour downriver trip. Camping out of the RV trailer and cooking on the grill. I understand that we still have some weeks before the first snow and Jake and I, my daughter and grandkids hope to take advantage of the last bit of good weather.
 
While home last week I got in the canoe once. I tried salmon fishing in it and went 3 miles to the ocean and then three miles back home. That was one long 6 mile trek. I still hurt from it.
I'd do it again in a heartbeat though.:D
 
We did go to the local lake last weekend and had a blast. My daughter, who has been canoeing with me since age 4, picked it back up like a champ. First she and I tandemed in the Morningstar, then I let her take it out solo. The Bell is like a sportscar compared to the Old TOwn, but she adapted quickly and really enjoyed the experience, though still leary of heeling the canoe and using the secondary stability to make her dance. Looks like that canoe will be hers in my will.

My SIL took the Old Town with the two kids, ages 11 and five. Aubree, the five year old, has been canoeing with me and her mom before so took to it right off. The 11 year old, Shalie was reluctant to try even. But relented and enjoyed the experience finally. She is naturally shy of trying new things and her dad is a bit to stern with her, IMHO, so I think her next trip will be as my own bowman and she will learn to relax and enjoy it more. My SIL is built like a fireplug, over 300# and this was his first experience in a canoe. He was enthusiastic and did surprisingly well, both solo and with the two girls on board. He is heavy, but has great upper body strength and made upwind runs on the lake like a champ. He shows promise. But I can forsee the need to reinforce the ash and cane seat with a mini-cell foam pedestal support. Sag menacingly it did!

All in all it was a great baptism of the Red Canoe Fleet in Idaho waters, and a good intro paddle for the neophytes to canoeing. No one tipped and the weather was warm but not hot. Breeze was refreshing but not daunting.
 
As I discovered canoeing across America, much to my chagrin, the Bell Morningstar won't fit the lower deck of the canoe trailer. Yet. The upper deck will be raised by six inches soon and it will haul two just fine.

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Sorry I have missed this thread, as, for the most part, I'm in the custom forum and knife makers forum.
I've had a Dagger Sojourn for while now for canoeing in the BWCA, but in honor of my 60th birthday present, I made this over the last two months.
I'm headed into the BWCA on a solo trip in a week to celebrate:
























 
Codger_64 said:
Our weather is supposed to warm back up next week and we will be taking both to a local lake to give the family an orientation paddle. Then likely find a calm section of the Snake River nearby for a couple hour downriver trip. Camping out of the RV trailer and cooking on the grill. I understand that we still have some weeks before the first snow and Jake and I, my daughter and grandkids hope to take advantage of the last bit of good weather.
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Well, I am jealous. I have rafted a section on the snake river. The South Fork of the Snake River, in Swan Valley Idaho.

I have also rafted down the snake at Jackson Hole WY, (completely different experience from the south fork in Swan Valley!)
 
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Codger, I'm glad you found a place to paddle in Idaho. And thanks for starting this thread! It's been a fun one.

Karl, this whole thread has been great, but I think those pics of your boat might be the best thing about it! That is one beautiful canoe! Wow!
 
I did manage to get a few outdoor pictures and was able to get her on the water one time!
Once.
And there was snow on my truck this morning.
Probably won't make the BW this fall.
Next spring.










 
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