Tell me stories about canoeing

[koyote]

oh. man. I just promised jessica that with Leif getting other stuff for his birthdya I'd shut up about a canoe or inflatable (we live VERY close to some great walk in areas that would work best for inflatables). Now.... I just can't afford one right now, but Leif and I both want to get into it so bad. We both mis being liveaboard cruisers, even though he was a bare toddler at the time.

 

[Joel Stave]

...so my sweetie and I were vacationing at Arcadia State Park in Maine sometime around 1990 or so (I don't think we were even married yet). We had rented an aluminum canoe and were out for a paddle. It was quite windy, so we headed into the wind (so we could rest on the way back).

We were paddling pretty hard as we rounded a point of land and saw, barreling down on us, a huge dark wall of clouds, intermittently illuminated from within by lightning. Our responses to this were slightly different:

Me: "Holy crap! Time to turn around and paddle furiously back to land!"

Her: "Ooohh! Lookit! Where's the camera?"

Me: "What?!? We have to get off the water!"

Her: "I'm just going to take a couple pictures. Hang on."

So I sat there, musing on the intricacies of romantic relationships between engineers and artists, while she happily snapped pictures and a bazillion watts of electrified death loomed closer to us and our aluminum canoe.

Once she'd taken a half-dozen or so pictures, and the Wall Of Electrified Death (WOED) was close enough that even Psycho Artist Lady allowed as how we might want to leave, we turned around and paddled like hell.

But not fast enough. A few minutes after we'd started back, there was a huge crack of thunder and we just turned and paddled to the closest point of land. We spent the storm (a real rip-snorter) huddled under the porch of someone's cabin.

After the storm passed, everything settled down and we had a very nice few hours of paddling around the (now almost windless) lake. When we brought the canoe back, the folks who rented it to us mentioned that they'd started getting a little worried but figured we were OK, since "you seemed to know what you were doing". I didn't mention the camera.

These pictures have nothing to do with the story, but they're of us canoeing so, I figured I'd attach them. They're of us on Lake Moraine in British Colombia in 2007. I love the color of the water.

(click on the thumbnails to see the pictures much larger)

 

[ZombaiO]

Mentor those pictures are awsome !!!
Especially the last one - it's incredible !!!

 

[desmobob]

Get a canoe (or two)!

Many years ago, I moved from Maryland back home to upstate NY. When I got settled in, I sold my old motorcycle roadrace bike and bought a canoe. It was cheap fiberglass White, made in Old Town, ME. I was happy with it and used it frequently for fun and fishing.


Lots of years later, I wrecked it -- it was upside-down in the yard near the driveway, and my truck slid off the driveway (ice storm) and smashed it. I used the insurance money to buy another canoe. I did some research and went shopping. A nearby canoe outfitter was selling off some rentals and I bought a Mad River Eclipse for a good price.

It had been a blemished model, and was stamped "BLEM" in red letters inside the hull, under the gunwhale near the stern. That canoe was wonderful! It made me realize immediately that there is a big difference between a cheap canoe and a real canoe. I enjoyed paddling so much more, I did more research and eventually bought two more canoes; both high-end Bells -- a Northwind and a Magic.

But the Mad River boat was my main utility canoe and was used the most.

It did a lot of hunting-- deer, ducks and moose! To the surprise of the outfitter, I brought it along on a moose hunt in Quebec and my buddy and I used it extensively during the week. I towed it to our camp with the small boat the outfitter included with the hunt.

We used the camp as our base, and paddled the canoe into some big marshes along the lake and a river that emptied into it. My hunting buddy took this photo of me paddling from the treestand he was hunting from:

My hunting partner also fell in love with the Eclipse. We decided it was far too nice a boat to bear the "BLEM" label; we thought maybe it wasn't a blemished model after all... maybe it belonged to a dyslexic named Mel B. and he stamped his name inside, backwards! From then on, the canoe was (and is) referred to as "Mel B."

Several years ago, I decided to try my luck in the 7 1/2-mile downriver race in the Hudson River Whitewater Derby in North Creek, NY. My partner and I had a little mishap and did some swimming, but managed to finish in fifth place. Mel B. got a little scuffed up:

I bought a new seat and a pair of new aluminum gunwhales and put him back together again. He looks as good as the day I bought him. I raced him two more years in the one man open canoe class and got second and sixth place finshes. Here's the start, in the flat water. I'm out in front and stayed that way most of the race. I finished second that year.

Mel B. still gets more use than my other two canoes. Here are a couple of shots from duck hunting:

The two Bell canoes I have are absolutely wonderful, but no canoe will EVER have the sentimental value to me that ol' Mel B. has.

My advice to you is do some research and learn about canoe hull design and construction materials. You'll be able to pick a canoe that is best suited for what you intend to use it for. Mad River has good tutorial on their website: http://www.madrivercanoe.com/pages/index/resources/all_about_canoes

My choice for a very versatile canoe design would be a Mad River Explorer. The choice of Royalex, Kevlar or Triple-Tough hull material would be based on your intended usage.

If you want an almost zero-maintenance (but loud and heavy) canoe, Alumicraft or Grumman are fine boats.

A good canoe costs more than a sporting goods store type, but is worth it! If you don't want to spend a lot, consider buying a used one like I did. You won't know what you're missing unless you buy a well-designed canoe!



Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[Snow]

Dang, great responses so far!! Thanks to everyone for the stories and pictures. You guys are fueling my obsession. Keep them coming!

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

My lady snapped this photo of me out on the lake recently.

 

[Shotgun]

I got a question, are you supposed to sit or kneel in a canoe? My buddy said he always kneels but I would think that would get painful after awhile.

 

[DWK2]

I kneel in whitewater or when doing serious maneuvering. I also kneel periodically just to vary the position of my spine and other joints. But most of my flatwater time is spent sitting.

You want to have your boat set up for kneeling or it can get a bit uncomfortable.

I also like to have a full spray cover on an expedition boat. It makes whitewater much more runnable and helps keep the rain and cold wind off your legs. Also keeps rain out of the boat and off your gear (although the vast majority of gear will be in dry bags, etc.).

DancesWithKnives

 

[Loosearrow]

I did a lot of canoeing when I was younger, including some extended wilderness trips. Its been a while but I was thinking of getting myself a canoe again, too.


Heh. Check out Canoeing with the Cree by Eric Sevareid. Its the true story of he and a friend canoeing from MN to Hudson Bay back in the 1930's. Classic canoe literature! :thumbup:


Grumman aluminum canoes are generally heavier and noisier than the various composite and plastic boats available these days. On the other hand with only modest care they will last for decades. Since they do last so long, they are also widely available on the second hand market for pretty good prices (1/2 or even less the cost of a new one). I admit to having a soft spot in my heart for Gummans. I learned to canoe at Scout camp in one and did most of my wilderness tripping in them.

I have 3 aluminum canoes. 12 ft sea king from sears for pond jumping. 17 ft beat up river canoe to load out. 19 ft Grumman square back freighter that I put a 5 hp gas motor on. Goes about 12 mph. Heavy for 1 person but you can live out of it with two guys.

 

[desmobob]

I got a question, are you supposed to sit or kneel in a canoe? My buddy said he always kneels but I would think that would get painful after awhile.

When paddling a tandem canoe solo, kneeling near the center is ideal. Kneeling is also preferred for rough water/whitewater because it lowers your center of gravity.

Kneeling gives you the control necessary to lean the boat for easier turning, etc. I like to kneel and have my canoes outfitted with kneeling pads.

I think 95% of recreational canoers prefer to sit. That certainly works too!

One thing I forgot to add in my first post to Snow: You may want to pick up the book, "Path of the Paddle," by Bill Mason. It's a fantastic primer on canoeing... very highly recommended. Proper technique makes the sport far more enjoyable and safer. The vast majority of canoers I see on the water don't appear to know basic paddling technique. Poor technique can make canoeing frustrating at worst; inefficient at best.


"There's nothing . . . absolutely nothing . . . half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats."

Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows (River Rat to Mole)

Stay sharp,
desmobob

 

[j williams]

Great thread... Loving the pics, and stories...

 

[mdauben]

I got a question, are you supposed to sit or kneel in a canoe? My buddy said he always kneels but I would think that would get painful after awhile.

I learned to canoe by kneeling, and yes, it does get uncomfortable unless you have some supplemental padding under your knees. In white water or when crossing big water in bad weather, kneeling is still the way to go but for calm days and flat water the seats that most canoes have these days is much preferred. :thumbup:

 

[texastonydobbs]

When the Salt river is low, its been high for two years now, I canoe often. Mostly solo. Its one of my favorite things to do. I fish and catch lots of them with a canoe . The craft mostly takes me to the fishing spots where I wade. A canoe is hard to control and fish at the same time. I often tether it to me . I have a plastic Old Town Guide , 14 foot. No keel. It bounces over rock bars better than aluminum and there is no keel to snag on rocks. Id rather canoe a small stream than motor on big waters. I see all kinds of wildlife. Heres a pic , tethered to me , fish in hand , knife on belt.

Great Thread I picked up a Used (lightly) OTG Canoe yesterday for $100(looks identical to your dip) can not wait to used it...

 

[Guyon]

desmobob, I really enjoyed reading about Mel B. :thumbup:

 

[KEmSAT-Survival]

Bonus points awarded for pictures.

I have always wanted to have a canoe or kayak to explore the local rivers and streams with. When I was a kid, I read a lot of western books about native Americans and pioneers. I specifically remember reading about Hiawatha and thinking his canoe was awesome. Huck Finn was a classic, of course. Who wouldn't want to float down the Mississippi on a raft? There's something very American about the idea of taking a small watercraft out on an adventure.

Lately I have started to become obsessed with the idea of getting a canoe, but I think it will be a while. I got my latest issue of the Backwoodsman the other day and there was a cool story about a guy who built his own canoe and took it on a 4 day trip down a river. That only made things worse. I need you guys to help me live vicariously.

Show me pictures of your canoes, kayaks, or boats of any type and tell stories about adventures you've had. If nobody posts, I might even offer a prize for the best pics and story!

I know what you mean. I'm thinking very seriously about pulling the trigger on a Pelican Colorado in the near future. Dick's has them on clearance right now for $299. So that's making it even worse.

 

[silenthunterstudios]

jon boats?

 

[rawhide_clyde]

No matter canoe, kayak, or inflatable. No matter if you paddle whitewater, quietwater or saltwater, it's all good!

Quitewater paddling in flooded timberland.

Pirates Shredding on the Nantahala.

Some whitewater openboating.

 

[koyote]

I love this thread. As much as I want a nice canoe, I'm considering for the calm putah creek and local lakes (hennessey and berryessa) I may go with the nicer inflatable rowboats for a while. The important thing is to get the kids out on the calm water, and it's going to often be one adult with two young children, and trying to portage a 15 foot plastic canoe with that isn't going to work well.

But I think I agree with clyde in this case. I have no realistic way to take my son overnight camping via canoe this year....

 

[popedandy]

Here are a couple of pix of some boats I built. The only one I still have is the kayak with the woodstrip deck and white hull:

 

[DWK2]

Those are gorgeous---especially the boat your little girl is paddling. I love the woodwork!

DancesWithKnives