Canoeing

[CoastalDefender]

Who does it here? I did it a few times in summer camp when I was a young lad. But not since then.

Until today.

I got this canoe last spring, and was so busy with work that I never got around to getting a PFD or actually getting out there and just doing it.

I also got a decent PFD. Though I'm a strong swimmer, I found it supremely dangerous and stupid to go out into the ocean without a PFD on at the least. So I have been holding myself back from doing it in this great weather we've had, until my PFD showed up on Tues.

So, I've got a Coleman (Pelican) 16' canoe in firecracker red, two Scepter water cans full of water for the front (ballast), my daypack, PFD, 20' nylon line, GPS, and a paddle.

I need a bit more ballast up front, I was uneven in the water. I'm thinking 50lbs more, and it will be perfect.


I launched and paddled for two hours against current from Elk River to John's River (both in Grays Harbor). I didn't do my GPS correctly when I started off, but I estimate it was anywhere from 4-6mi.

I have to be honest, it was a spur-of-the-moment because work was only 3hrs today, and it was such a beautiful day, and I had the time. The tides were also in my (mostly) favor.

So I started out just getting a feel for the canoe, saw how it handled in the water and what I could expect out of it. I attained a 6mph with-current speed, and a 2mph against-current speed. I prefer with-current, but with the tide going out, I ended up being against-current all day.

Few things I learned-
-Unevenly loaded boat makes it more difficult to steer.
-River mouths are very tricky to navigate. The conflicting currents really throw the boat around.
-Take more water than you plan on consuming. Like 3x as much.
-I need a foam seat or something. The 36 degree water made my rear numb within the first 30min.
-I need dry-bags for my gear. It didn't get terribly wet, but I was certainly concerned about a tipover and losing it all. Dry-bags appear to not be cheap.
-I am going to be taking two or three paddles from now on. At one point it occured to me that if my paddle broke, I would be SCREWED, and most likely require rescue/tow from the USCG.
-I am going to dummy-cord the paddles and my ankle to the boat with some 550 cord. Why not, right?



I am so whooped right now. My upper body is destroyed. I loved every second of it, and can't wait to go back out there again.



*An extremely regional note of some significance- The waters out in the Harbor are so shallow, that just a drop of a few inches during low tide exposes hundreds of yards of mudflats and shore. You really need to be aware of the tides and where you are in the Harbor before you go out in it. Even when I was 4-500ft off teh shoreline, I was no more than 2ft deep waters. Often I would scrape paddle on the bottom, and that would lead me to put more distance between me and shoreline.

I quickly learned the difference on the surface of the water of how deep the water was underneath it. It's best to find yourself in the deepest part of the river/channel/harbor. No sense in getting stuck somewhere you can't leave until high tide.

 

[kerry]

I haven't paddled many coastal river mouths, but I've paddled lots of rivers. If you are going to tie yourself to the boat, make sure you have a quick release mechanism at your end.
For waterproofing gear I prefer barrels and buckets. A 5 gallon bucket with a retrofitted spin on lid (Gamma lid) won't cost you more than $10. All gear tied securely to the bottom of your boat acts as flotation should the boat swamp. Rectangular 15 gallon barrels from US Plastics are probably running around $40.
When paddling solo, paddling from the center is preferable, but if you have no center seat, turning the boat around and paddling from the front seat facing the stern will usually put you closer to the center of the boat in a more optimal paddling position.
If I was paddling in 36 degree water I'd be wearing a drysuit (or at least a wetsuit). 20 minutes in the water without one of those and you're history.

http://www.amazon.com/Gamma-Plastics-Vittles-Buckets-bucket/dp/B000M5SI2A

http://www.usplastic.com/catalog/product.asp?catalog_name=USPlastic&category_name=25&product_id=292

 

[CoastalDefender]

Thanks for the tips.

I'm headed out in the morning, and I decided today to throw the wetsuit on for tomorrow.

The bucket idea is great! What's a good way to secure them to the boat?

 

[kerry]

Depends on what your boat is made out of. I put three straps of polyester webbing and Fastex buckles on the bucket and 3 vinyl patches with d-rings glued to the bottom of the boat with matching fastex buckle. If your boat is Royalex, this will work. Royalite boats wont hold vinyl as well, if at all. Polyethylene boats can be glued to but some need to be gone over with a propane torch before glueing. Epoxy and webbing also works in some circumstances. The manufacturer should be able to tell you what will work.

Here's some example of the vinyl d rings. I usually make my own.

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2097

 

[openboat]

Canoe Paddler here...

I'm a very experienced whitewater and flatwater canoe paddler. My first piece of advice is to consider a canoe that can be paddled from mid-canoe. That's the standard position for solo boating. Most center position boats have either a seat or a pedestal (for support in a kneeling position). You will be somewhat limited to a more narrow boat, but believe me, that's the only place to sit in a solo boat.

2. Buy the best PDF you can afford.
3. Dress for the water, not the air (invest in a dry suit if you going to get into the sport. Wet suits are cold.)
3. Take a moving water class--there's lots of moving sea water, right?
4. Yup, a good spare paddle is required (tie it into the boat, not to you).

PM me if you want to know more... Lots of free advice, which is, as they say, worth what you pay for it. obt

 

[Colorado David]

Not all boats can be turned to paddle from the front seat, but your Coleman boat is symetrical and you can do that. You can also get knee pads or glue knee padding material to the hull of your boat and paddle from a kneeling position. If your bow rides higher on a windy day you will always find the wind at your back no matter how badly you want to go the other direction. You've started down a slippery slope. Canoes are wonderful craft. You may find youself owning several or lusting after special boats, like a cedar strip canoe.

 

[BIGdaddy]

I have a vintage old town that I'm restoring. y'all are getting me excited to get back into it.

its a sailing model and I also plan on fabricating an outrigger for stability.

 

[T.Low]

Congrats on discovering the joy of paddling! You've been captivated by the spirit of moving across the water via body, boat, and blade. A most intimate adventure experience, for sure.

It was my life for almost 20 yrs as I worked in the paddling industry and have been able to meet the most wonderful people and paddle some amazing places around the world.

I ended up moving to Bellingham just for the paddling.

Openboat, I commend you as much on your diplomacy as your knowledge and experience. You obviously know as well as I that there are plenty of Safety Nazis out there that will pounce and severely reprimand the beginner for cheating death trying to learn as they go.


You are exactly right about losing the paddle (as there is an old proverb about it already!). Its a bit of a catch 22 as tying it to your person will keep it from getting seperated from you, but it can (and has in real life experiences) get tangled amongst your self in case of capsize, and/or tangled in kelp etc. and become quite the safety hazard instead of the safety device it was intedend to be. The solution is a quick release paddle leash velcroed around a wrist or where ever you get comfortable with it. I think Openboat pointed out the importance of a quick release on a paddle leash. When solo, if the weather gets ruff, a boat leash may have been what he was talking about, with a quick release on that as well.

Fun fact (or notsofun fact, actually): it only takes a 5 knot breeze to blow your boat away faster than you can swim after it. Been there. Gotta love those onshore winds!

A spare paddle is indeed critical. My theory on the spare paddle is a little different than what you may commonly hear (since its just a spare, I got this cheap little thing for $5 at West Marine!). Not me. It is every bit as important than a spare tire on your expedition rig, I would actually say more important! When will you most likely need to use your spare paddle? When conditions are such that you have broken your main paddle or got it ripped from your hands etc. Ruff conditions. In those conditions I've come to know that I don't want any change in style or feal, as it may take more than a few strokes to dial in that new feal of a different paddle, and in the ******** is no time to experiment. So my spare paddle is the same style blade and shaft, only the blade is slightly bigger (for better purchase on the water) and made of stronger materials (and the increase in weight actually helps it from getting blown around in Force Five winds.).

Its obvious you have good instincts and a great attitude. I can reccomend some excellent paddling instructors that will , at the very least, literally take years off your learning curve. Instructors always love working with passionate, athletic, and enthusiastic people like you. Arguably the best paddling instructors in North America are on Orcas Island, Wa. I strongly recomend them. They have done many amazing self supported expeditions, including circumnavigating Iceland, and are excellent instructors as well. Shawna and Leonne at http://www.bodyboatblade.com/
Shawna and Leonne will love working with you and will have an easy time sculpting you into an excellent, highly skilled, intelligent paddler! (Make no mistake, it is most certainly a skill based activity!) and a paddlers surivival may depend on the strength of his skill set. By the time they are done with you, you will be able to read the conditons like a book. You'll know all about hypothermia (no one is a strong swimmer in 36 degree water), boat control (where you will learn an arsenal of effective strokes to use, and how wind, wind with current, wind against current, and hull design all affect the paddling experience), and of course rescues (emphasis on solo rescues in your case) and much more.


I don't need to say "have a great time", you're already doing that. :victory:

Here's to many safe paddle journeys ahead.

 

[euhuguenin]

In the process of stripping mine. Had it built in Thailand about 10 years ago and the glass is in bad shape. Can't wait to get back on the water.