A wood-and-canvas canoe evokes the heritage of canoeing in North America.

A canoe is a small narrow boat, typically human-powered, though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors. Canoes usually are pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be covered. Canoeing is the recreational or sporting activity of paddling a canoe or kayak. ... The term canoe is an ambiguous one having varying local and regional meanings. ... Image File history File links Seliga. ... Image File history File links Seliga. ... For other uses, see Boat (disambiguation). ...

In its human-powered form, the canoe is ordinarily propelled by the use of paddles, with the number of paddlers (most commonly two) depending on the size of the canoe. Paddlers face in the direction of travel, either seated on supports in the hull, or kneeling directly upon the hull. Paddling can be contrasted with rowing, where the rowers face away from the direction of travel (though a wide canoe can be fitted with oarlocks and rowed). Paddles may be single-bladed or double-bladed. A paddle is a tool, originally a propulsion implement for mixing or pushing against liquids, typically in order to propel a boat. ... A hull is the body or frame of a ship or boat. ... Rowing in the Amstel River by a student rowing club. ... Rowlocks, also known as oarlocks, are pivoting crutches that support and guide the oars of a rowboat, acting to transfer some of the thrust to the boat. ... A paddle is a tool, originally a propulsion implement for mixing or pushing against liquids, typically in order to propel a boat. ...

Sailing canoes (see Canoe Sailing) are propelled by means of a variety of sailing rigs. Common classes of modern sailing canoes include the 5m² and the International 10m² Sailing canoes. The latter is otherwise known as the International Canoe, and is one of the fastest and oldest competitively sailed boat classes in the western world. The log canoe of the Chesapeake Bay is in the modern sense not a canoe at all, though it evolved through the enlargement of dugout canoes. Canoe Sailing in Hawaii, USA Canoe Sailing on Lake Sebago in Harriman State Park, New York, USA Canoe sailing refers to the practice of fitting a Polynesian outrigger or a Western canoe with sails. ... The log canoe is a type of sailboat developed in the Chesapeake Bay region. ... The Chesapeake Bay - Landsat photo The Chesapeake Bay where the Susquehanna River empties into it. ... A dugout is a boat which is basically a hollowed tree trunk. ...

Design and construction

Parts of a canoe

1. Bow
2. Stern
3. Hull
4. Seat (whitewater canoes may have a foam 'saddle' in place of a seat)
5. Thwart - a horizontal crossbeam near the top of the hull
6. Gunwale (pronounced gunnel) - the top edge of the hull
7. Deck (under which a flotation compartment or foam block may be located which prevent the canoe from sinking if capsized or swamped)

Optional features in modern canoes (not shown in diagram): Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Bow of the Cruise ship Spirit of Endeavour The bows of lifeboat 17-31 (Severn class) in Poole Harbour, Dorset, England The bow (pronounced to rhyme with how) is a nautical term that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is... Aft of the Soleil Royal, by Jean Bérain the Elder. ... A hull is the body or frame of a ship or boat. ... The gunwale, pronounced gunnel to rhyme with tunnel, is a nautical term describing the top edge of the side of a boat. ... Sea foam on the beach Foam on a cappuccino Fire-retardant, foamed plastic being used as a temporary dam for firestop mortar in a cable penetration in a pulp and paper mill on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. ...

1. Yoke - a thwart across the center of the boat to allow one person to carry the canoe, and is sometimes molded to the shape of the shoulders.
2. Keel - runs along the bottom of the canoe's hull, from the bow to the stern, serving as the foundation or spine of its structure and, depending on its depth, provides some directional control and stability.
3. Flotation bags - inflatable air bags to prevent swamping the canoe in rapids
4. Spraydeck - cover to prevent water entering the canoe

The portion of the hull between the waterline and the top of the gunwale is called freeboard. For other uses, see Yoke (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Keel (disambiguation). ... A spraydeck (or spraycover or sprayskirt) is a flexible cover for a boat, in particular for a kayak or a canoe. ...

Canoe materials

A Malecite birchbark canoe built by Henri Vaillancourt, who was made famous by John McPhee in his book, Survival of the Bark Canoe

The earliest canoes were made from natural materials: Image File history File links Vaillancourt. ... Image File history File links Vaillancourt. ... The Maliseet (also known as Wolastoqiyik and Malecite and in French also as Malécites or Étchemins (the latter collectively referring to the Maliseet and Passamaquoddy)) are a Native American/First Nations people who inhabit the Saint John River valley and its tributaries, roughly overlapping the International Boundary between New... Binomial name Betula papyrifera Marsh. ... John McPhee John Angus McPhee (born March 8, 1931) is a writer widely considered one of the pioneers of creative nonfiction. ...

• Early canoes were wooden [1], often simply hollowed-out tree trunks (see dugout). This technology is still practiced in some parts of the world. Modern wooden canoes may be wood strip (also, "stripper"), wood-and-canvas, stitch-and-glue, glued plywood lapstrake, or birchbark built by dedicated artisans. Such canoes can be very functional, lightweight, and strong, and are frequently quite beautiful works of art.
• Many indigenous peoples of the Americas built canoes of tree bark, sewn with tree roots and sealed with resin. The indigenous people of the Amazon commonly used Hymenaea trees. In temperate North America, white cedar was used for the frame and bark of the Paper Birch for the exterior, with charcoal and fats mixed into the resin. A few modern canoe builders have revived and continued building birchbark canoes, including Henri Vaillancourt and Tom MacKenzie.

Modern technology has expanded the range of materials available for canoe construction. For other uses, see Wood (disambiguation). ... A dugout is a boat which is basically a hollowed tree trunk. ... Strip-built is a method of boat building commonly used for canoes and kayaks, but also suitable for larger boats. ... An artisan, also called a craftsman,[1] is a skilled manual worker who uses tools and machinery in a particular craft. ... Native Americans redirects here. ... Eucalypt bark Monterey Pine bark Bark is the outermost layer of stems and roots of woody plants such as trees. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Amazon River basin The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. ... Species Hymenaea aurea Hymenaea courbaril Hymenaea eriogyne Hymenaea intermedia Hymenaea maranhensis Hymenaea martiana Hymenaea mexicana † Hymenaea oblongifolia Hymenaea parvifolia Hymenaea protera † Hymenaea reticulata Hymenaea rubriflora Hymenaea stigonocarpa Hymenaea torrei Hymenaea velutina Hymenaea verrucosa Hymenaea L. is a genus in the family Fabaceae (legume family) of fourteen living plant species. ... Binomial name Thuja occidentalis L. Uses Eastern Arborvitae is very widely used as an ornamental tree, particularly for screens and hedges. ... Binomial name Betula papyrifera Marsh. ... Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. ...

• Wood-and-canvas canoes are made by fastening an external waterproofed canvas shell to a wooden hull formed with white cedar planks and ribs. These canoes evolved directly from birchbark construction. The transition occurred in the 19th century, first, in Ontario, when canoe builders laid canvas instead of bark into a traditional building bed and, later, in Maine, when builders adapted English boat-building inverted-forms technology. In areas where birchbark either was scarce or where demand exceeded ready supply, other materials, such as canvas, had to be used as there had been success in patching birchbark canoes with canvas or cloth. Efforts were made in various locations to improve upon the bark design such as in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada where rib-and-plank construction was used by the Peterborough Canoe Company, and in Maine, in the U.S, where similar construction was used by various companies. Maine was the location of the development of commercial wood-and-canvas canoes. E. H. Gerrish, of Bangor, is now recognized as the first person to produce wood-and-canvas canoes commercially, but other Maine builders soon followed, including, B. N. Morris, of Veazie, E. M. White, of Old Town, and, of course, the Gray family of the Old Town Canoe Co. In the adjoining Canadian province of New Brunswick, from the late 1800s until being disbanded in 1979, the Chestnut Canoe Company, along with the Old Town Canoe Company in Maine, became the pre-eminent producers of wood-and-canvas canoes. American President Teddy Roosevelt purchased Chestnut canoes for a South American expedition. Wood-and-canvas canoes have undergone a resurgence in recent years, spurred in part by the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association [2]. Builders abound, including Jerry Stelmok, Rollin Thurlow, Ken Solway, Joe Seliga, and many others [3].
• Aluminum canoes were first made by the Grumman company in 1944, when demand for airplanes for World War II began to drop off. Aluminum allowed a lighter and much stronger construction than contemporary wood technology. However, a capsized aluminum canoe will sink unless the ends are filled with flotation blocks. Moreover, an aluminum canoe is extremely noisy, rendering it unsuitable for viewing wildlife.
• Plywood canoes are "stitched" together using cable-ties or copper wire, sealed with epoxy resin, or the inferior but cheaper polyester resin, and reinforced with glass fiber tape or cloth.
• Composites of fiberglass, Kevlar and carbon fiber are used in synthetic canoe construction. Developed over 50 years ago, these materials are light, strong, and maneuverable. Easily portaged, these canoes allow experienced paddlers access to remote wilderness areas.
• Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene or ABS , trademarked as "Royalex," is another synthetic composite material that makes an extremely flexible and durable hull. It is suitable, in particular, for whitewater canoes. ABS canoes have been known to pop back into their original shape with minimal creasing of the hull after having been wrapped around a rock in strong river currents.
• Polyethylene is a cheaper and heavier material used for synthetic canoe construction with the benefit of superior abrasion resistance, primarily found in whitewater canoes.

Depending on the intended use of a canoe, the various kinds have different advantages. For example, a wood-and-canvas canoe is more fragile than an aluminum canoe, and thus less suitable for use in rough water; but it is much quieter — thus better for observing wildlife. However, canoes made of natural materials require regular maintenance without which they lack durability. A Kevlar canoe is tough and also light, good for wilderness tripping. Modern hybrids can combine the elgance and style of traditional wooden canoes with such benefits as modern materials can provide. Look up Canvas in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Dat natura, elaborant artes (Nature Provides, Industry Develops) Map of Ontario with Peterborough indicated with a red dot Coordinates: Country Canada  Province Ontario  County Peterborough County Established 1819 - Scotts Plains Incorporated as town 1850 - Peterborough Incorporated as city July 1, 1905 Government  - Mayor Paul Ayotte  - MP Dean... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Official language(s) None (English and French de facto) Capital Augusta Largest city Portland Area  Ranked 39th  - Total 33,414 sq mi (86,542 km²)  - Width 210 miles (338 km)  - Length 320 miles (515 km)  - % water 13. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... Aluminum is a soft and lightweight metal with a dull silvery appearance, due to a thin layer of oxidation that forms quickly when it is exposed to air. ... The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading producer of military and civilian aircraft of the 20th century. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Airplane and Aeroplane redirect here. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Bundle of fiberglass Fiberglass (also called fibreglass and glass fibre) is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. ... Kevlars molecular structure; BOLD: monomer unit; DASHED: hydrogen bonds. ... Carbon fiber composite is a strong, light and very expensive material. ... Monomers in ABS polymer Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or ABS, (chemical formula (C8H8· C4H6·C3H3N)n is a common thermoplastic used to make light, rigid, molded products such as piping, golf club heads (used for its good shock absorbance), automotive body parts, wheel covers, enclosures, protective head gear, and toys including... Royalex is a composite material, comprising an outer layer of hard acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic (ABS) and an inner layer of ABS foam. ... A cloth of woven carbon fiber filaments, a common element in composite materials Composite materials (or composites for short) are engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties and which remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Shape

Many canoes are symmetrical about the centerline, meaning their shape can be mirrored along the center. When trimmed level (rarely the case) they should handle the same whether paddling forward or backward. Many modern designs are asymmetrical, usually having the widest beam slightly farther aft which improves efficiency and promotes more level fore and aft trim. A further improvement may be found in canoes with a straighter hull profile aft and rocker forward which improves tracking.

A traditionally shaped canoe, like a voyageur canoe, will have a tall rounded bow and stern. Although tall ends tend to catch the wind, they serve the purpose of shedding waves in rough whitewater or ocean travel. A coureur de bois was an individual who engaged in the fur trade without permission from the French authorities. ...

Some canoes are made with squared sterns — "Y", "V", or "U" shaped — in order to permit the mounting of outboard motors. Very large freighter canoes can be powered with powerful motors, but canoes that are 18-feet-long or shorter would normally be propelled by motors of 3 horsepower or less. Side brackets can be mounted on canoes with pointed sterns to mount small outboard motors of about 1½-to-2 horsepower, which propel such canoes with surprising speed.

Cross section

The shape of the hull's cross section significantly influences the canoe's stability under differing conditions. Flat-bottomed canoes generally have excellent initial stability, which diminishes rapidly with increased heel. Their high initial stability causes them to have a more abrupt motion in waves from the side. Initial stability is the resistance of a boat to a small amount of lateral tilting from its equilibrium position. ...

For a given beam, a rounded-bottom canoe will have less initial stability than its flatter bottomed cousin. Round sections have lower surface area for a given volume and have less resistance through the water. They are most often associated with racing canoes.

In between the flat and rounded bottom are the more common shallow-arc and "V" bottom canoes which provide a compromise between performance and stability. The shallow-vee bottom, where the hull centerline forms a ridge like a shallow "V", will behave similar to a shallow-arc bottom but its volume to surface ratio is worse.

Similar is the tumblehome hull which has the top potion of the hull curving back in slightly.

Many modern canoes combine a variety of cross sections to suit the canoe's purpose.

Keels

Keels on canoes improve directional stability (the ability to 'track' in a straight line) but decrease the ability to turn quickly. Consequently, they are better suited for lake travel, especially when traveling on open water with crosswinds. Conversely, keels and "Vee"-bottoms are undesirable for whitewater because often quick turns are required. Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a rivers gradient drops enough to form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white. ...

In aluminum canoes, small keels occur as manufacturing artifacts when the two halves of the hull are joined. In wood-and-canvas canoes, keels are rub-strips to protect the boat from rocks and as they are pulled up on shore. Plastic canoes feature keels to stiffen the hull and allow internal tubular framing to lie flush with the sole of the canoe.

Rocker

Curvature of the hull profile that rises up at the bow and stern is called "rocker". Increasing the rocker improves maneuverability at the expense of tracking. Specialized canoes for whitewater play have an extreme rocker and therefore allow quick turns and tricks. Rocker also has an immense effect on the stability of a Canadian canoe. By lifting the ends of the craft out of the water, rocker puts more of the wider center section of the boat into the water, contributing significantly to the overall stability of the craft. 35mm rocker at each end makes all the difference to how safe a novice will feel in a canoe.

Gunwales

Modern cedar-strip canoes have gunwales which consist of an inner and outer parts called "inwales" and "outwales". These two parts of the gunwale give rigidity and strength to the hull. The inwale will often have "scuppers" or slots cut into the inwale to allow water to drain when the canoe hull is turned upside down for storing.

Types of canoes

In the past, people around the world have built very different kinds of canoes, ranging from simple dugouts to large outrigger varieties. More recently, technologically advanced designs have emerged for particular sports. A dugout is a boat which is basically a hollowed tree trunk. ... Outrigger canoe at El Nido, Philippines The outrigger canoe (Tagalog: bangka; Maori: waka; Hawaiian: waa) is a type of canoe featuring one or more lateral support floats known as outriggers, which are fastened to one or both sides of the main hull. ...

Traditional designs

Early canoes have always incorporated the natural materials available to the local people. The different canoes (or canoe like) in many parts of the world were:

Dugout - formed of hollowed logs; may have outriggers in some cultures. On the west coast of North America, large dugout canoes were used in the Pacific Ocean, even for whaling. File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... A dugout is a boat which is basically a hollowed tree trunk. ...

Birch-bark canoe - in the temperate regions of eastern North America, canoes were traditionally made of a wooden frame covered with bark of a birch tree, pitched to make it waterproof. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1185x730, 498 KB) [edit] Summary A sketch by Paul Kane of a canoe. ... Birch bark or birchbark is generally understood to be the bark of the Paper Birch tree (Betula papyrifera), or sometimes of related species such as Gray (Wire) Birch (Betula populifolia). ... The pitch drop experiment. ...

Voyageur canoe - traditional voyageur canoes were similar to birch-bark canoes but larger and purpose built for the fur trade business, capable of carrying 12 to 20 passengers and 3000 lbs of cargo. Image File history File links FAHopkins_Shooting_Rapids. ... An Alberta fur trader in the 1890s. ...

Wood-and-canvas canoe - evolved from the birchbark canoe in Maine in the late 19th century when canvas became much easier to acquire than the bark of the white birch tree. Image File history File links Woodcanoe. ...

Modern designs

Modern canoe types are usually categorized by the intended use. Many modern canoe designs are hybrids (a combination of two or more designs, meant for multiple uses). The purpose of the canoe will also often determine the materials used. Most canoes are designed for either one person (solo) or two persons (tandem), but some are designed for more than two persons.

• Touring canoe (or tripping canoe) In North America, a "touring canoe" is a straight tracking boat good for wind blown lakes etc. A "tripping canoe" has a larger capacity for wilderness travel and is designed with more rocker for better maneuverability on whitewater rivers but requiring some skill on the part of the canoeist in open windy waters, when lightly loaded. Often made of lighter materials and built for comfort and cargo space; usually a more traditional design.
• Prospector canoe - A generic name for copies of the famed Chestnut model, a popular type of tripping canoe marked by a symmetrical hull and a relatively large amount of rocker; giving a nice balance for wilderness tripping, of the ability to carry large amounts of gear whilst being maneuverable enough for whitewater. This makes it a superb large capacity wilderness boat, but requires skill on windy, broad waters when lightly loaded. Made in a variety of materials. For home construction, 4mm plywood is commonly used, mainly marine ply, using the "stitch and glue" technique. Commercially built canoes are commonly built of fibreglass, HDPE, Kevlar, Carbon Fiber, and Royalex which is although relatively heavy, very durable.
• Long Distance Touring canoe - A cockpit has many advantages: the gunwale can be made lower and narrower so the paddler can reach the water more easily, and the rim of the boat can be higher keeping the boat dryer. With a rounded hull shape and full ends there is less for turbulent water to work on.
• Whitewater canoe (or river canoe) - typically made of tough man-made materials, such as ABS or Kevlar, for strength; no keel and increased rocker for maneuverability; often extra internal lashing points are present to secure flotation bags, harness, and spraydeck. Some canoes are decked and look very much like a kayak, but are still paddled with the paddler in a kneeling position and with a single bladed paddle.
• Playboating open canoe - a subgroup of whitewater canoes specialized for whitewater play and tricks or for competitive whitewater slalom. Some of these canoes are short in length and have such extreme rocker that they are also known as banana boats.
• Square stern canoe - asymmetrical canoe with a squared off stern for the mounting of an outboard motor; meant for lake travel or fishing.
• Racing canoe (or sprint canoe) - purpose-built racing canoe for use in racing on flat water. To reduce drag, they are built long and with a narrow beam, which makes them very unstable. A one-person sprint canoe is 5.2 meters or 17 feet long. Sprint canoes are paddled kneeling on one knee, and only paddled on one side; in a C-1, the canoeist will have to j-stroke constantly to maintain a straight course. Marathon canoe races use a similar narrow boat.
• Inflatable canoe - similar in construction and materials to other inflatable boats but shaped like a canoe. It is meant for serious whitewater and is usually difficult to use for flat water travel.

Playboat Playboating is a discipline of kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place (a playspot), as opposed to whitewater canoeing or kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river (although whitewater canoeists will often stop and play en... Whitewater Slalom is a competitive sport where the aim is to navigate a decked canoe or kayak through a course of gates on river rapids in the fastest time possible. ... Bolinders two cylinder Trim outboard engine. ... C-1 sprint canoe, with K-1 sprint kayak behind. ... // This article is about flatwater canoe racing. ... An object falling through a gas or liquid experiences a force in direction opposite to its motion. ... The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point, or a point alongside the ship at the mid-point of its length. ... Two inflatable boats at Horsea Island, England. ...

Differences from other paddled boats

• Kayak - A kayak differs from a canoe in that the kayak typically has a covered deck (an extension of the hull), a cockpit covered by a water-tight spraydeck, and is propelled by a sitting paddler with a double-bladed (one on each end) paddle (most canoers use a single bladed paddle). A double-bladed paddle allows for more efficient propulsion (higher stroke rate possible, etc.), but is more difficult to use effectively in a wider craft (canoes tend to be wider than kayaks). The spraydeck (also known as a skirt) is used to seal the gap between the deck and the paddler, making it possible to recover from a capsize without flooding the interior of the hull with water. In some parts of the world kayaks are considered canoes, and open-decked canoes are callad canadian canoes.
• Rowboat - Not considered a canoe. It is propelled by oars resting in pivots on the gunwales or on 'riggers' that extend out from the boat. A rower may use one (sweep-oar) or two oars (sculling). A rower sits with his or her back toward the direction of travel. Some rowboats, such as a McKenzie River dory or a raft outfitted with a rowing frame are suitable for whitewater.
• Adirondack guideboat - a rowboat that has similar lines to a canoe. However the rower sits closer to the bilge and uses a set of pinned oars to propel the boat.
• Dragon boat - while it handles similar to and is paddled the same way as a large canoe, a dragon boat is not considered a canoe since its construction is markedly different.

Look up kayak in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Canoeing is the recreational or sporting activity of paddling a canoe or kayak. ... A team at the 2005 ISAF Team Racing World Championship narrowly avoids capsizing. ... The GB coxless pair of Toby Garbett & Rick Dunn at Henley Royal Regatta 2004. ... The McKenzie dory or Rogue River dory is an evolution of the open-water dory, converted for use in rivers. ... Adirondack guideboats have been built since the early 1800s and have evolved from a hunting skiff to todays highly refined design. ... A Dragon boat (Traditional Chinese: ; Simplified Chinese: ; Hanyu Pinyin: ) is a very long and narrow human powered boat used in the team paddling sport or Dragon boat racing which originated in China. ...

Use

Canoes have a reputation for instability, but this is not true if they are handled properly. For example, the occupants need to keep their center of gravity as low as possible. Canoes can navigate swift-moving water with careful scouting of rapids and good communication between the paddlers. This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ...

When two people occupy a canoe, they paddle on opposite sides. For example, the person in the bow (the bowman) might hold the paddle on the port side, with the left hand just above the blade and the right hand at the top end of the paddle. The left hand acts mostly as a pivot and the right arm supplies most of the power. The sternman would paddle to starboard, with the right hand just above the blade and the left hand at the top. For travel straight ahead, they draw the paddle from bow to stern, in a straight line parallel to the gunwale. Port is the nautical term (used on boats and ships) that refers to the left side of a ship, as perceived by a person facing towards the bow (the front of the vessel). ... A pivot is that on which something turns. ... A view of the Starboard side of the Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Ross Starboard is the nautical term that refers to the right side of a vessel as perceived by a person on board the ship and facing the bow (front). ...

Tandem Canoe Steering

The paddling action of two paddlers will tend to turn the canoe toward the side opposite that on which the stern paddler is paddling. Thus, steering is very important, particularly because canoes have flat-bottomed hulls and are very responsive to turning actions. Steering techniques vary widely, even as to the basic question of which paddler should be responsible for steering.

Among experienced white water canoeists, the stern paddler is primarily responsible for steering the canoe, with the exception of two cases: The bow paddler will steer when avoiding rocks and other obstacles that the stern paddler cannot see. Also, in the case of back ferrying, the bow paddler is responsible for steering the canoe using small correctional strokes while back paddling with the stern paddler.

Among less-experienced canoeists, the canoe is typically steered from the bow. The advantage of steering in the bow is that the bow paddler can change sides more easily than the stern paddler. Steering in the bow is initially more intuitive than steering in the stern, because to steer to starboard, the stern must actually move to port. On the other hand, the paddler who does not steer usually produces the most forward power or thrust, and the greater source of thrust should be placed in the bow for greater steering stability. Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newtons Second and Third Laws. ...

Paddle strokes

Paddle strokes are important to learn if the canoe is to move through the water in a safe and effective manner. Categorizing strokes makes learning them easier. After the strokes are mastered, they can be combined or modified so that maneuvers are accomplished in an efficient, effective, and skillful manner. Here are the primary strokes:

• The cruising stroke or forward stroke is the easiest stroke and is considered to be the foundation of all the other strokes. The paddle blade is brought forward along the side of the canoe, dipped into the water, and drawn back. The paddle should be drawn straight back rather than following the gunwale's curvature. In a tandem canoe, it is used mainly by the bowman to simply propel the canoe forward without turning.
• The back stroke is essentially the same movement as the forward stroke, but done in reverse. The back face of the blade is used in this case. This stroke is used to make the canoe go backward or to stop the canoe.
• The J-stroke is so named because, when done on the port side, it resembles the letter J. It begins like a standard stroke, but towards the end the paddle is rotated and pushed away from the canoe with the power face of the paddle remaining the same throughout the stroke. This conveniently counteracts the natural tendency of the canoe to steer away from the side of the stern man's paddle. Advocates of steering in the stern of tandem canoes often use this stroke, and it is also used in reverse by the bowman while backpaddling or back ferrying in white water.
• The Superior stroke is a less elegant but more effective stroke which is used in the stern of tandem canoes. It is more commonly referred to as the goon or rudder stroke. Unlike the J-stroke in which the side of the paddle pushing against the water during the stroke (the power face) is the side which is used to straighten the canoe, this stroke uses the opposite face of the paddle to make the steering motion. It is somewhat like a stroke with a small pry at the end of it. This stroke uses larger muscle groups, is preferable in rough water and is the one used in white water. It is commonly thought to be less efficient than the J-stroke when paddling long distances across relatively calm water.
• The pitch stroke is the preferred stroke to go straight in a canoe with a good traveling speed, because this stroke tries to correct the yaw caused by the forward stroke almost on the same moment as it starts, where others correction strokes do it after the forward stroke, when there already is considerable yaw from the canoe.
• The Indian stroke may be used to paddle a straight course like the J. It can be useful against strong winds or running rapids. Move the paddle forward, rotate the grip of the paddle in the palm of your upper hand. Then you are ready for the next power stroke without taking the blade out of the water. If done carefully, there is no sound from the paddle, making it possible to paddle in calm water without sound.
• The pry stroke begins with the paddle inserted vertically in the water, with the power face outward, and the shaft braced against the gunwale. A gentle prying motion is applied, forcing the canoe in the opposite direction of the paddling side.
• The push-away stroke has an identical purpose to the pry stroke, but is performed differently. Instead of bracing the paddle against the gunwale, the paddle is held vertically, as in the draw stroke, and pushed away from the hull. This is more awkward and requires more force than the pry, but has the advantage of preventing damage to the paddle and canoe due to rubbing on the gunwale. It also uses force more efficiently, since the paddle is pushing straight out, instead of up and out.
• The running pry can be applied while the canoe is moving. As in the standard pry, the paddle is turned sideways and braced against the gunwale, but rather than forcing the paddle away from the hull, the paddler simply turns it at an angle and allows the motion of the water to provide the force.
• The draw stroke exerts a force opposite to that of the pry. The paddle is inserted vertically in the water at arm's length from the gunwale, with the power face toward the canoe, and is then pulled inward to the paddler's hip. A draw can be applied while moving to create a running or hanging draw. For maximum efficiency, if multiple draw strokes are required, the paddle can be turned 90° and sliced through the water away from the boat between strokes. This prevent the paddler from having to lift the paddle out of the water and replace it for each stroke.
• The scull, also known as a sculling draw is a more efficient and effective stroke where multiple draw strokes are required. Instead of performing repeated draw strokes, the paddle is "sculled" back and forth through the water. Beginning slightly in front of the paddler, the paddle is angled so that the power face points at a 45° angle toward the hull and astern. The paddle is drawn straight backward, maintaining the angle, and then the angle is rotated so that the power face is pointing 45° toward the hull and the bow. The paddle is pushed straight forward, and the whole process is repeated. The net effect is that the paddler's end of the canoe is drawn toward the paddling side.
• The reverse scull (sometimes sculling pry or sculling push-away) is the opposite of the scull. The stroke is identical, but with the paddle angles reversed. The net effect is that the paddler's end of the canoe is pushed away from the paddling side.
• The cross-draw stroke or cross-bow draw is a stroke that exerts the same vector of force as a pry, by moving the blade of the paddle to the other side of the canoe without moving the paddler's hands. The arm of bottom hand crosses in front of the bowman's body to insert the paddle in the water on the opposite side of the canoe some distance from the gunwale, facing towards the canoe, and is then pulled inward while the top hand pushes outward. The cross-draw is much stronger than the draw stroke, but normally can't be used by the stern paddler in a tandem canoe.
• The sweep is unique in that it steers the canoe away from the paddle regardless of which end of the canoe it is performed in. The paddle is inserted in the water some distance from the gunwale, facing forward, and is drawn backward in a wide sweeping motion. The paddler's bottom hand is choked up to extend the reach of the paddle. In the case of the bowman, the blade will pull a quarter-circle from the bow to the paddler's waist. If in the stern, the paddler pulls from the waist to the stern of the canoe. Backsweeps are the same stroke done in reverse.

In tandem canoes, complementary strokes are selected by the bow and stern paddlers in order to safely and quickly steer the canoe. It is important that the paddlers remain in unison, particularly in white water, in order to keep the boat stable and to maximize efficiency.

There are some differences in techniques in how the above strokes are utilized.

• One of these techniques involves locking or nearly locking the elbow, that is on the side of the canoe the paddle is, to minimize muscular usage of that arm to increase endurance. Another benefit of this technique is that along with using less muscle you gain longer strokes which results in an increase of the power to stroke ratio. This is generally used more with the 'stay on one side' method of paddling.
• The other technique is generally what newer canoeists use and that is where they bend the elbow to pull the paddle out of the water before they have finished the stroke. This is generally used more with the 'switch sides often' method of paddling.
• The stay on one side method is where each canoeist takes opposite sides and the stern man uses occasional J-strokes to correct direction of travel. The side chosen is usually the paddlers' stronger side, since this is more comfortable and less tiring. Some canoeists do, however, switch sides after twenty to thirty minutes or longer as a means of lessening muscle fatigue.
• The switch sides often method (also called hit and switch, hut stroke, or Minnesota switch) allows the canoeists to switch sides frequently (usually every 5 to 10 strokes, on a vocal signal, commonly "hut") to maintain their heading. This method is the fastest one on flat water and is used by all marathon canoeists in the US and Canada. The method works well with bent-shaft paddles. Racer/designer Eugene Jensen is credited with the development of both "hit and switch" paddling and the bent shaft paddle ^{[citation needed]}.

Setting poles

On swift rivers, the stern man may use a setting pole. It allows the canoe to move through water too shallow for a paddle to create thrust, or against a current too quick for the paddlers to make headway. With skillful use of eddies, a setting pole can propel a canoe even against moderate (class III) rapids. For other uses, see River (disambiguation). ... A setting pole is a pole, handled by a single individual, made to move watercraft by pushing the craft in the desired direction. ... In fluid dynamics, an eddy is the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle. ...

Gunwale bobbing

A trick called "gunwale bobbing" or "gunwaling" allows a canoe to be propelled without a paddle. The canoeist stands on the gunwales, near the bow or the stern, and squats up and down to make the canoe rock backward and forward. This propulsion method is inefficient and unstable; additionally, standing on the gunwales can be dangerous. However, this can be turned into a game where two people stand one on each end, and attempt to cause the other to lose balance and fall into the water, while remaining standing themselves.

Image gallery

Aluminum canoe, Upper Klamath Lake Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1600x1200, 743 KB) Summary Canoe Description: Canoe, Populus tremuloides, fall foliage behind. ... The Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges Complex is a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service located in the Klamath Basin of southern Oregon and northern California near Klamath Falls, Oregon. ...	Canoeing on the Concord River Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2496x1706, 841 KB) Concord River with canoes, Concord, Massachusetts. ... For the river in Maine, see Concord River (Maine) The Concord River is a tributary of the Merrimack River in eastern Massachusetts in the United States, approximately 15 mi (24 km) long. ...	A dugout canoe of pirogue type in the Solomon Islands Image File history File links Dugout_canoe_Rennell. ... A pirogue on the Niger River in Mali. ...	Canoeing on the Shenandoah River, Winchester, Virginia Canoing on the Shenandoah This is not Winchester. ... Shenandoah River Watershed Canoeing on the Shenandoah River, near Winchester, Virginia This article is about the river in Virginia in the United States. ... Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: , Country State Founded 1802 Government  - Mayor Elizabeth Minor Area  - City  9. ...
Inflatable canoes Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1024x768, 125 KB) Summary I took this photo today at Tabley in Cheshire (UK). ...	Spearing Salmon By Torchlight, an oil painting by Paul Kane Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2128x1276, 2172 KB) Summary Spearing Salmon By Torchlight, an oil painting by Paul Kane depicting Menominees spearfishing at night by torchlight and canoe on Fox River. ... This article is about the painter. ...	War canoes coming across the line at the 2005 Canadian Canoe Championships Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... This article belongs in one or more categories. ...	Canoes stored at Lake Harriet Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (1567x869, 322 KB)[edit] Summary Taken by William Wesen 09/14/2006 [edit] Licensing I, the creator of this work, hereby grant the permission to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License... Minnesota DNR map of Lake Harriet Lake Harriet, also known as Harriet Lake, is a lake in the southwest part of Minneapolis, just south of Lake Calhoun and north of Minnehaha Creek. ...
Front profile of wood strip canoe under construction Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (800x1276, 222 KB)[edit] Summary Photo taken by me, Aaron Morse, of the front profile of a wood strip canoe under construction. ...	Ojibwe women in canoe on Leech Lake Image File history File links Pf026012. ... For other uses of Chippewa, see Chippewa (disambiguation). ... Leech Lake is a lake located in north central Minnesota, United States. ...	Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall (Ontario), oil painting by Frances Anne Hopkins Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Canoe Manned by Voyageurs Passing a Waterfall (Ontario), 1869, by Frances Anne Hopkins. ...	Bird on a Canoe - Sharbot Lake, Ontario, Canada Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 800 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (3264 × 2448 pixel, file size: 1. ... Sharbot Lake, in Ontario, Canada is a village in Frontenac County. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 107 Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

Canoes

• The Canadian Museum of Civilization - Native Watercraft in Canada
• International Canoe Federation Homepage
• Canadian Canoe Museum
• History of Canoes in Canada
• Wooden Canoe Heritage Association
• Canoeing.com: Canoe Design
• Paddling graphics

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References

• The Canoe, Its Selection, Care, and Use, The Macmillan Company, New York, 1914, by Robert E. Pinkerton
• The Bark Cannoes and Skin Boats of North America, Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C., 1983, by Edwin Tappan Adney and Howard I. Chapelle
• Pole, Paddle, & Portage, Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, 1969, by Bill Riviere
• The Complete Wilderness Paddler, ISBN 0-394-49347-8, by James West Davidson and Jon Rugge
• North American Canoe Country, Macmillan Company, Toronto, 1964, by Calvin Rutstrum
• Building the Maine Guide Canoe, ISBN 0-87742-120-X, by Jerry Stelmok
• The Wood & Canvas Canoe, ISBN 0-88448-046-1, by Jerry Stelmok and Rollin Thurlow
• The Survival of the Bark Canoe ISBN 0-374-27207-7, by John McPhee
• Path of the Paddle ISBN 1-55209-328-X, by Bill Mason
• Song of the Paddle ISBN 1-55209-089-2, by Bill Mason
• Thrill of the Paddle ISBN 1-55209-451-0, by Paul Mason