That’s a Paddlin’
Paddling tips……the following articles were written by Bob for our newsletter ‘The Cut’ which has not made the cut. They are great reads and I will post up a new version every few weeks so be sure to visit for the next one.
This article first appeared in our May issue.
CANOEING: the fun part of the race. After you have run and biked until you’re sore all over, it’s time to relax and let the canoe do the work for you! Troy has asked me to write some tips on canoeing for the newsletter, so here goes.
Like any sport there are far too many aspects of canoeing to try to write about everything at one time, so I will highlight a few of the more important issues and deal with them in the next few newsletters. Some of the important things to think about and perhaps work on in training are, boat design, hull materials, paddles and stroke technique, racing technique and food and hydration. I will also list a few good canoe websites and give you my picks as to a couple of very nice canoes.
Canoes come in all shapes and sizes. Some are built long and lean for the straight ahead speed needed by a racer. Others are rugged and will spin on a dime, fine attributes if you’re dodging rocks in a Class Whatever descent. Tripper canoes are seaworthy and big, to keep lots of gear extra dry on long expeditions. Freestyle rigs are quick and nimble. Some barges are so stable you can stand and fish, and others are so tippy you might get seasick. Then there are those masterpieces crafted from wood or composites that glide ever so smoothly through the water.
It is impossible to build a single canoe with all the right characteristics. The legendary all-purpose boat is just a myth. The reason is quite simple: each of these traits implies a specific design characteristic and these features usually conflict with each other. What we want as racers is to get down a river or across a lake as fast as possible, but we must also be stable and hold some gear, so lets look at some design features.
For instance, look at a canoe directly from the side and you can observe its keel line shape or profile. A boat whose keel line sweeps up at the bow and stern is said to have rocker. Generally, the more rocker a boat has the easier it will spin because there is less boat in the water to resist the turn. This is an excellent feature for whitewater canoes, but can be quite troublesome for quick water paddlers. You might want to choose a boat with little or no rocker.
Examining the canoe from directly underneath tells you something about the waterline shape. A short fat canoe creates lots of turbulent drag and will be slower than a skinnier boat of the same length. Of course, the skinnier boat will sit deeper in the water and therefore be harder to turn, unless, of course, it has more rocker. Oh it gets so confusing.
It gets even more confusing when you consider an asymmetrical hull with the widest section behind center. This arrow like shape promotes speed but will hinder manoeuvrability. But if the designer adds a little rocker, well here we go again with the rocker thing.
Finally, inspect the canoes front view and see the cross section it presents to the water. A flat bottom is an indicator of good stability but it will tend to follow the water surface and roll with every wave. A flat bottom will also skid sideways in the wind. A canoe with a rounded bottom should have better handling characteristics. Yes, it will have less initial stability and will feel tippy but if the sides are flared it will have something to rest on when leaned. Also when leaned it will develop rocker as the keel line is raised and the boat moves on the rounded side. The rounded arch hull also sits deeper in the water when not leaned, giving it good lateral resistance and acting like a keel to help maintain course.
So there you have it, no canoe will meet all your requirements but, a rounded bottom, good straight keel line, nice sharp enter, as light as possible and at least 17 feet long would be a good place to start. A couple of good websites are www.oldtowncanoe.com . Two models that stand out in my mind are the Kora for someone with lots of cash or the 17 foot Penobscot for the less expensive taste. Also check out www.wenonah.com . On the very top line of their site go to Wenonah racing. Under model index check my favourite, Jensen 18. Both these sites offer free catalogues that are packed with canoeing information.
I hope this information, taken mainly from the “United States Canoe Association Canoe News, Jan/Feb/2000 Volume 33 Issue 7”, is of some help to you. I look forward to the next newsletter where we will look at paddles and stroke technique.
Bob Matthews.