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Canoe

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Canoe



 
 
A canoe is a small narrow boat
Boat

A boat is a watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water, and provide transport over it. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas....
, 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.

In its human-powered form, the canoe is propelled by the use of paddle
Paddle

A paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of Marine propulsion in a boat or as an implement for mixing....
s, usually with two people. Paddlers face in the direction of travel, either seated on supports in the hull, or kneeling directly upon the hull.






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Encyclopedia


A canoe is a small narrow boat
Boat

A boat is a watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water, and provide transport over it. Usually this water will be inland or in protected coastal areas....
, 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.

In its human-powered form, the canoe is propelled by the use of paddle
Paddle

A paddle is a tool used for pushing against liquids, either as a form of Marine propulsion in a boat or as an implement for mixing....
s, usually with two people. 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
Watercraft rowing

Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between watercraft paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection....
, where the rowers usually face away from the direction of travel and use mounted oars (though a wide canoe can be fitted with oarlock
Rowlock

A rowlock or oarlock is a brace that attaches an oar to a rowboat. When a boat is rowed, the rowlock acts as a fulcrum, and, in doing so, the propulsive force that the rower exerts on the water with the oar is transferred to the boat by the thrust force exerted on the rowlock....
s and rowed). Paddles may be single-bladed or double-bladed.

The oldest recovered canoe in the world is the canoe of Pesse
Hoogeveen

Hoogeveen is a municipality and a town in the northeastern Netherlands....
 (the Netherlands). According to C14 dating
Radiocarbon dating

Radiocarbon dating, or carbon dating, is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to determine the age of carbonaceous materials up to about 60,000 years....
 analysis it was constructed somewhere between 8200 and 7600 BC. This canoe is exhibited in the Drents Museum in Assen
Assen

Assen is a municipality and a city in the north eastern Netherlands, capital of the province of Drenthe. It received City rights in the Netherlands in 1809....
, Netherlands.

Sailing canoes (see Canoe sailing
Canoe sailing

Canoe sailing refers to the practice of fitting a Polynesian outrigger or a Western canoe with sails.See also log canoe, a type of sailboat used in the Chesapeake Bay region....
) are propelled by means of a variety of sailing rigs. Common classes of modern sailing canoes include the 5 m² and the International 10 m² 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
Log canoe

The log canoe is a type of sailboat developed in the Chesapeake Bay region. Based on the dugout , it was the principal workboat of the bay until superseded by the bugeye and the skipjack ....
 of the Chesapeake Bay
Chesapeake Bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by Maryland and Virginia. The Chesapeake Bay's drainage basin covers in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia....
 is in the modern sense not a canoe at all, though it evolved through the enlargement of dugout
Dugout (boat)

File:Dlubanka swidnica 2.jpgA dugout is a boat which is basically a hollowed tree trunk. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon....
 canoes.

Design and construction


Parts

Canoe
# Bow
Bow (ship)

The bow is a List of nautical terms that refers to the forward part of the hull of a ship or boat, the point that is most forward when the vessel is underway....
  1. Stern
    Stern

    The stern is the rear or aft part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter to the taffrail....
  2. Hull
  3. Seat (whitewater canoes may have a foam 'saddle' in place of a seat)
  4. Thwart
    Thwart

    A thwart is a strut placed crosswise in a ship or boat, to brace it crosswise.In rowboats it can also serve as a seat for a rower.Some inflatable boats have a thwart which can be folded and removed so the boat can be deflated and rolled up for transport or storage....
     - a horizontal crossbeam near the top of the hull
  5. Gunwale
    Gunwale

    The gunwale is a Glossary of nautical terms describing the top edge of the side of a boat.Wale is the same word as the skin injury, a wheal, which, too, forms a ridge....
     (pronounced gunnel) - the top edge of the hull
  6. Deck (under which a flotation compartment or foam
    Foam

    The most general definition of foam is a substance that is formed by trapping many gas bubbles in a liquid or solid. It can also refer to anything that is analogous to such a phenomenon, such as quantum foam....
     block may be located which prevent the canoe from sinking if capsized or swamped)
Optional features in modern canoes (not shown in diagram):
  1. Yoke
    Yoke

    File:09.Ixubo.JPGA yoke is a wooden beam which is used between a pair of oxen to allow them to pull a load . There are several types, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen....
     - a thwart across the center of the boat to allow one person to carry the canoe, sometimes molded to the shape of the shoulders.
  2. Keel
    Keel

    In boats and ships, keel can refer to either of two parts: a structural element, or a hydrodynamic element. These parts overlap. As the laying down of the keel is the initial step in construction of a ship, the construction is dated from this event, with only the ship's Ship_naming_and_launching considered more significant in its creati...
     - a structural element that 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, providing some directional control and stability.
  3. Flotation bags - inflatable air bags to prevent swamping the canoe in rapids
  4. Spraydeck
    Spraydeck

    A spraydeck is a flexible cover for a boat, in particular for a kayak or a canoe. It is used in whitewater or inclement weather to prevent water from entering the boat while allowing one or more passengers to sit in the boat and propel the boat by paddling or Watercraft rowing....
     - a cover to prevent water entering the canoe
  5. Painter's ring - ring used to attach ropes
  6. Skid plate
    Skid plate

    A skid plate is a steel plate affixed to the underside of a vehicle to prevent damage to key components in the undercarriage. Skid plates are most frequently found on four-wheel drive vehicles designed for off-road use....
     - piece of Kevlar glued to the bottom of the canoe


The portion of the hull between the waterline and the top of the gunwale is called the freeboard.

Materials

The earliest canoes were made from natural materials:
  • Early canoes were wood
    Wood

    Wood is an organic material; in the strict sense wood is produced as secondary xylem in the stems of woody plants, notably trees but also shrubs, etc....
    en , often simply hollowed-out tree trunks (see dugout
    Dugout (boat)

    File:Dlubanka swidnica 2.jpgA dugout is a boat which is basically a hollowed tree trunk. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon....
    ). This technology is still practiced in some parts of the world. Modern wooden canoes may be wood strip
    Strip-built

    Strip-built is a method of boat building commonly used for canoes and kayaks, but also suitable for larger boats. The process involves securing narrow, flexible strips of wood edge-to-edge around temporary forms....
     (also, "stripper"), wood-and-canvas, stitch-and-glue, glued plywood lapstrake, or birchbark built by dedicated artisan
    Artisan

    An artisan is a skilled manual labor worker who crafts items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewelry, household items, and tools....
    s. Such canoes can be very functional, lightweight, and strong, and are frequently quite beautiful works of art.
  • Many indigenous peoples of the Americas
    Indigenous peoples of the Americas

    The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of the Americas, their descendants, and many ethnic groups who identify with those peoples....
     built canoes of tree bark, sewn with tree roots and sealed with resin
    Resin

    Resin is a hydrocarbon secretion of many plants, particularly Pinophyta. It is valued for its chemical constituents and uses, such as varnishes and adhesives, as an important source of raw materials for organic synthesis, or for incense and perfume....
    . The indigenous people of the Amazon
    Amazon Basin

    The Amazon Basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The basin is located mainly in Brazil, but also stretches into Peru and several other countries....
     commonly used Hymenaea
    Hymenaea

    Hymenaea Carolus Linnaeus is a genus in the family Fabaceae . Of fourteen living plant species in the genus, all but one are native to the tropics of the Americas, with one additional species on the east coast of Africa....
     trees. In temperate North America, white cedar
    Thuja occidentalis

    Thuja occidentalis is an evergreen Pinophyta tree, in the cypress family Cupressaceae, which is widely cultivated for use as an ornamental plant....
     was used for the frame and bark of the Paper Birch
    Paper Birch

    Betula papyrifera is a species of birch native to northern North America....
     for the exterior, with charcoal
    Charcoal

    Charcoal is the blackish residue consisting of impure carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances....
     and fats mixed into the resin. A few modern canoe builders have revived and continued building birchbark canoes, including Henri Vaillancourt, Tom MacKenzie and Marcel Labelle.


Modern technology has expanded the range of materials available for canoe construction.

  • Wood-and-canvas canoes are made by fastening an external waterproofed canvas
    Canvas

    Canvas is an extremely heavy-duty plain weave cloth used for making sails, tents, marquees, backpacks, and other functions where sturdiness is required....
     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
    Peterborough, Ontario

    Peterborough is a city on the Otonabee River in central-eastern Ontario, Canada, 125 kilometres northeast of Toronto. The population of the City of Peterborough was 74,898 in the 2006 census, while the census metropolitan area had a population of 116 570....
    , Canada
    Canada

    Canada is a country occupying most of northern North America, extending from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west and northward into the Arctic Ocean....
     where rib-and-plank construction was used by the Peterborough Canoe Company, and in Maine
    Maine

    The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
    , in the U.S
    United States

    The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
    , where similar construction was used by various companies. Maine
    Maine

    The State of Maine is a U.S. state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America, bordering the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, New Hampshire to the southwest, the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast....
     was the location of the development of commercial wood-and-canvas canoes.


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 . Builders abound, including Jerry Stelmok, Rollin Thurlow, Ken Solway, Joe Seliga
Joe seliga

Joe Seliga was a master builder of wood-and-canvas canoes in Ely, Minnesota.Joe Seliga was born to Steve and Anna Seliga in Ely, Minnesota and graduated from Ely Memorial High School....
, and many others.
  • Aluminum canoes were first made by the Grumman company in 1944, when demand for airplane
    Fixed-wing aircraft

    A fixed-wing aircraft is an aircraft capable of heavier-than-air flight whose Lift is generated not by wing motion relative to the aircraft, but by forward motion through the air....
    s for World War II
    World War II

    World War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a Participants in World War II, including all of the great powers, organised into two opposing military alliances: the Allies of World War II and the Axis powers....
     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
    Wildlife

    Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals, and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
    .
  • 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
    Fiberglass

    Fiberglass, , is material made from extremely fine fibers of glass. It is used as a reinforcing agent for many polymer products; the resulting composite material, properly known as fiber-reinforced polymer or glass-reinforced plastic , is called "fiberglass" in popular usage....
    , Kevlar
    Kevlar

    Kevlar is the registered trademark for a light, strong aramid synthetic fiber, related to other aramids such as Nomex and Technora.Developed at DuPont in 1965 by Stephanie Kwolek it was first commercially used in the early 1970s as a replacement for steel in racing tires....
     and carbon fiber
    Carbon fiber

    Carbon fiber or is a material consisting of extremely thin fibers about 0.005?0.010 mm in diameter and composed mostly of carbon atoms. The carbon atoms are bonded together in microscopic crystals that are more or less aligned parallel to the long axis of the 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. While Kevlar and Carbon Fiber are generally very expensive, they are usually more durable than other materials. Fiberglass retains the lightweight, but cracks easily with impact. Fiberglass is, however, very easily repaired, unlike almost all other materials.
  • Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene
    Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

    Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is a common thermoplastic used to make light, rigid, molded products such as piping , musical instruments , golf club heads , automotive body parts, wheel covers, enclosures, protective head gear, airsoft Airsoft gun and toys, including Lego bricks....
     or ABS , trademarked as "Royalex
    Royalex

    Royalex is a composite material, comprising an outer layer of Vinyl and hard acrylonitrile butadiene styrene plastic and an inner layer of ABS foam....
    ," is another synthetic composite material
    Composite material

    Composite materials are engineered materials made from two or more constituent materials with significantly different physical or chemical properties which remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level within the finished structure....
     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. In the very unlikely event that they are punctured, they are however, very difficult to repair.
  • Polyethylene
    Polyethylene

    Polyethylene or polythene is a thermoplastic commodity heavily used in consumer products . Over 60 million tons of the material are produced worldwide every year....
     is a cheaper and heavier material used for synthetic canoe construction with the benefit of superior abrasion resistance, primarily found in whitewater canoes. Ram-X and Tripletough are the trademarks for Pelican/Coleman and Mad River respectively. This material too can be difficult to repair if punctured.


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 elegance and style of traditional wooden canoes with such benefits as modern materials can provide.

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
Coureur des bois

A coureur des bois was an individual who engaged in the fur trade without permission from the France authorities. The coureurs des bois, mostly of French descent, operated during the late 17th century and early 18th century in eastern North America, particularly in New France....
 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.

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 (5.5 m) or less in length would normally be propelled by motors of 3 horsepower (2.2 kW) or less. Side brackets can be mounted on canoes with pointed sterns to mount small outboard motors of about 1½ to 2 horsepower (1.1–1.5 kW), 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
Initial stability

Initial stability is the resistance of a boat to a small amount of lateral tilting from its Mechanical equilibrium. It is determined by the difference in the volume of water Displacement_ on each side of the boat as it tilts and is relatively independent of Hull_ shape for small angles of tilt....
, which diminishes rapidly with increased heel. Their high initial stability causes them to have a more abrupt motion in waves from the side.

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 portion 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
Whitewater

Whitewater is formed in a rapid, when a river's Stream gradient drops enough to disturb its laminar flow and create turbulence, i.e. form a bubbly, or aerated and unstable current; the frothy water appears white....
 because often quick turns are required.

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. Primitive replica canoes fabricated from animal pelt and other natural materials often utilize green branches and other flexible, organic material to retain a buoyant form while resisting risk of puncture or abrasion.

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 (the hull's tendency to travel a straight line without the need for constant course correction). Specialized canoes for whitewater play have an extreme rocker and therefore allow quick turns and tricks. Increased rocker also tends to increase the stability of a 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. A 35 mm rocker at each end suffices to make a substantial 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

In the past, people around the world have built very different kinds of canoes, ranging from simple dugout
Dugout (boat)

File:Dlubanka swidnica 2.jpgA dugout is a boat which is basically a hollowed tree trunk. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon....
s to large outrigger
Outrigger canoe

The outrigger canoe 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 ....
 varieties. More recently, technologically advanced designs have emerged for particular sports.

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
Dugout (boat)

File:Dlubanka swidnica 2.jpgA dugout is a boat which is basically a hollowed tree trunk. Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon....
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.

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
Birch bark

Birch bark or birchbark is generally understood to be the bark of the Paper Birch tree , or sometimes of related species such as Gray Birch ....
, pitched
Pitch (resin)

Pitch is the name for any of a number of highly viscosity liquids which appear solid. Pitch can be made from petroleum products or plants. Petroleum-derived pitch is also called bitumen....
 to make it waterproof.

Voyageur canoe
Traditional voyageur canoes were similar to birch-bark canoes but larger and purpose built for the fur trade
Fur trade

The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur....
 business, capable of carrying 12 to 20 passengers and of cargo.
Seliga

Wood-and-canvas canoe
The wood-and-canvas canoe evolved in Maine in the late 19th century from the birchbark canoe when canvas became much easier to acquire than the bark of the white birch tree. The canoe shown here was built by the late well-known craftsman, Joe Seliga
Joe seliga

Joe Seliga was a master builder of wood-and-canvas canoes in Ely, Minnesota.Joe Seliga was born to Steve and Anna Seliga in Ely, Minnesota and graduated from Ely Memorial High School....
, of Ely, Minnesota.

War canoe
Warriors onboard were typically armed with shield, spear and bow. In the gunpowder era, small iron or brass cannon were sometimes mounted on the bow or stern, although the firepower delivered from these areas and weapons was relatively ineffective. Musketeers delivering fire to cover raiding missions generally had better luck. The typical tactic was to maneuver close to shore, discharge weapons, then quickly pull out to open water to reload, before dashing in again to repeat the cycle. Troop and supply transport were the primary missions, but canoe versus canoe engagements in the lagoons, creeks and lakes of West Africa were also significant.


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.

Canadese Kano 2

Touring and Tripping canoes.

Prospector canoe
Long Distance Touring canoe

Whitewater canoe

Playboating
Playboating

Playboating is a discipline of whitewater kayaking or canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place , as opposed to downriver whitewater kayaking where the objective is to travel the length of a section of river ....
 decked canoe
A subgroup of whitewater canoes specialized for whitewater play and tricks. Most are identical to short, flat-bottomed kayak playboats except for internal outfitting. The paddler kneels and uses a single-blade canoe paddle.

Whitewater slalom canoe
Decked canoes which look very much like a kayak, but are still paddled with the paddler in a kneeling position and with a single bladed paddle.
Square stern canoe An asymmetrical canoe with a squared off stern for the mounting of an outboard motor
Outboard motor

An outboard motor is a marine propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or Jetboat, designed to be affixed to the outside of the Transom ....
; meant for lake travel or fishing.

Racing canoe
Also known as sprint canoe
Sprint canoe

A sprint canoe is a special type of canoe used in the sport of canoe racing.A one-person sprint canoe is 5.20 metres long; a traveling canoe of a similar length would be suitable for 2 to 3 people with gear....
 - purpose-built racing
Canoe racing

This article discusses canoe sprint and canoe marathon, competitive forms of canoeing and kayaking on more or less flat water. Both sports are governed by the International Canoe Federation ....
 canoe for use in racing on flat water. To reduce drag
Drag (physics)

The term drag is widely used in Physics and Engineering and is central to the field of fluid dynamics. "Drag" refers to forces that oppose the motion of a solid object through a fluid ....
, they are built long and with a narrow beam
Beam (nautical)

The beam of a ship is its width at the widest point, or at the mid-point of its length. Generally speaking, the wider the beam of a ship , the more initial stability it has, at expense of reserve stability in the event of a capsize, where more energy is required to right the vessel from its inverted position....
, which makes them very unstable. A one-person sprint canoe is 5.2 meters or 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.
Aa Inflatable Canoes

Inflatable canoe
Similar in construction and materials to other inflatable boat
Inflatable boat

An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull beneath it is often flexible....
s but shaped like a canoe. It is meant for serious whitewater and is usually difficult to use for flat water travel.

Outrigger canoe
Outrigger canoe

The outrigger canoe 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 ....
A canoe with an attached float, called an outrigger
Outrigger

An outrigger is a part of a boat's rigging which is rigid and extends beyond the side or gunwale of a boat.In an outrigger canoe or bangka and in sailboats such as the proa, an outrigger is a thin, long, solid, hull used to stabilise an inherently unstable main hull....
 (or ama), to provide stability. Commonly used for racing.


Differences from other paddled boats

  • Kayak
    Kayak

    A kayak is a small human-powered boat. It typically has a covered deck, and a cockpit covered by a spraydeck. The kayak was used by the native Ainu people, Aleuts and Eskimo hunters in sub-Arctic regions of northeastern Asia, North America and Greenland....
     - 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 canoeists 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
    Canoeing

    Canoeing is the activity of Watercraft paddling a canoe for the purpose of recreation , sport, or Human-powered transport. It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power....
    , making it possible to recover from a capsize
    Capsize

    The common definition for capsized refers to when a boat or ship is tipped over until disabled. The act of reversing a capsized vessel is called righting....
     without flooding the interior of the hull with water. In some parts of the world kayaks are considered canoes, and open-decked canoes are called "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
    McKenzie River dory

    The McKenzie dory or Rogue River dory or called by many a Drift Boat is an evolution of the open-water dory, converted for use in rivers....
     or a raft outfitted with a rowing frame are suitable for whitewater.
  • Adirondack guideboat
    Adirondack guideboat

    Adirondack guideboats were built since the early 1800s and evolved from a hunting skiff to today's highly refined design, virtually unchanged since the late 1800s....
     - 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
    Dragon boat

    A dragon boat or "dragonboat" is a very long and narrow, canoe style human-powered transport boat now used in the team paddling team sport of dragon boat racing which originated in China over 2000 years ago....
     - while it handles similarly 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.
  • Surfski - Similar to a kayak but the deck is completely sealed, with the paddler sitting in moulded depressions in the deck. They are extremely fast and seaworthy - capable of being used for long distance racing in extreme offshore ocean conditions.


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.

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
Port (nautical)

Port is the List of nautical terms that refers to the left and right side of a ship, as perceived by a person on board the ship and facing towards the Bow ....
 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
Pivot

Pivot may refer to* Pivot, the fulcrum as part of a lever* Pivot joint, a kind of joint between bones in the body* Pivot turn, a dance move...
 and the right arm supplies most of the power. The sternman would paddle to starboard
Starboard

Starboard is the List of nautical terms that refers to the left and right side of a vessel as perceived by a person on board a vessel and facing the Bow ....
, 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.

Tandem 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
Thrust

Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Isaac Newton's Newton's laws of motion. When a system expels or acceleration mass in one direction the accelerated mass will cause a proportional but opposite force on that system....
, and the greater source of thrust should be placed in the bow for greater steering stability.

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 that it starts, where other correction strokes do this 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.
  • The C-stroke is used only in solo paddling, when the paddler is seated in the centre of the canoe. It is generally used to start the canoe moving in a straight line. With only one paddler, doing a simple bow stroke will cause the canoe to turn rapidly away from the paddling side. To counteract this, the paddler draws the paddle in a "C" shape, drawing in slightly in front of the paddler, pulling back as in a bow stroke, and then pushing away slightly behind the paddler, as in a J-stroke. This is opposite to a sweep. It serves the same purpose as a J-stroke (counteracting the natural turn of the canoe away from the paddling side), but provides more correction which is necessary when starting a solo canoe from a standstill or paddling in strong wind or current.
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 .


Setting poles

On swift river
River

A river is a natural stream of water, usually freshwater, flowing toward an ocean, a lake, or another stream. In some cases a river flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water....
s, the stern man may use a setting pole
Setting pole

A setting pole is a pole , handled by a single individual, made to move watercraft by pushing the craft in the desired direction. Because it is a pushing tool, it is generally used from the stern of the craft....
. 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
Eddy (fluid dynamics)

In fluid dynamics, an eddy is the swirling of a fluid and the reverse current created when the fluid flows past an obstacle. The moving fluid creates a space devoid of downstream-flowing fluid on the downstream side of the object....
, a setting pole can propel a canoe even against moderate (class III) rapids.

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.

See also

  • Adirondack guideboat
    Adirondack guideboat

    Adirondack guideboats were built since the early 1800s and evolved from a hunting skiff to today's highly refined design, virtually unchanged since the late 1800s....
  • Boat building
    Boat building

    Boat building, one of the oldest branches of engineering, is concerned with constructing the hull of boats and, for sailboats, the mast s, spars and rigging....
  • Canoeing
    Canoeing

    Canoeing is the activity of Watercraft paddling a canoe for the purpose of recreation , sport, or Human-powered transport. It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power....
  • Kayaking
    Kayaking

    Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is generally differentiated from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle....
  • Stitch and glue
    Stitch and glue

    Stitch and glue is a simple boat building method which uses plywood, epoxy glue, and "stitches" and eliminates the need for stems and chines. Plywood panels are cut to detailed profiles and stitched together to form an accurate hull shape, without the need for forms or special tools....
  • York boat
    York boat

    The York boat was an inland boat used by the Hudson's Bay Company to carry furs and trade goods along inland waterways in Canada. It was named after York Factory, the headquarters of the HBC, and modeled after Orkney Islands fishing boats ....
     - the canoes counterpart/competitor in the Canadian fur trade
    Fur trade

    The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur....
    .


Further reading

  • 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
    Edwin Tappan Adney

    Edwin Tappan Adney was an artist, a writer, a photographer and the man credited with saving the art of birch bark canoe construction. He built more than 100 models of different types, which are now housed at the Mariners' Museum in Newport News, VA....
     and Howard I. Chapelle
    Howard I. Chapelle

    Howard Irwing Chapelle was curator of maritime history at the Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.. In addition, he authored many books and articles books on maritime history and marine architecture....
  • 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
  • Building the Maine Guide Canoe, ISBN 0-87742-120-X, by
  • 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
    John McPhee

    John Angus McPhee is a Pulitzer Prize-winning writer widely considered one of the pioneers of narrative nonfiction. Unlike Tom Wolfe and Hunter Thompson, who helped kick-start the "new journalism" which, in the 1960s, revolutionized nonfiction, McPhee produced a gentler style of literary journalism by incorporating techniques from novels a...
  • Path of the Paddle ISBN 1-55209-328-X, by Bill Mason
    Bill Mason

    Bill Mason was an award-winning Canadian naturalist, author, artist, filmmaker, and conservationist, noted primarily for his popular canoeing books, films, and art as well as his documentaries on wolves....
  • Song of the Paddle ISBN 1-55209-089-2, by Bill Mason
  • Thrill of the Paddle ISBN 1-55209-451-0, by Paul Mason
    Paul Mason

    Paul Mason may refer to:* Paul Mason , British television news correspondent* Paul Mason , American author* Paul Mason , British footballer...


External links