Breakaway Classic Adventures
Breakaway Classic Adventures
Classic Canoeing Revisited
photo / Michael Melford, National Geographic Creative
Nostalgia is being swept away in a tsunami of modern technology - cars that are smarter than we are, phones that really are smarter than we are, and now AI giving us advice on virtually everything. Put life on cruise control and take a break. Pick up a paddle, jump into a canoe and head out on the open water to clear that head of yours!
Don’t try to overthink it; just close your eyes and imagine what life could be like… slow in pace, quiet and peaceful, the only possible distraction is the soft lapping of the waves in your mind. A classic cedar strip canvas canoe is just the ticket to get you lost in tranquility. Wood, canvas and water are all organic in nature and belong together, melting into each other smoothly and quietly. Fiberglass, plastic and aluminum are foreign and unnatural and serve a different purpose and a different frame of mind. While wood is warm and absorbs noise, those other materials are cold and annoyingly amplify sounds, not conducive to solitude and relaxation!
A map, compass and canoe pack are your only companions on your escape, but somewhere you’ll have to learn how to make the most of them, and of course basic paddling skills and wilderness know how. I learned mine when I was a pre-teen and my teacher and mentor was an officer with the Ministry of Natural Resources stationed out of a community called Bobcaygeon, Ontario. Bobcaygeon… now there is a fascinating name for a town, made famous by the Tragically Hip song of the same name in 1999. Bobcaygeon has always stuck in mind whenever I think of canoeing. The word stems from an Ojibway term meaning shallow currents or currented rocky narrows, both common encounters during a paddle either down a mystic river or across a lake with no name.
One of the first things my game warden friend taught me was how to sit in a canoe, not on the seat but resting your butt against it with your legs folded beneath you. The idea is to keep your center of gravity low, giving you and your canoe stability when rocked by waves or a sudden shift of cargo or passengers. Along with proper seating position is seat location. If you are a solo canoeist, then you locate yourself more midship, actually leaning against a thwart or the back of the bow seat. The reason behind this is to keep the canoe level in the water to improve wind resistance and maneuverability.
Going solo is the quintessential canoeing experience and requires additional skill, technique and practice. A tippy canoe and a solo canoeist go hand-in-hand and the less knowing would think the canoe is about to go over. In reality, the closer the gunnel is to the water the longer and more efficient your paddle stroke will be.
Keeping the canoe going in a straight line is all in the stroke of your paddle and not in the switching of your paddle from side to side. An experienced canoeist is able to keep on course by just paddling on one side or the other, switching only every so often to give arm and wrist muscles a brake. The magic paddle technique is called a J stroke, which is course correcting. At the end of every sweep of the paddle, the blade is turned and pushed out away from the canoe. This slight push away is the only course correction needed to keeping on the path of a straight line.
The understanding of these solo canoeing basics applies also to canoeing tandem with both a bow and stern paddler. The paddler in the stern is the driver and controls the direction and path of the canoe, while the bow paddler’s job so to give additional power with simple straight-line strokes always on the opposite side of the driver. The stern paddler acts like a coxswain, keeping a steady rhythmic beat between both paddlers.
A much-overlooked tip is in selecting the best paddle design and treatment. The paddle is your only method of propulsion and has to be one with you. The right height is probably its most important attribute. Too short and it’s not efficient, too long and it's awkward. Generally speaking, your paddle should reach your chin, nose or forehead depending upon the length of your arms and comfort when holding it. The paddle shaft should be void of any varnish or wax that will cause blisters as your hands slide and twist upon it.
Earlier I mentioned something about a map and compass as your only companions and you probably scratched your head since you’re still in a high-tech mindset. “Getting away from it all” includes going to places where there is limited cell coverage and definitely no electricity to recharge dead phones or GPS devices, thus the necessity for a map and compass. Reading a map seems like second nature and common sense to some, but nowadays in everyday life they are hard to find. Once upon a time a map was to lead us to treasure, but now they are the treasure, only if you can get your hands upon a good one.
The maps that you’ll need are obviously road maps, topographic maps, if your routes include portages, and hydrographic maps which, in a sense, are road maps on waterways. Knowing meters vs. yards, fathoms vs. feet and whether you will be climbing or descending are things you’ll need to learn in order to study a map properly and get safely to your destination. A compass goes hand-in-hand with map reading and, if maps are hard to find, a good needle bearing compass even more so. Taking a compass bearing is a must! Even looking at a map, you still need to know where you are. A compass will orientate your map in the correct position so you can actually head in the right direction… oh so confusing!
The sun, the moon and even the clouds are a wealth of information and I am running out of space to detail how they can be in one instance your friend and in a blink of an eye your foe. The best guidance I can give you is just to take notes and record the changes that you observe and remember it for the next time. As an example, we were once paddling on a beautiful sunny day expecting the rest of the journey to be the same. Unbeknownst to us, those pretty little clouds in the sky forewarned of nasty weather ahead and sure enough our next day’s journey was through driving wind and rain. Those pretty little wispy clouds were called Mare’s Tails…remember them well!
Finally, a quick note about your pack(s). All your essentials need to be stowed away in a waterproof pack that is easy to carry yet does not roll around in the bottom of your canoe. Modern day dry sacks are good, and even greater to travel with if they have shoulder straps, but in true voyageur tradition, I will always choose a wax treated canvas backpack… makes for a soft and comfortable head rest at night as. Happy paddling!
Indrek Kongats is an artist, traveler, outdoorsman, and business owner residing in Ellicottville. He operates River Dog Art Gallery in Houghton, NY, and his Breakaway Classic Adventures specializes in adventure travel destinations. Learn more about him at breakawayclassicadventures.com.