Five ways to paddle your own boat.
by T. Edward Nickens
Paddling a canoe solo is difficult, tiring, uncomfortable, and impractical‹if you don't know how. But what if you could propel the boat without ripping your arms out of their sockets? Or turn it on a dime? Or negotiate tricky currents with ease? You'd gain more than solitude. You'd catch more fish, sneak up on more ducks, and access even more remote forests and streams.
A confident paddler can strike out on his own, assured of making it back upstream or across the big water to camp. You can chase down crippled mallards quickly. And you're off to the lake when you need a little quality time for just the two of you‹you and a 3-pound brookie, that is. Moreover, a good soloist makes an excellent tandem partner. These techniques will put a bow gunner close to the ducks with a minimum of movement, or hold the canoe in the current while your buddy launches a cast into the eddy line.
Sometimes, I even prefer paddling solo. On a trip down South Carolina's Edisto River, my buddy Tim and I each paddled our own 14-footer. One night he headed downriver to set up camp while I pulled fat bluegills out of cypress-lined side channels. The venison steaks were ready when I stepped out of the boat.
Prerequisite Skills: Trim and Heel
Before you get started, you need to be in the proper position. There are boats designed for one paddler, but most tandem canoes can be handled serviceably well solo. First, turn the canoe around and sit backward in the bow seat. Now your weight is close to the middle of the craft, where you want it. Bring the boat into near-level trim with a daypack or a few water bottles tossed into what is now the bow. If the canoe is too wide to paddle comfortably, kneel on the bottom of the boat and scoot closer to the gunwale on your stronger side. You can heel (tilt) many canoes over for an easier reach to the water and an efficient glide. A 12- to 14-degree bent-shaft paddle is the best choice for solo canoeists. These are most efficient just forward of and beside the paddler‹and that's where you apply the most power. And a bent-shaft paddle doesn't push water up as it rises for the next stroke. Straight-shaft paddles do, siphoning off energy with each stroke.
Advanced Skills: Smooth Moves
Now that you're well armed, it's time to learn the five fundamental strokes that can propel you anywhere.
The C-stroke is the basic stroke that will keep you tracking straight. Turn the paddle face to a 30- to 45-degree angle to the canoe and plant it forward and out from the gunwale. Carve a C-shaped arc, bringing the blade under the gunwale beside your seat, then away from the boat to correct the bow angle. Maintain a straight course by adjusting the pitch of the blade.
When you have plenty of room, use a forward sweep to point the canoe away from your paddle side. Plant the paddle in the water, close to the gunwale and as far ahead as you can reach. Write a wide arc from bow to stern. A reverse sweep steers you in the other direction; start the stroke with the paddle blade behind you and sweep toward the bow.
For a more aggressive move toward the paddle side, you need a draw. Reach forward and out and draw the blade toward you, but stop it just as the paddle comes to the gunwale.
A cross draw will move you quickly away from the paddling side. Lift the paddle out of the water and over the bow, twisting at your waist. Plant the blade as far forward as you can comfortably reach and draw it sharply toward the gunwale, pushing the paddle down into the water.
(left to right) C-Stroke, Forward Sweep, Reverse Sweep, Draw, Cross Draw
The Challenge
This slalom course will test your ability to make sharp and gentle turns to both port and starboard, train your straight-line paddling skills, and force you to ferry sideways.
Place nine duck decoys or anchored milk jugs in the pattern shown. Starting at the dock, follow the dashed lines around the first three anchored markers. Use the noted strokes. Then ferry hard right to the fourth marker, using short, aggressive draw strokes. After rounding marker 5, point your bow straight to marker 6 and concentrate on a straight track. Round the marker and head for the dock. If you're able to follow this course by using all the listed strokes in under five minutes, you're a power paddler.
SPECIAL THANKS TO FIELD AND STREAM MAGAZINE FOR THIS ARTICLE. |
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