Boating: How to Boat: Advanced: Paddle Sports
Canoes and Kayaks
A camper or a fisherman who has never used a canoe to reach backwater havens is missing a rare wilderness experience. These silent boats can take you deep into remote areas that are hardly ever reached by most people.
Most canoes in the 16 to 17-foot range will work fine. Aluminum canoes are noisy, but they are also tough. Some space-age canoes of Kevlar and ABS plastic are so tough that they can take as much abuse as aluminum.
For most canoe camping and fishing, pick out a 17-footer. It will weigh about 60 to 70 pounds and hold nearly 800 pounds of gear and people. Don't plan on more than two people in a canoe this size.
If you're new to canoeing, pick a model with a keel, which will make it easier to paddle in a straight line for long distances. Whitewater models that have no keel (or very shallow keel) are designed for fast maneuverability and not suitable for cruising. A good cruising canoe should have a beam of at least 36 inches and a center depth of 12 to 14 inches. The beam should be carried well into the bow and stern, so it can carry maximum gear and food.
Wood canoe paddles may look pretty, but you're better off with tough resilient fiberglass paddles. If you insist on wood, always carry a spare. For both bow and stern paddler, pick a paddle that reaches between your chin and eyes.
The kayak is a direct descendant of the sea-going kayaks of Eskimos of the Far North. the basic kayak is a slender closed-decked craft with a body-fitting cockpit and a waterproof skirt that seals the hatch around the paddler, who feels that he is "wearing the boat."
A two-bladed paddle propels the boat and a small rudder at stern assists in steering, making the kayak track straight, or holding the craft in position. The kayak is light, fast, and easy to handle in nearly all types of water.
Various models are designed for touring, white water, and sea kayaking. Whitewater kayaks are nearly always single cockpit crafts designed for high maneuverability and minimal effort in paddling upriver and down river. Whitewater models are usually 13 to 15 feel long with beams of 23 inches or so. Skilled paddlers can run white water forward, backward, and even broadside in a kayak.
Touring kayaks, sometimes called expedition kayaks, are designed to carry one or two paddlers and range from 16 to 18 feet. Sea kayaks are bigger crafts with exceptional load capacities, as much as 900 pounds, and range from 18 to 22 feet in length with 30-inch beams. Some sea kayaks can accommodate three paddlers, and several manufacturers build collapsible kayaks for ease of storage for traveling kayakers.
You can find detailed information about canoeing and kayaking in the "Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia." To order an autographed copy of this 830-page comprehensive volume, contact Vin T. Sparano, the author, at: [email protected]
|
|
| More in this section... |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 through 10 of 15 total.
|
|
|
|
