Just wanted to say thanks to everyone on this site. I don't post but read aften and was more prepared because of all of your knowleadge shared here.

A couple of things learned; I discovered how to work with a head wind. Playing the wind off the bow to be able to paddle both sides and get some strong C strokes in. I also fell in love with my bent shaft paddle. I've never really used it much when tandum paddling, but solo...I was in love!

I do have a couple of questions thou; (1) I had an extremly hard time paddle with a tail wind? Could not get any momentum, it seemed I was always doing corrections. I really struggled with this! Any suggestions? (2)I was'nt sure about wieght distribution? Is there a common thought on this, front or back. (3)I also struggle with a beaver dam! Almost did the dive a couple of times. any tips (4) Any canoe suggestions for a solo type? I rented a solo and it seemed ok but I thought I was sitting a little high. Any suggestion on length, make ect.

All in all I leanred much and think I'm hooked!

Paddling with a tail wind and not able to get momentum due to frequent corrections...

The trim of the canoe plays a more significant role when solo paddling. Whichever end, bow or stern, is slightly higher in the water, that end will act like a weather vane. If the bow is higher, a tail wind or quartering tail wind will have the effect of straightening the canoe with a tendency for it to head directly downwind. If the stern were slightly higher it would require more frequent corrections as that end would have a habit of catching the wind and making the boat turn more aggressively as the tail would then have a tendency to head downwind and opposite the direction you're trying to paddle. If it was dead level in the water the effects on rotating the canoe should be nearly negligible. Usually with a tail wind the paddling is much easier and you're able to maintain a better speed with less effort.

Weight distribution...

I'm no expert, but I generally prefer the bow just slightly higher than the stern with the only exception being if there are waves approaching from the stern. In that case I'd probably prefer a more level canoe because waves are generated by wind and wind from the stern with an elevated stern makes the canoe act like a sail and she wants to spin around far too much. I believe the true recommendation is to have the boat loaded so it is very nearly level in the water.

Beaver dam struggles...

If the bow is slightly higher, you can typically approach a beaver dam or other semi-submerged obstacle with enough speed to "beach" the canoe by a few feet. Once you have a good portion of the craft on top of the structure I would then very carefully walk forward in the canoe with a hand on each gunwale until I was near enough to the front to either get out or to use my paddle to push the canoe the rest of the way over. A word of warning, however, is that when a canoe is on an object, such as the bow on shore with the remainder in the water, it is exceptionally tippy. When in this condition extreme caution should be taken not to flip out...and it takes just a split second. I use the same ideology when rock climbing: always have three points of contact between your two feet or knees and your two hands. When one point is lifted, make sure the other three allow for even weight distribution to maintain balance. An alternative approach if you are uncomfortable with riding up over a dam due to concern for the possiblity of damage to the canoe (not an issue for me as I generally paddle aluminum or royalex and not a fragile and speedy kevlar) is to pull up parallel to the dam and get out of the canoe on top of the dam just as you would disembark on shore. With you out of the boat it should be light enough to heave over. If not, remove your pack as well and then hoist it over.

Solo canoe options...

I've never paddled a true solo canoe, just tandems while sitting in the front seat and facing the rear or located elsewhere so that it responds appropriately so I cannot offer good info on this topic. Generally they are smaller and lighter craft from 12'-15' in length. If you felt you were sitting too high an option and good recommendation is to kneel in the craft - this will provide an excellent base for paddling strength and leverage but will get old after extended periods and require stops to stretch and rejuvinate aching muscles.

"C" stroke...

I'm not certain, but I normally refer to this as a "J" stroke but you may be referring to an alternative method. The J stroke is a manner of slightly rotating and removing the paddle from the water at the end of a stroke that compensates for the rotation of the canoe created by the initial propelling stroke. On the port side, it is a J shape but is opposite on the starboard. The rotation of the paddle is axial and would be a slight clockwise rotation when viewed from above on the port side.

Great observations and question and I hope my input was helpful. Solo paddling can be a very satisfying experience...especially once you get the hang of it!

Hey Paul, glad you enjoyed your first solo. I'll try to help a bit but a lot of solo travel is experimentation and persistence. It has taken me years to develop strokes to efficiently paddle and I'm still working on it.

1) Tail Wind - You need to play around with your correction stroke. If you're doing the J-Stroke with your thumb down, try it with the thumb up (yes I know, goon stroke, but it is a good correction in current). Also, transition immediately into your correction, don't drag the paddle in the water. The best advice I ever got was reach as far up as you can and bring the paddle to your knee for power, then turn the paddle as it goes back to the end of the boat and immediately correct. Also, Canadian Stroke is an excellent solo travel stroke and it is especially useful in wind.

2) Weight distribution - I like to trip with two bags, a big one with tent, sleeping bag, food, etc. And then a small thwart bag with little stuff. That way, I can place the two bags, one in the bow and one behind me, and I can move them around to trim the boat. Correct trimming is vital to safe and efficient travel.

3) Beaver dams - Get out of the boat! I'm not sure what hung you up but going upstream or downstream, its always safest to get out of the boat and push it over.

4) Boats - This is a fiercely debated topic, so I will only mention the boats I would paddle. Like a lot of thing in life, personal preference is key. First of all, if you plan to do any whitewater, you'll need a boat with whitewater characteristics. Bell Yellowstone comes to mind, as well as the Esquif boats. But if you are just on flatwater, you still have lots of options. Narrow boats absolutely fly, can be tippy, and won't hold as much gear. Hemlock Peregrine and the Bell Magic are the two I like, but I know Swift and Wenonah makes good ones in this category. Ask the two Seans (of Ajax and of North Bay;) They both have good solo boats.

But you might want to look into a boat with a wider beam. It won't be as fast, but its more stable, you can hold more gear, and I find them more fun to paddle. I have a Curtis Companion which is no longer made, but Hemlock makes an Eaglet that is based off a Companion mold. Bell Merlins are also good. I can't speak to Swifts or Wenonahs. Also, if you're in or near Canada, Evergreen makes good boats (they don't ship to the States)

The best advice I can give is to paddle different boats and see which ones you like. Check out the classifieds and the internet; there are some great boats for sale right now.

Glad you had fun and I hope this helps.

Tenzing


Tenzing

http://tenzingsadventures.blogspot.com/

I thought I'd just include a few pictures of the two solo boats I paddle to give you an idea of what I'm talking about. I also included the link to the specs on the Curtis Companion (now the Hemlock Eaglet) Like I said, I consider it the perfect solo tripping boat, so a boat with similar measurements might be a good place to start looking.

From Untitled Album

Green is the Peregrine, White is the Companion

From Untitled Album

The Companion on St. Regis Pond

From Untitled Album

Me adjusting a camera while shooting my latest film. Don't try this at home!




Anyways, hope I helped a little.

Tenzing

http://tenzingsadventures.blogspot.com/

DY designed a number of paddle friendly boats..For example the Algonquin series from Swift has several symmetrical hulls. The 15 is fine for soloing with big loads.

But for speed and efficiency a larger L/W ratio (measured on the waterline) will steer you to dedicated solos..Most have a ratio of 6-7.5. Tandems run in the five ish range.

I have a Peregrine, WildFire, FlashFire, Swift Heron, Bell Merlin II and RapidFire.. The first was not quite a DY boat but thats a nother story (he did have input) and the rest not surprisingly are.

Winter"s Swift Osprey is another nice handling boat with good speed.

Also as much as shape and numbers, pay attention to the construction. Foam panelled boats if cracked are difficult to repair. Don't buy an overlight boat if you are hard on them. Its always tempting to get a light boat for a hiking park like Algonquin.

C stroke is not the J stroke. C is used for acceleration from a standstill as you need some bow draw to keep the boat from initially veering away from your paddle. After a couple of strokes the pivot point of the boat moves forward and you can drop the top of the C..hence it becomes a j.

The stern pry (what is being referred to as the goon stroke) is a river running correction.Its no good for flatwater as you feel the brakes being put on as the thumb comes up. Thats cause the powerface is being switched.
Its an overly powerful correction. Thats why its good on the water and most likely you are trying to line up a rapid and actually may want to go slow..the river is powering you anyway.

I recently soloed in a Swift Shearwater after some research and input from the wealth of experience at this site. I was out for a 7 day trip so I chose it over the Osprey for its capacity and stability. Mind you, if you are talking about renting, then you are clearly limited by what it available. The two boats mentioned were my options.

I prefer to approach beaver dams the way Pa described by parallel parking and getting out. Hauling the boat over. I try not to much that is unpredictable when tripping, especially when I am alone. Mind you I have done my share of calling 'ramming speed' from the stern... I'm just more cautious when I'm on my own.

The Shearwater had an adjustable seat which allowed me to move forward or back depending on my load. I also preferred to keep the boat generally level but adjusted it the way Pa suggests. I also very much appreciated a double paddle while soloing. I think it is very forgiving and allows you to easily correct your alignment depending on the wind. I used the classic canoe paddle while on flatter water focussing on keeping my strokes longer. In the wind and rougher water I used the double and was very glad to have it. I credit Mark Scarlett and Randy Mitson for that piece of advice, as well as Ted Strolenberg's trip log. Hard to argue with that kind of practical experience.

I have been seriously considering the route you took for my next solo so am glad to hear you enjoyed it.

Trouble with a tail wind? Suggests your canoe wasn't well trimmed. Maybe bow heavy.

Trim 'should' be more or less level. If you're doing a big crossing with wind you want the windward end a little heavy.

Yep, pull-overs are tricky when you're alone.

Wenonah Argosy. There are so many choices in solo canoes that it's a personal choice. Some folks like the Shearwater while I hate it for the same reasons they love it. Rent many different ones. Try as many as you can. Learn what you love. Wenonah Argosy.

(1) Tail wind?
If I know that a tail wind will be prevalent, I'll trim the boat bow light, and keep the paddle in the water as much as possible using under water recovery like Canadian strokes and Indian strokes. I use a bent shaft for flat-water paddling and they are too much work for soloing - J's and Canadians are harder and Indian strokes almost impossible. If you're a sit and switch it doesn't matter, but I only change my padding side in strong winds, probably because of white-water paddling where ambidextrous paddling means your poor on two sides.

(2) Weight distribution?
Typically as even as possible, bow light in tail winds, bow heavy in head winds.

(3) Beaver dams?
Previous advice is the same as I'd give.

(4) Solo canoes?
Swift Osprey or perhaps a Nova Craft Bob's Special, its all about the paddler and purpose.

Darryl H.

yet again the people on this site are MORE then happy to share info. Very helpful!! I will let everyone know how the next trips works out, thanks again.
Paul