Ontario’s Upper French River gets some motorboat traffic from its historic cottages and fishing lodges. It’s been a mecca for anglers and camp owners for quite a few decades (the first tourist camps opened here in the early 1900s). But I rarely see canoeists or kayakers taking advantage of the area’s incredible scenery of
The best lightweight, dynamic multi-purpose boat for multi day canoe tripping and speedy day trips with the family.
The ice is getting soft, the birds are migrating back, and soon canoeists will be oiling up their paddles and heading out for their first trip. To help you get prepared, here are some top “how-to” canoe books.
Going on your own canoe trip can be fraught with confusion about what gear to bring. Use this guide and downloadable canoe camping checklist for your next wilderness canoe trip.
Last weekend my canoe partner, Kristine, and I (and the two dogs, Angel and Oliver) choose a site set amongst a birch grove, tucked away in Raven Lake’s Deer Bay. The autumn colours were amazing, and the nights were crisp and clear. It was idyllic to say the least.
Clip of Film 'Across Asgaard' about a couple of guys paddling across Norway, Sweden and Finland in a canoe. This section shows the Skettejakke River to Akkaj...
This lightweight and efficient canoe is a nimble craft that has everything a paddler could want for backcountry tripping & day paddling.
The most important elements that make up good tripping canoes are dimensions, shape and material. Be sure to view all available canoe options on the…
C1 / Solo / Asymmetrical - Performance Touring, Wilderness Tripping, and Stock Class Racing Canoe - Length: 17' - Weight: 19-25 lb
Have you ever considered tripping by yourself? Shawn James explains why you should and provides some helpful solo canoe trip tips to help you get started.
Up North, in the true canoe country, early May is to canoe-tripping what Thanksgiving to Christmas is to retailing. The whole year quickens toward those two weeks.
Everyone learns from their mistakes. Here is a list of things Kevin Callan has learned through his years of canoe tripping. Don't make these mistakes yourself.
If you are an experienced solo paddler or an occasional kayaker who likes the tripping gear capacity and loading ease of a canoe, you might want to check this one out.
Open Canoe River Instruction Whitewater Kayaking Classes Canoe Tripping Classes Looking a little training to get you started paddling whitewater river? One or two classes is all it takes for most athletes to get started river paddling. Whitewater Canoe and Kayak instruction available at Hard Water Sports Classes start on… Continue reading
In this video, part two in a mini series on sleep systems, I will be going through the bivvy/bivy/bivi bags I use for camping, bushcraft, canoe tripping and ...
The Angler's Trip is an elegant light tripping canoe designed for high stability and modest trips. She's perfectly suited for those who need a stable platform for on-water activities such as fishing, photography or family outings. Plans are available for digital downloads or print delivery. Free shipping.
We may earn commissions if you shop through the links below. The Têtes de Boule Hunter’s canoe appears as Figure 102 in Edwin Tappan Adney and Howard I. Chapelle’s The Bark Canoes and Skin Boats of North America. I believe that Adney modeled the canoe in 1930. A picture of the model appears on page 63 in John Jennings’ Bark Canoes: The Art and Obsession of Tappan Adney. This is a slightly different canoe than I’ve modeled before. It’s only 9 feet 8 inches. There aren’t many canoe plans, let alone free canoe plans, on the market for a small pack canoe like this. Loaded to the 4-inch waterline, the canoe carries 145 lbs. At the 6-inch waterline, which Cliff Jacobson states leaves plenty of freeboard in a solo canoe, the displacement is 250 lbs. Perfect for a small, lightweight, day-tripping canoe for fishing and hunting. Chapelle writes that the Têtes de Boule were excellent canoe builders living in an area with good materials. They built canoes for the fur trade. Generally, they didn’t decorate the canoes unless the buyer requested decoration. Both Chapelle and Jennings note that these canoes paddled easily. Jennings writes that a builder named Dube — maybe that’s a misspelling of The Dude — built the canoe on the St. Maurice River in 1930. Specifications Length: 9 feet 8 inchesWidth: 26 1/2 inchesDepth: 12 inches Free Canoe Plan Downloads and Package Downloads Description Canoe Builder’s Photos By Alan: He says: Several years ago I downloaded your plans for the Têtes de Boule Hunter’s Canoe. A year or so later I sent a contribution ($35 or $50 – can’t remember) and began construction, with no clue how to do anything. I made it as skin-on-frame, regretting the departure from tradition, because I thought that would be simplest and would make a very light boat. It’s taken a very long time but I’ve finally got it finished boat so here are a couple of photos. Thank you so very much for letting me get the plans free initially – it was a great inspiration at a low point. This first canoe was totally experimental. From my ignorance this canoe’s shape is too round (I let the ribs change shape) so although my daughter can manage it fine my higher center of gravity tips me in at the least movement … fun for all, but I really need to make a second canoe that will be “my” boat. Best wishes and grateful thanksAlan By Dana: Read his building report at the Tool Library.
We may earn commissions if you shop through the links below. After you build a canoe hull, possibly from PaddlingLight’s free canoe plans, and trim it out with thwarts, gunwales and a yoke, you need to add seats. Historically, few canoes had seats built into them — the paddlers either knelt or sat on gear. While that’s still practical, it’s much more comfortable to sit on an actual canoe seat. If the canoe plan didn’t include seat positions, then you need to calculate that position yourself. Luckily, with a little high-school level algebra — and you thought it would never come in handy — calculating a canoe seat position is painless. Canoe Seat Position Calculations Part of canoeing and seamanship is trimming your boat to the conditions. Ideally, you want to balance the canoe so that the original design condition is met, which requires you to evenly balance both paddler’s center of gravity over the boat’s center of buoyancy. Imagine the canoe as a seesaw. The seesaw’s pivot point is the canoe’s center of buoyancy. To balance the seesaw, the heavier person usually sits nearer to the center than the lighter. To balance a canoe, you need to do the same. To find the seat position, use Ted Moores’ formula found in Canoecraft: An Illustrated Guide to Fine Woodstrip Construction. Sternman’s weight x A = Bowman’s weight x B Where “A” equals the distance between the sternman’s center of gravity and the boat’s center of buoyancy, and “B” equals the distance between the bowman’s center of gravity to the boat’s center of buoyancy. When applying this formula, you can assume that the paddler’s center of gravity equals the front of his seat. Before you decide seat position consider the following: You need to balance the seat according to your needs. For example, if you’re going to use the canoe for tripping, then move the seats out towards the ends, because the heavier load increases stability and you need the extra leverage to help turn a fully loaded canoe. If it’s a cabin cruiser, then move the seats closer together for more comfort and great stability. If the canoe is extra wide, move the seat towards the ends where it’s narrower, so it’s easier to reach the water with your paddle. If the canoe has skinny ends, move the seats more towards the center. As an example, let’s say we want to make the Têtes de Boule Two-Fathom Canoe into a cabin canoe with roomy, but not too room paddling stations and plenty of leg room in the front. We first place the bow seat 3 1/2 feet from the bow and 3 feet 10 inches from the canoe’s center of buoyancy. Our bowman weighs 140 lbs., and our sternman weighs 180 lbs. 180 lbs. x A = 140 lbs. x 3.8334 feetsimplifiesA = (140 x 3.8334) / 180solvesA = 2.982 feet The distance between the canoe’s center of buoyancy and the sternman’s center of gravity is about 3 feet. That makes his paddling station 2 feet 2 inches wide and the bowman’s is 1 foot 10 inches. Height of the Canoe Seat The lower the canoe seats the more stable the canoe becomes. Higher canoe seats give more control and make the boat more responsive. Canoe seats mounted somewhere in the middle give a good balance between stability and responsiveness, because you can kneel when you need extra stability and sit for all other times. When mounting seats for a balanced approach, mount them high enough to get your feet in and out easily. Most paddlers will find about 9 or 10 inches high enough. To make the kneeling position more comfortable, angle the seat slightly forward by raising the seat’s rear 1 inch higher than the seat’s front. Consider knee pads if you plan on kneeling often.
