The debate surrounding the placement of a heavier person in a canoe has been ongoing for years. Some argue that weight distribution is crucial for maintaining balance and stability, while others believe it can cause an imbalance known as stern-heavy trim. This can lead to poor tracking and difficulty paddling straight. In tandem paddling, the heavier, stronger, and more experienced person should sit towards the stern of the canoe, while the lighter and less experienced paddler should sit in the middle.
When paddling against strong headwinds or rough waters, it is generally better for the heavier person to sit at the back as they can provide more power. Finding the right seating arrangement is crucial, especially when there is a noticeable difference in the weight of the paddlers. In this article, practical tips are shared on how to allocate seats for optimal canoeing.
If you are alone in the canoe, sit in the middle. If there are two people in the canoe, have one sit in the back and one in the front, with the heavier person or more experienced paddler in the rear of the boat. For sustained headwinds, bow-heavy helps, and for a sustained trip, the heavier person should be in the back of the canoe.
Talent canoes typically have the stern seat closer to the back end of the canoe than the bow seat to the front end. In an ideal situation, the heavier of the two paddlers should be in the rear, but paddling experience can override this rule. If you are paddling solo, it is important to place heavier items toward the bow, as the bow paddler is usually lighter than the stern.
📹 How to get BACK IN when your Canoe tips over (SOLO)
Learn how to get back in a canoe / Flip and Re-Enter if you find it takes on water or capsizes. Used in deep water when your alone …
📹 How to Get Into a Canoe Properly
Canoeists come in all sizes and shapes. Every one of them had to learn how to properly get into and out of a canoe without …
Pete, I really appreciate your “nothing is too basic to cover” approach to your how-to articles; they are immensely helpful to boost confidence in the hobby. One topic I’ve rarely seen posted on the internet is how best to lower a canoe into and lift one out of the water to minimize stress on your own body and reduce risk of damage to the boat, particularly from a dock or rocky shoreline setting. I’ve always rented canoes before, where the boats are mostly already set up, or it’s an easy beach launch. This is the first year I’ll be going out with my own canoe, and water entry/exit is definitely something I’m still trying to work out.
I usually stand when getting into my canoe, with the aid of my setting pole, which I never go out in the canoe without. I also side slip to the shore line and step out onto dry land whenever possible. I get a kick out of many paddlers that ram the bow stem onto shore and then step out into knee deep water and wade in. Tips on exiting and entering the canoe when encountering a beaver dam is always welcome. On the fuller side of the dam I side enter, on the lower section(the more trick side) I just step into the center of the stem end just past the deck and hope for the best, most often balancing with the setting pole stuck firmly into the mud below.
I am a Solo Canoer. I use the paddle method from a dock. That is where you lay the paddle on the dock and over the support. you close your hand grip over both the paddle and the canoe center support. You step in off of the dock with your foot in the center of the Canoe. The paddle is pressed against the dock and the Canoe cannot role toward the dock. Your weight and center of gravity is toward the dock more so everything is stable until you release your grip. When I launch from the shore I have both hands on either side of the gunnels and one foot in the center. I step forward while pushing forward and drop to one knee as I pull the other leg in and forward. I am a large frame Swede so my weight helps to stabilize the Canoe once I kneel. My Canoe is a 17 old Towne, it weighs about 90 lbs. The more weight I put in it the more stable it is. I have a 90 lb. pack that I throw into the front with a 10 foot rope tied to it. I also have a 5 gallon water jug that I tie up front as an air filled buoy. It is their to help keep the front end floating and help with turning the Canoe back over in an emergency. I keep a cut off old bleach bottle as a bailer and a large car wash sponge to help. It is stuffed into the jug and tied on as well.