How Long Should A Canoe Painter Be?

A canoe painter is a rope or line attached to the bow or stern of a canoe, used for securing it to docks, trees, or other stationary objects. It should be slightly stretchable, bright colored, 38 diameter floating line for craft up to 25 long. Painter lines are typically stowed on deck by extending the line from the bow.

The length of a canoe painter line is often contentious, but it is generally 25 feet long and necessary safety lines to secure the canoe to shore or tow it in an emergency situation. For calm waters, a painter line should be 12-15 feet long, while for fast-moving water or rapids, a longer rope of around 20-25 feet may be necessary. If you have a larger canoe, the length of the painter should be around 25-30.

For wilderness travel, where you may be lining and tracking, at minimum each painter should be the length of the canoe and one and one half would be better. The length of the painter should be exactly one and one half times the length of the canoe, approximately. If its use is for lining up rivers, then 25 on the bow and 40 on the stern. A longer length on the stern is needed to jump out the line down a river.

A standard painter is a slightly stretchable, bright colored, 38 diameter floating line for craft up to 25 long. You can carry an extra length of rope if needed, but I have never needed to use the extra length.