PADDLER 56
PADDLER 56
time a wave hits the canoe ’ s bow , its braking effect slows progress . To reduce that braking effect , paddlers can shift the packs around a bit and use the packs as seats . The bow paddler gets behind the bow seat to sit on a pack , stern paddler moves ahead of the stern seat and sits on the pack . That way , most of the weight is in the canoe ’ s centre , and the ends can ride over the waves instead of slicing through them . With the weight concentrated in the centre of the canoe , it is much easier to make course corrections as the bow and stern ends aren ’ t as deep in the water when a wave is under the middle of the canoe .
QUARTERING
Most often , it ’ s easier to paddle at an angle into a headwind , referred to as ‘ quartering ’. The wind against the canoe ’ s side acts like a sail and helps move the canoe . Quartering might mean the canoe isn ’ t pointed where you want to go , but you can get there by zigzagging , alternating sides toward the wind as you move along . The wind will try to tip the canoe opposite to the side it comes from , so it can help shift a bit of weight in the canoe to the windward side to counter that . Adjusting trim side to side in the wind can be tricky , so practising that before heading out is essential . The bow paddler could be shifting weight on the bow seat , and the heaviest pack can be positioned to make it easy to slide from side to side . In some situations , it helps to have both paddlers paddling on the downwind side of the canoe to take full advantage of the wind pushing on the opposite side . In that situation , shifting weight to the other side of the canoe becomes even more critical .
Trim can be an essential factor in moving water . A stern heavy trim can put the canoe in a situation you don ’ t want to be in , so it ’ s best to have the canoe trimmed neutral before you start going down rapids . If the canoe is stern heavy as you start your run , it can cause a problem if you need to avoid a rock ahead . As you aim the canoe away from the obstacle , the current will gain force against the heavy end of the canoe and push it closer to the thing you ’ re trying to avoid . When that happens , the tendency is to paddle harder to gain steering , which adds to the speed on impact if you can ’ t get around the obstacle .
There are two ways to deal with rapids , faster than current or slower than current technique . For faster than current , the canoe should be trimmed neutral , but you want to be bow-heavy if you plan to do any slower than current moves . That technique is called “ back ferries ” and uses the canoe ’ s stern to move side to side on the river in the rapids . By slowing down and pointing the stern in the direction you want to go , the current moving past will slide the canoe to the side where the stern is pointed . This technique can be very disconcerting at first for the bow paddler as that end of the canoe will be pointed to the wrong side of the thing you want to avoid , but as long as the canoe is going slower than the current , it will be pushed past the obstacle and the canoe can be swung to point downstream again . As long as the trim is bow heavy , it ’ s easy to change angles in the canoe and move around obstacles in the river , but if it ’ s stern heavy , the current can grab the stern and swing the canoe around broadside to the current , and that ’ s not the kind of thing you want happening in rapids .
HOW THE ROPES ARE HANDLED FROM SHORE . THE ANGLE OF THE CANOE HAS THE UPSTREAM END OF THE CANOE FACES ACROSS THE CURRENT AWAY FROM THE PERSON HOLDING THE ROPES , THERE IS A BRIDLE ON THE UPSTREAM END WHICH WILL ROLL THE CANOE AWAY FROM THE CURRENT WHEN IT IS NECESSARY TO TUG HARD ON THE ROPE AND THE ROPE ON THE DOWNSTREAM END CAN BE TIED TO THE TOP DECK . PHOTO KEN HUGHES .
GETTING IN AND OUT
It is crucial to think about trim when getting in and out of a canoe that is in a current . The person paddling the downstream end of the canoe should be the first one to get in and the last to get out . You always want the end of the canoe that ’ s downstream to be heavy . Often paddlers get in the habit of having the bow person get out first , as they are usually closest to shore . If the canoe is pointed downstream when it comes to shore , and the bow person gets out first , the stern sinks deeper , and the force of the current can swing the canoe around , often with very unpleasant results . If the person upstream gets out first , it ’ s easy to hold the canoe in place while the downstream person gets out .
ROPES
Trimming becomes important when moving a canoe up or down a section of rapids from shore with ropes . You always want to trim the canoe to be downstream heavy . Lining is moving the canoe downstream ; tracking is moving the canoe upstream .
Lining a canoe is easier than tracking and has less chance of swamping it . For short sections of rapids with a reasonably clear line , You can get away with attaching a rope to the stern deck long enough to clear the rapid . Just push the canoe into the current , let it drift down and then pull it to shore with the rope once it ’ s in calm water . Leaving a pack at the front of the canoe or moving the pack in the stern to the bow ensures the upstream end of the canoe is less affected by current , while the downstream end can act like a rudder and keep the canoe in line .