Pictures from outdoor exercise.
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...if I was:
- Not trying to keep a canoe upright
- Not in a bit of moving water that didn't let me keep the canoe as still as desired
- Not worried about dropping my phone over the gunwale
- Able to actually get a little closer. The image I posted was a cropped portion of a very zoomed picture. I bet there was schmutz on the lens too.
That''s a whole lotta things to go wrong...1 -
...if I was:
- Not trying to keep a canoe upright
- Not in a bit of moving water that didn't let me keep the canoe as still as desired
- Not worried about dropping my phone over the gunwale
- Able to actually get a little closer. The image I posted was a cropped portion of a very zoomed picture. I bet there was schmutz on the lens too.
That''s a whole lotta things to go wrong...
And notwithstanding, I'm so *there*, wanting to give it a try . . . ! (i.e. Vivid!).
Boats! Bugs! Yay!
Speaking of which, yet digressing: On Monday I was rowing with my favorite double partner. As we rowed upstream past the the local party riverboat, a young, still-fuzzy goose-baby swam out, completely alone, from the North shore at breakneck speed, and met us mid-river.
At first, I thought it just wanted to get past us, but no: It wanted to stay by the boat, right up next to the hull, even as we maneuvered to get out of its way. (Did it think we were its mommy?!?) It was swimming at maximum energy, right alongside the hull, yeeping frantically.
Finally, it literally hopped up onto the double's stern deck and sat there. OhMyGosh! We didn't want to carry it even further from its (we hope) nearby family, so we sped up and it slipped off into the water again.
As we rowed off, it was heading for the South shore, still at top speed. We can only hope it found its separated family!
Nothing like this has ever happened to me before. Rivers: Good.1 -
@AnnPT77
When I row my raft, I tow a duck decoy behind me. We find them from time to time in the river if hunters lose them. This one is a duck, not a drake. The paint is still in decent shape. It's fun to row by people in camp or other groups on the river and they say, "Did you know there's a duck following you?" or something like that. Some people realize it's a decoy. Some never do.
There was one year not too long ago I did five Rogue River trips. It's pretty close, and I got lucky to score a bunch of permits. A combination of my good nature, color of my boat (called white but more of a gray), and of course my friend "Shadow" (she follows me everywhere) makes my raft identifiable. I was drifting along just gently rowing through Kelsey Canyon and I saw a commercial gear boat coming downstream. I pulled into an eddy to let him through so he could stay in the current. Recognizing the duck, he asked, "Hey; how often do you come down here anyway?" We were on a two kayak and one raft (four people) trip. That was fun. He ended up setting up camp right at the bottom of the canyon and waiting for the customers. We found a tiny secret camp just downstream from him that fit our very small group. We interacted a bit.
Another trip I remember we camped at Tyee. The next day as we drifted past Wildcat camp, a duck swam out from shore and followed Shadow for quite a while. Right before we got to Wildcat Rapid, the duck swam back to shore. It was hilarious. I put some video on a trip "movie" that you can find on Youtube. We stopped for lunch at Jenny Creek. There was a couple eating lunch there we had seen drift by our camp the night before. They camped at Wildcat and the duck was hanging out with them that night.
Good times.2 -
I don't mostly post non-anonymized photos of other people on social media without their permission, but I think even the woman facing the camera is far enough away to be unrecognizable.
This is our 2022 learn-to-row class, plus a few long-timers, rowing the barge in today's class session. I don't think I've posted a barge photo here before (that I can recall 😬), but think it's an . . . unusual? . . . watercraft that may not be familiar to others. It's very much like rowing your living room: Around the same size, equally stable, equally high performance (or not).
It's a good training tool, letting new rowers go through the basic stroke cycle without worrying about tippiness of the regular skinny boats. It has sliding seats like rowing shells (or Concept-2-type rowing machines), and is rigged for sweep (one oar per person) like an eight, four or pair. (Most of our club's rowing is sculling, two oars per person, in quads, doubles, singles. They'll learn sculling next, in quads to start, with a coxswain or an experienced rower in bow to steer. Same basic stroke cycle, just more oars to manage.)
Yes, I'm in this photo. The fluorescent yellow arms behind the coach are mine, womanning the surprisingly-responsive rudder.
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Holy ocelot!
That is a boat?
Wow. I wanna row it. And a skinny one.2 -
Holy ocelot!
That is a boat?
Wow. I wanna row it. And a skinny one.
I guess it's a boat? It's human powered, travels over water, so . . . .
You can't see the bow here, but it's as squared-off as the stern: The craft is a big rectangle. A decent group of rowers can get it moving surprisingly fast (maybe not objectively fast, and definitely not this group, despite the fact that they were doing *excellently* for beginners).
It also turns more rapidly than you'd expect, though it needs to be at speed (you know the "no steering without momentum" thing, I know). It'll come around 360 in half to 3/4 the width of the river you see here, which is (IMO) pretty impressive considering that (like I said) it's essentially a living room on water.
If you ever happen to roll through Michigan in season (improbable, I know), reach out and I'll take you out for a guest row in the double. Can't guarantee the barge - we share that among 3 rowing organizations. The double is mine, all mine (from closer to your neck of the woods, too - NW coast anyway - a Pocock).1 -
Took my racing single out today for the first time this season, without my usual trial run in a (wider, more stable) recreational single. No rowing companions today, and I can't readily solo carry the rec singles. (They don't weigh much more than my canoe/kayak, but they're 20'+ so much more awkward, besides the club owns them, so risk worries me more.) About the best conditions I could hope for, for doing this: Flat water, general overcast (so little distracting glare/shadows while traveling backwards).
Here's a view downriver from the racing single, from near the club's dock area:
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Well, my exercise was actually indoors. Underwater. At the aquarium. We had a big group of seven divers. Two good friends "crashed" our shift. They usually are Thursday divers, but they have missed a shift or two and are about to miss another one. They came to visit us.
We did a rescue scenario. Kudos for our team. I'm not sure how many groups have run through the scenario, but our contact said that our group was the first one that remembered to glove up before handling the "victim." The "victim" was a lifelike mannequin that weighs 110 pounds BEFORE soaking wet. We have to egress the "victim" and then provide support. We did well. I still was very stressed about the whole thing. That's normal.
But then I went out to the beach to enjoy the scenery. Even though school's out and the aquarium seemed crowded, the beach I went to was pretty empty. Wind was calm. A few people were boogie boarding. The surf was so small, the only people actually surfing were in their 60s and 70s. Yeah. I enjoyed a cold beverage and watched fishing vessels and recreational vessels go in and out across the bar.
I stopped at the market to pick up fresh fish I'll cook today and tomorrow.
Nice day.
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And now for something(s) slightly different, from one of my bike rides this week:
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@AnnPT77
I love creative strange stuff. I should take some pictures of the "art" hanging from the trees in my yard.
Just taking a break from the heat before going back out and getting back to it. Found stinging nettles in the neighbor's garden I'm taking care of. I did pick several gallons of edible pod peas and almost four pints of strawberries. I hope the strawberries will make more berries now that I pulled off the ones that were ripe. The peas will probably shut down after the heat yesterday and today, but there are still some flowers.... They won't be as sweet and tender. My next outdoor exercise is mowing the lawn in the 95 degree heat and picking some of my blueberries and raspberries. The blueberries responded well to this heat; there's a LOT out there. I should freeze some.
Oh yeah! I should do the same with some of these strawberries because otherwise I'll eat them ALL.
I think there might be ripe cherries too.1 -
Knowing how some folks freak out over spiders, I kinda want to steal that idea... lol
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I like spiders. I let ~some~ stay in my house. Others get shuffled outside. I don't like flies. I ask the spiders kindly to help me with that.
I like snakes, too. But it's amazing how they make even me jump when I see one unexpectedly.
Ants? I don't like 'em. But I do respect them. E. O. Wilson sure liked 'em. And he was brilliant.
Jim Stafford didn't like spiders ~or~ snakes (them folks not over fifty might have no memory of that though).1 -
I like spiders. I let ~some~ stay in my house. Others get shuffled outside. I don't like flies. I ask the spiders kindly to help me with that.
I like snakes, too. But it's amazing how they make even me jump when I see one unexpectedly.
Ants? I don't like 'em. But I do respect them. E. O. Wilson sure liked 'em. And he was brilliant.
Jim Stafford didn't like spiders ~or~ snakes (them folks not over fifty might have no memory of that though).
Well, I think of that girl from time to time... Love that song!!0 -
Spiders in the house can get out of hand, but mostly I'm live and let live with them. I have an unexplained attraction to certain spider-totem jewelry, though, despite being a little alarmed by closeness with live ones.
I actually saw Jim Stafford sing that song (and others) live, when I was in college. He performed at an on campus folk/blues coffeehouse where I was volunteer staff.
I hate brown marmorated stink bugs. I also hate woodchucks, but so far I don't have any of the latter indoors. Too many of the former in the house seasonally, though. Any is too many, of either.2 -
I'm with you on the brown marmorated stinkbugs.2
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I tend to leave the spiders alone since their business keeps the flies from bothering me. Unless they get too ambitious with the webs in which case they're escorted outside.
At our place in Texas, I was introduced to an entirely new class of bug... assassin bugs... The first one I met is called a wheel bug. Apparently, like spiders, assassin bugs make it their business to take out other bugs. Funny looking critter... photo from online, not my pic...
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The only house spider I kill on sight is the brown recluse with its necrotic venom.
Don't open if you have a thing about spiders.
Fortunately, they are a reclusive species as they like dark quite corners and back closets, preferring to run away when the lights are turned on.
Still, most bites occur when moving storage boxes around or at night while you are sleeping. Doesn't happen often (I've never been bit by one that I know of) but did happen to a guy I worked with. He got bit in the temple when he rolled over in his sleep. If you're going to get bit, that's the best place. Very little flesh for the necrotic venom to work on.1 -
Finally got a canoe out and did more than just paddle out-and-back. Friends called yesterday mid-morning and said, "Let's go paddle." I said hell yes. We did about 10.5 river miles, but my device measured over 12 miles. Part was because we don't go straight down the middle of the river, and part was because we stopped to walk on a couple gravel bars looking for agates. We found a few nice ones. A friend showed us a picture of a GIANT one he had found the day before on a gravel bar we didn't stop at.
I was really surprised we only saw two other groups until we got to the spot about two miles from our take-out where people hop in the river in tubes and other inappropriate float craft. One group left one of their non-swimmers in the put-in eddy. He couldn't cross the eddyline. I can't believe they left him! We had popped into the eddy and did a tour. It's the outlet of a back channel, and it's kind of neat. I plowed back out into the current, and my friends followed. The kid said, "Can you help me?" I said I didn't think so but what did he need. He said he needed to get out in the current. I pulled back into the eddy and, from a distance great enough that he couldn't grab my boat, directed him on how to maneuver his pool toy across the eddy line. I should have offered to tow him back to the launch and suggest he just walk.... One of my friends had some words with the rest of his group when we passed them. They seemed unconcerned that they just left him alone. That's a no-no on the river.
Oh well.
It was a nice four-hours on the water.
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I spent about 2.5 hours in a canoe today.
Rather than just paddle gently and fish like I did yesterday, a friend and I paddled about 2.5 miles upstream including a circumnavigation of a small island across from the boat ramp and a two-mile climb up to the water treatment plant and back.
We did some "surfing" on the way home. Tiny little wave. Point boat upstream and put butt on wave. Use paddle to get in the right place and maintain angle and maybe put in a stroke or two and just sit. A person sitting on shore with some kids asked how I was able to just sit there and not get swept downstream. I explained the wave that formed going over an obstacle and the fact that the wave face on the upstream side let me "fall downhill" while the water went by underneath me. Made total sense once I explained it, but he hadn't thought of that. Neat stuff.
That was right near a rope swing. There were two kids playing. My buddy is a decade younger than I am; he doesn't qualify for this group.... He did the rope swing twice. I got a short video of his second time. He enjoyed the heck out of it.2 -
I took out my sea kayak today. Sad to say it's been years since it's been on the water. I pulled it out of storage yesterday and cleaned it up. It was filthy. It's celebrating its 22nd birthday this month. It's a 16.5' glass boat made by a company that, at the time, was called Mid-Canada Fiberglass LTD. The company was bought by Impex, and that's the most common name you'll see on this hull. Impex sold to Formula, and now this boat isn't available anymore.
It's a VERY different type of paddling than my canoes. I like both. Now I'll have more decisions to make when I go paddle.
My friend went with me. We put in at the ramp less than a half mile from our house and paddled about 3.5 miles upstream. There were a couple climbs. He's in a sit-on-top boat, and the last climb he had to get out and walk his boat up. Any less water and I would have too.
I let my friend paddle my boat a bit when we got back. He liked it. Maybe he'll get one. I still think he should go with a fast canoe versus a sea kayak. The canoe I've been paddling is a flatwater boat. This sea kayak is a "lumpy water" boat.
What boat to paddle tomorrow is now the question.4 -
It's been so many years since I've done either canoe or kayak... Hopefully once I'm moved, I'll be able to get back into the fun.1
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Well, I went paddling with "a few friends" this weekend.
It was a little bit different from any recent paddle trips I've done....
I was a support volunteer for a two-day paddle and camp trip for a non-profit environmental organization. We had 58 boats. There would have been more, but the dates had to change from late June due to high water. I was asked to be one of two sweep boaters, and on the second morning I hopped in my boat and watched everyone head downstream. Huge mass of paddlers. The food was great, the wine was fabulous, and the entertainment was entertaining. Not terribly long days, about 14 or 15 miles each day, but we worked to help shepherd people who were struggling.
My favorite part was when one of the other paddlers asked me, "When you paddle, why does it look so effortless?" My paddle weighs maybe 12 ounces instead of several pounds. I mentioned that helps. I also mentioned it wasn't my first day in a canoe. I didn't say I was still working, but trying to be ~efficient~ without wasted energy.
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Expertise looks easy... but takes a whole lotta work to get there...1
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Expertise looks easy... but takes a whole lotta work to get there...
That's why I mentioned it wasn't my first day.
I got to help give some tips to struggling paddlers, and I did mention that someone can work on the forward stroke for 20 years and still have room for improvement. It's ALWAYS a work in progress. @AnnPT77 would probably tell me the same can be said for rowing from a sliding seat. It's also the very tiny correction strokes I can add to the catch or the last part of the stroke for fine tuning.
Some folks were really challenged by the wind. If they let the boat get a little bit sideways to it, it just spun the boat totally sideways. It can be difficult to pull the bow back into the wind, and it always blows upstream in the afternoon. I can't even believe I used the "W" word. Bad luck! This can make it even harder for folks who don't have the finesse to recognize when the yaw starts to happen and to correct, and HOW to correct without dumping momentum. So many people in the stern of tandem canoes fall back on a type of rudder stroke that saps all momentum. If they just get that blade far back and not out to the side, they can make the boat turn without dumping all speed. Bow can also move the boat if they know how, but it's more of an advanced technique. That's why so many people think you steer from the stern. I can tell you that it's EASY to initiate an eddy turn from the bow of a tandem.
I kind of think canoes are more difficult than kayaks, so kudos to people who hop in a canoe for a longish trip like this. It was a joy to see the progress they made with their paddling with a few tips from people who've been at it a while.
Today is a rest day and a day to try to stay out of the heat. We have four days of "Excess Heat" in the forecast. Maybe I should go to the coast.1 -
I kind of think canoes are more difficult than kayaks, so kudos to people who hop in a canoe for a longish trip like this. It was a joy to see the progress they made with their paddling with a few tips from people who've been at it a while.
I haven't had much experience in kayaks but I know canoes can be a handful, especially if one or the other paddlers are inexperienced. Once while coupled with an inexperienced paddler, I put her in the front but she kept switching sides trying to steer the canoe from the front with predictable results.
On the way back (ocean water... not much current) she insisted on being in the back because she was sure it was much easier and she was tired.... Yeah, I slept well that night.0 -
I kind of think canoes are more difficult than kayaks, so kudos to people who hop in a canoe for a longish trip like this. It was a joy to see the progress they made with their paddling with a few tips from people who've been at it a while.
I haven't had much experience in kayaks but I know canoes can be a handful, especially if one or the other paddlers are inexperienced. Once while coupled with an inexperienced paddler, I put her in the front but she kept switching sides trying to steer the canoe from the front with predictable results.
On the way back (ocean water... not much current) she insisted on being in the back because she was sure it was much easier and she was tired.... Yeah, I slept well that night.
Two words: Solo canoe.
In a tandem canoe, ideally the "gorilla" (power plant) is in the bow position. That's the engine. Stern paddler has an easier time controlling yaw. A good bow paddler can do amazing things with yaw, too.
It can be hard for novice paddlers to "pick a side" and paddle on that side. With a straight shaft blade, that's how I paddle a tandem canoe. It's also how I paddle my whitewater solo canoe. If I have to take a stroke on my "off" side, I don't change hand position but just rotate over and make a stroke or three on the off side. In my case that's left. Ideally, as a right handed person, I'd be stronger paddling on the left. My finesses is all on the right. My buddy has been practicing paddling on the left so we can go run some whitewater in my tandem. With a bent-shaft paddle, I change to "sit and switch." Flatwater technique. Two or three strokes on one side, then switch. It keeps forward momentum up. The boat slowly starts to yaw, and the switch corrects it. First stroke slows/stops the yaw, and second or third strokes starts a tiny yaw in the other direction. Rinse and repeat. Good rhythm, and it makes single-blade paddling more symmetric, which has to be good for my aching back.
Of course when I take my bent shaft paddle and flatwater canoe on "rapids" (no more than class 2 or 2-), I often revert back to sticking to one side and making correction strokes at the end (and sometimes beginning) of each stroke. Keeps a stick in the water, and any time you're paddling you get an extra brace to keep you upright.
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Expertise looks easy... but takes a whole lotta work to get there...
That's why I mentioned it wasn't my first day.
I got to help give some tips to struggling paddlers, and I did mention that someone can work on the forward stroke for 20 years and still have room for improvement. It's ALWAYS a work in progress. @AnnPT77 would probably tell me the same can be said for rowing from a sliding seat. It's also the very tiny correction strokes I can add to the catch or the last part of the stroke for fine tuning.
Oh, man, yes: There's always something. If one is making good steady technical progress, the "somethings" get more detailed and nuanced, but for a duffer like me, there's also a certain amount of revisiting technique that I used to be sharper on, but that slipped a bit while I was focusing on something else.
It's one of my favorite things about rowing, actually, that there's always something to work on - technique for sure, but also power/strength. That's what I liked about martial arts, too: The permanent opportunity for learning.
I'm not saying anything you don't know here, rather just chatting, but of course the canoe's shape and suitability to the paddler makes a huge difference in how much the boat blows around, too.
Some folks were really challenged by the wind. If they let the boat get a little bit sideways to it, it just spun the boat totally sideways. It can be difficult to pull the bow back into the wind, and it always blows upstream in the afternoon. I can't even believe I used the "W" word. Bad luck! This can make it even harder for folks who don't have the finesse to recognize when the yaw starts to happen and to correct, and HOW to correct without dumping momentum. So many people in the stern of tandem canoes fall back on a type of rudder stroke that saps all momentum. If they just get that blade far back and not out to the side, they can make the boat turn without dumping all speed. Bow can also move the boat if they know how, but it's more of an advanced technique. That's why so many people think you steer from the stern. I can tell you that it's EASY to initiate an eddy turn from the bow of a tandem.
I kind of think canoes are more difficult than kayaks, so kudos to people who hop in a canoe for a longish trip like this. It was a joy to see the progress they made with their paddling with a few tips from people who've been at it a while.
Since I've lost weight, I'm much better off in the Voyager if I add some weight (loaded cooler(s), random non-participating passenger since it's a solo boat, whatever). With just me and nothing else, it sits pretty high and catches a lot of wind, if there is some to catch: Makes for harder work. I bought it just in case I wanted a tripping/touring boat, but even for that I'd be better off now with something a bit smaller, less freeboard.
I also see people rowing solo in tandem tub-esque bow-to-stern symmetric canoes (like the classic aluminum Grumman type thing) sitting in stern to paddle, leaving the bow pointing well up skyward and creating a high end that wants to spin the boat in wind. I used to paddle those (well, I think they were Michicrafts, actually - similar deal) out of a livery on my lunch hour occasionally, and had to convince the kiddos that I knew what I was doing when I sat in the bow seat facing backwards and paddled in that direction, to get the boat a little more trim. (Kneeling to paddle in a work dress and pantyhose is a non-starter. 😆)
Same concept with bow shape, of course: The high bow, or the high rounded ones on some of the old wood & canvas numbers like some Old Town models, are good for some conditions, but can be a bit of a wind issue in others.
Today is a rest day and a day to try to stay out of the heat. We have four days of "Excess Heat" in the forecast. Maybe I should go to the coast.
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I'm not saying anything you don't know here, rather just chatting, but of course the canoe's shape and suitability to the paddler makes a huge difference in how much the boat blows around, too.
Since I've lost weight, I'm much better off in the Voyager if I add some weight (loaded cooler(s), random non-participating passenger since it's a solo boat, whatever). With just me and nothing else, it sits pretty high and catches a lot of wind, if there is some to catch: Makes for harder work. I bought it just in case I wanted a tripping/touring boat, but even for that I'd be better off now with something a bit smaller, less freeboard.
I took my Encounter out last week since I hadn't in a while. It catches more wind than the Voyager. The Voyager is more of a performance boat; the Encounter is an expedition boat. Made to haul a month's worth of gear. Very seaworthy. Lots of primary stability. High bow and sides means windage for sure.
The Advantage is only six inches shorter and a few inches narrower and has a whopping half inch of rocker. The difference between the two is vast. A novice paddler might or might not notice. I sure do. The Encounter will probably be set aside for what it's good for - multi day trips hauling a ton of gear. Or trips with bigger waves that would come over the side of the Advantage. I'd actually really like to try out a Voyager. I might fall in love again.I also see people rowing solo in tandem tub-esque bow-to-stern symmetric canoes (like the classic aluminum Grumman type thing) sitting in stern to paddle, leaving the bow pointing well up skyward and creating a high end that wants to spin the boat in wind. I used to paddle those (well, I think they were Michicrafts, actually - similar deal) out of a livery on my lunch hour occasionally, and had to convince the kiddos that I knew what I was doing when I sat in the bow seat facing backwards and paddled in that direction, to get the boat a little more trim. (Kneeling to paddle in a work dress and pantyhose is a non-starter. 😆)
Same concept with bow shape, of course: The high bow, or the high rounded ones on some of the old wood & canvas numbers like some Old Town models, are good for some conditions, but can be a bit of a wind issue in others.
I have seen canoes set up with oars, but they usually row from center. I've for sure seen people paddling from the stern position solo in a tandem boat, and yeah - bow is a wind catcher. One of the guests this weekend was in an inflatable that her legs weren't long enough for, so she moved the seat far forward. The boat was VERY bow heavy, so she was out of the wind but plowing water. I mentioned something about being bow heavy, and she said yeah. She thought her paddle was too short to paddle from the center of the WIDE boat.
A couple decades ago, I was helping with a day trip. The organization provided canoes to people who didn't have them. There was a sign-up, and solo people were matched up. One person who hadn't done the orientation (and who later admitted to being more of a tube floater than a paddler) hopped in the stern of a tandem. I think she was easily over 300 pounds. A significant portion of the hull was in the air. The executive director who was in charge looked at me, looked at that boat, and said, "I didn't authorize that." At first we tried to load up one end with rocks to get the trim right. Eventually a very kind person agreed to hop in the boat with her, and someone else took his boat.
Then there's the canoe ballet paddlers. Kneeling in the corner of the hull, kind of sideways, and doing amazing things.
I will say my Encounter is a bit of a bugger to pull back upwind if it gets sideways. Sometimes you have to resort to a K-turn, making an initial turn in reverse, then telling the wind, "Oooo.. look over there!" and spinning around into it.
Did I mention I like paddling?
And now rowing?
I have never been in a shell or a scull. I'm afraid I'd love it, but I wouldn't love the time commitment to be on a crew.
I'm joining a little whitewater trip on Thursday on a very cold river to beat the triple digit heat. Now I just have to decide if I want to challenge myself with my whitewater canoe and possibly swim at one particular rapid or keep my legs out of the sun in my little kayak. I should take the kayak. It's been on the hard for longer than the canoe. In fact, it's the boat that's been the longest since I've had it in the water. Yeah. That's it!0 -
Yeah, I've seen row rigs for canoes, though mostly fixed-seat setups. I think Piragis Northwoods used to carry one. Might work on one of my solo canoes, more likely the Voyager (don't trust the super-thin wood gunwales on the Advantage to be up to it).I'm not saying anything you don't know here, rather just chatting, but of course the canoe's shape and suitability to the paddler makes a huge difference in how much the boat blows around, too.
Since I've lost weight, I'm much better off in the Voyager if I add some weight (loaded cooler(s), random non-participating passenger since it's a solo boat, whatever). With just me and nothing else, it sits pretty high and catches a lot of wind, if there is some to catch: Makes for harder work. I bought it just in case I wanted a tripping/touring boat, but even for that I'd be better off now with something a bit smaller, less freeboard.
I took my Encounter out last week since I hadn't in a while. It catches more wind than the Voyager. The Voyager is more of a performance boat; the Encounter is an expedition boat. Made to haul a month's worth of gear. Very seaworthy. Lots of primary stability. High bow and sides means windage for sure.
The Advantage is only six inches shorter and a few inches narrower and has a whopping half inch of rocker. The difference between the two is vast. A novice paddler might or might not notice. I sure do. The Encounter will probably be set aside for what it's good for - multi day trips hauling a ton of gear. Or trips with bigger waves that would come over the side of the Advantage. I'd actually really like to try out a Voyager. I might fall in love again.I also see people rowing solo in tandem tub-esque bow-to-stern symmetric canoes (like the classic aluminum Grumman type thing) sitting in stern to paddle, leaving the bow pointing well up skyward and creating a high end that wants to spin the boat in wind. I used to paddle those (well, I think they were Michicrafts, actually - similar deal) out of a livery on my lunch hour occasionally, and had to convince the kiddos that I knew what I was doing when I sat in the bow seat facing backwards and paddled in that direction, to get the boat a little more trim. (Kneeling to paddle in a work dress and pantyhose is a non-starter. 😆)
Same concept with bow shape, of course: The high bow, or the high rounded ones on some of the old wood & canvas numbers like some Old Town models, are good for some conditions, but can be a bit of a wind issue in others.
I have seen canoes set up with oars, but they usually row from center. I've for sure seen people paddling from the stern position solo in a tandem boat, and yeah - bow is a wind catcher. One of the guests this weekend was in an inflatable that her legs weren't long enough for, so she moved the seat far forward. The boat was VERY bow heavy, so she was out of the wind but plowing water. I mentioned something about being bow heavy, and she said yeah. She thought her paddle was too short to paddle from the center of the WIDE boat.
I'm not motivated to go that route, though. If anything I might look for a very long double paddle to use with the Advantage. I've thought about that, but it hasn't reached the top of my motivation list. (The list is long, and my general motivation low these days, anyway.) If I wanted to row on slightly heavier water, an ocean shell would be more suitable.
Yeah, the freestyle paddlers/boats are quite fascinating to watch. I thought about freestyle boats when I was first solo-canoe shopping (decades ago, when I bought the retired racing model 25-pound Advantage as a used boat, with a seat added). Realistically, I didn't then have the impetus to master that level of technique, and these days I spend my technical-engagement bandwidth on the rowing.A couple decades ago, I was helping with a day trip. The organization provided canoes to people who didn't have them. There was a sign-up, and solo people were matched up. One person who hadn't done the orientation (and who later admitted to being more of a tube floater than a paddler) hopped in the stern of a tandem. I think she was easily over 300 pounds. A significant portion of the hull was in the air. The executive director who was in charge looked at me, looked at that boat, and said, "I didn't authorize that." At first we tried to load up one end with rocks to get the trim right. Eventually a very kind person agreed to hop in the boat with her, and someone else took his boat.
Then there's the canoe ballet paddlers. Kneeling in the corner of the hull, kind of sideways, and doing amazing things.
Also (gasp), I don't really enjoy whitewater, so far . . . or thrilling fast things in general.
I remember watching a guy somewhere deep into Algonquin Provincial Park (on the Petawawa river) playing in the evening on some decently big standing waves in a rapid (class III maybe?) in an open canoe, looking completely relaxed and in control, no float bags, just open. Impressive, but . . . yeah, no.
I paddled the Encounter when I was figuring out what to buy, in the purchase decision that resulted in the Voyager. Even then - weighing around 40% more than I do now - it was too big a boat for me, would've been even loaded with everything I'd expect to take for around 10 days in Algonquin (my definition of the ideal vacation, at the time - closer to me than Boundary Waters, despite being in a "foreign country").I will say my Encounter is a bit of a bugger to pull back upwind if it gets sideways. Sometimes you have to resort to a K-turn, making an initial turn in reverse, then telling the wind, "Oooo.. look over there!" and spinning around into it.
Wenonah puts the modern Advantage and the Voyager in the same boat class, Performance Touring. I'm pretty sure I could load that Advantage with what I'd need for a decent backwoods trip - if so inclined - and be fine. The Voyager - at current bodyweight - would probably be OK-ish, but I think it would still ride a little higher than ideal, probably. I haven't done a formal experiment, though I've paddled it in wind on a good-sized lake with some random weight in it (i.e., weight besides me).
Sculling doesn't require a crew or a fixed schedule, necessarily. Many/most single scullers go out on their own, even if rowing out of a club's boathouse.Did I mention I like paddling?
And now rowing?
I have never been in a shell or a scull. I'm afraid I'd love it, but I wouldn't love the time commitment to be on a crew.
My club is tiny (maybe 30-40 members?), and that's pretty much the only way to row: Go out on your own (full members get boathouse keys), or buddy up with friends (my main approach, in order to row bigger boats, have some carrying help if rowing something other than my racing single, and have a safety margin of being on the water with others).
We do offer a couple of 2-hour blocks in the Summer, after the learn-to-row class, 6-8 on Tu/Th, where an experienced rower will be at the boathouse to help carry, give tips, etc. Other than that and occasional boathouse parties, that's it. No other schedules, no schedule requirements for those who've demonstrated they can carry a boat to the water that they can reasonably-safely row solo. In our club, members don't need to own a boat: The club has many. They're a little beat-up, because we're financially marginal, but functional.
I do think lessons are a really, really good plan, though. Clubs will generally require either class completion, or demonstration of competence. Many clubs offer a learn to row class (in sculling clubs like ours, they're sculling-centric). The Concept 2 folks now own Craftsbury Outdoor Center, and last I knew they'd accommodate true beginners in some of their sessions. (Great place to visit as a vacation, in Northern Vermont, national-class coaching, amazing food (all cooked/baked on site, mostly sourced from local farmers and their own gardens - foodie heaven), more.) Private coaching is also an option in some areas, but usually high cost.I'm joining a little whitewater trip on Thursday on a very cold river to beat the triple digit heat. Now I just have to decide if I want to challenge myself with my whitewater canoe and possibly swim at one particular rapid or keep my legs out of the sun in my little kayak. I should take the kayak. It's been on the hard for longer than the canoe. In fact, it's the boat that's been the longest since I've had it in the water. Yeah. That's it!
You and I are currently geeking out about paddling/rowing on two different threads now where it's technically off-topic. Maybe we should start a "Geeking Out About Human-Powered Boating" thread, or something. 🤣1 -
You and I are currently geeking out about paddling/rowing on two different threads now where it's technically off-topic. Maybe we should start a "Geeking Out About Human-Powered Boating" thread, or something. 🤣
Nah.
I'm trying to inspire more interest. It's my church after all.
My friends that only do whitewater don't understand the joy and grace that comes with paddling a fast boat on moving or flat water. My friends who only paddle on flat water consider whitewater "scary wet death."
Surfing on SMALL glassy waves with a long, fast boat is really fun. Someone on shore with kids last week saw my friend and I doing that and asked how we could just be there not paddling and not going downstream. Once I explained how a river wave works, he wondered why he hadn't thought of that.
I'll go do something else outside and take a picture of THAT to get back on topic.
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