Boating and Sailing.pdf - Moja ladja

146
Part 2: The Basics of Operation
Portaging, or carrying a
canoe, is easy for two adults.
Lift with your legs to avoid
back strain.
(Photo credit: Mad River
Canoes)
Canoes come in a variety of designs, with the lowest, smallest, and lightest designed for
easier carrying and better performance but less load and less stability.
Longer, heavier, and deeper canoes can carry huge loads, but they require more paddle
power to move and more muscle to lift to the roof of a vehicle or over a downed log.
(With canoes, the greater the load, the more stable the hull becomes, up to the point
where it sits low enough in the water to “ship” a wave—to allow water to slop over the
gunnels.)
Boat Bytes
Some canoes are “squareenders,”
with a flat stern or
transom where a small
electric motor or gasoline
outboard can be mounted.
This makes them less suitable for
paddling, particularly in fast
water, but does greatly increase
their range, the distance that can
be covered in a given amount of
time. Double-ender canoes can
be fitted with a side-mount for a
small outboard as well.
The Appeal of the Keel
The keel line is an imaginary line down the longitudinal
center of a canoe’s bottom. The keel-line design greatly
affects canoe performance. Canoes that have a flat or
straight keel line from bow to stern are designed for the
best tracking, which is the tendency of a canoe to continue
in a straight line without added steering by the
paddlers. These canoes also require fewer steering
strokes, so they are the preferred version for flat-water
canoeists.
Although we speak of the keel line in canoes, many
have no obvious keel showing on the outside—the bottom
is most often smooth, either flat or rounded.
External keels are used on some boats to assist in tracking,
but there are more without than with.