Every trip to the BWCA, I notice the same thing. We lay something on the gunwale and it makes noise, be it a paddle, rod or whatever. Has anybody tried using pieces of pipe insulation to deaden the noise? It would weigh next to nothing, snap on, and after the trip, you could just throw it away. There could be the possibility of one falling off on a portage, but we always have a "trailer person" in case someone drops something.

Let me know what you think. I'll try and test it on my canoe this spring.

Thanks, FISHONFISHOFF

Seems unnecessary to me. Just be careful about setting your paddle or whatever else on the gunwales and paddle with enough skill to avoid striking the gunwales. Think back to the days of aluminum canoes , remember “boom-alums.”

I think these are used a lot as pads for the sides of your knee/legs when you're paddling. I think that is the main benefit and noise reduction would be a great second benefit.

I use them for several things - padding on the canoe rack, and especially on the gunwale to pad my knees. Like you said - light and simply effective.

Always use them. Bow paddlers really like the knee side guards as well as a noise buffer

Use a little duct tape to hold to hold them in place. I also use them for lure hangs. Away from knees, of course. Wrap thwarts for more quiet and lure hangs.

Sounds like a solution in search of a problem to me. Never been an issue.

Have tried it and abandoned the idea when I noticed one was missing from the gunwales. Somewhere in the BWCA, a short, blue segment of a pool noodle lies-- or floats--waiting to deteriorate for a long, long time. Not happy about that at all. Nevermind if I make a little noise now and then! The loons do. The thunder does. The rushing water does too. Most certainly, neighboring camper are jawing and laughing, too. Some even howl like wolves.
Anyway, I'm not going to risk leaving another piece of foam there.

Knee savers.

I would tape them if I used them.

AmarilloJim: "I would tape them if I used them."

This might be one of those very rare occasions when duct tape places second as a remedy to a problem. Velcro will be more reliable and is available in all kinds of precut sizes and shapes. I would guess that placing one side of the Velcro under the gunwale might be enough to hold the insulation in place, while preserving the boat's appearance when the insulation is removed for winter storage or the like.

There's a Velcro adhesive available that works on aluminum and ABS. No idea what it might do to a gel coat, so caveat emptor!

Velcro Adhesives Guide

Pool noodles seem to be a popular & cheap option for doing this too, and they are often thicker than pipe insulation. Plus, you get to pick from an assortment of loud colors!

Personally, I've never done this. All my boats have wood trim and I've never found the gunwales tough on my legs/knees.

old_salt: "Use a little duct tape to hold to hold them in place. I also use them for lure hangs. Away from knees, of course. Wrap thwarts for more quiet and lure hangs."

Brilliant! I'm going to try that this summer, thanks for the tip!

jhb8426: "Sounds like a solution in search of a problem to me. Never been an issue."

This sounds like a canned response in search of a relevant topic.

I have a Royalex Bell Northwind which has a fairly sharp edge under the gunwale for the bow paddler. We tape pipe insulation on for trips to protect the knees. Haven't had the same issue with other canoes.

The loudest Gunwale noise to me comes from metal on metal. If either the gunwale or paddle is wood, the sound is dampened quite a bit.

Sounds like it may be a noise silencer, knee pain reliever, and lure holder all in one. Probably can't find many more deals like this for the money spent.
FISHONFISHOFF

I wish i knew where i got these, some packaged item im sure, these stick on just because of the shape. I just throw then in a pack at portage but they will stay on if i didnt want to remove them.

Pieces of closed cell foam velcroed in. You can see it in the picture. Just for my knee area though.

I do like the ability to set my paddle on them while fishing, so as to not make any noise, especially in my solo when i dont have a partner to paddle around for me while i cast.

Blatz: "Pieces of closed cell foam velcroed in. You can see it in the picture. Just for my knee area though. "

Heck of an idea! ;-)

fishonfishoff: "Sounds like it may be a noise silencer, knee pain reliever, and lure holder all in one. Probably can't find many more deals like this for the money spent.
FISHONFISHOFF"

Great for all three. I drilled some small holes under the bow gunnels and use zip ties. Have had the same pipe insulation on for years. Zip tie some around all thwarts. Love it.

The bow paddler in my canoe receives foot long pieces of pipe insulation for exactly the purposes listed. I use a couple strips of Gorilla tape to secure and they work like a charm.

arm2008: "

jhb8426: "Sounds like a solution in search of a problem to me. Never been an issue."

This sounds like a canned response in search of a relevant topic. "

Nope, just my honest opinion on the subject at hand...

Thanks for all the responses. Can't wait to try it.
FOFO

i remember trying them 25 years ago. they kept coming off, got wet, if i recall.
just a pain, have not missed them or used them since. 50 + trips later, don't need them, but good for all who like them.

Most with the same mindset as you will carry a trash bag for just this. For the 20 +/- times I have made the trip to the BWCA I have always carried out more than I have carried in. I have always thought that someone packed out my pair of wet shoes that I left hanging on a tree branch on my first trip to the BWCA and my first campsite ever in 1981 on Knife Lake.

I got my Magic with some of these zip-tied on the gunnels. I was initially against it but have come to like the padding for my long legs. The only issues is that pipe insulation tends not to hold up to the beating that a BWCA tripper puts on it, so replacing it every month or two happens as the foam flattens in worn areas. A pool noodle would likely hold up alright but likely would be too thick and bright for me.

old_salt: "Use a little duct tape to hold to hold them in place. I also use them for lure hangs. Away from knees, of course. Wrap thwarts for more quiet and lure hangs."

I put an extra one in the boat last year just to hang lure on. Works great.

Hey FOFO. You can also use clear vinyl tubing from the hardware store. Just cut a few pieces to the desired length and then cut a slit in them so you can clamp them onto your gunnels. One inch clear tubing fits Swift and Bell aluminum gunnels perfectly. They stay on much better than pipe insulation but I did lose one in the water once so I may add lanyards in the future so they can't escape. They are much more durable than pipe insulation.

I don't fish any more but they would work fine to keep things quiet. I also use them to add some grip between the straps and gunnels when using a canoe cart, and for protecting the wood gunnels where they rest on the storage rack, and for adding some grip between the boat and the roof rack, and for attaching a blanket to help keep the dog warm.

Can't wait until fishing (paddling) season to try these out!
FOFO

For the fisherman, slide a chunk on landing net handle and butt ends of rods. Tape with duct tape, and now they float.

justpaddlin: "Hey FOFO. You can also use clear vinyl tubing from the hardware store. Just cut a few pieces to the desired length and then cut a slit in them so you can clamp them onto your gunnels. One inch clear tubing fits Swift and Bell aluminum gunnels perfectly. They stay on much better than pipe insulation but I did lose one in the water once so I may add lanyards in the future so they can't escape. They are much more durable than pipe insulation.


I don't fish any more but they would work fine to keep things quiet. I also use them to add some grip between the straps and gunnels when using a canoe cart, and for protecting the wood gunnels where they rest on the storage rack, and for adding some grip between the boat and the roof rack, and for attaching a blanket to help keep the dog warm.

"

Great Idea

i use pipe insulation all the time. It is awesome, as it dulls the noise when you set your paddle down! It is on my list of items that goes on every trip!