Last month I took a trip with a Northstar Magic solo. This was my very first time paddling and portaging a solo. As someone who has been paddling for over 30 years and teaches youth/church groups canoeing, I don’t even consciously think about paddling anymore. I just go, but with the solo I felt like a newbie the first day and by the next day I was much more confident, though I felt more experience would be great.

However, I hated portaging the solo! I placed the removable yoke in every position possible and I couldn’t get anything to work without the seat hitting my head or my pack. I finally found one position, and only one, where I could lower my pack, keep my head forward a little, and it wouldn’t hit my head or pack 80% of the time.

So my question is, is this normal? If not, please enlighten me, because the next day I gladly let my tripping buddies carry the solo and I carried their tandem, and I would rather carry their tandem every day all day than that infernal solo.

(I’m 6’ 1”, 195 lbs, and broad-built, if that is helpful info.)

Not normal.

How thick are the shoulder pads on your yoke? Thicker pads gain you headroom and visibility...

sns: "Not normal.


How thick are the shoulder pads on your yoke? Thicker pads gain you headroom and visibility..."

I had the standard 4ish inch block pads

If it helps, put the yoke on in the place you like it and feels balanced with everything you would normally have in your canoe on a portage and mark each side of the yoke with a pencil. If you can find a good spot you have that ready every portage, so your not guessing on the next. I never portage with a pack when I go with others carrying a tandem, so when I solo it does take a few portages to get dialed. Maybe you need to move the yoke forward from the seat more and put something in front to balance it, take the seat out of play a bit more.

What kind of a pack was it? A traditional portage pack or something taller?

The Yoke should go at the balance point in front of the seat. I normally carried with a small pack (not tall) and never had a problem with either. I'm having trouble visually why you're having a problem without pictures.

I had a learning curve both paddling and portaging as most would. I use the spring creek yoke with padded but also cupped pads and learned I cannot wear my hat when portaging (the seat!) and finding a balance point was elusive. My solution is my Nalgene bottle almost full of water wedged in the front bow and secured to the front brace with a bungee deally bob (sp). I can frequently portage hands free only reaching up to stabilize the canoe situationally. Either move the fulcrum or adjust the weight.

boonie: "The Yoke should go at the balance point in front of the seat. I normally carried with a small pack (not tall) and never had a problem with either. I'm having trouble visually why you're having a problem without pictures. "

Yeah I'm having trouble visualizing it too. The balance point for the yoke is in front of the seat, and your head is in front of that, so there is no way your head should be hitting the seat if you are properly balanced.

This is the best pic I have of the yoke on my Magic. There is a pretty good amount of clearance between the pads and the seat for a pack, but if he has a tall pack, that could be an issue. Which is why traditional canoe packs ride lower than hiking backpacks.



Maybe the seat position in a rental is further forward to account for heavy packs in back? That's all I can think of. That would be pretty far out of trim when unloaded, though.

Edit: My Magic is an older gelcoat version which weighs a fair bit more than a newer one, so the balance point may be a little different I guess. But I wouldn't think the seat would ever be right on or forward of it.

In my NW Solo I have found that the seat rests perfectly on the lid of my 60L blue barrel. Maybe not an option for you, but it is nice to give your arms a break at your sides on flatter sections of portages. Otherwise, I have the clamp on wood yoke + block pads and have not encountered this issue.

Thanks for the tips and questions.

I put the portage yoke in the balance point. It was balanced.

My pack is a little taller than a portage pack but only a couple of inches, if that.

The “one” way I found was to move the balance point back, and if I had thought about it, a Nalgene of water in the front would have balanced it perfectly.

My guess is that the seat was a little too far forward.

I figured my pack was part of the problem, especially when I had the Bear Vault on top, so I took it off and carried it by hand, but the seat would still hit the back of my head if I didn’t move the balance point way out.

I assumed it wasn’t normal, but I’m still not 100% what the issue was, I’m sure user error.

It's sounding like you're correct - like your seat may be mounted too far forward, or perhaps there is a structural component (or something attached) to your canoe that is moving the balance point further rear than is average. In any case, I know that in the past I would sometimes use a backpacking pack and nestle the carrying yoke on top of the shoulder straps between my head and the pack, but I would only suggest doing so if you have a really nice pack as that is quite a bit of weight on those straps. But when I was younger this helped me balance a canoe with a lower-profile carrying yoke. I wonder if something like that would help in your case, essentially placing the weight of the canoe more on your backpack and less on your shoulders?

The seat was probably not too far forward.

A solo seat is usually about 6” aft of center. The yoke is clamped on in front of the seat as already mentioned. IT’s in the right spot when the canoe is balanced on your shoulders.

You already pointed out the problem. Your pack is hitting the seat.

Your pack cannot do this. That is the problem, nothing else.

For me and this is just me. First trip across the portage is my canoe with paddle stowed in the boat. Life vest on and a fanny pack.

Second trip is two packs. Big one on back and small one in front. I have never had any issues with packs hitting the seat.

Tom

tumblehome: "The seat was probably not too far forward.


A solo seat is usually about 6” aft of center. The yoke is clamped on in front of the seat as already mentioned. IT’s in the right spot when the canoe is balanced on your shoulders.


You already pointed out the problem. Your pack is hitting the seat.


Your pack cannot do this. That is the problem, nothing else.


For me and this is just me. First trip across the portage is my canoe with paddle stowed in the boat. Life vest on and a fanny pack.


Second trip is two packs. Big one on back and small one in front. I have never had any issues with packs hitting the seat.


Tom
"

I would agree with you but I still had it hit the back of my head even when I didn’t have a pack on.

(I have portages many many miles of portages and have a lot of experience in canoeing and other areas of life finding the balance point of things, so I know this wasn’t the issue.)

tumblehome: "The seat was probably not too far forward.
"

I suppose it would have prudent for me to ask whether the seat had ever been replaced or moved from the factory position...

NikonF5user: "

tumblehome: "The seat was probably not too far forward.
"

I suppose it would have prudent for me to ask whether the seat had ever been replaced or moved from the factory position..."

I don’t know the answer to that one. I’m going to guess it wasn’t being the middle thwart was uncomfortable on my hip bones/lower back when I was paddling. I’m going to rule this one up to user error.

I will probably give it a try again some other time. It handled amazing and wind and moved quite fast through the water in my opinion.

If it hits the back of your head, just it move it forward a little. It's easier to hold the front of the canoe down than it is to hold it up.

CanoeViking: "I placed the removable yoke in every position possible and I couldn’t get anything to work without the seat hitting my head or my pack. I finally found one position, and only one, where I could lower my pack, keep my head forward a little, and it wouldn’t hit my head or pack 80% of the time."

Priorities: the first thing is to solve the “head-hitting” problem, since it’s possible to portage without a pack. If you can’t move the seat back, then move the yoke forward. If the canoe becomes too stern-heavy after that, you can attach something (like a paddle) toward the bow to help balance it. A light pull with a rope tied to the front thwart can (and will!) help keep the canoe properly trimmed, as long as the canoe is slightly stern-heavy.

EddyTurn: "

CanoeViking: "I placed the removable yoke in every position possible and I couldn’t get anything to work without the seat hitting my head or my pack. I finally found one position, and only one, where I could lower my pack, keep my head forward a little, and it wouldn’t hit my head or pack 80% of the time."

Priorities: the first thing is to solve the “head-hitting” problem, since it’s possible to portage without a pack. If you can’t move the seat back, then move the yoke forward. If the canoe becomes too stern-heavy after that, you can attach something (like a paddle) toward the bow to help balance it. A light pull with a rope tied to the front thwart can (and will!) help keep the canoe properly trimmed, as long as the canoe is slightly stern-heavy."

Thanks for the tips, I have seen pictures of the rope idea but have need tried it. I now have another use for my rope on my trips!

Just to reinforce what portagerunner said, you may also have the option to just use the seat as a yoke. Pic shows my Merlin II with webbed contoured Northstar seat. I'm primarily a day paddler and almost always carry my solos by just resting the seat on my shoulders. If it looks comfy that's because it is.

justpaddlin: "Just to reinforce what portagerunner said, you may also have the option to just use the seat as a yoke. Pic shows my Merlin II with webbed contoured Northstar seat. I'm primarily a day paddler and almost always carry my solos by just resting the seat on my shoulders. If it looks comfy that's because it is.


"

Now that looks like a solo I like to paddle and portage!

CanoeViking: "Thanks for the tips, I have seen pictures of the rope idea but have need tried it. I now have another use for my rope on my trips!"

Among the different portaging rope setups I’ve tried, my favorite is a short rope (about 5–6 feet long) with each end tied to the front thwart — one at the right gunwale and one at the left. This creates a loop that hangs in front of you at about waist height, letting you guide the canoe with a light push on the loop (rather than pulling on a loose end of the rope attached to the bow). One can even rest both hands on the loop. It’s a lot more comfortable and gives better control on the trail. Also it's impossible to drop a loop on the ground.

EddyTurn: "

CanoeViking: "Thanks for the tips, I have seen pictures of the rope idea but have need tried it. I now have another use for my rope on my trips!"

Among the different portaging rope setups I’ve tried, my favorite is a short rope (about 5–6 feet long) with each end tied to the front thwart — one at the right gunwale and one at the left. This creates a loop that hangs in front of you at about waist height, letting you guide the canoe with a light push on the loop (rather than pulling on a loose end of the rope attached to the bow). One can even rest both hands on the loop. It’s a lot more comfortable and gives better control on the trail. Also it's impossible to drop a loop on the ground."

This seems so much better than what I've been doing. I'll certainly be adopting this on my next trip.

CanoeViking: "

justpaddlin: "Just to reinforce what portagerunner said, you may also have the option to just use the seat as a yoke. Pic shows my Merlin II with webbed contoured Northstar seat. I'm primarily a day paddler and almost always carry my solos by just resting the seat on my shoulders. If it looks comfy that's because it is.



"

Now that looks like a solo I like to paddle and portage!"

OK a little off topic, but I have to ask what you're using for kneeling pads in this setup. I've become a bit obsessed with finding a way to get a full coverage pad that goes under the seat and covers the whole kneeling area that stays permanently in. Wondering if those are all removable or are some attached?

You actually want your yoke placement so it's very slightly unbalanced. Bow up. I've used a NW Solo , Wenonah Advantage, Cannak, Vagabond with a detachable yoke and what you described has never happened. Seat placement sounds wrong

All my kneeling pads are removable. Those are just 2 regular overpriced Tpads butted up back-to-back so the dog and I both have room. Having 2 pads does add some friction and help keep them from sliding but even a single pad stays in place for me. There's a current thread on canoetripping about sliding pads and knee friction and I think the main point is that fine tuning your seat height can really help optimize the amount of weight you have on your knees vs your butt. I always have an extra seat pad with me to enable "tuning" and the seat pad I use is not the same for all my canoes.

You could keep your eye out for a used Grade VI pad (big, thick, comfy) or you might just go for the biggest Northstar (or whatever brand) pad since the more surface area touching your boat the more friction to help keep the pad in place.

Adding a dog also helps.

EddyTurn: "

CanoeViking: "Thanks for the tips, I have seen pictures of the rope idea but have need tried it. I now have another use for my rope on my trips!"

Among the different portaging rope setups I’ve tried, my favorite is a short rope (about 5–6 feet long) with each end tied to the front thwart — one at the right gunwale and one at the left. This creates a loop that hangs in front of you at about waist height, letting you guide the canoe with a light push on the loop (rather than pulling on a loose end of the rope attached to the bow). One can even rest both hands on the loop. It’s a lot more comfortable and gives better control on the trail. Also it's impossible to drop a loop on the ground."

I take a somewhat different approach that has worked well for me. A key part of my initial boat setup before putting into the water is to attach a thick painter line, but instead of bundling it up and affixing it near the deck, I run it from the bow of the boat back to the thwart behind the seat and tie it off with a taut-line hitch. For paddling I loosen the hitch, and the rope lies easily out of the way, but when I get to the portage I pull the line taut before lifting the boat. While portaging the rope runs the length of my arm which is extended out in front of me (resting lightly on the rope) like I’m pointing down the path. I am easily able to control bow of the boat with slight down pressure due to the slightly stern heavy trim.

The rope for the painter line is thicker than normal (think 1/2” or even 5/8”), otherwise over a long portage it could start to dig in and put pressure on the ulnar nerve.

To the OP, this approach will allow you to move the yoke forward enough to keep from hitting your head on the seat and still easily control the balance of the boat.

JDubya: "

EddyTurn: "

CanoeViking: "Thanks for the tips, I have seen pictures of the rope idea but have need tried it. I now have another use for my rope on my trips!"

Among the different portaging rope setups I’ve tried, my favorite is a short rope (about 5–6 feet long) with each end tied to the front thwart — one at the right gunwale and one at the left. This creates a loop that hangs in front of you at about waist height, letting you guide the canoe with a light push on the loop (rather than pulling on a loose end of the rope attached to the bow). One can even rest both hands on the loop. It’s a lot more comfortable and gives better control on the trail. Also it's impossible to drop a loop on the ground."

I take a somewhat different approach that has worked well for me. A key part of my initial boat setup before putting into the water is to attach a thick painter line, but instead of bundling it up and affixing it near the deck, I run it from the bow of the boat back to the thwart behind the seat and tie it off with a taut-line hitch. For paddling I loosen the hitch, and the rope lies easily out of the way, but when I get to the portage I pull the line taut before lifting the boat. While portaging the rope runs the length of my arm which is extended out in front of me (resting lightly on the rope) like I’m pointing down the path. I am easily able to control bow of the boat with slight down pressure due to the slightly stern heavy trim.


The rope for the painter line is thicker than normal (think 1/2” or even 5/8”), otherwise over a long portage it could start to dig in and put pressure on the ulnar nerve.


To the OP, this approach will allow you to move the yoke forward enough to keep from hitting your head on the seat and still easily control the balance of the boat. "

I am going to look into this rope idea for sure for next time. I think this would have changed the whole game last time.

I’ve figured out how I can carry my Northwind Solo without a yoke. I have a GCI Folding seat and I wrap my PFD around it. The cushion of the pfd on the bar of the seat becomes my defacto yoke. Image attached.

mikedor: "I’ve figured out how I can carry my Northwind Solo without a yoke. I have a GCI Folding seat and I wrap my PFD around it. The cushion of the pfd on the bar of the seat becomes my defacto yoke. Image attached. "

Interesting... I too use the GCI seat on a NW solo.. I'll have to try that.. Thanks

RW