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Boundary Waters Quetico Forum Group Forum: Solo Tripping canoe and paddling technique. |
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04/21/2015 04:34PM
I've got a Wenonah Wilderness in Graphite. I've got a carbon bent shaft and roll with the switch as well. My extra is straight but it holds up the tarp more than anything else, unless I've got a ridiculously rocky landing.
"A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A doughnut with no holes, is a Danish." - Ty Webb quoting the Zen philosopher, Basho. He was a funny guy.
04/21/2015 06:49PM
I have a Wenonah Wilderness, tuff weave, 42 lbs.
I use a 250 cm (about 8 feet) kayak paddle in open water and switch to a straight shaft paddle when approaching shore or maneuvering in tight spaces.
Really like the kayak paddle - seems like less work yet better speed and more control. Regular paddle is great where the kayak paddle is too long and cumbersome.
I use a 250 cm (about 8 feet) kayak paddle in open water and switch to a straight shaft paddle when approaching shore or maneuvering in tight spaces.
Really like the kayak paddle - seems like less work yet better speed and more control. Regular paddle is great where the kayak paddle is too long and cumbersome.
Want to make God laugh? Tell him your plans...
04/22/2015 06:40AM
I have a Savage River Carbon TexTreme DeepCreek Solo Weighs 29 pounds without the yoke. When traveling I use a 260cm Bending Branches yak paddle, when I fish I use a Bending Branches Traveler straight shaft wood paddle, I hit and switch most of the time, wood paddle in winding creeks and rocky landings, there's pictures of The Dark Lady in my trip report Flirting with Wabakimi. FRED
Grant me the senility to forget the people I never liked, the good fourtune to remember the ones do, and the eyesight to tell the differance.
04/22/2015 07:02AM
Still figuring that out. 1 solo under my belt and I rented a SR Q16 and it was rock solid with a 85lb lab along. I used their plastic double blade and my bent shaft. It went so well that on my next solo I'm going to rent a dedicated solo.
I've seen Fogs canoe and it is a beauty! I would love that canoe. Only 29lbs but still big enough that I could use it on my daddy/daughter tandem trips.
I've seen Fogs canoe and it is a beauty! I would love that canoe. Only 29lbs but still big enough that I could use it on my daddy/daughter tandem trips.
Ride EZ
04/22/2015 07:45AM
A Wenonah Vagabond in Royalex, 14'6" long and weighs 45 lbs. I use a bent shaft paddle and a straight shaft paddle, mostly the bent shaft. And J-stroke for me only.
"It is more important to live for the possibilities that lie ahead than to die in despair over what has been lost." -Barry Lopez
04/23/2015 12:04AM
i've done solo bwca trips in a 17 foot alumacraft. it's not the canoe, it's your skills and strength. for what it is worth, many times i'd prefer the seaworthiness of a crappy design over a high tech race designed canoe. years ago i did the paddling thing with ma ketter. her canoe philosophy was the total opposite of mine. it still is.
04/23/2015 04:51AM
It depends upon the trip. Both of my solos are tandems. One a 73 plus pound 1972 Old Town Trapper. Heavy but pretty and really stable. As I mentioned however, it is real heavy. My second is a Winona Adirondack ultralight kevlar. Not as attractive, but much lighter. My main propulsion is a Werner 240 Tybee hooked. Secondary source, a bent Winona. Planning to build a cedar strip solo this summer as soon as the shop is cleared out a bit.
If my route includes few portages and big water I will lean toward the OT. If I am moving great distances I like the lighter canoe. The double blade is for transport mode and the short paddle for fishing and short hops around camp. The double blade comes in handy with my tarp too.
If my route includes few portages and big water I will lean toward the OT. If I am moving great distances I like the lighter canoe. The double blade is for transport mode and the short paddle for fishing and short hops around camp. The double blade comes in handy with my tarp too.
Never better, attitude is a choice.
04/23/2015 05:25PM
I paddle a Wenonah Wilderness, Royalex, with a Bending Branches 260cm double blade as the primary paddle, take a White River 62" Beavertail as a back-up. Now that my dog is up to 73 lbs., I am wondering what I should move up to, or if I have to. This early season will be a test run.
04/23/2015 06:40PM
ivory bell magic, 36 lbs. 2 zavs...one bent the other straight. hit and switch with both at times. I use the straight when things get dicey though, much better control.
my ivory bell magic is on top of kiporbys ivory bell magic. there may very well be ivory bell magic toddlers roaming that bushwack lake now. ;-)
my ivory bell magic is on top of kiporbys ivory bell magic. there may very well be ivory bell magic toddlers roaming that bushwack lake now. ;-)
04/23/2015 11:38PM
I just bought a wenonah wilderness in RX and use a 52" ZRE paddle. I have not tripped in mine like all of you all do and have only paddled about 12 miles in it. I have just made the switch to a bent shaft and still trying to figure it out. Right now I mainly use a slight J stroke but with switch and hit I can add a little speed. Jury is still out.
04/24/2015 10:27AM
I have a Bell Magic and paddle it w/ a straight-shaft beavertail paddle...I like the longer shaft paddle for more effective strokes toward the ends of the canoe...
..there is nothing- absolute nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats - Wind in the Willows
04/25/2015 07:52PM
The end of March, I found a Wenonah Wilderness on CL. Struck a deal and became the proud owner of what has been dubbed 'Walks on Water'. I have decided that I will try different techniques of propulsion. The first paddle was bent shaft Wenonah Boundary Waters, awesome for straight all-out paddling. I have not been all that enthused with fine tuned corrective strokes. Second, I picked up an el-cheapo 240cm kayak paddle....big mistake!! Got saturated the first few stokes with ice cold water...it goes back to Fleet Farm. Today, I picked up a Bending Branches Expresso straight shaft at Midwest Outdoor Expo. Beautiful paddle!! Tomorrow, I will see how well it all fits together.
Just as I have reinvented my kit, I am trying different strokes. I have always used the sit and switch. I am interested in using the J-stroke more frequently for straight movement and strokes yet to be determined for turns. I will say that I have been interested in the maneuvers used in freestyle. My principal purpose in picking up a solo is for primarily bird photography. It seems that technique that enables quick and efficient positioning would be a nice thing in this situation.
Just as I have reinvented my kit, I am trying different strokes. I have always used the sit and switch. I am interested in using the J-stroke more frequently for straight movement and strokes yet to be determined for turns. I will say that I have been interested in the maneuvers used in freestyle. My principal purpose in picking up a solo is for primarily bird photography. It seems that technique that enables quick and efficient positioning would be a nice thing in this situation.
04/26/2015 01:54PM
The specifications for the Huron Cruiser are 15'-9" beam 32.5" WL 30.25" depth 14" draft 4" with an Optimum Capacity of 180/450lb. I am 230lb + 77lb of gear so i have plenty of capacity. The details in the decks and rails are poplar. my paddle is 63" that i J as needed switching every 30 min or so
05/05/2015 01:59PM
I rented a Magic for my trip last year, and have decided that this is the boat for me. I used a Bending Branches Espresso bent for hit and switch on the flat water, and a Sawyer Voyager (straight) for more challenging situations, and as my spare.
I really like both of these paddles, and sometimes I switched paddles just so that I could spend time enjoying each of them.
Paddling a solo quickly taught me to appreciate the hit and switch method, and I feel that the lessons learned that week have benefitted my tandem paddling.
I really like both of these paddles, and sometimes I switched paddles just so that I could spend time enjoying each of them.
Paddling a solo quickly taught me to appreciate the hit and switch method, and I feel that the lessons learned that week have benefitted my tandem paddling.
"To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize" - Voltaire
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