canoe maker

Original Paddles; Replica; Grip Closeup



Much more comfortable to hold it on its side near the bottom of the grip...

Got a few emails about the BigEast River video I posted on YouTube asking about my paddling method. The few reverse camera shots  showed how I leisurely paddle when in "cruising mode". Don't claim to be an expert on this method and it's just really what works for me...sort of a combination of different things.

I've been very curious about paddling techniques that indigenous peoples would've used to propel their craft. Obviously for them, paddling wasn't for leisure or style but for practical functionality. Bark canoes had no seats so kneeling low in the boat resting on the heels was the known position. This of course puts you much lower in the canoe than resting on a seat and automatically changes the paddling dynamics. Here's a great photo of the "Indian's Position" found in  Robert E. Pinkerton's The Canoe: Its Selection, Care and Use (published 1914). 




Being closer to the waterline forces you to reach lower on the grip for comfort, otherwise your top hand stretches up too high and can quickly cause fatigue. Documentation of this is very scarce but here are some photos I've been able to find which show a little of the grip method. Usually, the paddlers are very low in the canoe, either kneeling or completely seated on the bottom of the hull. This places them much lower than modern canoes equipped with seats. The paddle tends to be held out a but laterally and the grip hand resting more naturally in line with the lower.

This previous post shows some Ojibwe women in their bark canoe. The bow paddler is resting her grip hand along the base in this relaxed position....





The October 1990 cover of Wooden Boat Magazine features famous cedar-canvas canoe builder, Jerry Stelmock paddling this style as well...

A traditional paddle, since the arrival of motorized freighter canoes, is the pole paddle. Stan Thomas called it a "Hunter's Paddle". These are about 88" long, and the shaft and blade are each about 44" long. The shaped tip is for purchase in the shallow gravel river beds. When it wears done it is just re-shaped a little shorter. The blade is flat on one face and shaped on the other.

Many thanks to Doug  for his efforts in documenting this unique paddle design and to Mike O for posting about this earlier last week.

New York's Metropolitan Museum of the Arts has a Maliseet bark canoe model with decorated paddles in their collection dated to pre-1845. The paddles look to have a basic decoration with half the blade coloured in pigment creating a yin/yang sort of effect.


Canoe Model with Accoutrements
Ralph T. Coe Collection, Gift of Ralph T. Coe Foundation for the Arts, 2011
Accession Number: 2011.154.6a�p

Working on some technical issues with the blog. The original clickable sliding gallery that appeared on the top right disappeared and stopped functioning entirely. It's been replaced with a non-clickable slideshow. Links to all the completed paddles are now found on the separate Paddle Image Archives page

In the meantime, paddling friend Mike O of the ever-insightful Reflections on the Outdoors Naturally blog has put up some pics of Cree paddles from Fort Severn. They include some standard looking blades painted in utilitarian green but also a decorated blade with an interesting tip. For anyone interested is seeing the pics, the direct link to Mike's post is HERE.

Also, for those who might of missed it last time, Mike's canoe restoration work with Fort Severn First Nation (along with Doug Ingram, Pam Wedd, & John Hupfield) was documented in Canada's national news network. Here's that post from earlier this year

Scrap piece of Sassafras

Ends notched to fit over gunnels

Came up with this idea to combine the carrying bar with the Stewart River portage pads picked up last season. Basically some additional notches were cut to accomodate the pads and once they were secured with their bolts and wing-nuts, the whole apparatus was secure. The tumpline was lashed in using the methods described by Heb Evan in his book. This way I can still lashed the paddles in reverse style with the grips on the thwart and the blades resting on the seat while comfortably (relatively) supporting the canoe on the shoulders.

"The traditional carrying bar was not lashed with marline hitches, though it appears so in the photos. Nor are there any overhand knots on it. The lashing actually doubles back to form a double lash. The single lash wears out quickly where it meets the edge of the paddle. For some reason Heb�s photo is not of the double-back lashing. The carrying bar in that photo has been hand routed (also can�t be seen) in the traditional way to prevent the lashing from slipping from the left and right anchor points."

Apparently there is plenty of info about tumplines and other traditional wilderness canoeing methods in Back's book entitled, The Keewaydin Way  for anyone else who may be interested.