canoe maker

Master Paddle Maker, Graham Warren, of Moosehead Canoes & Paddles has released another must-have publication for anyone interested in this art form. Entitled,  100 Canoe Paddle Designs,  it features measured offsets and historical background for a wide array of paddles. Here's a glimpse of the cover...




Using digitized methods, basic outline sketches of the paddles have been rendered along with their precise measurements for anyone wishing to replicate the designs. Given the high cost of print media these days, the book is all black & white, but it isn't meant to be a coffee-table conversation piece, anyway. It was created by a paddle maker for other paddler makers!

Graham has meticulously documented a cross-section of functional paddles from around the globe. In fact, half the book is devoted to paddles outside my obviously Canadian-biased concept of "canoe country". There are fascinating examples from the Caribbean, South America and the Pacific Islands. For the history buff, he has included ancient paddles unearthed in archaeological digs in China, Denmark, The Netherlands, and the U.K. And, for owners of heirloom cedar canvas canoes, he has included offsets for famous brands like Chestnut, Peterborough and Rushton replicated from historic catalogs.

A few of the paddles in the book have been featured here on the site, including the c1878 Maliseet at the York Sunbury Museum, the Iroquois paddles at the Royal Ontario Museum, the c. 1860-1875 voyageur paddle authenticated by Canadian Antique Roadshow, and the "Northeastern Woodland" paddles at the British Museum.

Graham humbly mentions that he is no professional archaeologist or ethnologist but he does a marvelous job of providing the relevant background on each of the designs along with additional reading sources.

Most interesting and also very unique is the "Consensus Paddle". Offset data from 50 paddles in the book were entered into CorelDraw and a composite sketch created. I'll keep the surprise open for readers, but the blade design that resulted from this global pool of paddles is something that looked very appealing for a future carving project.

Between this new book and his previously publications - Making Paddles in Wood (see this post here) and Canoe Paddles: A complete guide to making your own, there are now more than enough plans to keep the enthusiastic paddle maker content for years to come.

Hat's off to Graham for doing a wonderful job in creating this outstanding paddle making resource.

Archive.org has a free online edition of Boat-building and boating (1911) by Daniel Carter Beard. Chapter VI features bark canoe construction. The images look to be replicas of Adney's famous sketches and are quite detailed. On page 60 is a crude sketch of some paddles with rough dimensions. The only detailed provided  is a brief caption posted below:

Paddles are made of rock maple, and sometimes of birch and even cedar. Bow paddles are usually longer and narrower in the blade than stern paddles (Fig. 101).

Blog reader R.C. Cross kindly sent me some pictures of an interesting bit of paddle art in his collection. They are a pair of historic paddles from the Canadian Canoe Company (founded 1892). According to the information he sent, it was claimed they were made of hickory but closer inspection revealed that the distinctive grain pattern turned out to be faux painted. Apparently faux painting was quite popular in the 1920's and was likely applied to these paddles to add some flair. The pair of paddles are 60" and 57" with one having a clear CCC decal. One blade is finished smooth and the other has cracked. The grain painting does not extend up to the handles so you can see that the original wood grain was quite plain.



Speaking of amazing grain patterns, R.C. also happened to carve a curly Douglas Fir paddle with a very peculiar grain. It was featured back on this site in March, 2012. I've often thought that if a canoe paddle could ever be used to induce hypnosis, it would be R.C. amazing creation. See that post by clicking here. Hoping R.C. will carve some more paddles and continue to post for all of us to enjoy.

Came across an interesting free online book at Gutenberg.org entitled Outdoor Sports and Games (1911), by Claude H. Miller. Chapter 16 is entitled HOW TO SWIM AND TO CANOE and has a series of comical pics about how to pole a canoe...hey whatever works right?

Another great bark canoe and paddle illustration by Tappan Adney, this one found in St. Nicholas Vol XXIII - March 1896 - NO. 5 in an article entitled, "Their First Moose Hunt"

Like many folks interested in canoeing, I'm an occasional poster on a variety of forums. One of my favourites before the site was hacked and destroyed by malicious folks last summer was SoloTripping.com. It was a real treasure trove of quality info from like-minded canoe trippers. Unfortunately, after speaking with the site owner at the recent Outdoor Adventure Show here in Toronto, it looks like the site will be gone for good.

However, another lesser known forum -  CanoeTripping.net  - has recently come to my attention. It is going through a rebirth of sorts and is now being run by a fellow wooden canoe enthusiast, Robin, who has taken his fleet of Chestnut cedar canvas canoes on some impressive backcountry trips.

Lately there have been some really fun trip reports posted by some folks and I've posted some of my own experiences there as well. I've found the small but growing community there very welcoming. So if anyone wants to contribute and share their experiences feel free to head on over...

A few years back, I posted about a pic of bashed up cedar canvas canoe after a run down some nasty rapids. Now I've come across the original source article which appeared in LIFE magazine, 16 Nov 1953. It follows the life of Woodsman Rock Robertson in the backwoods of Quebec and features a few of Rock's canoeing exploits. Here's a pic of his portage load...




The article also features a sequence during a successful bear hunt. To get back to camp, he portaged the canoe and the bear with a tump-strap. Talk about a single carry!



But the most exciting part of the piece is his attempt down some rapids. Rock seems to have ignored typical bushcraft wisdom of being conservative in whitewater with a cedar canvas canoe and maybe tried to show off for the camera. Here's the excerpt from the article:

Recently, when he decided to shoot the rapids at the head of Lake Mattawa. He ignored the warnings that no man alive could take a canoe over that drop, and that no man could survive if the canoe tipped. Rock simply shrugged and reached for his paddle. He rode the millrace but not in the canoe which turned over and dumped him. Bouncing from boulder to boulder he went through the water in a jackknife position with arms and legs extended before him absorbing the shocks. When he crawled out unhurt 200 yards below, a triumphant grin lit up his face. "I lost my socks," he announced, "but l still got my chewing gum."

The sequence of pics...

In the Maine Woods (1905 Edition) has a wonderful full-page vintage photo (p.92) of a guide and sport after a successful deer hunt...

The guide is using a paddle with a distinctly scalloped grip. Here is a closeup...



Unfortunately the blade isn't visible in the photo, but the grip area seems identical to a Guide's paddle found on this site's archive page originally advertised by Gould Auctions in Maine.

Here are a few pics of traditional canoe camp from a brief photo journal article which appeared in  Outing, Volume LXVI, Issue 6 (September 1915),  entitled, "BY CANVAS AND BIRCHBARK" by George MacDougall (.pdf file).


These pics showcase the canoe, the paddles, and tents as well as the traditional tump-line carry method of duffle bag and wannigan. A reflector oven is in the foreground by the firepit. The original captions for the photos are reproduced below.

Carrying Your Own Weight

It can be done for a short distance, with practice, but the average pack should not weigh over a hundred pounds for ordinary going. The tump line will ease the strain, but be sure to keep the weight high without any sharp corners gouging into the middle of your back.

ORDER IS THE CAMPER'S FIRST LAW

The ideal camp, like a modern kitchen, is compact and orderly. Experience and habit teach one to keep the bedding, the grub box, and the cooking utensils within narrow confines to prevent waste of time as well as loss of articles.

Back in '011, I mentioned an issue of Canadian Woodworking & Home Improvement had a short, illustrated article on canoe paddles. It was written by Beth Stanley, the Artisan Program Coordinator at the Canadian Canoe Museum.

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...

Found another great resource of First Nation art which features many examples of the double curve motif often used to decorate paddles and bark canoes - Symbolism in Penobscot art (1927) by Frank Gouldsmith Speck published by the American Museum of Natural History. This wonderful resource discusses some of the origins and significance of these motifs in Penobscot Culture. It contains some sketched representations of various forms as well as some black and white photos of baskets, garmets, knife handles and other objects. Here's an example:


What caught my eye however is a tiny photo and caption on page 43 which describes a piece of birchbark used as a stencil template to make symmetrical patterns on a paddle blade. It seems so obvious and practical instead of drawing these things freehand but it never occurred to me to simplify the decoration process.




Anyway, for folks wishing to replicate these intricate designs hope this paddle resource is useful to you.

Readers of my blog will be familiar with my preference for "Northwoods" style paddling technique and paddle grips. I've been slowly trying to gather more information on this elusive technique for the benefit of others and here is a bit of a synopsis. Recently, I posted about the technique being featured in Becky Mason's 2012 paddling DVD, Advanced Solo Canoeing.

Much of the confusion surrounding the paddling method comes from overlapping names of other strokes, especially since it shares many similarities to "the Canadian", "The Knifing-J", and even sometimes, the "Indian Stroke". Whatever the name, it is an efficient but little known method of propulsion that uses leverage and timing instead of brute force to power the canoe. It features a short power phase, rapid cadence, and use of abdominal muscles more so than "arm paddling" used by many paddlers. Early writings describing the paddling technique of natives mention a similar short, choppy stroke which powered the canoe rather effortlessly for long distances.

It seems logical that the inspiration for this technique would therefore originate with native peoples powering their canoes while kneeling on the bottom of their hulls. One of the earliest published writings which loosely describes the stroke is found in Robert E. Pinkerton's The Canoe: Its Selection, Care and Use (published 1914). This little gem, complete with wonderful photos shows the author in various paddling positions. The Toronto Reference Library has a copy of this classic in their archives and during a visit, I photocopied this picture which shows the kneeling stance of what the author calls "The Indian's Position"



The photo also clearly shows the upper hand, which is not gripping the top of the paddle but laid against the shaft in a much more natural position. Here are some select quotes from Chapter IV describing the reasoning and mechanics of the stroke...

"The usual stroke of the amateur canoeist is a long, slow pull with a slow, sweeping recovery. In the north woods, where the canoe is best understood, this stroke is never seen. The stroke is shorter, the recovery like lightning, and nearly two strokes are taken to the amateur's one.

A day's journey will demonstrate the superiority of the woodsman's methods. His quick recovery almost eliminates that loss of momentum which is so hard to overcome and which is a continual drag on the energy of the slow-stroked paddler. The canoe maintains its headway, and greater results are accomplished for the energy expended.

The woodsman devotes his strength to the first of the stroke. The power diminishes rapidly when the paddle reaches his side, and the stroke is terminated quickly after it has passed. To continue the stroke as far back as one can reach necessitates a sharp inclination of the paddle. Any force expended upon the paddle when it is so inclined serves to pull the paddle up through the water more than to push it backward. The result on the canoe is to force or pull down the stern rather than to add to the forward motion. Not only is energy diverted from propulsion, but the upward lift on the paddle forces the stern more deeply into the water, thereby causing a greater drag on the canoe.

The quick, short stroke has another advantage which saves time and energy. With the proper paddle, the spring of the blade itself is sufficient to shoot the paddle forward for the next stroke with but little effort on the part of the paddler. To do this, the lower hand should be rigid at the end of the stroke, and there should be a slight, quick addition of power just before the paddle leaves the water."

After coming back from the library and doing a search of used bookstores to see if this classic was available to order, I found out that it is available online in its entirety thanks to the generosity of The Wooden Canoe Heritage Association.

Recently received my copy of Becky Mason's new instructional video, Advanced Solo Canoeing. It's been getting rave reviews all over the paddling community and recently won the 2012 award for Best Instructional film at the Reel Paddling Film Festival. I have a old VHS copy of Becky's first instructional video made back in 2000 and it's a bit of a seasonal ritual to watch it during the winter months. Anyway, here's the preview of her new advanced paddling film complete with some stunning underwater shots...


The highlight for me however, was the brief footage of Becky demonstrating the famed "Northwoods Stroke" as practiced by many paddlers in Maine & New Brunswick. She demonstrates the quick cadence paddling style with a northwoods style paddle grip. This very well may be the only instructional footage of the elusive northwoods stroke out there at the present. The footage is only a few minutes long, but Becky's easy to follow narration and the multiple angles provide lots of clear views of the mechanics. A few screenshots...






All in all a very rewarding paddling video that has gotten me excited about the upcoming paddling season. More info on Becky's site - RedCanoes.ca

Here's a nice photo a graceful Maliseet bark canoe taken from Leaves from Juliana Horatia Ewing's "Canada Home" courtesy of Archive.org. The brief letter written be Ms. Ewing describes a day paddling on the Nashwaak stream in New Brunswick.


Here's the accompanying excerpt...

Last Friday we were asked to Government House for a picnic. . . . We went across the river, and by water up the Nashwaak Cis. (i. e.. Little Nashwaak), and landed at a very pretty spot, where we ate luncheon off such lovely old china I wonder his Excellency had the heart to risk it at a picnic!

The A. D. C. lent Rex his own boat, that Rex might row me there. I told him I must have a good wrap and got a buffalo robe to keep me warm, and sat like a queen in the stern. There were lots of canoes and a few boats. . . Coming back down the Cis it was lovely, half dark, and the canoes gliding past among the shadows. The Cis was very narrow and required careful steering. I got some new water lilies.

Archive.org has an online edition of The Beaver, June 1922 which features an article on Birchbark Canoes. Here's a brief excerpt describing the paddles used by the canoemen:

The paddle used in these canoes was narrow in the blade, being about 3 1/2 inches in width, and the style of paddling peculiar to the canoe itself. The stroke was quick, and continuous, 45 strokes to the minute being about the average, and in the hands of a good crew 4 1/2 to 6 miles an hour would be attained. The stroke was set by the bowsman, always a good man, not only as a paddler and guide but an expert in rapids and rough water. He always carried two paddles, the narrow one for ordinary paddling and a long wide one for quick manoeuvering in running rapids.

The article continues in the next edition, July 1922. Interestingly, the cover of the September, 1922 edition is the one featuring a fur trade canoe with narrow paddles and an improvised sail from a red HBC point blanket.

The Smithsonian Institution Bureau of American Ethnology BULLETIN 86 - Chippewa Customs (1929) has a nice image (Plate 53) and description of a woman's canoe paddle - crudely shaped from knotty wood.



The original caption
The specimen illustrated is a woman's canoe paddle (pl. 53, a) and is 4 feet 10 inches long, with blade 22 inches long and 4 1/4 inches wide. A man's paddle is usually heavier, longer, and of a somewhat different shape...

An article entitled, "Canadian Aboriginal Canoes" originally published in Canadian Field-Naturalist Vol XXXIII(2), May 1919 appears on Archive.org. The well written article features some wonderful illustrations of various bark canoe designs as well as sketch of some different paddles shapes (mostly NorthWest coast designs)

Came across another treasure trove of paddle information on Archive.org. This publication entitled, Material culture of the Davis Inlet and Barren Ground Naskapi outlines enthographic items collected by William Duncan Strong from the Davis Inlet and Barren Ground Naskapi in 1927-1928.

Plate 49 (pg 89) features a diagram of 4 decorated Naskapi paddles accompanying the model canoes in the collection...


Naskapi Paddles in the Strong Collection
These are, not surprisingly, very similar to the sketches in Garth Taylor's, 1980 publication, Canoe construction in a Cree cultural tradition which I used in the painted decoration of my Bushcraft Cree spruce paddle. Pgs 19-20 contain a book contains a brief write-up on these paddles:

The collection contains seven canoe paddles, with handles approximately half the length of the blades or slightly less. The blades are flat or have a slight ridge down the center and vary in width from 7.5 cm to 11.5 cm. The handles widen slightly and are flattened at the end. Only two specimens show signs of use. The blades of five paddles are decorated; the decoration on the illustrated specimens, in orange pigment, red crayon, and indelible pencil, is typical (fig. 49A-D). The partridge design and a motif which Strong (1928e) called "whale tails" occur on one paddle (fig. 49B). These bands of decoration appear to be a common feature on paddles, at least as far west as the Cree around Great Whale River (Taylor, p. 94, fig. 9).