ah, recovered....

gear is secondary it's all about mastering suffern called the "j stroke" ooh err missus.

first up, get a canadian canoe off of the gumtree for dollars few and invest in a decent paddle (go to a canoe shop and get fitted up size wise) trust me this makes all the difference. do get a life jacket as believe it or not, cnuts exist off of here as well and they go by the sobriquet "stag-do's" and they think it is hilarious to hoon up behind you and try and tip you out with their wash.

the "j stroke" will take a couple of days out to learn but once you crack it you can then paddle effortlessly and keep the paddle on one side of the canoe thus avoiding soaking yourself by switching from side to side all the time. you can then go on to the "canadian stroke" it's a beautiful thing to experience when you get in the groove. User Posted Link

next tip is canadian canoes have a bow and a stern and you need to know which is which or you won't be able to "trim (balance) your canoe. if you is paddling solo then you need to canoe with the stern facing forward as if (like most canadian canoes) your canoe has two seats then the set up for two people has the rear seat further back and the front seat just forward of the centrepoint. this is because the paddler at the back should steer the canoe as that is where the point of greater influence is. so, if you is paddling on your own then turn the canoe around and sit on the "front" seat whic is now at the back. this will bring you nearer to the centre of balance and keep the canoe in trim (or balanced). You can easily tell the front and rear by the position of the "yoke" (it looks like this) User Posted Link and is used when you flip the canoe up onto your shoulders for carrying (or portage as it is called). the yoke is shaped so that the contour part sits on the base of your neck so this points toward the front of the canoe.

you need to learn and master flipping the canoe up onto your shoulders in order to sport the 16 foot hat look and enable you to walk it from your car to the river or over pieces of terrain to get to where you want to go if dry land gets in your way User Posted Link

other s**t....

this s**t is important User Posted Link crazy how many people cut about with unsafe canoes on top

and use these and not "ratchet straps" User Posted Link i got a pair of these as well to help secure the front of the canoe as well User Posted Link get a hank of para cord and you can lash the canoe down 100% secure using the "truckers hitch" User Posted Link

you can then progress to rigging out your canoe with air bags etc in case you tip up User Posted Link

invest in a spare paddle as well in case you somehow lose your main one just lash it under the seat with a bungie, you never know.

I got me an old town camper canoe and it really is the tits but they don't make them no more as the company that made royalex the material it is made of went belly up so they are quite rare. i'd go second hand as they are quite pricey new and as long as it hasn't got excessive and obvious damage to the hull then you can pick up a good camping canoe relatively cheap. i'd get a tandem or double canoe so you have plenty of room for another bod or camping gear.

best thing of all is .... norfolk, so many wonderful paddles around here spoilt for choice. i would have a wee try out paddle up at outney camp site in bungay, they rent canoes up there and you can paddle out and back on the bungay loop, no motor craft on there so the only hassle you'll get is of other ideots on canoes and the angry swan.

if you like i can take you out on a little paddle and explain better or you can borrow my boat for a weekend see how you get on, no problemo's.

Posted By: Tombs, Feb 12, 14:50:26