How To Carry A Canoe

Get Your Canoe to the Water

Unlike larger boats, which can be moored or put up on boat-lifts to avoid damage from wind and waves, canoes are typically stored out of the water. they need to be moved to the water to be used. Here’s how to carry a canoe.

First, be sure that the canoe is empty. Although most modern canoes are made of aluminum or plastic, one person usually can’t carry it alone, so two or three people should help move it to and from the water.

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Two Person Carries

Some modern canoes have handles fore and aft. If there are two people and the carry distance is fairly short, this offers a simple way to carry a canoe. If there are no handles, it is still possible to move the canoe by each person standing on opposite sides of the canoe and lifting the canoe by the gunwhale (the reinforcing strip running along the top edge of the hull) at the center of the canoe. Then,  simply walk the canoe to or from the water. This, too, works best for short carries.

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The Portage

The more traditional portaging technique should be used for longer distances, or carries over uneven terrain or around obstacles like trees. In this case, the canoe is turned upside down and one-person lifts the bow off the ground. The second person (the one who’ll do the carrying) walks underneath and positions himself, allowing the yoke to settle on his shoulders. If there’s not a yoke in the canoe, one can be fashioned by securely lashing the paddles to the thwarts with the painter. The painter is a line (rope) attached to the painter rings fore and aft in the canoe. It is used for “lining” (walking) the canoe or for tying up.

With the yoke resting on her shoulders and one hand on either side of the canoe, the person carrying the canoe lifts it with their legs and balances it. The weight  of the canoe is carried on the shoulders; the hands are used strictly for balance and steadying the canoe. When doing a solo carry, keep the canoe balanced. Let it ride a little down at the stern; it will be easier to see ahead.  There’s no hurry,  take your time, and be sure to watch where you step! The canoe is then carefully walked to the desired place, and the entire process is reversed.

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Let’s Do Launch

Where possible, load your canoe while it’s floating in shallow water. If that’s not possible, load it on the beach – as close to the water as you can get. If you load your canoe in the water, tie a painter to a tree along the shore to keep the canoe controlled. On the other hand, if loading on the beach, don’t over-pack. You’ll need to be able to carry the loaded canoe the last few feet to the water. Modern materials are certainly strong, but dragging a loaded boat over sharp rocks won’t do it any good. Treat your canoe as if your life depended upon it. It does.

Other Canoeing  Articles:

• Cold Water Survival
• Gift Ideas For Canoers
• Canoe Trip: Equipment Checklist
• Canoe Forward Stroke: Perfect This Basic Paddle Stroke
• Carry A Canoe? Do It Right!
• Proper Technique to Paddle a Canoe
• Canoeing Tips – Keep Your Trip Fun & Safe
• Canoes: Description and Construction

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