Nige

The word canoe has two distinct meanings, having been applied, for how long a time no one knows, to boats of long and narrow proportions, sharp at both ends and propelled by paddles held in the hand, without a fixed fulcrum, the crew facing forward. The members of this great family vary greatly in size and model, from the kayak of the Esquimau, to the long war canoes, 80 to 100 feet long, of the islands of the Pacific. Within the past twenty years the word has been applied in England and America in a more limited sense, to small craft used for racing, traveling and exploring, as well as the general purposes of a pleasure boat, the main essentials being those mentioned above, while sails and a deck are usually added, the double paddle being used exclusively. In Canada the term has for a long time been applied to a similar boat, used for hunting and fishing, without decks, and propelled by a single paddle. The following pages will refer only to the second meaning given, as the one of most importance to the amateur builder, and as the instructions given will apply equally to the simpler and less complicated Canadian open canoe.

Compare G.C. Good’s Preface to the first edition Canoeing Handbook (1981): “In Great Britain, the generic term ‘canoeing’ is used to describe any craft which is easily portable and propelled by a paddle”… and the “Short History of Paddlesport” in the third edition notes a history which includes the “curraghs and coracles of the ancient Celts” and a stunning British tradition of canoe sailing from Victorian times to the present day. A more complete history would also consider the history of outrigger canoes and outrigger sailing canoes in Polynesia and elsewhere.

On the other side of the pond, Mike Galt gave an interesting insight into the development of what many in the UK regard as “Canadian canoes”. The following (remainder of this post) comes from his “The Solo Mystique” (1978):

This solo thing isn’t new, you know. As a matter of fact, it is just now coming full circle. When sport canoeing was in its heyday back in the 1880′s, everyone paddled solo. It is an utterly natural condition. And the canoes were low-ended, sweet, fast and wholesome. Gorgeous they were, built like violins, and finished naturally with rubbed shellac and hard carnauba wax.

In the 1890′s, America’s love affair with things mechanical began in earnest with the bicycle, and the popularity of the solo touring canoe waned. In order to re-kindle interest in the sport, the less expensive, canvas covered tandem canoe was introduced. The type became an overnight sensation . . . not with wilderness travelers, but with courting couples in search of a little privacy in the middle of the town lake. In response to its new use, the tandem canoe became wider and more flat-bottomed, … a platform, if you will … to encourage all sorts of carryings-on. There is no doubt that our grandmothers have had a great deal of canoeing experience. If you can get yours to talk, ask her about performance. More than likely, she’ll tell you how fast and lively Grandpa was!

This was all great fun and infinitely more appropriate and joyful than the back seat of a Ford sedan–but in the meantime canoe design suffered horribly. The clumsy, non-performing courtin’ canoe continued to be built long after World War II. These were truly the canoeists’ darkest days. In the sixties, the light began to shine again as fellows like Ralph Sawyer, Charley Moore, and later, Jim Henry, began producing fast, lightweight, wholesome canoes once more. Walking became popular. The bicycle became popular again, and now, in 1978, the svelte, exciting, solo touring canoe has returned. The circle has closed.

I must stress that I only use “Open” in the title of this website for Search purposes, would rather just refer to them as Canadian!

If you meet the general public, say in some shopping mall, and ask them what an ‘open boat’ is they would probably describe something like a rowing boat or the faureens of Shetland.

if you asked them what a ‘canoe’ is they would probably describe a kayak of some sort.

if you asked them what a ‘canadian canoe’ is they would almost certainly describe just that.

Maybe we should try to educate the higher echelons of the governing bodies.

Or maybe it is the geriatric author of this response who needs re educating. Although it is a bit late in the day for that to happen – I have been paddling canadian canoes for over half a century and hope to continue to do so.
best wishes

This is a book that I’ve held off buying, perhaps because everyone else is..?? My first 5 minute riverside “delve” into the book didn’t produce what I (personally) was expecting in terms of information,…… but with hindsight and reading Nige’s comment about not over-burdening the reader, I have to agree, the pitch, photo’s and quality of the book cannot be understated…..

I’ve spent a little more time with “Thee Book” since, and I’m starting to believe that it has the potential to “grow” with a paddler, there is information within the text that is almost hidden and only after implementing or trying the suggestions in the overlying text will a paddler start to understand ‘that’ information that is “hidden”, it may well be the “go to” book that I was expecting in the first place.. Just not in the format I expected…. ?

Cheers
Red.