Riding the Waves

The most exciting-and dangerous-way to get back to shore is to ride a wave in. This takes skill, judgment, knowledge of surf and a little luck. Trim the canoe as for the other approaches, with the weight well aft. Starting well outside the breaking point, pick a small or middle-sized wave as it approaches, and start paddling toward shore so that the canoe is moving in the same direction as the wave and at nearly the same speed.

As the wave comes under the canoe, you will feel the craft pick up and start to skid down the front of the wave. At this point, unless you are highly skilled and lucky, you will lose all control, broach to, and roll over in a welter of foam and water. Stop paddling, move your weight aft quickly to lift the bow out of the still water in front of the wave, and use strong ruddering action to keep at right angles to the wave. If you don’t lift the bow it will sheer off, and at once you will broach.

If the wave is large and steep there is danger of pearl diving when the bow is driven down into the still water in front of the wave. The wave then pushes the stern right up and over for a “pitch pole,” which is dangerous to both canoe and canoeists. If the bow of the canoe happens to hit bottom, there is a good chance that your next project will be shopping for a new canoe. If the wave is steep, the stern of the canoe may be so deep in water that some will ship aboard, and the craft may even swamp-and this may happen as the wave breaks, but you must get wet and still keep your weight back. Once the wave breaks, it will take very strong ruddering action to hold a straight course. But with some practice you should reach the point where you will be able to ride right up to the beach with canoe and crew intact-and fairly dry.

Competitive Paddling

As a sport, competitive paddling in the United States is controlled by the American Canoe Association, an allied body of the Amateur Athletic Union and a member of the United States Olympic Committee. The types of canoes used in international and Olympic competition have been standardized into the C and K classes. These are light, very fast and tipsy craft of thin plywood, constructed for maximum speed and calling for expert handling. The C or “Canadian” is the racing type for 1-, 2- or 4-man crews using single-blade paddles. The K, or rigid kayak type, is a narrow boat propelled by 1-, 2- and 4-man crews using double-blade paddles. Divisional, national and international paddling regattas are held yearly for both men and women, and every four years Olympic trials open to citizen amateurs are held. The standard course is a 1,000-meter straightway event.

SAILING CANOES

An offshoot of the paddling canoe is the sailing canoe, which is also raced in competition. The standard racer is a decked sailing canoe, a double-ender, 17 feet long, 43 inches wide, and limited to 10 square meters (107 square feet) of sail area. With its full deck, and equipped with a sliding hiking seat, it can be capsized and righted while under way and can reach a speed of 15 knots.

The American Canoe Association also has a cruising class which takes in wooden canoes equipped with lateen sails, leeboards and steering paddles. Also, C Class canoes can be adapted to sailing, being fitted with mast steps, leeboards, transverse tillers and Marconi-cut sails, usually of dacron. Decked sailers and cruisers are most numerous in the East, while the C Class is found in large numbers in the area around Jacksonville, Florida.

CANOE CLUBS

The American Canoe Association owns a thirty-five acre island near Cananoque, Canada, where it conducts an annual “under canvas” camp each August for members and guests. Daily activities include sailing races, swimming, paddling races and novelty events. This has been a yearly gathering for over fifty years.

However, the canoeist who seeks companionship on the water and ashore can find canoe clubs in every part of the country where there is water. Numerous groups of canoeists interested in one or more aspects of canoe paddling or sailing have organized a club, acquired or rented property, put up a boathouse and social hall, and function much like a yacht club. The officers of the club are generally a commodore (president), vice-commodore (in charge of land activities), rear commodore (in charge of water activities), and purser (secretary and treasurer). These officials are known as the flag officers of the club. Members of the board of governors usually double as committee chairmen. The usual committees are: finance, building and grounds, social, paddling, cruising, membership, regatta, public relations, etc. The Washington, D. C, Canoe Club has been in existence for 75 years and a number of clubs have celebrated their 50th anniversaries.

Other canoe clubs own no real estate, but have a dozen or more canoes, a few trailers which carry 6 canoes each and are usually stored in a member’s yard. These groups hold occasional meetings and regularly issue mimeographed bulletins listing canoeing events, passing on club chatter and technical information. Information on canoeing and canoe clubs is available from the American Canoe Association, 400 Eastern Street, New Haven 13, Connecticut.

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