PADDLING.
Position.
Paddling is goof exercise for the arms, wrists, back, and even the legs come in for a share. The paddler may sit, kneel on one knee or on two, or stand while paddling. The standing position is only taken for racing - and rarely even then. The sitting position is the most comfortable, naturally, and the one usually taken for double blade paddling in either decked or open canoes. (See illustrations on pages 6 and 7.) When learning to paddle, it is well to sit very low down in the canoe, as the boat is far less likely to upset.
The greatest power can be obtained when the paddler sits on about a level with the gunwale, but the canoe is usually very cranky then.
Single Blade.
The Canadians kneel on a cushion when paddling with the single blade, and half sit on a cross piece under which the feet are put, so that the heels also get a good brace. When two persons paddle an open canoe one sits forward and the other aft, and they paddle on opposite sides, changing from right to left, or left to right when they get tired. It requires considerable skill for one person to paddle a canoe with a single blade paddle, for then the paddler sits in the middle and paddles on one side only. The canoe is kept from changing its course by a turn of the paddle at the end of the stroke. This turn of the paddle is done by the wrist, and when once acquired it is very easy to keep the canoe on a true course all the time.
Cushions.
Cushions for canoes should he filled with cork shavings. They can then he used as life preservers in case of accident.
Double Blade.
The double blade paddle is frequently used in open canoes, and when the paddler takes a kneeling position. A complete stroke then means a dip of the paddle on the right side of the canoe and one on the left. It is entirely unnecessary to describe the motion of paddling - anyone takes to it naturally when seated in a canoe and a paddle is placed in his or her hands. The paddler faces forward and paddling is a perfectly natural motion, quite unlike rowing. The usual position for the double blade paddler to take is on a cushion four or five inches above the bottom of the boat. The feet rest on a stretcher which gives them a good brace. There is a cushioned back rest against which the back and shoulders are comfortably braced, and in this delightfully easy position the work of paddling is done, while the paddler at all times sees where he is going and has ample time to admire the scenery. The muscles across the abdomen are brought into play at every stroke, and the novice will find them very sore if he paddles violently the first few times he tries this new exercise. Writer's cramp in the wrists can be cured by a little paddling exercise daily.
Paddling Fittings.
A paddling canoe needs only a cushion, back rest, foot brace and a paddle to make it complete. Add a line at the bow (the painter) for towing or tieing the canoe, and a sponge, and you have all that the most exacting enthusiast could desire.
Varieties of Canoe.
Some of the paddling canoes in common use are: the very small, light, open or decked canoes between ten or twelve feet long, the Canadian open canoes, and the regular decked canoes of from fourteen to sixteen feet in length.
Still another form of paddling canoe was originated by the Toronto Canoe Club in 1889, and has since become quite a club feature of the sport - the big war canoe as it is called. This is a canoe thirty to thirty-five feet long, holding sixteen paddlers and several passengers besides. The big club canoe is very popular with the ladies, as there is plenty of room in it for them to move about, and they are in no danger of getting their dresses damaged by spray and the drip from the paddles. Then there is a certain sociability about a big party in one boat, that is absent when the same number, perhaps, are in small boats. A race between two or three of these big fellows is a fine sight, the sixteen men in each bending all their strength to the paddles at each stroke, and the several captains shouting orders or encouraging their crews. The war canoe when fully manned and going at racing speed looks, at a little distance, like some great sea monster walking over the water on sixteen legs, as the men and the paddles move in unison and the individuals cannot be distinguished, and when the men are all dressed alike in some appropriate costume the effect is still more striking.
Steering Gear.
Canoes used almost exclusively for paddling are sometimes fitted with a rudder, from the head of which lines run to pedals in the bottom of the canoe against which the feet rest, and by this means a slight movement of one foot or the other steers the canoe, thus relieving the arms of considerable work, especially in rough water. Open canoes are generally round bottomed and have little or no keel, and are therefore so easily steered by the paddle that a rudder is entirely unnecessary. The rudder is absolutely necessary for sailing, and on a sailing canoe is very convenient even when paddling, especially when a strong wind is blowing which has a constant tendency to drive the bow off the true course.
Paddles.
The single blade paddle should he quite stiff, with very little spring to the blade and handle. A springy blade is known in Canada as a "woman's paddle." The double blade should be about nine feet long, with a joint in the middle, so it can be taken apart and stowed below when not in use. The blades should lie comparatively long and not very wide to get the best effect with the least effort. A short, wide blade is apt to get broken or split easily and strains the arms, as it does not give when dipped. A blade should slip through the water a little, especially during the first few strokes, to give the best results.
Drip Cup.
The beginner will find that the water from the blades will run down the round of the paddle to the hands. This is caused by raising the paddle at too great an angle at each stroke. The drip can be prevented by putting drip cups on the round of the paddle just above the blade at each end. The best drip cup is made by cutting the nipple off a rubber breast shield and slipping the round of the paddle through the hole thus made. These breast shields can be bought at any drug store. An experienced paddler needs no drip cup to keep his hands dry.
Getting In and Out.
A beginner should be careful when getting in or out of a canoe, for at such times capsizes are most likely to occur. The canoe is very steady and not at all likely to upset when the paddler is sitting down, as his weight is then so placed that the centre of gravity is very low - much more so than in a row boat, in which the oarsman sits on a seat near the level of gunwale and far above the water line. But when the paddler stands up, the conditions are reversed, and the narrow beam of the canoe, compared with the ordinary row boat, tells heavily against it in the matter of stability. A little practice in getting afloat and ashore at thr beginning will help the novice to avoid a discouraging upset, which is almost sure to ensue without it.
Feathering.
Join the two parts of the paddle with the blades at right angles to each other, so that the blade in the air at each stroke presents its edge to the wind - "feathers" in other words. A slight turn of the wrist at each stroke accomplishes the result. It will be found far easier to paddle against a breeze when feathering.
The wind you cannot control, and therefore learn to paddle against it with the least friction of paddle, canoe, body and mind. It is well to arrange a cruise down stream if you can. Take every advantage of eddies and slack water along shore when paddling up stream or against the tide. Carry a light at night if in navigable waters - it is the law.