Portage Solution

[RM Anderson]

All solo canoes suffer from one major flaw: they are a pain to portage. Since my annual Saskatchewan duck hunting trip is only a couple months away, I figured it was time to address this issue. Using some scrap white oak, this was my solution sans shoulder pads.
RM

 

[Steve Sanford]

Clever bit of design - and gorgeous craftsmanship!

Question: Do you lash it to the thwart - or is it a friction fit?

BTW: I made a removable yoke for my 13-foot Sweet Gherkin - but do not have a photo on this hard drive.

All the best,

SJS

 

[RM Anderson]

Clever bit of design - and gorgeous craftsmanship!

Question: Do you lash it to the thwart - or is it a friction fit?

BTW: I made a removable yoke for my 13-foot Sweet Gherkin - but do not have a photo on this hard drive.

All the best,

SJS

Steve,
I have not gotten that far yet. The picture in my post was taken right after glue-up. Somewhere my stash is some self adhesive high density foam.
I will try friction fit first but if that doesn't work, lashing with bungee cord like you suggested.
RM

 

[GermanG]

Esquif Adirondack? Bought one as a retirement present to myself. With it's weight, I figure I'll be able to get it onto the car by myself for quite a few years, but it also is short enough to ride in the pickup bed. But it's the camo that really sold me on it! All their other colors are on the outside of the hull only, but the camo is inside and out. They thought this through.

 

[RM Anderson]

Esquif Adirondack? Bought one as a retirement present to myself. With it's weight, I figure I'll be able to get it onto the car by myself for quite a few years, but it also is short enough to ride in the pickup bed. But it's the camo that really sold me on it! All their other colors are on the outside of the hull only, but the camo is inside and out. They thought this through.

German,
You are correct, this is the Esquif Adirondack! The camo on the inside as well as the outside sold me as well. For some reason the Old Town pack canoes only come in garish camo colors like orange or blue, so really it was no contest. I have been completely satisfied with my purchase. As much as I love my Kara Hummer and Devlin Poleboat, the fatal flaw of both was portability. The pack canoe will get you to the places ducks like to hide. My one question to you and others reading this post is whether you prefer a single or double bladed paddle with solo canoes? I personally use both depending on how fast I want to go, if there's a head wind or for just a change of pace.
RM

 

[Steve Sanford]

Steve,
I have not gotten that far yet. The picture in my post was taken right after glue-up. Somewhere my stash is some self adhesive high density foam.
I will try friction fit first but if that doesn't work, lashing with bungee cord like you suggested.
RM

RM~

Here is the yoke I use on Sweet Gherkin. I do not seem to have an 'in-use" photo. I built SG and her yoke back in 2010 - before my digital camera phase - so no trove of step-by-step build images. Thus, my website is succinct, to say the least:

https://stevenjaysanford.com/sweet-gherkin/

Unlike most contemporary canoes, this vessel is decked over. Such canoes were common back in the late-19th century heyday of canoes. I was inspired more, though, by the grassboats of my younger years on Great South Bay.



So, the yoke rests on the coamings and is lashed in place when portaging (really just getting it from the car to the water).



These chocks straddle the coamings.



I use tarred decoy line to lash it to the thatch rails - with a slipped square knot. Parachute cord is probably a better choice - as it does "slip" more readily.

Although I use shock cord for other duckboat purposes, I generally avoid "bungees" because 1) I do not need or want any "give" in this application and 2) the "flying hooks" in the air when a bungee gets away from me makes my one good eye very nervous (especially when the hooks are the common steel S-hook). BTW: I do use bungees commonly on boat covers when in storage.



I made the yoke from Yellow Poplar (Tulip Tree) and finished it with Cetol. I never had long portages so did not add padding - but would certainly do so if I were going more than 100 yards or so.



All the best,

SJS

 

[RM Anderson]

RM~

Here is the yoke I use on Sweet Gherkin. I do not seem to have an 'in-use" photo. I built SG and her yoke back in 2010 - before my digital camera phase - so no trove of step-by-step build images. Thus, my website is succinct, to say the least:

https://stevenjaysanford.com/sweet-gherkin/

Unlike most contemporary canoes, this vessel is decked over. Such canoes were common back in the late-19th century heyday of canoes. I was inspired more, though, by the grassboats of my younger years on Great South Bay.

View attachment 78981

So, the yoke rests on the coamings and is lashed in place when portaging (really just getting it from the car to the water).

View attachment 78982

These chocks straddle the coamings.

View attachment 78983

I use tarred decoy line to lash it to the thatch rails - with a slipped square knot. Parachute cord is probably a better choice - as it does "slip" more readily.

Although I use shock cord for other duckboat purposes, I generally avoid "bungees" because 1) I do not need or want any "give" in this application and 2) the "flying hooks" in the air when a bungee gets away from me makes my one good eye very nervous (especially when the hooks are the common steel S-hook). BTW: I do use bungees commonly on boat covers when in storage.

View attachment 78984

I made the yoke from Yellow Poplar (Tulip Tree) and finished it with Cetol. I never had long portages so did not add padding - but would certainly do so if I were going more than 100 yards or so.

View attachment 78985

All the best,

SJS

Steve,
Thanks for the photo of your removable yoke. I was under the impression that Cetol was only for teak but it appears to have worked marvelously on yellow poplar. Do you suppose it would work well on white oak?
Like you, I very much like the decked canoe concept. I'm sure it helps a great deal in windy conditions.
RM

 

[Jeff Reardon]

Count me in the one bladed paddle camp, though my "solo" canoes are all 15' or longer. Maine is still deeply attached to its canoe traditions--some say Maine is where Wabanaki peoples best perfected the bark canoe, though Mic Macs and Malecites and Passamaquoddies from New Brunswick will make a good case for themselves, too. We've accepted kayaks, especially on the ocean, but a kayak paddle in a canoe will get you funny looks.

 

[Carl]

German,
You are correct, this is the Esquif Adirondack! The camo on the inside as well as the outside sold me as well. For some reason the Old Town pack canoes only come in garish camo colors like orange or blue, so really it was no contest. I have been completely satisfied with my purchase. As much as I love my Kara Hummer and Devlin Poleboat, the fatal flaw of both was portability. The pack canoe will get you to the places ducks like to hide. My one question to you and others reading this post is whether you prefer a single or double bladed paddle with solo canoes? I personally use both depending on how fast I want to go, if there's a head wind or for just a change of pace.
RM

I just took a look at their website, very cool looking canoes. And very light too. Let’s see some action photos!

 

[Jeff Reardon]

I just took a look at their website, very cool looking canoes. And very light too. Let’s see some action photos!

I hate to say this, because for a long time the best "production" canoes in the world were made here in Maine by Old Town. For a time they had real competition from Mad River over in Vermont, and when both were really focused on canoes, the competition made both companies better. Those days are long gone, and if I was shopping for a new canoe, Esquif in Quebec and Nova Craft in Ontario would be top of my list. Come to think of it, maybe I need another canoe . . . . .

 

[GermanG]

German,
You are correct, this is the Esquif Adirondack! The camo on the inside as well as the outside sold me as well. For some reason the Old Town pack canoes only come in garish camo colors like orange or blue, so really it was no contest. I have been completely satisfied with my purchase. As much as I love my Kara Hummer and Devlin Poleboat, the fatal flaw of both was portability. The pack canoe will get you to the places ducks like to hide. My one question to you and others reading this post is whether you prefer a single or double bladed paddle with solo canoes? I personally use both depending on how fast I want to go, if there's a head wind or for just a change of pace.
RM

I also use both. And I am often torn between tradition and practicality. If I'm on a leisurely paddle, in no great hurry, I prefer using a canoe paddle. My beavertail is my favorite in that case. It's quieter, for me at least, when sneaking up on ducks or when fishing. I also have a square-tipped paddle with more surface area that moves me a little faster, and makes the boat respond better to turning strokes. But there are times I turn to my kayak paddle. There is no question they are superior to canoe paddles when dealing with stiff winds, or a heavily loaded boat. I've hunted the bay with my 17' Grumman, and would not have come back a few times if I didn't have the kayak paddle. The basic difference between the two is the efficiency of the strokes. A canoe paddle stroke consists of two parts, the power stroke and the recovery, where you return the paddle to its starting position. The recovery contributes nothing to your progress. With a kayak paddle, the recovery on one side is a power stroke on the other. You get twice as many power strokes for the same amount of movement. There's no amount of traditionalism that changes that.

 

[RM Anderson]

I hate to say this, because for a long time the best "production" canoes in the world were made here in Maine by Old Town. For a time they had real competition from Mad River over in Vermont, and when both were really focused on canoes, the competition made both companies better. Those days are long gone, and if I was shopping for a new canoe, Esquif in Quebec and Nova Craft in Ontario would be top of my list. Come to think of it, maybe I need another canoe . . . . .

Jeff,
I would add Souris River Canoes out of Atikokan Ontario to your short list.
They make epoxy-kevlar canoes that are stronger than the polyester and vinylester canoes by other manufacturers.
RM

 

[Jeff Reardon]

Jeff,
I would add Souris River Canoes out of Atikokan Ontario to your short list.
They make epoxy-kevlar canoes that are stronger than the polyester and vinylester canoes by other manufacturers.
RM

Yep. Out of my price range, though. The Esquif T Formex and Nova Tuff Stuff boats are similar in weight and performance to the Royalex boats that Old Town, Mad River, Dagger, and others used to make in the US. The current crop of US rotomolded plastic canoes are just awful. A 16' canoe should not weigh 91 pounds.

 

[Matt Mahoney]

If you want to watch some very well done video of heavy duty wilderness travel using Esquif canoes, check out the Northern Scavenger website. I stumbled upon it and watched several of his videos. They are excellent and include things like a 35 day journey across northern Quebec, and Labarador's barren lands to the Labrador sea. These young men are hard core.

 

[RM Anderson]

Yep. Out of my price range, though. The Esquif T Formex and Nova Tuff Stuff boats are similar in weight and performance to the Royalex boats that Old Town, Mad River, Dagger, and others used to make in the US. The current crop of US rotomolded plastic canoes are just awful. A 16' canoe should not weigh 91 pounds.

Yes, agreed. My canoe before this was a Mad River Freedom. It was becoming heavy for my age but manageable. Sold it a couple years ago because finding a companion for white water trips was about impossible.
RM