Information AboutCanoe |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT CANOE | |
| boat types | |
| canoeing | |
| human powered vehicles | |
| sports equipment | |
|
A canoe is a small narrow Boat , typically human-powered, but also commonly sailed. Canoes usually are pointed at both bow and stern and are normally open on top, but can be covered. In its human-powered form, the canoe is propelled by the use of Paddle s, with the number of paddlers depending on the size of the canoe (most commonly two). Paddlers face in the direction of travel, either seated on supports in the Hull , or kneeling directly upon the hull. In this way paddling a canoe can be contrasted with Rowing , where the rowers face away from the direction of travel. Paddle s may be single-bladed or double-bladed. Sailing canoes (see Canoe Sailing ) are propelled by means of a variety of sailing rigs. Common classes of modern sailing canoes include the 5m&2 and the International 10m&2 Sailing canoes. The latter is otherwise known as the International Canoe, and is one of the fastest and oldest competitively sailed boat classes in the western world. The Log Canoe of the Chesapeake Bay is in the modern sense not a canoe at all, though it evolved through the enlargement of Dugout canoes. DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION Parts of a canoe # Bow # Stern # Hull # Seat (whitewater canoes may have a foam 'saddle' in place of a seat) # Thwart - a horizontal crossbeam near the top of the hull # Gunwale (pronounced ''gunnel'') - the top edge of the hull # Deck (under which a flotation compartment or Foam block may be located which prevent the canoe from sinking if capsized or swamped) Optional features in modern canoes (not shown in diagram): # Yoke - a thwart across the center of the boat to allow one person to carry the canoe, and is sometimes molded to the shape of the shoulders. # Keel - runs along the bottom of the canoe's hull, from the bow to the stern, serving as the foundation or spine of its structure and, depending on its depth, provides some directional control and stability. # Flotation bags - inflatable air bags to prevent swamping the canoe in rapids # Spraydeck - cover to prevent water entering the canoe The portion of the hull between the waterline and the top of the gunwale is called freeboard. Canoe materials Birchbark canoe built by Henri Vaillancourt, who was made famous by John McPhee in his book, ''Survival of the Bark Canoe'']] The earliest canoes were made from natural materials:
Modern technology has expanded the range of materials available for canoe construction.
Depending on the intended use of a canoe, the various kinds have different advantages. For example, a wood-and-canvas canoe is more fragile than an aluminum canoe, and thus less suitable for use in rough water; but it is much quieter — thus better for observing wildlife. However, canoes made of natural materials require regular maintenance without which they lack durability. A Kevlar canoe is tough and also light, good for wilderness tripping. Modern hybrids can combine the elgance and style of traditional wooden canoes with such benefits as modern materials can provide. Shape Many canoes are symmetrical about the centerline, meaning their shape can be mirrored along the center. When trimmed level (rarely the case) they should handle the same whether paddling forward or backward. Many modern designs are asymmetrical, usually having the widest beam slightly farther aft which improves efficiency and promotes more level fore and aft trim. A further improvement may be found in canoes with a straighter hull profile aft and rocker forward which improves tracking. A traditionally shaped canoe, like a Voyageur canoe, will have a tall rounded bow and stern. Although tall ends tend to catch the wind, they serve the purpose of shedding waves in rough whitewater or ocean travel. Some canoes are made with squared sterns — "Y", "V", or "U" shaped — in order to permit the mounting of outboard motors. Very large freighter canoes can be powered with powerful motors, but canoes that are 18-feet-long or shorter would normally be propelled by motors of 3 horsepower or less. Side brackets can be mounted on canoes with pointed sterns to mount small outboard motors of about 1½-to-2 horsepower, which propel such canoes with surprising speed. Cross section The shape of the hull's cross section significantly influences the canoe's stability under differing conditions. Flat-bottomed canoes generally have excellent Initial Stability , which diminishes rapidly with increased heel. Their high initial stability causes them to have a more abrupt motion in waves from the side. For a given beam, a rounded-bottom canoe will have less initial stability than its flatter bottomed cousin. Round sections have lower surface area for a given volume and have less resistance through the water. They are most often associated with racing canoes. In between the flat and rounded bottom are the more common shallow-arc and "V" bottom canoes which provide a compromise between performance and stability. The shallow-vee bottom, where the hull centerline forms a ridge like a shallow "V", will behave similar to a shallow-arc bottom but its volume to surface ratio is worse. Similar is the tumblehome hull which has the top potion of the hull curving back in slightly. Many modern canoes combine a variety of cross sections to suit the canoe's purpose. Keels Keels on canoes improve directional stability (the ability to 'track' in a straight line) but decrease the ability to turn quickly. Consequently, they are better suited for lake travel, especially when traveling on open water with crosswinds. Conversely, keels and "Vee"-bottoms are undesirable for Whitewater because often quick turns are required. In aluminum canoes, small keels occur as manufacturing artifacts when the two halves of the hull are joined. In wood-and-canvas canoes, keels are rub-strips to protect the boat from rocks and as they are pulled up on shore. Plastic canoes feature keels to stiffen the hull and allow internal tubular framing to lie flush with the sole of the canoe. Rocker Curvature of the hull profile that rises up at the bow and stern is called "rocker". Increasing the rocker improves maneuverability at the expense of tracking. Specialized canoes for whitewater play have an extreme rocker and therefore allow quick turns and tricks. Rocker also has an immense effect on the stability of a Canadian canoe. By lifting the ends of the craft out of the water, rocker puts more of the wider center section of the boat into the water, contributing significantly to the overall stability of the craft. 35mm rocker at each end makes all the difference to how safe a novice will feel in a canoe. Gunwales Modern cedar-strip canoes have gunwales which consist of an inner and outer parts called "inwales" and "outwales". These two parts of the gunwale give rigidity and strength to the hull. The inwale will often have "scuppers" or slots cut into the inwale to allow water to drain when the canoe hull is turned upside down for storing. TYPES OF CANOES In the past, people around the world have built very different kinds of canoes, ranging from simple Dugout s to large Outrigger varieties. More recently, technologically advanced designs have emerged for particular sports. Traditional designs Early canoes have always incorporated the natural materials available to the local people. The different canoes (or canoe like) in many parts of the world were: |
Image:PaulKane-Sketch-Canoe-ROMjpg'''Birch-bark Canoe''' - In The Temperate Regions Of Eastern North America, Canoes Were Traditionally Made Of A Wooden Frame Covered With
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Birch_bark" class="copylinks">Bark Of A Birch Tree , Pitched to make it waterproof |
|
Image:FAHopkins Shooting Rapidsjpg'''Voyageur Canoe''' - Traditional Voyageur Canoes Were Similar To Birch-bark Canoes But Larger And Purpose Built For The
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/fur_trade" class="copylinks">Fur Trade business, capable of carrying 12 to 20 passengers and 3000 lbs of cargo |
|
Image:Canoe 8179jpgAluminum Canoe,
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Klamath_Basin_National_Wildlife_Refuges_Complex" class="copylinks">Upper Klamath Lake |
|
Image:Concord River With Canoes, July 2005JPGCanoeing On The
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Concord_River" class="copylinks">Concord River |
|
Image:Dugout Canoe RennelljpgA Dugout Canoe Of
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/pirogue" class="copylinks">Pirogue type in the Solomon Islands |
|
Image:Canoe1572jpgCanoeing On The
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Shenandoah_River" class="copylinks">Shenandoah River , Winchester, Virginia |
|
Image:PaulKane-HuntingFish-ROMjpg''Spearing Salmon By Torchlight'', An Oil Painting By
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Paul_Kane" class="copylinks">Paul Kane |
|
Image:Sprint Boat C-15jpg
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/War_Canoe" class="copylinks">War Canoes coming across the line at the 2005 Canadian Canoe Championships |
|
Image:Canoes01jpgCanoes Stored At
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Lake_Harriet" class="copylinks">Lake Harriet |
|
Image:Pf026012jpg
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Ojibwe" class="copylinks">Ojibwe women in canoe on Leech Lake |
|
Image:Voyageur Canoejpg''Canoe Manned By Voyageurs Passing A Waterfall (Ontario)'', Oil Painting By
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Frances_Anne_Hopkins" class="copylinks">Frances Anne Hopkins |
|
Image:Wooden Canoe Sharbot Lake OntariojpgBird On A Canoe -
| "http://wwwinformationdelightinfo/information/entry/Sharbot_Lake" class="copylinks">Sharbot Lake , Ontario , Canada |
|
|
|