Alexandra Conover Bennet Demonstrates the North Woods Paddle Stroke

[Glenn MacGrady]

Notice how Alexandra slide-levers off the gunwale. She uses a loaded slice (Canadian stroke) in-water return, which provides correction. The stroke is very short. It's often choked up, using the secondary grip for horizontal hand hold, which make "J-ing" and slicing much easier. Some aficionados might say that paddling without moving your top hand (and bottom hand) up and down the shaft for different hydrodynamic effects is as limiting as playing a guitar or violin without ever moving your hand up and down the fingerboard for different sound effects.

Of course, the north woods stroke is classically done with a stepped, secondary grip, north woods-style paddle. Here's an article with video on how to make one:

Making the North Woods Paddle - Mastering Skills with the WoodenBoat School

learn from the masters Become a Member Begin your boat building journey or sharpen your skills as we take you inside our WoodenBoat School workshops for a virtual experience unlike...

skills.woodenboat.com

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Here's Charles Burchill demonstrating his version of the north woods (northwoods?) stroke:

Here, Burchill is using the stroke solo but without a secondary grip paddle. You can horizontally hold a standard palm grip paddle, but you can't choke way down as you can with a stepped, stationed or long-taper secondary grip.

 

[lowangle al]

That’s a great stroke to know and do. All three of those videos look to me like they’re being done in a relaxed casual manner. Nothing wrong with that. I usually do mine while applying more power and reaching further forward to start the stroke on also finishing it further forward.

The more strokes you know and use the more likely you are to avoid injuries, soreness or fatigue.

 

[snapper]

The biggest issue I have with this style of paddling is I'm no longer able to kneel like that. I had a total knee replacement a long time ago and since then, I've been told not to kneel. After the replacement I would kneel on one knee, extending the leg with the new knee, but now the one I knelt on has been injured as well so I'm now confined to sitting in my canoes; be it flat on the floor or on a seat.

So, does anyone have any suggestions or am I condemned to a life of sitting?

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

 

[alsg]

Best demo I've seen yet of that stroke. I haven't mastered it, but having paddled probably 500 hundred miles on the Allagash and St. John with some Maine guides, I know it when I see it.

 

[Jmharrick]

The biggest issue I have with this style of paddling is I'm no longer able to kneel like that. I had a total knee replacement a long time ago and since then, I've been told not to kneel. After the replacement I would kneel on one knee, extending the leg with the new knee, but now the one I knelt on has been injured as well so I'm now confined to sitting in my canoes; be it flat on the floor or on a seat.

So, does anyone have any suggestions or am I condemned to a life of sitting?

That's all for now. Take care and until next time...be well.

snapper

My wife is a physical therapist, and she used to work with knee replacement patients quite often after surgery.

She said kneeling on hard surfaces is not recommended, but if you have a substantial pad and it isn’t overly uncomfortable it’s worth giving it a try. Obviously you know your limits and how you feel with your knees. But if you haven’t been doing it because you’ve been told not to, I imagine you could experiment to see if it’s possible.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

The biggest issue I have with this style of paddling is I'm no longer able to kneel like that. I had a total knee replacement a long time ago and since then, I've been told not to kneel.

Here's a video of a guy who is doing what he calls the Maine guide stroke, which some say is another name for the north woods stroke, by sitting and levering off his knee instead of the gunwale. Maybe levering off a titanium knee would even be easier.

His method does seem a bit odd, however, and then the guy amusingly admits he is going around in circles because he has no bow partner in the canoe. I think a north woods stroke could be done sitting by a soloist with an effective in-water correction, even without levering off the knee. It's like how you get to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice.

 

[Bob B.]

I really enjoyed the videos Glenn. My go to paddle is a guide model for the exact reasons mentioned in the videos, one can choke up as well use them for shallow waters, ( Wisconsin River back waters ), and deeper waters one can experience tripping on back country lakes in the north country.

I paddle most similarly to Alexandra when out rubber necking or mission paddling ( gotta cross this lake to get the portage ), but also like Burchhill in the first video. I do this avoid over use of muscles and to keep moving my torso so I do not fatigue my upper body muscles. I also change top paddle handle placement often as my wrists can get sore/tired when not on top of the paddle for a long time. Like Al said, I also modify the stroke when casually cruising for miles by making longer strokes. I think finding what is efficient for you personally will keep you paddling more often, with more enjoyment.

Snapper, like you I am forced to paddle sitting. I struggled long and hard on finding a way to comfortably paddle traditional strokes while sitting. ( It sucks ) . With practice, lots, if I employ adjustable foot braces WITH a seat back I am able to paddle with a straight torso and still get some rotation. Like Alexandra mentioned, I do sit on the side of my canoe, and with adjustable foot braces can sit on a bit of an angle, leaning my inside shoulder towards to the bow of the canoe when paddling with wind the side of my canoe. I also have seat pretty low … which can cause other problems of not so graceful enter/ exit of the boat. Getting old is not for the faint of heart!

Great videos Glenn, I am enjoying this post.

Bob.

 

[Robin]

Years ago I participated in a class on the Northwoods stroke at the Maine Canoe Symposium, the instructor was Jane Barron. (https://www.alderstream.wcha.org/)

I wanted to learn, and to this day I have convinced myself that I can do it, but I kinda have my doubts. I do like to use the gunnels to pry off, but I'm not sure my shoulder movement is always correct or coordinated.

 

[yellowcanoe]

Here's a video of a guy who is doing what he calls the Maine guide stroke, which some say is another name for the north woods stroke, by sitting and levering off his knee instead of the gunwale. Maybe levering off a titanium knee would even be easier.

His method does seem a bit odd, however, and then the guy amusingly admits he is going around in circles because he has no bow partner in the canoe. I think a north woods stroke could be done sitting by a soloist with an effective in-water correction, even without levering off the knee. It's like how you get to Carnegie Hall: practice, practice, practice.

No disrespect but the paddle does not really come out of the water. Very poor demo. He is going in circles as there is no correction force The only t hing correct is yes you can fulcrum off the knee as long as the knee is not above the gunwale. As a matter of fact the stroke is usually done sitting. Its derived from logging days when river drivers had to get upstream or cross lakes laden with gear or game. They did not kneel. Alexandra's technique is spot on. She is kneeling as birchbark canoes do not have hung seats. So Snapper give it a go.

 

[ArizonaPaddler]

I’d love one of those paddles. The grip seems like it would be comfortable on the wrist.

 

[Jim Dodd]

In my view ? No North woodsman, would bang his canoe with every stroke. Canoes were used to quietly approach game.

 

[Bob B.]

He Jim,

I pry off my gunnels, and learned many years ago the noise drove me nuts, especially on a trip. Also, my paddles ( often softer than my gunnels ) would dent and show signs of wear. I solved this by adding a leather or cord wrap ( cord wrap preferred by me ) on every paddle I own. I have often paddled close to moose and whitetails. Usually all I hear is water dripping off the paddle blade just before reentry.

Bob.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

Levering off the gunwales is a traditional way to perform a powerful correction with minimal shoulder, arm and wrist muscular effort and strain for extended tripping, which has been recommended by many authorities including Omer Stringer and Bill Mason. I'll post a thread on the subject in the future with quotes and videos from them and others documenting this claim. Yes, doing so can dent softwood paddles and maybe even wood gunwales. So, you either live with that or protect the paddles with leather, whipping or fiberglass.

 

[yknpdlr]

I have seen at least one of Bill Mason's videos where his paddle was nearly half worn through in one slotted notch. I would rather not do the same to my hand made cherry and other finely made wood paddles. I do the best I can when I J, or Canadian or attempt to do the traditional Northwoods or any other stroke, to never scrape or pry on the gunwales with my beloved paddles as I finely maneuver control and travel forward as I wish in my wood or composite canoes.

 

[yellowcanoe]

In my view ? No North woodsman, would bang his canoe with every stroke. Canoes were used to quietly approach game.

this stroke wasn't used for hunting. Used by tandem teams to haul hundreds of pounds of camp gear. If you have ever seen a logging camp the stuff is not light! And back in the day paddlers knew how to forage for materials in the woods for repairs. I know of just a few with the skills now to do that. The Northwoods stroke was accentuated in power by throwing your torso forward to add punch.. Not elegant but when going upriver for fifty miles it worked. We celebrate the return of these river highways like the Penobscot where several dams have been removed.

 

[Glenn MacGrady]

The north woods stroke isn't for everyone or for all circumstances. It's a different approach than the stacked-hands, vertical shaft mantra that can indeed be the most efficient stroke, especially for racing, sit & switch paddling, and much of whitewater paddling in narrow canoes. However, stacked-hands, vertical shaft stroking is often uncomfortable over long lake distances, and may require straining body contortions, especially for shorter paddlers and in wide canoes.

The north woods stroke may not produce the most velocity and may be tougher on paddle shafts, but it uses different muscle groups in different ways and can be more comfortable and easier on the body for long distance, moderate velocity cruising.

 

[yknpdlr]

I have seen at least one of Bill Mason's videos where his paddle was nearly half worn through in one slotted notch. I would rather not do the same to my hand made cherry and other finely made wood paddles. I do the best I can when I J, or Canadian or attempt to Northwoods to never scrape or pry on the gunwales with my beloved paddles as I finely maneuver control and travel forward as I wish in my canoes.

I use whatever combination of strokes that are natural to me and work for the task at hand. Whether I am silently cruising and enjoying bopping in and out of a complex shoreline, making my way along a narrow but deep beaver channel through a flooded marsh, or hurrying across a wind blown open lake while rocking headlong into frontal waves or cross wind rolllers. The goal is to paddle the practiced strokes comfortable to me that get the job done. Like riding a bike at speed on a rough road, what you do effectively happens naturally without having to think hard about "what do I do next".

 

[Mason]

And sit and switch for the win! My bent shafts never touch the gunwales of my heavily tumblehomed fast boats!

 

[memaquay]

I always pry off the gunwales, and after several thousand miles, I haven't worn out any gunwales or paddles. If you are banging the shaft off the gunwale so that it makes a noise, you are doing it wrong. It's a fluid motion using simple mechanics to increase efficiency and lessen the chances of overuse injuries. I think you will find most people hunting from a canoe are using this technique, the in-water recovery and correction strokes might be used for a close approach, but you won't see much of that fancy stuff up here. I've tripped with people who can clock off a 30 mile day without batting an eye, and they are prying off the gunwale with a goonstroke and burying the posers.