Several years ago a discussion here lead me to a short essay about the solo canoe/canoeist. As I recall the article was from an older paddling magazine. The part that sticks in my mind is the distant image of a canoe closing fast in the evening light, finally coming into view as it overtakes the onlookers to reveal a solo canoeist moving with uncommon grace, etc. Pretty over the top I know but I would like to track it down if I can and use it to coax a friend into buying his first solo. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Happy Incorporation of Hudson's Bay Co. (1670) 🍁🦫🪓
Homage to the solo canoe
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The closest thing I can think of is this over the top prose about the Placid RapidFire
It was risky; time was beyond tight. But the day was perfect and the opportunity not to be missed. Putting in at Fish Creek after lunch, running the Saranac lakes, under the bridge and downriverto Oseetah and across Lake Flower to meet Jan for dinner in Saranac Lake. You fly past the tennis courts; there’s the landing. You’re early, thanks to RapidFire and vastly improved paddle fitness.
The RapidFire was one of the nicest canoes I have ever paddled in terms of easily maintained cruising speed and glide, but that’s still over the top.
It was risky; time was beyond tight. But the day was perfect and the opportunity not to be missed. Putting in at Fish Creek after lunch, running the Saranac lakes, under the bridge and downriverto Oseetah and across Lake Flower to meet Jan for dinner in Saranac Lake. You fly past the tennis courts; there’s the landing. You’re early, thanks to RapidFire and vastly improved paddle fitness.
The RapidFire was one of the nicest canoes I have ever paddled in terms of easily maintained cruising speed and glide, but that’s still over the top.
I know the article you're talking about. It was in some paddlers magazine from the 70's or early 80's about the rise of the new fangled solo canoe and paddling techniques. Might have been written by Patrick Moore or one of his cronies and seems it might have been on one of their personal sites.
Alan
Alan
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Yep - I think that's the one I was thinking about too. I think someone linked it here or at Pnet a few years back. I'll try to remember where...
http://moorecanoeing.com/sportcanoei...omystique.htm
this may be it
this may be it
Wow, I used to subscribe to Wilderness Camping and lived a few miles from Harry!! MDB and I paddled alongside him sometimes on the Mohawk (trailed behind, mostly).
I wish I had held on to those old WC issues...
I wish I had held on to those old WC issues...
Thanks for the link. I am finding the site to be an interesting read.
Thanks, yellowcanoe. That's the article I was thinking of. Thanks too for the RapidFire ad. I love it!
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Y'know - I like that article, but I find myself disagreeing with his opinion about paddles. The "it should be wood" part maybe can be excused because of the date it was written (when did carbon paddles appear?). But "in your solo canoe, you'll use a straight shaft paddle"? How many of us carry at least one of each - straight and bent?
Yes. The canoes of the day were best used kneeling
Nothing about then was altered for beginners
The primary stability often was not there
The ergonomics of a straight is better for kneeling paddlers especially on low braced turns and bow jams and static draws
Doing the last two eapecially with an outside heel is hard biomechanically with a bent
The Freestyle movement had its roots in twisty mangrove lined creeks where bent swapping sudes. means losing your paddle and double blades are nit practical
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Guess I'm not using my bent correctly. 
Not much side swapping going on. Being a relative newcomer, maybe I have this wrong - but haven't bent shafts been toned down in recent years? I know I can maneuver easier with a straight, but it doesn't seem to be a problem using the 12° Zav - which is what I have in my hands a lot of the time now. If it had more bend to it though...wouldn't be so good.
Not much side swapping going on. Being a relative newcomer, maybe I have this wrong - but haven't bent shafts been toned down in recent years? I know I can maneuver easier with a straight, but it doesn't seem to be a problem using the 12° Zav - which is what I have in my hands a lot of the time now. If it had more bend to it though...wouldn't be so good.
Guess I'm not using my bent correctly.
Indeed the angle has been toned down from 15 degrees to 12 as some ergonomic nerd came up with the result that was a better attack angle for the seated paddler.. Toned down? Well the double bend paddle is just weird.. Looks like a cobra coming out of its basket. My Zav is 15 degrees. It works.. not apt to give it up after 23 years.
Its just that paddles of any sort used in any way work.. sometimes better with a particular design.. But there are no canoe police. I do carry a spare paddle but if all breaks I can paddle with a straight length of tree branch
One of the reasons for bent shaft is racing.. No friction loss from correction strokes and at a very high cadence. Thats why they were born. Are they used that way always.. nope from what I have seen. True hit ad switch without yaw requires a lot of practice.
