Unique paddle

[Sdrew22]

I recieved this earlier in the week. I have not seen one like this before. It is massive. Almost eight feet long. The blade alone is three feet long. This will replace my Six footer for standing. I have included some pictures. Before and after oiling as well as my six footer for scale.

Any idea what type of wood this is made from? Thanks!

 

[Dagger]

You wrote "received". Did you order it from some place? Cool paddle. Looks old. No idea on the wood but would be interested in the weight. I'd also be interested in hearing how it handles.

 

[Murat V]

Is this the one that was up for eBay auction last week in Maine?

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If so, wrote about it on my paddle blog recently. I've documented other substantially large (6 1/2 foot + paddles over the years, all sourced from Maine). The post has links to those other examples if anyone is interested. It would be great if you could let us know the weight of your paddle.

Looks like you sanded off the weathered dull-grey patina to reveal the aged wood underneath. Extra long paddles like this were traditionally made from spruce. An 8ft paddle made from a hardwood would be quite heavy/cumbersome. Softwood paddles also tended to have thicker shafts for strength and yours looks to have much thicker shaft than a proportional hardwood paddle would need. Weighing your paddle would help to confirm. Spruce was and still is a standard wood for making one-piece rowing oars for the same weight issues.

The Wabanaki peoples of East Coast utilized long paddles for standing and paddling their canoes.

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The original seller referenced the paddle could be Penobscot or Passamaquoddy origin. It certainly has the carved shape common to their tribal tradition. However, extra long paddles like this , especially those over 7ft, were also commonly used by lumbermen standing up and steering wooden bateau craft during log drives.

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The neatly engraved/branded letters near the throat look quite "professionally" done rather than hand carved. The seller's original post mentioned these letters (possibly O P CO or O B CO) appear on both sides of the blade. They might refer to a specific Maine logging company and quite probably your paddle was once "company equipment". During these log drives there would have been multiple companies using the river systems to get their branded logs to their respective mills.

Hope you get much enjoyment out of it. Would be great to see this bit of restored history in action so feel free to post some pics next time you get out.

 

[Sdrew22]

That's it! I won the auction last Sunday. It is no heavy at all. I will weigh it once I get a chance. When I started sanding the blade I thought it was Cedar. Now that I see the grain I'm not too sure. Thank's for the great information. It is very much appreciated. I am finishing up work for the day and headed out on the water shortly. I can't wait to try this out.

Thanks again!

 

[Canotrouge]

Murat is the man when it comes to paddle and there history!! We don’t see enough of him here!! But his blog is an amazing source regarding traditional paddles!! Anyone interested in paddles should read and follow it!!

 

[Sdrew22]

Update

The paddle is exactly what I was looking for. It is long enough for me to stand, heel, and utilize my correction strokes. Unlike the six foot paddle I was using previously. I was basically using my canoe like a paddle board,switching sides every few strokes.

The stroke with this is very slow,but it moves a lot of water. Very tiring my first few times out. I timed myself for a thirty minute stretch this morning. I averaged just under 3.5 MPH with a top speed of just over 4 MPH. I have included a few pictures. They are not the best. My girlfriend only had her phone with her at the time.

 

[gumpus]

Very cool. An 8 foot canoe paddle is a serious paddle. 3.5 mph seems like a very respectable pace standing up in a tandem. Awesome pictures and knowledge sharing from Murat as usual.

 

[lowangle al]

That was a nice find, I'm glad it's working out for you. From the picture it doesn't look all that much too long. I use my 6 footer quite a bit, mostly standing but also sitting. I even was using it while seated on the floor amidship in my new 20' EM White, and yes you do get a very long slow stroke with a long paddle and still go pretty fast. Try doing the Northwoods stroke with it using a very light grip and you can feel the buoyancy of the paddle making it feel lighter.

I recommend taking it out on a windy day in your 17' prospector to see what it does for you. Is that your prospector you are paddling in the picture?

 

[Sdrew22]

The Northwoods is key!

That is indeed my prospector. Only a few more weeks until she is put in storage.

How heavy is your 20 foot white? Are you cartopping it?

 

[ppine]

Unique means "one of a kind." When canoes and pirogues were larger, it took some longer paddles to control them, especially for the guy steering in the stern.

 

[lowangle al]

The Northwoods is key!

That is indeed my prospector. Only a few more weeks until she is put in storage.

How heavy is your 20 foot white? Are you cartopping it?

Jerry Stelmok says it weighs a little over 90lbs. but compared to my old OT tripper which I recently weighed at 86 it feels a lot heavier. It's also a lot heavier than my 18' OT Guide which is heavier than the tripper. I wouldn't be surprised if it was close to 100. I had help getting it on my car and that wasn't easy, not something I would ask my wife to help me with. I got it off the rack myself and safely on the ground. For three days every time I put the boat in or out of the water I would pick it up to my thigh to get the feel of the weight and balance. The width, at over 40" was more troublesome than the weight and the yoke has a very deep tight collar. It was intimidating, but on the fourth day I got it on my shoulders no problem. I did have to change the way I've been lifting boats all these years and that may help with my other big boats too. So, yes I do plan on car topping it but it did come with a brand new trailer.

 

[ppine]

OT Guide 18 weighs around 90 pounds, maybe close to 100 after it gets wet for awhile. It lives on a trailer which makes everything easier.

 

[lowangle al]

I figured it weighed about that so I was surprised the EM White felt so much heavier. Is the boat on the trailer right side up and if so how big are the pads that it sits on?

Getting back to the 8' paddle. I was just out and used my 6 footer and realized it is way too short. With most of the blade submerged and my hands only about 18' apart the top of the grip is only a little more than waist high. You don't get the same kind of power as when it's closer to chest high. This explains why when I need to put the power to it I bend my knees and lean forward to lower myself to get to that position of power. It makes sense because when going from seated to standing my torso rises about 18"or more and my 6' paddle is only 12" longer than my regular paddle. I would think that an 8 foot wooden paddle would be prone to snapping if you aren't careful.

 

[Canotrouge]

It is on my to do list for this winter, a super long paddle I can use standing up and a shorter one for higher stroke rate in windy conditions!!

 

[lowangle al]

In a big boat I use a 60" paddle. I can get by with a shorter one but when the wind picks up I'm glad to have the longer one. I found that it is a short stroke, not necessarily a short paddle that helps when going into the wind. The short stroke makes for a quick recovery between strokes. It's in the recovery where you loose your speed (momentum) so getting your paddle back in the water ASAP is critical.

A long paddle sounds like a great project and this thread has got me thinking about something longer than six feet.

 

[Sdrew22]

This shaft of this paddle is extreme. About the same circumference as an oar. No real flex. I definitely do not feel like it is going to snap. This is not heavy though. No real difference in weight compared to my 66 inch ST Northwoods.

This has added a whole new dimension to my paddling. I can't wait to see where it takes me.

 

[DaveO]

Always enjoy seeing those historic photos and hearing about the old ways.

 

[Murat V]

Thanks for the updated photos, Sdrew. Really nice to see your restored paddle back in action. Any chance you could take a measurement of the thickness of the shaft of the paddle?

I've been working on a larger paddle too. It's a reproduction of circa 1900 Penobscot paddle now owned by the Hudson Museum at the U. of Maine. Not quite as huge as your eight footer...it's only 77 inches but also made of softwood. I've left the shaft a hefty 1-1/2 inches thick but am thinking it could be reduced.

Here are photos of the original with a closeup of the decorated grip...

 

[Matt C]

Murat, love your Blogspot, check it out regularly.

 

[Sdrew22]

Here are some additional measurements. Thanks for all the help!