Canoeing on a big lake with big waves

[herby31]

Yesterday (5/8/2012), my brother and I went out canoeing at Roush Lake in Huntington. My canoe is a polymer old town without the keel/spine/ridge thingy along the bottom. We paddled away from the dam and boat ramp for the morning and early afternoon (we turned around about 3/4 mile past the Simpson road bridge), then when we needed to head back towards the dam (and the truck), the wind really picked up and was whipping 1 to 1.5 foot waves at us.

Either the wind or the waves would not have been insurmountable problems, but they unfortunately always come together. Does anyone have any tips for keeping the bow into the wind (or more importantly the waves) other than just trying to brute force it with both of us paddling on the same side? We spent the trip back flipping side to side with the wind shoving us broadside to itself to it and the waves nearly capsizing us.

For instance, would it help if the boat had been heavier? Or perhaps heavier in the bow than the stern or vice versa? This was the first time that I've canoed on that large a body of water, and may be the least, so this is mostly an academic/curiosity issue. Any help or experience you all could share would be appreciated. Thanks, Herby

 

[snapping turtle]

Cut croos wind to the lee side of the lake and then head upwind. With that canoe it is not going into the wind easy. Shifting weight in the boat can make a great difference also. Heavy in front into the wind and waves. Keeps the front end pointing better.

 

[gunsisgood]

I will ALWAYS check weather reports before going to a lake, yes weather will happen but if the report calls for wind over 15-20 mph I will plan the lake trip accordingly and stay in the coves or the up wind side closer to the bank, a river is a different story as the currant USUALLY helps you when the wind is blowing.

 

[herby31]

Cut croos wind to the lee side of the lake and then head upwind. With that canoe it is not going into the wind easy. Shifting weight in the boat can make a great difference also. Heavy in front into the wind and waves. Keeps the front end pointing better.

the way this lake is shaped and the way the wind was blowing yesterday, there was no leeward side to get where i had to go. also, going across the wind (to go across the lake) would have capsized us. but the weight thing you suggested (bow heavy) goes along with what i was thinking of on our drive home. thanks! if we could have gotten ashore without battering the boat and ourselves on the bank, we could have weighted the bow a bit. maybe we should have done so when we noticed the wind picking up gradually at first.

 

[herby31]

I will ALWAYS check weather reports before going to a lake, yes weather will happen but if the report calls for wind over 15-20 mph I will plan the lake trip accordingly and stay in the coves or the up wind side closer to the bank, a river is a different story as the currant USUALLY helps you when the wind is blowing.

sounds like a good idea to plan it around the weather, unfortunately the forecast i saw didn't indicate more than a few slower gusts for that afternoon. instead of gusts, it blew hard for about 2 hours. if we hadn't had to get home we would have tried to land and wait it out, but we had to get home. thanks for the advice!

 

[melensdad]

On big water leave the canoe at the dock and switch to an Ocean Kayak!!!

 

[cobber]

Is there any way to mount a deck or spray skirt on the boat? And have some sort a baler or pump on board?

Otherwise going into the open water in a smaller canoe seems a bit dangerous.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Put your life jackets on, take off your sneakers and put them on the bottom of the canoe. Drop down off the seat and kneel on your shoes for padding while resting your butt against the front of the seat. Lowers your center of gravity, reduces wind resistance, shifts weight forward all which makes paddling in wind easier.

 

[herby31]

Put your life jackets on, take off your sneakers and put them on the bottom of the canoe. Drop down off the seat and kneel on your shoes for padding while resting your butt against the front of the seat. Lowers your center of gravity, reduces wind resistance, shifts weight forward all which makes paddling in wind easier.

thanks! i really hadn't considered the wind resistance part. that likely would have helped us a lot. if we're ever out when the wind comes up again we are definitely going to kneel in the bottom and weight the bow with rocks or something, because I am heavier and sit in the back to steer since I'm the more experienced of the two of us.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

One last bit of info. Resist grabbing the gunwales ( top edge) of the canoe if you feel like the boat is tipping. Keep you paddle in the water to brace yourself. Grabbing the gunwales frequently leads to a cold bath.

 

[herby31]

One last bit of info. Resist grabbing the gunwales ( top edge) of the canoe if you feel like the boat is tipping. Keep you paddle in the water to brace yourself. Grabbing the gunwales frequently leads to a cold bath.

lol we were WAY too busy paddling to stay bow-on into the waves to be grabbing anything.