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
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