Hi Matt.
Lots of great replies already but I love this topic…
It depends on the canoe and the rig.
If you are thinking of the typical “canoe” with 11 or so inches of freeboard and no flotation then I would say no, you would be asking for trouble. Give that same boat a bow and stern float bag and a skilled paddler though and I’d say go for it, contingent on a given paddlers years of experience.
You gotta realize that people have been going to sea in open boats forever. Skinny decked canoes (we call them “kayaks”) are a fairly new concept in recreation for us. Some northern native peoples have been using them forever to squirt safely across a small patch of cold water but nothing compared to the enhanced designs we have seen in the past few decades. Open boats have always been “it” for most of civilization. Just a little over a hundred years ago we were dropping small dory’s over the side of larger dory’s and sloops (etc) on the Atlantic coast and going spearfishing for Swordfish. It was used for dog food and crab bait back then… Larger Dory’s were putting out to blue water and returning with 2 tons of cod aboard. Totally open boat. We all know about whalers too.
Dugout canoes with integrated flotation (thick wood volume and outrigger(s)) still ply the pacific.
It’s all about perspective with a lot of folks and often that pespective and it’s inherent reactions are understandable. A small range of information, no matter how large that information base is, and someone will think your crazy to try a “canoe” in rough open water, or that you are “cheating” or “changing a design” if you enhance your hull.
If it’s rigged right. If the sailor has great skills and can manage the hull via paddle or oar in rough waves and high winds. Can get back aboard if capsized. If the paddler can safely heave-to for long periods for rest and sustenance. If the hull is sound for the pressures it will endure. Then yes, put that sucker to sea.
Nothing. Nothing any different in the above for any small craft. Be it decked or open. IMHO.
Decked canoes???
I believe that would be called a “kayak”.
OH NO!
Jim’s figured it out.
A kayak’s just a decked canoe!
Paddle hard!
Tommy
Duh … it’s the surf that’s tough !
Although the occasionally breaking following waves can also be pretty scary … let’s face it. Whenever I look out at the reefs and kelp beds offshore in Oregon, rowing out there in a big canoe (17.5 ft, 15" deep w cover) looks like it would be a piece of cake. But when I went out rowing a voluminous 15 footer last fall, the swells near the bay I launched from were suddenly 5-6 feet and exploding thunderously across the same stretch I had just come through a couple minutes ago … YIKES, WHERE DID THEY COME FROM ?!
I think the best way to handle the hazards are to have one person row while the stern person uses a large paddle for ruddering mostly … with the ability to add an extra measure of forward thrust when needed. This arrangement allows for good views both forwards and backwards so that a tandem team can see when a potentially troublesome set of swells approach and can plan accordingly. When you’re out there by yourself, it’s easy to become paranoid about the “not-so-rare” swells that can break offshore over shallow zones. I think some waterbag ballast (75-150 lbs) is especially helpful in lowering the center of gravity … so that if you are enveloped in breaker … the hull bottom more likely stays down.
The Pacific NW is “tricky” because sneaky sets are a reality … so spray covers, constant vigilance and non-panicy teamwork are required (plus immersion gear and fins should the worst happen) to avoid surprises. Solo tripping up here? Romantic, yes … but not really feasible along the open coast except in the best conditions … but solo canoes might work up in the inter-island passages and fiords for a well-prepared and gutsy traveller. Tide dynamics come into play up there where some of the narrows become rushing rivers on a regular basis … but they can be traversed with proper timing ofcourse.
Up here, where the water’s cold and the chances of rescue are slim to none (except by yourself or other canoes in a group), ocean canoeing is best done only by teams of properly prepared canoes piloted by experienced people who have worst case scenario outfitting and procedures down pat … perhaps more rigorous prep than kayaks … because you can’t roll large canoes. That’s not to say that some daytripping can’t be done in the most of benign of conditions … but beyond that, full preparation is a sensible bottom-line requirement.
Different World
Great post Stap.
I haven’t seen the Oregon coast, but have been on the Washington State Pacific coast, the San Juans and Vancouver Island. Studied the waters there casually as a tourist would – sure looked like sea kayak country to me, and if I lived in that area I’d be working on kayak skills.
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Hi Matt,
…lots of good stuff to sift through. Floatation is a good thing all right;-). Air bags are always with me. I’ve only taken on up to ~3’ breakers on large ponds in Maine…solo, so it has been a lightweight scenario with lots of dynamic upper body balancing/shifting while rolling loose hips so as to let the hull simply do its thing…as if the human wasn’t in it, weighing it down. I think pamskee got the tandem scenario pretty accurately…
$.01…
Steve