depends
Depends on a lot of factors.
YOur experience
The conditions of the water. i.e hurricane or calm and everything in between.
Your canoes design. i/e stable or not stable.
I personally havent paddled an open canoe in the ocean since I live far from it I know others who have. With any journey you have to be cautious. If its really bad dont go for obvious reasons. The ocean and your local lake can experience the same calmness obviously.
Hans Lindeman crossed the entire atlantic ocean in an african dugout open canoe in the 50’s solo (he did this the year after he cross the ocean AGAIN solo in a folding Klepper kayak)
Check out the movie Waterwalker by Bill Mason. Shows Mason in an open Old Town canoe on Lake Superior with huge waves! Mind you this is not the Ocean but then again, Superior CAN be worse and as rough as the Ocean just as it can be as calm as the ocean and/or your local pond.
nm
Forgot these two open canoe journeys
Forgot:
Don Starkell paddled the ocean from New Orleans to Belan South America at the mouth of the Amazon and; two other guys did the same about 5 years ago, Paddler Mag had a great story on there trip.
Waterwalker
Looks more like why you don’t want to use an open canoe in big wind/waves. That was an ugly swim.
That Mason wanted to show that even he could get in over his head only increases my respect for the man.
Bill Mason also described in his book
"Path of the Paddle" how when he went out later to paddle in the lake, after shooting the movie, he dumped his canoe and barely made it to shore alive.
Big water canoeing
Consider that Bardy Jones designed, and Mike Galt built, the BJX especially for cruising the Everglades and 10000 Islands. I’ve met several folks cruising the islands in long hot canoes like that. I did it myself, although in a big Island Falls 18.5 footer. It was no problem, not even heading into monster winds and tides getting back to Everglades City. You just need to use your head and sit tight if it gets too nasty.
My $0.02
Steve Baker
New Lenox IL
Can’t be serious.
Sorry, from your words below:
I'm not suggusting a 20 mile trip, just a little fun off shore.
Twinfalls says: You are all wrong, and dangerous. Or you're pulling my leg...unacceptable about safety.
1_We all know, that beginners on a canoe will put themselves in deadly trouble not far from shore, with just little wind.
2_Americain natives, had no significant use of canoes on the open sea.
3_There have been freighter canoes on large lakes. I know about Reinendeer lake , with fleets of very big canoes, small gazoline engines and very tough men. And ,that was hell and risky for them.
4_A canoe, is a fantastic mean to move over: thousands of miles, over land and water.
Well, other uses of a canoe are just non sense to me.
not totally true
the calusa indians in south florida canoed between cuba, mexico and florida on a somewhat regular basis. they were typically rafted together, but they made epic voyages in these modest craft.
ocean canoe trip
Thanks,
Very interesting, I want to know more.
Could the Carabain archipellago ? make a special condition ?
What canoe ?
What sea conditions ?
What trade ?
See, that hard working was mostly about trades.
Gee, thanks everybody!
I had no idea of what I was considering, thank you all so much. I thought that my flatbed Grumman with my double bladed canoe paddle and wetsuit would make it a fun ride. I was saddly mistaken and I am very grateful for the thoughtful responses, Suntan