boat launching
We just put them in from the shore at the campground.
yes, give up
If you think you should, then you should!
That nagging doubt is your inner mind telling you something that you probably should listen to like “maybe those arthritis pains after 20 minutes mean that you can’t do a 4-day river trip at your age”.
or, “that pain in your chest and numbness in your left arm just before the river race just might be a warning your should listen to.”
I don’t know all the facts in your situation. i only know what you are saying and no one ever tells everything.
So trust yourself! not me or anyone else on this or any other e-list. You know your body and your medical situation more than anyone else.
Whoa Dude!
– Last Updated: Aug-31-07 8:00 PM EST –
You're joking right? He's having a little trouble with the feeling of tippyness of his new solo canoe (which happens to virtually EVRYone), and you assume there must be something a lot worse that he isn't telling us? I think it's legitimate to take him at his word, and just believe him when he says he's not all that sure if he's really gonna get the hang of balancing in his new boat or not, and that's why the rest of us are saying it takes practice to get the hang of it, so give it time.
Lower the seat
3 to 4",raise it gradualy as you feel comfortable.
For added comfort raise the rear .5" is what I learned on these pages. The Encounter feels like a tandem for stability.
INTERESTING POINT RKJ
In fact, I’ve had a heart attack and I do feel chest pains sometimes… but my feeling is hell, it’s only a #^#&@ muscle. The response to you by GBG is more correct. I guess I poorly worded my question, which is should I go buy a wider canoe maybe a Winonah Adirondack, a Bell MorningStar, or a Holy Cow 14’er tamden?
I think the best advice is to give it a further try and if I’m still dubious, then buy a 32"er and maybe sell the Winonahs I presently have.
The idea of giving it up completely hadn’t occurred to me. Now you’ve given me something to think about. But what bettter way to paddle on to the Great Lake?
UPSTATEPADDLER
Regarding the Winonah Rendevous, it’s problems and cure are discussed on:
http://www.canoecolorado.com/canoeing/wenonah/rendezvous/modification/index.htm
Basically, wrong size thwarts and seat placement.
I had it corrected at Blue Mountain Outfitters and it does track much better and seems a little more stable.
I strongly suspect the Winonah Solitude has its seat too far forward, its ‘tenderness’ aside. I’m hoping that at Raystown someone more experienced can try it out and see. Every once in awhile it just won’t turn or turns erratically.
tippy solos
Your solo boats are a bit on the touchy side even for solos, especially if you do not like to kneel (Fat Elmo nailed it). If you can stand kneeling I’d say try it…makes a huge difference.
You’d love a Morningstar if you can settle for a slightly slower pace than one of your hot rod solos, and it would feel like an effortless and maneuvable boat compared to your older tandems and it’s super stable and friendly. Nice luxury solo boat for a larger solo paddler and a fine tandem too. If you find a used Bell Starfire it would be perfect for you. Another great candidate is a new Hemlock Eaglet solo; you’d love it and it would be easy to handle (light) but still plenty strong…check the picture on Hemlockcanoe.com
The Swift Shearwater solo is a big solo that’s halfway between most solos and a tandem…much more stable than your solos but still has equal performance…it’s super sweet. Turns as well as your boats too. You’d want the Expedition Kevlar lay-up.
I’d say keep paddling if you feel good (and have at least moderate buy-in from wife and doctor). I occasionally run into a pair of men over 80 that are handling an 85 pound tandem…they are my role models. They talk about wanting a lighter boat some day.
Proper Trim
If the seat is too far forward, turning will actually be too easy, because the stern will tend to swing around if you aren’t careful. There would never be a time when it didn’t “want” to turn. I bet it’s a matter of getting your technique tuned-in. A lot of solo canoes will sometimes slip into speed-robbing skid that never quite becomes a turn if the turn is initiated by pulling the bow into the turn. With the same boat, it can also be possible for a turn to “get away from you”. I have a hunch that both of these situations describe the turning problems you mentioned. In both cases, time on the water will allow you to detect what is happening and make adjustments before the boat does anything that a bystander would be able to see happen.
Hang in there. Solo canoeing is a never-ending learning process, and in the beginning it is very humbling, but please don’t get discouraged. Things will start “coming together” for you, sometimes unexpectedly, and you’ll know it was worth the frustration each time that happens.
Sounds like my story, TrentRiver
TrentRiver,
When I read your post about going over in the Vagabond, I almost went off my computer seat. The EXACT SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME when I boarded (from a dock) into my Wenonah Vagabond. I went right into the drink and lost a pair of glasses forever. No doubt about it, it is a tippy little canoe, but a stuck with it and learned to get in more carefully, with the canoe in shallow water and me stepping in, not descending from a dock. After a while, I got my balance and learned to respect it’s lack of stability. It isn’t unlike riding a two wheeler for the first time; you just learn what the limitations are. It’s worth it, I think, because the Vagabond is a great little boat, very responsive and maneuverable, but watch it, no sudden moves!
NO WAY!
Don’t ever give up. I had my 77 year old mother-in-law paddling bow in a canoe for the first time in her life yesterday and she loved it. She said " I could stay out here all day".
You just need to find the right fit, and stick with it, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise 
Practice … Practice
It sounds like a matter or practice and acclimating to the boats. Composite boats seem tippier, not sure why. Maybe lower the seat, that should help. Also, is the boat trimmed? That can improve how the boat sits in the water. Transitioning from whitewater? You might be feeling the differece between primary and seconday stability. Do the boats feel like they are grabbing the water when leaned over? Hope some of this helps.
Here be some good advice…
– Last Updated: Sep-03-07 4:11 PM EST –
in a song by Shelley Posen. Turn on yer speakers...
http://www.canoesongs.ca/audio/when_i_first_stepped_in_a_canoe.mp3
Fat Elmo
FATELMO
Pretty cute song!