When I was developing our pack canoes I really wanted them to be self rescue-able in the same way as a kayak so I incorporated self rescue loops that would later become the foundation for our catamaran system. This technique is dependent on the right kind of flotation, a kayak paddle, a canoe there is only carrying a day load, or if camping, the (hopefully waterproof) pack can be tossed over the side briefly.
So not a solution for every situation but absolutely worth practicing to add another tool to the tool kit. Even if the self rescue practice isn’t successful, it gives you a healthy reality check about what it feels like to end up swimming next to your boat, which can really help with judgment when you’re deciding whether or not to attempt that solo crossing.
Whether it’s a kayak or a canoe, the most important thing is not to do some thing like this a couple times in flat water, and then expect it to magically work for you in rough water in a loaded boat. It’s critical to practice in whatever conditions you might find yourself swimming so you don’t get a false sense of security from knowing a rescue. This particular prototype is fairly small and judging from experience I could probably do this in up to 12 mph winds, and 2 foot chop. With a different set up I might be able to get that up to 15 mph winds and 3 foot chop. Anything more than that and I don’t really like being out in a canoe unless we are catamaraned together.
My strategy for loaded boats is to either add massive white water style float bags toward the ends, or if conditions allow it just paddling very close to shore. I’m a lifelong kayaker who is relatively new to canoeing, so, if anybody could explain to me how you guys normally manage self rescue in a canoe I would really appreciate it.
I did about 10 of these in rapid succession, and every single time I learn something important, including one significant safety hazard that I wasn’t expecting, which I’ll talk about in tomorrow’s post. By the way, I’m not touching the bottom in this video.
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