A Sailing Canoe Story

“You do not put a sail to a canoe, said a relative,” teasing me up.
Yvon R. Lalonde, Ste-Émélie-del’Énergie, Québec Province, Canada



Editor’s Note: Real’s first language is French and he asked me to make corrections for him, which I did, but only where needed. I left much of his article untouched so as to maintain the quality of his "voice."


What’s the hole for, I asked the salesman at sportcenter? Some people put a mast there and go canoe sailing. Huh! Are you kidding? But he showed me a products list from Sportspal Company, makers of good aluminum canoes. Nice, I said, and 2 weeks later, I purchased the sail outfit!!! (Sail, Mast, Leeboards). I went sailing with my brother two weeks later. We went downwind, but it was impossible to come back windward. Few more weeks later, I went sailing again, alone, no experience, sitting at the rear seat trying to sail, then a small breeze made canoe to capsize!!!!

That was my first experiences in canoe sailing. “You do not put a sail to a canoe, said a relative,” teasing me up. Others said I was dreaming or a bit nuts. So after a while I quit sailing canoe, cuz I thought they might be right. Three years passed until one day in September 2007, while paddling with another relative, a very light breeze made me dreaming again about canoe sailing. My relative lives in Switzerland and by the end of that month, he was back to Zurich.

I began looking literature and pics on Internet, see how people were sailing a canoe, I learned about leeboards, real lift able rudder instead of a paddle, rigging, all parts, from leeboards thwart to mast thwart, and from cordage to blocks and so on. "If they can do it, so do I." The Web is an awesome source of informations. I was lucky, a friend of mine gave me a fine book from a French writer (written in French, my mother language), all about canoe, from natives' birch bark canoe to modern Royalex, aluminum, fiberglass, polyurethane and last but not the least, his majesty—the cedar canoe. All my needs were in that single book. How to sail, mastering wind. Making masts, leeboards, thwart, rudder, sails. But I was terrified about capsizing again.

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Canoe Sailing Magazine - Anchoring - a Followup - the SCARY Device

New anchoring device could mean world peace, okay, less chance of rolling over at anchor

In the article "Anchoring Surely and Keenly" I discussed a few options for anchoring your canoe or kayak. One of these involved using an anchor pulpit that involves running your anchor line from hand, along the rail and through the bow-mounted mechanism that also doubles as a bow sprit that can add protection when ramming seawalls, etc. (Don't ask how I know.)

During a recent fishing trip in my sailing canoe I found the need to anchor over a promising spot. Now, not having the pulpit rigged on this boat, my anchor line is attached to the forward hand grip. Ah, now this makes it a bit iffy to retrieve the anchor because I'd have to climb to the bow to bring it in, which can be iffy at best. And it was windy, which adds to the uh, potential, for, uh, issues.

It's times like that when idea lights come on (if one is lucky) and one did for me. The image shows the result--an anchor "leash." No, it's not a new idea, I'm sure, but this is the first time I've seen it, so I'll take credit, apply for a patent and name it the "Sailing Canoe Anchor Rope Yanker," SCARY for short. (Patent Pending)

The SCARY (Patent Pending) consists of a line with a loop that the anchor line passes through. The line passes back to hand and is secured. It need only reach the anchor line with a bit of slack when anchored. The retrieve the anchor, just pull the line to bring the anchor line, uh, rope, to you or your crew. Easy, safe and cheap, though there is a (Patent Pending) which could increase the value and subsequent cost significantly.

Oh--just be ready to handle the boat when you do this. Pulling the anchor alongside while it's still planted can increase your chance of getting knocked down. If your sail is up, make sure its sheet is free! You've been warned....

Now Spring's Resprung!

Went for a nice paddle yesterday! Cool and windy--should have sailed--but made for a nice paddle anyway!
Objective was the slough just seen at upper, right in this image. Made it to the mouth but returned before going farther since I knew I'd have to paddle against the wind on the way back and wanted to leave myself time before sunset. Route (yellow line) beginning at lower, right. Wind also from lower, right, which meant that most of the trip was in cross-wind or headwind. Not bad, though, but a good wringing-out for the first paddle of any sort of the year. 5 miles round-trip.