Canoe feels tippy to novice

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clicksys
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:39 am
Location: Burlington VT

Canoe feels tippy to novice

Post by clicksys »

(I posted this in the "Choosing a Design" section also - I hope that's okay)

I am a sea kayaker, with only basic canoeing experience. I have built and primarily paddle an 18' woodstrip kayak and a 16' S&G kayak. The Cottage Cruiser was my first stripper and only canoe so far. Compared to other typical recreational canoes I've paddled, the CC feels tippy. When the bowperson shifts laterally even a little bit, there is an alarming moment of instability. I think that it is a few inches narrower in beam than your typical recreational canoe (i.e. aluminum Grumman rental). I am accustomed to "tippiness", dealing with big wind and waves on Lake Champlain in my kayaks, but find that even small waves have a notable effect on this boat. I would welcome a second opinion, so if you are in Burlington and would like to try paddling the Cruiser, let me know. What might help? Ballast? Lowering the seats? They are currently 10" above the floor.

Thank you,
RS in Burlington VT
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Glen Smith
Posts: 3719
Joined: Sat May 08, 2004 9:08 am
Location: Baie-St-Paul, Quebec, Canada

Post by Glen Smith »

There are two "quick and dirty" fixes you can attempt: bring along some empty one gallon plastic bottles and fill a few with water where you are going to paddle. Place them in the canoe beneath the seats. If it still feels unstable, fill some more bottles. If it starts to feel more stable then you might have found a decent way to stabilize the boat with extra ballast.

Lower the seats by at least 1" and try it like that. You can buy some longer bolts that are just galvanized or not coated at all just for the test. If this works, start hunting for some long, good quality bolts.

Then of course practice will make it feel more stable.

When seated in a canoe your center of gravity is quite high, adding to the tippy feeling. In a kayak, you are usually sitting below the waterline, quite a difference. They are two different beasts, each to be tamed in its own way. As someone suggested, try kneeling with knees spread apart to see if the stability improves. I have a Hiawatha which is less stable than the Cottage Cruiser and it took me a few minutes of paddling to feel comfortable. When paddling with one of my daughters, it feels much more stable. When I paddle with my other daughter, it feels much LESS stable! She has much less canoe experience and locks her hips instead of allowing the canoe to roll beneath her. This makes a huge difference.

You should also verify the locations of the seats as per the paddlers' weights to assure the weight is well distributed in the canoe. This is discussed in CanoeCraft on page 171.
AlanWS
Posts: 209
Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 4:30 pm
Location: Shorewood, WI

Post by AlanWS »

You might also want to take it out on a warm day while wearing a swimming suit, and capsize it intentionally to see how easily it happens. The seats do sound very high though.
Alan
rrwildlife
Posts: 9
Joined: Tue Mar 20, 2007 11:04 am

Cottage Cruiser Stability

Post by rrwildlife »

Hi,

I also own a cottage cruiser so I know the feeling your describing. Here are a few things that have helped us.

Add more weight if you can. Thow in some extra gear or a cooler.

You never mentioned the weight of the paddlers. My wife and I have a combined weight of about 350#, in high wind or waves we paddle while kneeling which greatly increased stabily.

We also tested the tipping point of our canoe, it takes much more listing than you would expect to get it to capsize. You may want to try this for yourself. If I'm kneeling in the bottom of the boat and paddling solo I can actually tip the boat far enough to get water running over the gunnels without capsizing.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Ryan
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