Buyer’s Guide anatomy of a canoe
E L E M E N T S O F C A N O E D E S I G N
Looking for that perfect canoe? The one that calls your name and screams “Take me home!” Search no further— the Canoeroots Buyer’s Guide has 132 of the best canoes right at your fingertips. But before drooling over the next pages, have a look at the elements of canoe design. It provides practical information to help you find your dream canoe, or in some cases, your ultimate fleet. The canoe for paddling a great northern river, gunwale bobbing at the cottage or winning a marathon canoe race might only be a few pages away.
STERN Thwarts Yoke Gunwale BOW Deck
Length, width and depth are rough indicators of a canoe’s speed, stability, capacity and seaworthiness.
dimensions Length = Speed
Length is the primary factor in determining speed. When comparing two canoes of different lengths, everything else being equal, the longer canoe will be faster. Shorter canoes generally turn easier, making them more manoeuvrable.
Width = Stability
The canoe’s width and cross-sectional shape determines stability. A wider canoe has more initial stability. Narrow canoes are generally faster and more efficient in the water.
32 SPRING 2010
Depth = Capacity and Dryness Depth is the distance measured from the bottom of the hull to the top of the gunwales. Greater depth allows for increased carrying capacity and protects against swamping, making the canoe more seaworthy. Deeper canoes have more freeboard, but they are harder to handle in windy conditions.
Carrying Capacity
Measured by how much weight a canoe is able to displace while maintaining at least six inches of freeboard. Making the canoe longer or deeper extends carrying capacity; the canoe’s width is generally not increased since it results in drag.
Freeboard Waterline Draft
2010
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