156 Chapter Four
Proper Loading
There are many canoe and kayak designs.
The amount of material that can be placed
in a canoe will vary with the craft’s size and
shape. Coast Guard standards call for at
least 6 inches of freeboard when a canoe is
fully loaded, including people. Some kayaks
are basically the shell of the craft and have
large open cockpits for one or more people.
Others allow you to sit completely inside
the hull thus protecting your legs from the
elements. And still others have an indentation
in the top where you can sit on top of
the craft. Boats without capacity plates discussed
in Section 7 (Figure 7-5) should refer
to the manufacturers owner’s manual and
state laws to prevent overloading.
Regardless of your boat’s design, you
should always place heavier items in the
rear. As with other watercraft, you always
want the bow of the boat to be higher
above the water than the stern. This allows
the boat to move through the water more
easily.
All stowed materials should be
located as low as possible in the boat,
providing comfortable room for the paddler(
s). Items that must be kept dry, like
food, clothing, and sleeping bags, should
be placed in double plastic, sealed waterproof
bags and placed in larger waterproof
containers such as dry bags, waterproof
stuff sacks, or sealed plastic pails. Today
you can find equipment that comes with
D hooks for fast removal or attaching.
Everything placed inside the boat or on its
deck should be connected to the vessel as
you never know when you may capsize or a
wave come over your hull.
Handling
Kayaks are less stable than canoes because
of the width and because they have less
freeboard. The trick to a kayak is keeping it
balanced. To safely get in or out of a canoe
or kayak, it is important to maintain “three
points of contact.” When one foot is lifted
off the water bottom (stepping into the
boat) or is lifted off the boat bottom (stepping
out onto the water bottom), the two
hands should be braced on opposite sides
of the boat. When you sit, don’t lean to
the right or the left. Keep your bottom on
your seat, equally distributing your weight.
Standing up or moving about in a canoe or
kayak greatly increases the chance of capsizing
as does any sudden movement. Keep
your shoulders inside the gunwales of the
boat. When retrieving something from the
water, reach with your paddle or guide the
boat close to the object so you can grab the
item from the water without leaning your
shoulders over the gunwale.
You May Be in
Dangerous Currents
Canoeist and kayakers have a few things
working against them if they have a mishap.
They tend to boat in remote areas, far
from rescue resources or help from passersby,
and frequently paddle alone or with
only one other person. Their vessels tend
to be relatively unstable and prone to frequent
capsizing.
Paddlers are particularly at risk for
a dangerous situation called entrapment.
This occurs in flowing water when a boater
becomes snagged on rocks or debris at a
hazardous point (referred to as a strainer),
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Figure 13-3. Low-head dams then goes under due to the severe hydrau-
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