Tim,
Ha, ha...yeah, I have seen those pics. Some with just a big
boat flipped up over them. With todays technology, even the technology
of the 70's, you would not need to do something like that. 'Corse,
back then, a UL canoe was fiberglass and weighed in at 65# for
a 16'6" model (been thar'...done that.) When I was building boats, I got
mine down to about 50# (strip & fiberglass) for 15'9" and was *far*
more efficient on the water at a 28" beam. I still have it, actually, but
the wife doesn't like it, it is pretty "tippy". Now, I use a Winona 18'6"
at 43# and 34" beam, and, I am looking seriously at a 25# graphite
at 16'...
Anyway, even with a couple half-hitch's (or clove hitch) the knots
tend to slip down the paddles in any real wind. Or, they will lift in the
wind and the blade will catch the wind and spin out from under the tarp.
Rain is bothersome, but the combination between wind and rain is
outright bad. A downed tarp, in the wind and rain, is a b#tch. The boats,
ie modern boats at any rate, will not stay put without staking them down
or hiding them in the trees. Soo, none of the canoe gear makes a part
of a really adequate shelter for two people. . .too much fussing for a
poor shelter. Even for an overnight camp, the boat gear doesn't work
that well. The weather is pretty variable in the north country. You can go
to bed at 2000 with a calm wind and clear sky, have a severe thunderstorm
with 30+mph winds at midwatch and have a nice calm beautiful morning
at 0400. Soo, I have learned to not take chances, regardless of what the
weatherman says.
We tried the beaches, but the rain raised the water a couple inches
one night, and, our bags got very damp on the bottom. Soo, now we bring
a tent. Most of the lakes and ponds in the ADK's don't have a beach, anyway.
Usually, the sand is imported. Mostly the shores are undercut banks,
rocks, stumps, trees, or marsh. Every year I have to patch up the canoe's
scratches, scrapes and digs from these things.
Usually, I find a used campsite somewhere along a shore, and
set up camp with 2 downed limbs. Camp is a 2#13oz tent (for 2) set
away from the cook/campfire area...not too far, about 30-75 feet or so.
The 16oz tarp is set up near the campfire, about 8' in front of it...usually in
a north/south orientation so the smoke doesn't get under the tarp (also,
so the sparks don't get at the tarp.) But, I check how big the water area
is...this can influence the wind, also. For the 1/4oz of line and 4, 1/3oz
stakes, this sets up a lean-to just about anywhere needed, so direction
is a variable. Generally speaking, this has stood up to a 30mph wind
and driving rain pretty well, with some help at the 40+mph gusts. 'Corse
my hat blew away... The boat shelters would have blown away. And,
that close to the water, it will pile up. I have seen it raise 4' waves on
the larger lakes. (Not the Great Lakes by any means.)
Soo, while it looks interesting in the pics, these are usually just
meal stop shelters, or, because the wind was too bad to paddle. The
people there, probably spent most of the time holding down the boat
in any wind storm. Or, they were just getting a fire going to warm up a
bit because of the cold rain. (And avoiding the rain while they were
there.) It doesn't really work that well. The storms can be very intense,
but, they do not usually last that long. . .just waiting it out.
My thoughts only . . .
jdm
At 09:46 PM 4/30/2009, you wrote:
>James-
>
>What do you use for shelter when you bring the canoe with you? Do you use the paddles as tarp poles? Or the boat itself as structure? I once saw a photo of an Adirondack guideboat that was propped up on one end using the oars, with a tarp draped over it. Not sure if it was being used as just a cooking shelter or whether the guide/sport slept in it.
>
>Tim Greiner
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