Found an old record of a canoe trip I took in 1990 -- 29 years ago -- with my brother-in-law and very good friend Kyle Woods. I've cut and pasted it here, all 8 pages. It describes a Labour Day long weekend canoe trip in the PBK18 kayak I built in 1974. It provides some suggested modifications to the kayak to adapt it to Canadian canoe travel. This was the first trip after a long hiatus of schooling, career and raising a family.

CANOE TRIP IN ALGONQUIN PARK - FOLLOW UP REPORT

September 1990

2.5 Days, 2 People

Summary

September 1 to 3 1990, We, Pieter Leenhouts and Kyle Woods took a canoe trip through Algonquin Park. We paddled a loop, starting at the Sproule Bay access point at the Southern tip of Opeongo (Ope) Lake; proceeding through a portage to Proulx Lake; down a windy and weedy part of Crow River to Little Crow Lake; and then to Big Crow Lake where we stayed for the first night. The next day we proceeded down the Crow through six short portages and a windy stretch of river to Crow Bay of Lavieille Lake; through Lavieille, Hardy Bay, and over a short portage to Dickson Lake where we stayed for the second night. On the last day we continued through a 5.3 Km. portage to Bonfield Lake; a portage to Wright Lake; then the last portage back to Ope; and then paddled back to Sproule Bay dock.

Preparations: prior to the trip we had only been out twice together on test runs in the canoe on Lac Duchesne on the Ottawa R. We went out on the previous Sunday morning when we paddled about 6 km. in 1 hour and 15 min. On the previous Wednesday morning we encountered high waves of 1 - 2 ft. The canoe had taken on quite a bit of water due to the high winds and the spray from the paddles. The map, our clothes and PFD were drenched.

The rudder failed as its yoke came off due to the wave motion. On the return trip with a starboard aft wind it was very difficult to steer the desired course without going broadside to the wind and waves.[Later learned that this can be corrected by changing the trim of the kayak by shifting the loads.]
Because of these trials we improved the rudder somewhat and built a splash cover for the cockpit. We were somewhat apprehensive when considering the distances planned and we hoped to accomplish which was 80 km. and 9.7 km of portages in total.

Aug. 30 - the splash covers were complete. The sticky-backed Velcro did not stick to the waterproof nylon sheeting so it had to be sown on.

Aug. 31 - the primer bulb bilge pump (used for priming outboard engines) was installed. We bought all our food which came to $55.00 after taking Christina and Patrick to the Hillside park in Lynwood Village. The "Woods Bag" was in need of repair since the seams were rotting in places.

In planning a trip with this type of gear it would be better to plan for fewer portages. In a kayak, the length of portage is not as critical as is the number of them. It is in switching over and repacking that much time is lost.

Chronology

Sept 1,05:50 - left Bells Corners in the dark driving the '73 VW camper.

09:30 - Arrived at Sproule Bay dock. Managed to sail with a tailwind for about 5 km, half way through Ope L. using the paddles as masts and the nylon kitchen fly as a sail.

16:00 - Arrived at Big Crow Lake and our chosen campsite. We swam, had supper and pitched camp. We found out now that we forgot our frozen foods; margarine, bacon, cold cuts and cheese. Supper was Magic Pantry chili; granola bars and tea and it was good.

19:30 - I paddled across the lake to a ranger cabin near a fire tower where 3 students were staying. Back in the day, this was the cabin of the forest ranger that manned the fire tower. Despite that the lowest 20 feet of ladder rungs were removed, I managed to climb the ~100' tower, and reached the top just at dusk. The windows and trap door were removed. It felt a bit rickety. The view was spectacular nonetheless and worth the climb. To the north I could see lightning. Back at camp by 20:30.

We visited with campers at a nearby campsite. While chatting around their campfire, they asked if we might have seen albino moose, and also if they are carnivorous. Must be folks from the city. More exposure to the out-of-doors would do them good.

22:40 - Ready for bed, lights out. Our backs are sore but we did well. After assessing our progress, it looks like we will continue around our proposed loop.

Sept. 2,6:30 - Up, had breakfast and cleared camp. We saw a very tall gangling doglike animal trot into our campsite during breakfast to all of our surprises at which point it darted off. It didn't really look like a wolf but then it certainly was not a fox nor a coyote. It was much too tall for that. A chipmunk was up close at breakfast robbing our trail mix.

8:30 - Casted off for a run down the Crow R.

A.M. - Saw a cow moose up ahead on the river who let us get quite close, however once broadside she would rush out ahead and wouldn’t let us quietly drift by with the current. It was hard to shake her for a good 1/2 km. It was scary as she came quite close and any contact with her hooves would have easily capsized our kayak.

12:25 - Arrived at the last of the 6 Crow R. portages and had lunch. This portaging is slow going, possibly because of low water and navigating the bends in the river. Also, sliding the canoe over logs or beaver dams was slow and cumbersome.

18:00 - After paddling Crow Bay, Lake Lavieille, and Hardy Bay we arrived at the short 90-metre portage to Dickson lake. During this stretch we had a stiff headwind and took on a fair bit of water and pumped several cups of water out of the kayak. The kayak with its lower profile and decking performed very well though, and we were able to keep paddling and make continuous headway. Another party of canoes were severely hampered by the wind and waves.

18:45 - We arrived at our chosen campsite which was very nice; not far from the start of the 5.3 km. portage. We had a long day and arrived much later than expected. We took the canoe out to dry the bottom.

Supper was Magic Pantry - chili it was spicy but good with tea and granola bars. (The granola can get to you if you have too much.)

The bilge pump and splash cover were indispensable although more Velcro and pressure snaps for the cover would really help. Also some slack in the cover would keep the Velcro on better. In Bill Mason's book his canoe covers have belt buckles would be good because of the adjustability. Suggest bringing twice as much trail mix next time.

The day’s weather: In the morning it was overcast grey with a little sprinkle as we started the first portage. It cleared mid-afternoon and was all clear and cool at night. It was very windy on Lake Lavieille with a north wind which made for a rocky crossing since we paddled on the leeward or south side of the lake.

Sept. 3 - Had to repair two small holes in the canoe, one in the stern keel and one at a previous puncture. The Fiberglass resin worked well. The heat of the radiating sun helped speed the drying of the resin. The canoe was bone dry all day.

9:30 - Left campsite for the portage a short paddle away.

9:50 - Began the trek over the 5.3 km. long portage; completed it by 11:40. Kyle carried the bags. I carried the canoe as the yoke was giving him trouble with his shoulder. After two more small lakes and two more short portages we arrived at Ope.

Along the way we met two Stelco employees. They had a Sawyer canoe and racing (bent) paddles and seemed to be taking it easy. The setup was very effective. We also met three students at first a Big Crow lake and we frequently crossed paths.

12:30 - We paddled Ope in about 2 1/2 to 3 hours and arrived at Sproule Bay dock at about 16:00.

We stopped for coffee, donuts, and muffins in Whitney.

19:30 - Made it home to Bells Corners.

We then measured the weight of the Canoe at 62 lbs and the bag at 25 lbs. Bag was about 70 lbs at the start, estimated.

The day's weather: It was clear and sunny with some cumulus clouds and calm, in all a beautiful day.

The Canoe or Sea Kayak

We used a PBK 18 which is a canvas covered canoe 17 and 1/2 feet long designed by Percy Blandford, Naval Architect in England. The craft is a wooden bird cage frame with a canvas shell sealed by regular exterior house paint. It was built in the summer of 1974. The Canoe (or kayak) was rarely used while I was at away at College and often poorly stored exposed to the elements.

In the summer of 1987, the canoe was repaired and a new shell put on. Most of that work was done in Sandy Point N.S. near Shelburne. Later that summer I took it solo down the Restigouche in Northern New Brunswick from Upsalquich R. to Campbellton (25 mi. or 40 km) in about 4 hours. It was great going down a fast river. On a subsequent and short trip down the Mississippi near Lanark Ont. The canoe was severely damaged, with a number of holes and some broken stringer sections. It was during low water and paddled with Don Hall, also a not-so-small person. That damage was subsequently repaired.

Travel Gear

The following is a record of experiences acquired with the equipment with suggested modifications for a more successful future trip.

Canoe:

Major change: a higher and wider cockpit design and possibly hatches fore and aft for access.

Minor change: larger holes in cross frames fore and aft for access to store gear.

More bent ribs fore and aft would help keep the shape of hull stringers.

Canoe splash covers:

Minor change: more Velcro and pressure snaps and a slacker application, ideally more adjustable e.g. buckles.

Rudder system:

minor change: should be redesigned to be able to remove and securely store the blade out of the water completely for portaging and in shallow water and so that the rudder stock will not catch rocks. Sliding over a rock tore the rudder stock off the stern.

Yoke/back rest:

Minor change: notches carved in the coaming frame to position the yoke -- a board carved to fit ones shoulders and tied by a strap around the canoe -- and keep it from sliding fore or aft, and yoke could be designed more smoothly to fit the shoulders better during portages.

Paddles: ok

PFDs: ok

Painter: ok

Bailer/sponge: sponge not too effective nor was it necessary,

Minor change: bailer-primer bulb worked great but must be tied in by detachable straps.

Backpack #1 (No.2 Woods Bag with Tumpline): better to have all the gear stored inside with some compartments. Solution would be a second smaller pack placed on top with no frame and with pockets; and to have a second bundle consisting of bedrolls and tent tied together placed on top.

Canoe repair kit: duct tape and fibreglass resin came in very useful. (glass fibre, fibre glass resin, piece of canvas, extra brass screws, sail needle and thread, copper tacks, no. of nails) great.

Miscellaneous Gear

Satchel: bigger and deeper or replace by small knapsack

Compass: ok, ought to consider one with automatic declination and grid correction

Map(s), NTS 1:50,000 topo maps: ok, were protected in Ziploc bags which was perfect. Had route magnetic compass bearings drawn on each leg. This saved us considerable trouble as we used the compass for dead reckoning to cross large lakes. For a much longer trip this may call for an exceedingly large number of maps.

Nature field guides: hardly used but handy occasionally.

Notebook & Pencil: ok.

Binoculars: smaller and lighter would be better.

Camera: likewise, or go all out and bring SLR camera with telephoto lens.

 


Map of the Canoe Route

Rooftop Canoe Carriers are still for Sale in Canada

I recently noticed the rooftop carrier package sold at Canadian Tire - a popular Canadian Hardware and Automotive store that now includes a huge variety of items. The adjustable tie-down straps and integral hooks shown here I suspect would be quite superior to the former hook and rope arrangement for that.

A Use for Waternoodles - bringing the kayak home

With the old kayak, for years my preferred, tried and true method of carrying it on the car was to place four foam pads (as pictured here) on the coaming boards and then place the craft upside down on the roof of the car. I would then tie two ropes over the canoe down to four gutter hooks as well as tie the bow and stern to the car frame below the bumpers. For years one could buy a canoe carrying kit made up of these four pads, yellow polypropylene rope and 4 automobile gutter hooks. Such a kit is still available today for about $35.00.

Note front ropes pull back while rear ropes pull forward

This summer however I had seen water noodles used instead of the foam pads for carrying canoes on cars, how ingenious. This distributes the load over a larger area of the car top and better protects the roof from making contact with the canoe.

Water noodles are colourful long flexible foam tubes used as flotation toys and are available from the dollar store for $1 or for $2 or $3 in regular stores.

Schuyler cut lengthwise slits into the water noodles and then pressed them onto the kayak coaming. We then put the kayak on the car roof and tied it down in the conventional method. This method is well shown in the following photos.

Water noodles, straps and gutter hooks

In this particular case, the convex curvature of the car top was rounder than the kayak coaming so we doubled up a bit of extra noodle at the ends. 

The tie down method used here is based on experience borrowed from a long time canoe outfitter near one of our Ontario Provincial Parks. It is simple, effective and inexpensive. To quote Leonardo da Vinci, "Simplicity is the highest form of sophistication." The technique is typically used for North American open canoes but works just as well with the kayak.

There are a number of important details that must be followed to make this installation secure.

Two point hitch

1. The lines tying the bow and stern to the frames of the front and back of the car must oppose each other equally in the forward and aft direction. In other words if the forward ropes pull backward then the aft ropes should pull forward equally and vise versa. Otherwise the canoe will shift forward or backward during travel and in so doing slacken all the ropes further risking the movement and untying of the canoe.

2. The fore and aft ropes must be properly tied and anchored to the canoe with a knot and not merely allowed to slip through the pad eyes. This ensures that the craft will not shift from side to side. I found it easy to use a simple overhand loop that I tied in the middle of the rope.

More Details on the Tie down Method

Knots: Again keeping the installation simple, the only two knots required are the overhand loop and the half hitch. These are neither elegant nor sophisticated but do the trick quite well and are very easy to remember.

Overhand loop

The overhand loop is pictured here in a photo borrowed from Overhand loop knot where the knots are well described.

The half hitch pictured here is borrowed from Wikipedia.

To tie the canoe to the front and back of the car use a rope that is about the same length as the kayak ~ 5.5M or 18 feet. Larger vehicles may require longer ropes. These are typically used as lines to tie up the kayak when in use and floating.

Half hitch

At the midpoint of the rope tie an overhand loop. Pass the loop trough the pad eye or ring or cleat what have you on the kayak and then pass the ropes through the emerged loop. This then looks like a lanyard hitch around the pad eye.

Then create a two point hitch to the car. Do not make only a one point hitch to the center of the car since this will allow the kayak to shift in a strong cross wind. So what do we tie it to? North American cars have holes drilling into the frame under the car (likely to accommodate tie down hooks for ferries), while most cars  that are imported to North American have convenient steel eyes welded to the frames in all four corners. This is likely because the imported cars needed to be tied down for long voyages when imported on freight vessels.

So for North American Cars you will need to buy 4 "S" shaped hooks to hook into the frame holes. These hooks can be found at any hardware store.

Overhand loop and hitches

Pull the rope down through the steel eye or S-hook and then back up. Make an overhand loop knot at a convenient location in the upper part of the rope. Pull the working end up through the made loop, pull it back down and tie it back around itself with a number of half hitches. This is effectively a reef knot or granny knot. This method gives one a tremendous amount of mechanical advantage by pulling up thus allowing a very tight fit. In these pictures the rope was so tight that when we plucked it, it sounded like a bass guitar.

Repeat this process for each of the four ropes. The ropes at the back of the car will be much tighter than the front, but the front should be tight also.

Be sure to tie up the ends of the rope and leave no more than a couple of centimeters or an inch loose at the end. If the end is too long it will flap against the car and can severely damage the paint surface besides making the annoying flapping noise.

This installation as described so far is quite adequate for a short haul of an hour or so. For our trip to Nova Scotia which required a full two days of travel over 1500 km we used additional straps or ropes and gutter hooks as an added precaution. Like combining belts and braces, either system will work on its own. There are also kits with flat straps with buckles and gutter hooks that work just as well.
Strap vibration tip: In the case of flat straps, at high speed one can get serious vibration in the straps due to wind. To avoid that just put a twist in the strap in the part that is vibrating. This will spoil the laminar flow of the air around the strap and stop the vibration completely.

The pictures taken here were the exact installation after the first day of the voyage.

The First Launch/maiden voyage and Sea Trials (or Rather Creek Trials)

This afternoon we had some free time after work and the weather cooperated, also the paint has now hardened well on the Kayak, so we took the kayak for its initial launch at the Kars Boat Launch. Schuyler and first step cousin once removed Andrew Zeigler took the kayak "Sexy Girl" on its first voyage in Steven Creek a tributary entering the Rideau River at Kars Ontario.

The craft was fully water tight and performed well. The build was a success. This was a trial not only of the craft but also of the neophyte navigators.

Done!!

At around 3 pm today we put the last touches to the kayak. The first coat was pretty much dry this morning, so we proceeded to install the cockpit coaming , and then took the craft back outside. We then installed the keel, two bilge keels, the rubbing strips and floor boards all of which were already prepared and painted. We then applied the final coat of paint,  and then installed the eye pads into the wet paint thus ensuring a good seal around the screws.

From here on forward we will let the paint dry good and hard for two days before we try it in the nearest river called the Rideau River. This will require  mounting the canoe on the car and driving it about 5 km. to launch. This will be a useful exercise since we will also be taking this craft on our car to Nova Scotia. The trial will be that of properly mounting the kayak on the car so that it will endure the shake, rattle and roll, of the 1540 km drive to Nova Scotia.

There are a few small outstanding items to add like the back rests, if Schuyler wants them, but for my old canoe I used an old board foam life jacket that performed admirably as a seat and backrest and used it throughout the nearly forty years of paddling. I also did a lot of portaging with the old one so this required a specific yoke to carry it on my shoulders - North American canoe style. Seats and backrest just added extra unwelcome weight to the portages. I think Schuyler and his family's requirements will likely be different so they may wish to add a modified backrest and dispense with the yoke idea.This will be a project for Nova Scotia.

About the Paint

I was quite astonished by how much paint the boat required. While the instructions and plans called for half a gallon of paint we went through 5 litres or about a gallon and a quart. I suppose we could have stretched it some by thinning down the first coat which we didn't do but it could not have made that much of a difference. Also the canvas was not "proofed" as the plans require. Maybe proofing means something different but to me proofed meant waterproofed. After the paint is hard I intend to preserve the interior of the canvas by sloshing a litre of liquid wood perservative. This is what I did with the old boat and it worked quite well I recall.

If anybody knows what "proofed" means and if it does not mean to waterproof, please weigh in and add a comment to that effect. It would be much appreciated. We will now take a couple of days rest from the kayak. In the next blog post we will report on its inaugural launch, be it here or in Nova Scotia depending on the time available.

First coat of paint

Last night we finished the first coat of paint on the hull of the kayak. The paint soaked right through the canvas and it still feels tacky over the fiberglass parts. We will be doing the second coat today once the sun warms the air. The temperature dropped to 8°C or 46°F last night so it might be a while before it is warm enough outside.