Kathy D'Errico wrote:
In article , Kathy D'Errico wrote:

Thank you everyone for your feedback. I really APPRECIATE IT! As I
canoe mainly on an open bay following the shoreline, I think I will try
the kayak paddle approach. I stopped down to a local kayak store
yesterday and tried out a kayak paddle with a canoe. It seemed to work
fine for me except that the 245cm paddle was a little short. I think a
slightly longer one would do the trick. Blakely-what size kayak paddle
is your Carlisle? As you are sitting in the stern which is narrower,
you are probably able to use a standard size kayak paddle? My problem
is that I am sitting in the midsection going solo, so that the paddle
was slightly short for the mid. Also, do you sit or kneel when using
your kayak paddle? Thank your for your "experiment".

Kathy D'Errico

Kathy:

I measured the Carlisle paddle. These are the blue shafted/yellow
bladed type that break down into a long and short segment that can be
converted to a paddles with a set of T grips.

I measured these blade end to blade end. Distance = 96 inches (244
cm). The blades themselves are 7.5 inches wide and 20.5 inches long.

The outside width of the canoe at the stern seat is 23 inches gunwale
to gunwale. Width at the yoke is 34 inches.

Sitting in the stern with the paddled held centered, I would have 11.5
inches of inboard shaft, 16.0 inches of outboard shaft and 20.5 inches
of blade on each side of the midline. Seated near the yoke, 5.5
inches of shaft would shift from the outboard segment to the inboard
segment.

The stern seat is 9 inches from the bottom of canoe at the stern. At
the yoke, the top of the gunwale is 12 inches above the bottom of the
canoe. There will be some difference in height depending on how one is
positioned at the center of the canoe, but given the dimensions,
probably not all the much.

Next time I take it out, I will try paddling it as a kayak with the
Carlisle paddle and see how that works and then compare that with my
Werner IK paddle.

Blakely
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Blakely LaCroix
Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

"The best adventure is yet to come"