Canoes and Canoeing (1894) Part 2
by C. Bowyer Vaux
Courtesy: Dragonfly Canoe Works
The Sailing Canoe
The paddling canoe is simple - boat, seat and paddling being the essentials. The sailing canoe has, in addition to these, spars, sails, rigging, centreboard or keel, rudder or steering gear (perhaps ballast,) and a sliding seat.  The canoe is so small and light a boat that it is necessary the sailor should keep in the middle to trim ship. Thus, it has come about, in order to get an effective rig, that the sail area is divided into two sails, one in front, and the other behind him. A rudder is necessary to control the movement of the canoe at all times.
A boat must have considerable lateral resistance (as it is called), to sail in any direction relative to the course of the wind except straight before it. If a sail is put up in a shallow paddling canoe, and the boat is headed at right angles to the direction of the wind, for instance, it will be found to drift sideways almost as fast as it goes ahead - it makes "leeway," according to the sailor's vernacular. The addition of a straight, deep keel will prevent this and make it possible for the canoe to sail to windward; that is, by a series of tacks - sailing diagonally to the course of the wind - actually to make progress against the wind. There are many disadvantages to the use of a keel. It make the boat draw more water and, consequently, it cannot be navigated in shallows. The long, straight keel prevents quick turning, and it adds materially to the weight. A hoisting centreboard serves the same purpose and does away with these disadvantages. The first sailing canoes had only one small sail forward, about an inch of keel along the bottom, and were steered with the paddle, the skipper sitting at the bottom in exactly the same position as when paddling. Gradually the keel was deepened, the sail area increased, a second sail added, and the captain changed his seat to the deck, so that his weight would he more effectively exerted against the sail pressure. Then the rudder became a necessity. The idea of making the canoe a general all-around sailing, paddling, cruising and camping boat was alone recognized for many years, and all improvements in rig were in this line. Therefore, when the centreboard was introduced, it was placed well forward so as not to cramp the open cockpit space which the skipper occupied.
The rig necessary with such a disposition of centreboard, in order to preserve the balance, was a large sail forward and a small sail aft. Some canoes were built with two centreboards, a very small one aft, so that more sail could be carried on the mizzenmast. The modern sailing canoe is the direct result of racing. The canoes that entered the races at the annual American Canoe Association meets, previous to 1888, were all fairly good cruising canoes. Since then, the purely racing machine has come to the front, and the general utility canoe relegated to the rear. Forty-three canoes crossed the finishing line in one sailing race at the meet of 1889. Six was the largest number that completed the course in 1893. A good sailing canoe can be built and rigged for $150.00. A fully equipped sailing-racing canoe, to compete successfully with the modern flyers, costs considerably over $200.00. Long practice and great skill are required to win a sailing race; but anyone who knows even a little about sailing, can very soon learn to manage a moderately rigged cruising canoe and derive great pleasure from the sport. Racing at present is too expensive in time and money for many men to indulge in it. A few years ago the canoeman were obliged to make their own sails, do their own rigging, and even design and superintend the building of their canoes. The expert racers do this to-day. Now. the best builders supply all the modern improvements, and a fully equipped sailing canoe can be purchased ready for the buyer to put in the water, get in himself and sail away. Next issue: The Centreboard and The Rudder |
