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Ahoy there from the headwaters of the mighty Saint Lawrence. Kingston, Ontario.
I think I shall begin by explaining the how and why of my becoming a member of,'Sailing Canoe Magazine.' In this way I can at the same time give an account of myself and impart something of my personality (long winded, blowhard who habitually digresses, (that reminds me of a stor...(I have lots of them, half of which I don't even believe anymore!)))
Two years ago I acquired the family canoe from my childhood when my parents sold their waterfront home in the township to move into a waterfront apartment downtown. Therefore I suddenly became the proud owner of a 12' sportspal aluminum canoe (Radison in the United States). {that was not a digression but simply an comment to elucidate and inform.} {That was pretty long winded though.}
When I was a small boy (I was an angel (that's one of the stories I no longer believe)) my father bought this canoe. (I use the term loosely.) I have never been clear whether it was his being Highland Scots and ignorant of New World ways i.e. a good canoe such as a Peterborough; Or being Scots, identified a serviceable canoe. (For those who are not familiar with the Sportspal line its basically a piece of sheet metal rudely folded into the shape of a canoe held together with sheet metal screws caulked with silicone and painted to look like a birch bark canoe in some sort of vague attempt to make it look pretty.)
Anyway, as a child my father and I would carry the sportspal the one and half blocks to the waterfront (Lots of waterfront here in Kingston!) by the handy door handles on the fore and aft decks (such as one would find on an outhouse in the bush.) and we learn to be, 'Voyageurs.'
Though this canoe is a slug and it is impossible for the bowman to get a full stroke because the gunnels runs outboard directly, she did handle 4 foot waves though you couldn't make good against a head wind if your life depended on it. (which you never did)
The first digression
Now I do have to digress so that my little missive will carry on in an orderly and flowing manner and the sailing canoe motif will come to the fore.
One winter, when I should have been in school. (the story of my life. (See how I have cleverly wove in, 'an account of myself and impart something of my personality.')) I hide from the truant officer by wandering around the frozen harbour like the clever little boy I was. (Lake Ontario/head water of the St. Lawrence) At that time their was at least 12 inches of hard ice and there were a couple of ice T-boats. My fellow members, I am sure will appreciate brief description. (digressing again)
They were large gaffed rigged, mast stepped at the T with a boomed jib off a bow sprit. The runners were forward across on a plank forward of the rider and was steered by a runner aft of the rider by a direct tiller. Hence T-boat.
Ralph, a Janitor (as they were called at that time) at the local University offered me a ride. I was hooked! Fast is not the word. so I proceeded to build my own out of some 2x2's I found laying about, mast spars and all. (in hind-sight someone went GRRR!!) and all my savings spent on the end of a bolt of royal blue cotton fabric to make a lateen sail. I fashioned the fore runners with some short plastic skis they sold at that time to gullible children (they were disappointing at their allotted task, and I remember regretting begging for them.) The steering runner I have no memory of, so I assume, something of a hope and prayer. Of coarse it didn't come close to working. but I suddenly realized a few days later when it was blowing stink that all I needed was more wind so I went to the lake with my skates and a length of rope (I found, honest!) in case I fell off and I could retrieve the mini T-boat or at least arrest it's departure. I would get it going and leap on and it would die on the spot However I soon discovered that without me on it, the mini T-boat would tow me around the harbour on my skates quite nicely. (A new sport? Free-bee for anyone who wants to chase it down, and chase you will.)
End of 1st digression.
That spring it occurred to me that my ice boat sail could easily be fitted onto the sportspal dowel mast step just aft the forward deck and the deck had already holes to which the mast could be synched. So I found somebody with a drill and bit and they drilled a hole in the base of the mast.The mast fitted nicely into the canoe, but lee boards where required! I found some old barn board (more GRRR'ing I'm sure) which I fashioned into what I thought were quite serviceable lee boards. In my little kid mechanical mind I figured that I would shove these between the hull and the polystyrene sponsons.
I can't remember now how but I got the fitted out Sportspal down to the lake. (I suspect the help of an addled hippie which at that time the neighborhood abound.) (University town in the early 70's))The result of this surreptitious launch was the sail worked perfectly, I remember being ecstatically pleased with this instant gratification but when it came to inserting the barn board leeboards between the sponson and hull: horror upon horror, the leeboards floated out and away to the imminent destruction of the sponsons. I clearly remember this moment, "My dad is going to kill me!"
But as children do; my disappoint immediately faded and I left the canoe at the dock in search of my best friend John. (Leaving your Gear about was common in the olden days.) I found John (probably happily burning ants with a magnify glass.)and we spent the rest of the summer sailing broad reach to the Canadian Ship Yard side slip pier. (To build ships for which war (I couldn't tell ya?)) Then madly paddling back to the lee of the Yacht Club pier to the coal yard pier, a distance of maybe two or three yards more than a hundred.
Halcyon days.
End of digressions. Some how? It's got away on it's own. (See Re: Rudderless no more.) A flight of fancy has suddenly the coarse reality of wet manila running through my hand. (Thanks Ed.)
Crash Boom and Vang.
addendum May 28
I figured out what the Avatar is and have inserted the Sportspal picture of the sail kit for my canoe. My canoe is shorter and double ended (pointed)
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