There's much debate whether a true solo boat is the best choice for backcountry solo paddling.  There's numerous benefits to both solo boats and traditional tandem tripping canoes.  Like most pieces of gear, it comes down to what you feel comfortable using.  Key factors such as the duration of your trips and type of travel (lake or river) are the largest factor in deciding. 

The Right Boat for the Job By John Winters

Many people do their solo tripping in a tandem boat and manage well enough. One boat makes life simple, if not perfect. If, however, you have decided you really like paddling alone then you may want to think seriously about a boat designed expressly for solo paddling. By “expressly designed” for solo paddling I mean a boat suited to the solo paddlers weight and strength, plus being shaped above the water to facilitate efficient strokes. Tandem boats are designed (intentionally or not) for much greater weight and are usually so beamy that the paddler must heel the boat over to allow an efficient stroke, and then his stroke is limited to that side. A number of important changes occur when the boat is heeled and lightly loaded.

Changing the load in a boat alters the wetted surface, waterline length, waterline beam, stability and form coefficients. Sometimes these are favorable, but usually they aren’t. The net result of these changes reveals itself in higher resistance than that of a dedicated solo boat. For example, a popular tandem canoe often seen paddled solo has 3.2% greater resistance at 3 knots than a popular solo boat of similar waterline length. This increases to 3.5% at 4 knots. Of course, the ability to switch sides while paddling without having to change ones position is a further advantage.

For this example, the tandem boat has an overall length of 16’ and its stems are 22” high. The solo boat is 13.5’ long and its stems are only 18” easy to imagine the difference in windy conditions. Another important consideration is exposed area above the waterline. It is not unusual for a heeled tandem boat to have as much as 60% more exposed area when compared to a solo boat of the same waterline length.

Another place the true solo boat excels is on the portage. Most are much lighter than the tandem boat simply because they have so much less surface area. Typically, the difference is 40% or more which can translate into a 20% weight difference for similar constructions.

To some highly skilled paddlers who prefer the traditional boats none of this will matter.  Most of us, however, will find these differences important and noticeable, particularly at the end of a long day.

The importance of matching the boat to the displacement (The displacement is the sum of all weights including the boat, the paddler, gear, and anything else one might like to put inside the boat when tripping) cannot be overemphasized. Every boat, no matter how it was designed or created, paddles best at some specific displacement that optimizes its resistance and handling characteristics. Of course, there is no magic displacement where a boat suddenly becomes ethereal. Performance changes gradually as you add or subtract weight. Too lightly loaded and the boat loses controllability in windy weather. Too heavily loaded and becomes sluggish and slow to respond to strokes.

No one (to my knowledge and certainly not me) has ever designed a boat that will paddle equally well when under loaded or overloaded. This is simple physics and any salesperson, builder or designer who says it doesn’t matter is pulling your leg.

For enjoyable and efficient solo travel, the boat must “fit” the paddler. By “fit” I mean both in size and dimensions because women paddling solo must be able to use comfortable and efficient strokes. Many solo boats are designed for the wider shoulders and strength of men.

It should not be necessary to mention that the boat should suit as closely as possible the type of paddling you do. If you paddle only on flat water then you definitely will not want a whitewater boat and vice versa.

Material Matters

If you plan to challenge every rapid, polyethylene and Royalex will serve you best even if it means a lot of sweat and agony on portages. If you travel light but care for your boat like it was a musical instrument then dig out your credit card, and look at those carbon fiber and Kevlar beauties. They can cause sticker shock but you will appreciate the light weight on a hot day when the black flies or mosquitoes have found their way under your boat.  If you paddle where there are no portages then an inexpensive glass boat will do just fine. Keep in mind that the performance on the water depends upon the displacement and a few pounds in boat weight is a small part of the total.

Test Paddling

Canoe dealers promote test paddling in a big way. Will a few minutes paddling on quiet water tell you enough to make an informed decision about a boat? Not a chance. Remember, you have to handle the boat by yourself and it needs to work for you and you alone. You must be sure it fits and handles well for you. If possible, borrow a friend’s boat, or rent a boat for a weekend so you can really get a feel for what it will do and not do. Pick a weekend when the weather stinks. You want to learn the worst not the best about the boat. If you have been battered by the weather and still like the boat then you’ll grow to love it. One final thing, test the boat with your real life loading. It really does matter.

Over the years, I have become a bit cynical about salespeople. Most mean well but few really have a lot of solo paddling experience. The lack of published displacement figures (as opposed to the usual “maximum load” figures) doesn’t make it any easier. If an experienced designer created your boat, it may be just fine because they have a lot of experience to back them up. If not you can easily end up owning a water pig. Trust yourself and people you know who have solo experience.

John Winters

April 9, 2007