To Sit Or Not To Sit
And there it is, straight from Hollywood! The intrepid mountain man and his faithful Indian ally, J-stroking their bark canoe through the rapids, perched high on the seats, knees under their chins.
One of the most conclusive manifestations of ignorance about canoes canoeing in general is the prevalence of the practice of sitting up on canoe seats, especially by bow paddlers.
So what? you ask, If the seats are there, are they not meant to be sat upon?
No, they are not, and I will attempt to explain why.
One of the criteria for safety afloat in any boat is to keep the center of gravity (C of G) as low as possible. A canoe, without cargo or ballast, floats very high in the water, and is very unstable as a result. It therefore behooves the canoeist to ensure that it (his body) is placed as low as possible, taking cognizance of his need to manipulate the paddle. . . |
