catamaraning canoes

Paddling.com

Canoe advice.

My son and 3 of his friends, all students at North Carolina State University have decided to find a couple of older used canoes and modify them for sailing and paddling as a team in the 2007 WaterTribe Everglades Challenge. See this posting on the forum where he discusses thier lastest plan for the race http://www.watertribe.com/Default.aspx?ucPtr=Discussion/DiscReadMsg.ascx&strThread=3001&strNumReplies=9 . Thier biggest problem is they don’t have the 2 canoes, or much money. As engeneering students they think they will be up to the challenge of the modifications, and actually think it’ll be fun. Any suggestions on what kind of canoe they should consider for sailing and catamaraning? Where should they even look? How much do you think it’ll cost them? All suggestions welcome, thanks, Dawn

Do they realize that there is a 40 mile road portion to that challenge? Having one of my kids with a degree from NCSU and another with a degree from Carolina, I thought the state students had more sense than to get tar on their heels! cheers, JackL

sailing canoe articles http://www.epoxyworks.com/16/index16.html For pure speed, I’d think a couple of ex-racing canoes (Jensens?) would be good, but you’d be trading off capacity and stability. Any good flatwater cruiser should work. The Wenonah catalog is probably a good place to get names to look for.

Look for loaners As they don’t have any money to buy the ideal canoes that will be suggested and debated here, I recommend that they see if they can borrow two canoes from someone. Maybe they should see if they can rent them. The rigging can be made from old windsurfer stuff for a song if they are willing to do a lot of labor and engineering. I like havinf a spray cover and float bags tied into the boat instead of building a deck for the boats. This method is more flexible and may weigh less than builing decks. I have a spray cover someplace they can borrow if they want to try it. They can also borrow my canoe but it is a big 40 wide canoe that is really more of a pointy jon boat than a canoe. If they are catamaraning them they won’t want them that wide.

Build them It is easy to build a canoe if you have a strong back, So for a realitivly small cost (4-500 an 18 footer) they have their own boats. Plans are Ubitquitous on the Internet. Since they are Engineering students they need something to keep tehm busy, since engineers have no lives… My son goes to UNC-Greensboro, He built his boat back when he was a scout, and helped me build mine several years later so he is a resource for them. As am I if they are near Charlotte. Too bad you missed the 40 miler this year Dawn. Best river I have ever seen…

Thanks I actually was planning on the Lumber 40 this year, was going to do it in my Kruger, but somehow missed the fact that the date changed, I still have it on my calendar for Oct. How was the turnout this year. Dawn

average turn out but the river was fast! All the racers came in ahead of previous years time… Randy and i were out of shape, and out of training and stille came in 45 minutes ahead of our fastest time. the Lumber lent itself to our touring boat as we came in only 5 minutes behind th elast place Comp Cruiser…

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Building your own boat with Wharram Designs is the easiest and most cost effective way to fulfil your sailing dreams. Wharram Self-build boat plans start from only £120.

Wharram designs are based on years of practical, hands-on experience of building and ocean sailing catamarans. They are renowned for their seaworthiness, stability and safe simplicity. Designs from 14’ - 63’ are available for self-building in ply/epoxy with very detailed, easy to follow Plans often described as 'a course in boatbuilding'.

Study our Self Build Boats to familiarise yourself with our range of designs and their unique qualities. Download and read the Wharram Design Book which reviews each design in detail and offers a detailed introduction to the world of self-build catamarans. Order and download Study Plans and immerse yourself into the boat builder's mindset; evaluate the costs; the amount of time required to build your boat; where you will build it and where you will eventually launch it.

Once you have decided on the boat that is right for you, order your Boat Building Plans . All Wharram building plans are drawn for the first time builder, so anyone with a modicum of practical ability can build one of our designs. Our Building Plans present quality instruction, guidance and advice for both novice and professional alike. They are all based on decades of actual building experience and thousands of ocean miles sailed.

Go on adventures and live the life of your dreams. Spend your weekends coastal trekking and camping, or live aboard and spend your days sailing around the world. Become a member of the global family of Wharram builders and sailors. Wharram catamarans have been built and are sailing in all the World's oceans and can be found in far away ports and anchorages.

The quality of the Wharram self-build catamarans is reflected in their popularity, excellence of craftmanship and sound sailing qualities. More than 50 years on - with over 10,000 sets of plans sold and thousands turned into proud vessels - Wharram 'Cats' can be seen in harbours across the world, maintaining the highest reputation for surviving wind and wave.

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Self-Build Boats

Index of Wharram self-build catamarans. Familiarise yourself with our range of designs and their unique qualities.

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To help you select a design, read our practical advice about basic requirements, building times, building methods, and costs.

Several articles giving an in-depth look at our core design principles and how they are reflected as seaworthy, stable vessels sailing the oceans.

James Wharram: Lifetime Achievement Award

A special award was presented to James Wharram for a 'Lifetime Achievement' as Pioneer catamaran builder - sailor and multihull designer.

About James Wharram

In the mid 50's, based on his research into ancient Polynesian boat design, James Wharram built the first off-shore Catamaran in Britain and sailed it out into the Atlantic. While the world's yachting community still did not accept such a design as a worthy sea-going vessel, James was landing his 23'6" 'Double Canoe' called TANGAROA in Trinidad in the West Indies.

There he built a second 40' Polynesian style Catamaran, RONGO, and in 1959 sailed it up to New York and back to the UK accompanied by two German women - being the first to sail a catamaran West-to-East across the North Atlantic. These amazing Trans-Atlantic crossings and the follow up book ' Two Girls, Two Catamarans ' have etched the name 'James Wharram' into the annals of yachting history.

Since then, James Wharram has been designing, building and sailing offshore catamarans longer than any other multihull designer. James was a 'hands-on' designer having, over his lifetime, built personally many of the prototype designs. These prototypes were built in the open, in barns, workshops and all the range of building sites available to self-builders, in a variety of climate types from northern European to the Tropics. James was often referred to as a 'Living Legend' or as written in 'Yachting Monthly' in January 2006: "James Wharram is considered by many to be the father of modern multihull cruising."

James’ last achievement was his autobiography published in 2020 as ' People of the Sea ', which he wrote in conjunction with his design/life partner Hanneke Boon. James died in December 2021 at the age of 93. The design business is carried on by his co-designer Hanneke Boon .

Hui Wharram Cornwall Gathering 2024

We are having another Annual Hui! This Hui will mark 70 years since James designed his first Catamaran 'Tangaroa' and we are excited that we will be mooring at Devoran Quay just a 5 minute walk from the Wharram Headquarters based in Cornwall. It would be lovely to celebrate his achievement with all of you.

• Read more about Hui Wharram Cornwall Gathering 2024

Pacific Islander History Month

This month of May in America is 'Pacific Islander History Month' and we at James Wharram Designs would like to join in and celebrate alongside them! As you may know, double canoes/catamarans are of ancient Polynesian origin. The modern day catamaran is a direct descendent of these original ocean-going vessels.

• Read more about Pacific Islander History Month

James Wharram's Last Ride

On 23 July, a motley fleet of self-built catamarans gathered off Cornwall to give James and Ruth Wharram their final escort. It was a fitting farewell to a legend. The ashes of James and Ruth Wharram were consigned to the sea to be carried by the ebb current out to the open ocean.

• Read more about James Wharram's Last Ride

James' Eulogy

Hi everyone. I'm Matt. And apart from being truly honoured to be here to help send James on his way to his next adventure, I am here above all as a representative, really, for the many many people worldwide who's lives have been changed, for the better, as a result of James' life work.

• Read more about James' Eulogy

A Living Legend Lives No More

We are very sad to announce that on the 14th December James Wharram left this earthly world, joining Ruth, Jutta and his many close friends that departed before him. At 93 years old his spirit has set out on the voyage to sail the oceans of heaven.

• Read more about A Living Legend Lives No More

People Of The Sea - Compact Edition

The new second edition of the autobiography of James Wharram and Hanneke Boon is now available! This more compact edition at the lower cost of £16 contains all the text and illustrations of the special first edition. An easier size to fit the bookshelf on your boat. A must for all Wharram enthusiasts and other sailors.

• Read more about People Of The Sea - Compact Edition

• Catamaran Canoe Trip

Canoe Trip For the Family with Small Children

Why a Catamaran Canoe Trip?

Over the years many parents have asked us, “What is the average age of children before parents will start bringing them on Boundary Waters trips?” On average we would have to answer about 10 years old. But there is no height limit like at the amusement parks, and there is no age limit. It all depends on how comfortable you are with your canoeing, camping, and survival skills and whether you feel that you would be able to take care of your children when the conditions become less than ideal. Kids under the age of about 14 rarely carry their own weight while on a canoe trip. And where this becomes an issue is when a young child has to be the bow paddler in a canoe. But not anymore. We want you to be able to experience the Boundary Waters with your young kids without the worry and anxiety of swamping your canoe. So we’ve developed the “swamp-proof” Catamaran Canoe to help put your worries to rest. A catamaran canoe is two aluminum canoes fastened together to provide stability and reduce the risk of swapping.

Catamaran Canoe is Ideal for Young Children

To help make this possible, we’ve developed what we’re calling our “catamaran canoe” to provide you with the stability necessary when paddling with smaller children. A Boundary Waters trip with your kids will help build a special bond between you that only this area can. The BWCA teaches children how to respect nature. The rules that are set inside the park should be practiced at every campground throughout the country. An experience like this will open the eyes of your young kids and hopefully leave a lifelong impression on them to practice the “Leave No Trace” wilderness ethic in their daily lives.

Basic survival skills are learned in this wilderness. Special bonds are built between parent and child that will last forever, and the sooner you can experience a trip like this, the better. Plant the seed early in life and it will produce for you over and over again as your children grow and mature into adulthood.

A base camp on Seagull Lake is a wonderful beginning trip to introduce your children to this magnificent area. Put your anxiety to rest in our catamaran canoe and watch your child’s face light up as they discover the many wonders of the Boundary Waters.

Advantages of the Catamaran Canoe Trip

• Much more stable than a regular canoe
• Fishing in general becomes so much easier from this watercraft. Fishing in the wind from a canoe is downright brutal and impossible at times. With an anchor and this steady craft, you’ll be able to sit over your favorite fishing holes with ease.
• Perfect for canoe camping trips with smaller children
• Base camping on the big part of Seagull Lake is easier when the wind blows with the catamaran canoe
• Fly fishing the shorelines becomes easier with the option to stand and fly cast
• It’s the next best thing to a boat and motor (and since they aren’t allowed inside the BWCA, we’ve got the best thing out there) if you’re looking for stability and comfort while still enjoying what the BWCA has to offer

Canoe Trip Packages

Complete Canoe Outfitting – View what is included with this package. Pricing will depend on the number of people in your party and how many days you stay in the woods. Email or call 1-800-346-2205 for details and pricing.

Do you have all of your camping gear?  Maybe you want us to pack your food for you. If so, check out our Food and Canoe page.

Do you need a few select items?  Look at our Equipment Rental page for our ala carte camping price list.

Things to do and see on Seagull Lake

• Blueberry picking on Miles Island
• Explore Three Mile Island and view the 1,000-year-old white cedar trees as well as the 500-year-old white pine trees (both species are the oldest in all of Minnesota)
• Fishing at: Alpine Rapids, Hoover Island, Palisades, Shirttail Point, Seagull Rock, etc.
• Swimming at the sandy beach campsite on the north Seagull shore
• Explore any of the 130 islands that pepper the lake
• Photograph the countless wildlife and scenic opportunities found throughout one of Minnesota’s most prized lakes
• Hike the 1.6 mile Jap portage and look for juneberries and blueberries
• Have lunch at Picnic Point by the Alpine Lake portage
• View the huge eagle’s nest on Eagle’s Nest Island
• Hike the .7 mile Grandpa Lake portage on the Northside of the lake
• More than anything else, relax and enjoy nature

To Reserve Your Catamaran Canoe Trip with Seagull Canoe Outfitters call: 218-388-2216 or on-line reservation and inquiry form,  click here . 

We had a great time on Seagull Lake. . . your routing suggestions, including campsite knowledge and the trailhead up the Palisades, were extremely useful! You can quote me on that. Thanks for the wonderful trip that you outfitted my party in August. The Boundary Waters lived up to all that I had hoped for and the package you had prepared for us was more than adequate for the time we spent in the canoe area. Thanks again for the memories that you made possible and I will be reserving my trip with you next August. Thanks for everything.

I just wanted you to know how much we enjoyed our trip this year. Your staff was excellent as usual, they made us feel like we were the only ones there. Everyone was very courteous and helpful and in my opinion, you have the best staff and best services around. This was my 8th trip and my son’s 6th and I can’t begin to tell you how much fun we had. We saw moose, bear, eagles, otter, mink, chipmunks, snakes, ducks, and loons. We are looking forward to next year.

Overall Map of Seagull Lake

* red dots on the map denote camp sites

For information or reservations call: 218-388-2216

What our customers say....

Dear Deb and Seagull Staff, You guys are AWESOME! Last summer we again used Seagull for another BWCAW adventure and could not have been more pleased! Your Complete Canoe Outfitting Package was excellent! From planning and orientation to our food, equipment quality and condition, and our final tow service pick-up, everything exceeded our expectations! Your years of experience and attention to every detail really shows and is very appreciated! We absolutely can’t recommend Seagull strongly enough! Of course, all of this is why we are coming back again this summer! Thank you!! Looking forward to seeing you again in June!

Ken Hagemeier May 2, 2022

We build canoes.

Custom Order Canoes in Stock

Stock Canoe Email List

When we finish a canoe for sale we can notify you with an email. Subscribe if you are interested!

Updated Custom Noio Options

February 13, 2024

There were some great and thoughtful responses to my last email (which if you didn’t read, can be found here — a winding recap of the last few years in our quest to keep canoes made in Hawai’i). Perhaps my favorite response, "My Noio has a soul." I appreciate the encouragement. Our mission continues.

While our move is still in progress, we already feel the advantages of a better organized and smaller space. Tools are within reach, and we spend way less time walking! It'll be more efficient, and I am excited to focus more on the craft of building boats. For our team of builders, this means more variety of work, a little less focus on high-rate specialization, and more emphasis on the art of canoe building from start to finish.

With all these changes, we are also making a few updates to our pricing and custom options. Both a lower entry point starting at $5900, and way more custom paint options available.

Complete information on the Noio OC1 Order Form

A few other notes:

We are still taking deposits for the Gorge delivery! Please follow up with [email protected] if interested.

Our mailing address will remain the same.

The new location is behind our current building, open regular hours in starting in March.

We are slowly but steadily pushing out a number of older canoes at lower costs. Please inquire if interested!

More updates soon!

Thanks for reading.

Keizo Gates

End of year update

December 29, 2023

As 2023 comes to a wrap, I want to share some detailed updates from us at Kamanu Composites. We're on the move again. Though it's less exciting than our last shop move three years ago. We are consolidating our shop to about half the space over the next four to six weeks. We've had a wild run since 2020, and I've led us a little too close to the rocks, to the point that we're no longer financially viable without substantial changes. It's a decision I've delayed making as long as possible. But, at this point, it's our best path forward and will enable our long-term sustainability. If you don't read further, please know that Noio production will not be interrupted. We are more confident than ever that it's the best canoe in the world and is the ONLY OC1 model exclusively made in Hawai'i.

More on the Noio further in this letter, but first, I want to say I am incredibly proud of our canoe-building team. They've delivered continually over a pretty chaotic few years. In 2020, we went from a company-wide layoff to a scrappy startup making face shields during the lockdowns. That led to a large contract where we employed 90+ people, producing 20,000+ face shields daily while continuing canoe production. It was a little bonkers. And it was a massive deal for us.

In 2021, we had significant working capital for the first time, and we faced three options:

• Close the business with a windfall: Sad but financially savvy.
• Sell new equipment from the face-shield project and return to our original operation: We'd spent a decade losing money or barely breaking even, and going back to that was not a viable option.
• Scale up: a risky way to spend life-changing money, but also the only path with the possibility of keeping local canoe building alive and providing a living wage for our team. YOLO! The choice was easy.

It's been almost three years since then. We have done a lot but haven't achieved the growth we set out for. Reflecting, I can attribute a lot to my failures. We didn't execute fast enough. We overextended ourselves on rent and labor costs. But also, there is the reality that outrigger canoes are a surprisingly small market. Of the type we paddle in Hawaii, some 80% are made in China, and we make up the bulk remaining percentage. We are climbing in market share, but manufacturing is still excruciatingly difficult. In Hawai'i, it's nearly impossible. We face high rent, electricity, insurance, materials, and labor costs. The odds are stacked against us.

I've always believed that we could innovate our way around it. To some extent, we have. The Noio has had an exceptional first season and continues to win over paddlers. We regularly deliver customer boats in the 16-17 lb weight range. We've made tremendous gains in quality and labor productivity. We've gone from about 10-12% market share in 2022 to almost 20% this year. Hawai'i, perhaps more than anywhere in the world, supports local. But with a few missteps, and now, with an industry-wide drop in canoe sales this year vs last, we don't believe we can sustainably sell 8-10 canoes a week that we need to for our current space to work. There are also several more capital-intensive step functions in manufacturing capability required before we could ever compete on price.

In hindsight, this decision should have been made eighteen months ago. But I was holding on to those hopes and dreams of growth. I've always believed in what we do. Our team gets to bring the coolest things into the world. By spending the vast majority of our revenue locally, we contribute to Hawai'i's economy. As witnessed by the pandemic, local manufacturing adds resilience to our islands. It's an endlessly challenging creative pursuit, skill, art, and application of technology. With the limited amount of craftsmanship like this happening in Hawaii, I feel it's vitally important that we continue. And, to be honest, I will be devastated if nearly 100% of OC-1s are made in China.

While our path is full of ups, downs, and big curves— my goal is the same as we started with in 2007: to build the world's best canoes in Hawai'i and create a lasting company that has a positive impact on the world.

Downsizing does mean a couple of steps back on diversification and max production capacity, but we save significant amounts on rent, insurance, and utilities, and most importantly we can achieve financial sustainability. By applying all our gains and improvements over the last three years in a smaller more focused shop, I fully believe our best is yet to come.

• I suspect those of you reading this are already some of our most dedicated supporters, and we probably don't say it enough– but thank you. Ultimately, we can only do what we do with your support.
• We are open to financial and business development partnerships. Unfortunately, our business model doesn't make for a wise investment, and there aren't a lot of composite products that make sense to build in Hawai'i. But if you're passionate about ensuring that outrigger canoes are built in Hawai'i, and you have capital or good ideas, then I'd love to talk.
• We're keeping critical assets like the autoclave and most CNC manufacturing equipment in the move. We are selling an Onsrud 145M CNC and UR10 5-axis robot. Let us know if you're interested.
• My software as a service project ( GrugNotes.com – ai notes, wiki, and knowledge base) accounts for about 1/2000 of Kamanu Composites revenue! It's absurd but potentially a source of diversification outside of manufacturing. It’s free to sign up if you’d like more updates about it, and if you use note-taking software, please consider one that helps support local canoe-building! :)
• We have canoes in stock. Our average lead time has been around eight months for most of our existence, so we need to spread the word: the best doesn't mean the longest wait! If you or anyone you know is looking for a canoe, we regularly have stock canoes and custom lead times are one to three months.
• Marketing is something we will focus on in the New Year. We operate with nearly zero marketing budget, but we also realize an entire generation doesn't know our story. We'll share a little more on official social channels @kamanucomposites on Instagram – and I'll share more video content on YouTube. As a company, we have continuously operated quietly, somewhat guarding techniques, designs, etc. But times change, and so much of the exciting work we do is within the walls of our shop. I hope to share more of it.
• Retail and office will remain open for most of January—more updates to follow.

Thanks for reading and being the best customers and supporters of our dreams to build.

Aloha and Happy New Year to you all,

Keizo Gates Co-founder & CEO Kamanu Composites, LLC We Build Canoes

Help Wanted!

September 25, 2023

We are looking for full-time canoe builders to join our team! In its most modern form, we are composite technicians using techniques and tools typically only seen in the aerospace industry. We are proud to do this locally in Kailua in our mission to build the world's best outrigger canoes. Positions start at $15 and range to $25/hr with experience. No direct experience is necessary, but examples of work, art, or projects demonstrating your skill, willingness to learn, and passion are helpful. An interest in paddling is always a plus.

The initial role will focus on finishing, the final step in canoe building that transforms our product from molded carbon fiber to an outrigger canoe! Tasks include detailed inspection, wet sanding, buffing, stickering, repairs, rigging, polishing, grinding, cleaning, organizing, and anything else that can help build great canoes. With experience, we encourage builders to learn all aspects of our production, including lamination work and spraying.

If interested, please email a cover letter and resume to [email protected].

Innovation Grant for PPE Supply Chain

October 01, 2020

We’re proud to announce we’ve received an Innovation Grant for PPE Supply Chain from HTDC and the State of Hawai’i. The grant is a game-changer for us and will allow us to scale up our face shield production to tens of thousands per day. With the use of the funds, we’ll be hiring 30-50 people over the next 6 weeks.

During the initial stay-at-home order in March, we layed off 17 people and completely shut down our canoe building business. We thought it was the end of our business. One of our employees had the bright idea to donate our unused PPE that we use for canoe building to local hospitals. In dropping off a few thousand dollars in tyvek suits, gloves, and respirators, we saw the shortage situation first hand. It spurred us to want to help more, and in a couple of days, we figured out a way to make a face shield using material that we had in the shop. We planned to make a few hundred.

Within a week, we hired our outrigger canoe manufacturing team back, and in two weeks, we had shipped more face shields than we had canoes in 13 years. It both gave us a concrete way to help with the pandemic and also allowed us to keep our people employed.

We now have over 800,000 face shields on order and have been ramping up production as much as possible to meet that demand. But, given our machine, space, and labor constraints, we are currently maxed out at 10,000 weekly face shields. The HTDC grant enables us to pursue several large equipment purchases to produce up to 100,000 face shields per week by the end of October from our Kailua warehouse. Our goal is to produce 900,000 face shields by the end of the year while continuing to produce four or five outrigger canoes per week. Not only will this increase PPE capacity in Hawai’i, but it enables us to help provide needed jobs.

With increased manufacturing capacity and efficiencies, we’ve reduced our prices significantly to $4 for any quantity and will be giving away ten thousand free shields over the next five months to anyone in Hawai’i that needs them. We’re also making replacement screens available for $2 -- allowing the reuse of the foam band and elastic strap. Which is a feature we haven’t seen in the world of inexpensive face shields.

We hope that improving public health conditions in 2021 will reduce the demand for face shields. However, the equipment purchases enabled by the grant increase our resilience in future pandemics, as we will quickly be able to transition back to face shields in the unfortunate event that they become necessary again.

We feel fortunate to have received the backing of HTDC and the State of Hawai’i, and will use this momentum to help Hawai'i in the best way we know-how. Designing and manufacturing products in Hawai’i is what we've done since 2007 and will continue to do for the rest of our lives. The HTDC grant increases our community’s resilience while encouraging economic diversification and keeping our front line workers more protected. We’re thankful to all of our loyal customers who have enabled us to survive as a company for all of these years, and we’re thankful to be part of the HTDC program and do our part for Hawai’i.

If you’re interested in joining our team through the end of the year at our Kailua facility, please email [email protected] with a brief cover-letter and resume. Starting pay is $15 an hour, with higher paying positions available, as well as bonuses for night time work and production incentives. And if your organization is in need of face shields and can’t afford to purchase them, please email us at [email protected] with an overview of what you do and how many you need. We can’t guarantee that we’ll be able to provide everyone who needs a shield, but we’ll do our best!

May 16, 2020

We are open, however due to social distancing requirements and because our Kailua shop is a manufacturing facility, please make appointment before visiting . Thank you!

[email protected] | (808) 228-8609 | 905 Kalanianaole Hwy #4504. Kailua, HI 96734 © 2022 Kamanu Composites, LLC

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Canoe Catamaran

Discussion in ' Boat Design ' started by kmeastman , Dec 11, 2007 .

kmeastman Junior Member

I am a Mechanical Engineering student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. For my senior design semester project I would like to design a catamaran that is sail powered and uses two canoes as its two hulls. I have never designed a boat so I was hoping that more experienced people could help me out. The purpose of using canoes is mostly because the cargo/people capacity would be much greater than with most catamarans. I realize that this would make the boat slower than the average catamaran but I am ok with that. I was thinking along the lines of using 17' aluminum canoes, which usually come with two seats (each canoe), but a third would likely be added. It would likely be built to the maximum trailerable width of 8'6". I was thinking of having only one mainsail and probably adding a captain's seat between the two canoes toward the rear. I have done some preliminary research and here are the problems I forsee: 1. Since I am going to buy the canoes instead of building them, I can't get very good estimates of factors like wetted area and lateral plane area. I think I could figure them out if I had a canoe to take measurements on and then model it in a 3D CAD program. The problem is that I don't want to buy one and then find out that I need a larger or smaller one to make this work. 2. The major difference between a canoe hull and a catamaran hull is its width at the water level. Since the canoe is much flatter, it will have a large wetted area compared to its lateral plane area. I'm not sure how big of a problem this could be. I could increase the lateral plane area with the use of a center board but I would definitely have more overall wetted area and drag than an average catamaran. Again, I am not overly concerned about the speed I can get out of it, but it will hardly be worth putting a sail on it if its going to be too slow. 3. Catamarans that I have seen have similar L/B ratios to what I am talking about here. However, because a canoe is much wider than a catamaran hull, the center to center distance between the canoes would be much smaller than the center to center distance on a catamaran given the same L/B ratio. Is this a problem? 4. I was thinking that the boom of the sail would be mounted high enough that it would clear the head of the person in the middle seat (much lower than the other two seats) and the boom would not be long enough to reach the person in the back seat. In order for it not to hit the person in the front seat the rotation of the sail would have to be limited. Since the pivot of the sail and the front seat will likely be at about the longitudinal placement, this is about 180 degrees of rotation. From sailing books I have read, you should never need your sail to be rotated more than this but is there any reason why limiting its travel would be a problem? Any help is appriciated. If you have any advice on these problems or can think of any other possible problems I would love to hear what you think. Thanks Kevin  

masalai masalai

Research on polynesian ocean voyaging and Melanesian ocean voyaging and some of the catamaran threads.  

Pericles Senior Member

I concur. http://pvs.kcc.hawaii.edu/ http://www.pbs.org/wayfinders/polynesian2.html http://www.janeresture.com/voyaging/main.htm http://www.moolelo.com/hokulea.html http://starbulletin.com/2007/03/18/news/story04.html Masalai, Two minds with but a single thought. Pericles  

Seasons greetings to you Pericles (God of ? remind me. I was endeavouring to maintain a "grumpy old *******" attitude and make him look for himself. Good exercise for the young wipper-snapper. eh eh eh  

Village_Idiot Senior Member

A coupla things I would consider: 1) Canoes generally aren't used for catamaran hulls because they can take on waves/water and list/sink/capsize. If you're going to sail this thing in anything with over foot-high waves, you need to make the hulls shed water. Maybe try the FRP solid (sit-on-top) kayaks that have no interior. However, you will lose your room/capacity that you are trying to gain with the open hulls. 2) You can get around the 8.5' beam limitation by making the hulls movable under their scaffolding - once the boat is launched, move the hulls outboard to gain your stability. Depending on how wide you want the scaffold (deck), you can even go narrower than 8.5' to make trailering easier. 3) For truly innovative engineering design, use flat-transom canoes (that you can put an outboard on if you wanted), then design a configuration where you can swing one of the 17-foot canoes around backward so you can join the two canoes at the transoms and make a nice 34-foot canoe (remember, longer displacement hulls are faster and more efficient). This would give you a l/b ratio of around 11:1-12:1. You can add an outrigger for stability. Properly designed, you can turn the sailing cat into a fast outrigger canoe for when the wind isn't blowing. Maybe you could even design the mast, and/or the deck, to do double-duty as an outrigger. Or maybe just have an efficient fast-sailing canoe with a proper outrigger and sail combination...  

Thanks for your suggestions, I have seen the polynesian sailing canoes that you are talking about, which is what convinced me that my idea would work. I have checked out some of the other threads on catamarans and have gotten some valuable info from them. I'll check out the specific websites that you reccomended. As for the canoes taking on water, I do not intend this to go on real rough water. It will probably always be used on inland lakes and probably not on water rougher than you would normally take a single manually powered canoe on. If the water became an issue, do you think you could put some kind of water deflector on the top edge of the canoe that would make splashing waves bounce away from the hull? As for the trailering, I have already thought about making the boat wider by sliding the hulls out after it gets trailered. I would like to avoid this but I haven't done enough calculations yet to make sure it would be stable without any extra width. I really like your idea idea about the 2 flat transom canoes. I had anticipated using the double ended ones but one of the whole purposes of this project is to have a very versatile boat. One of the design requirements is that it needs to be dissassembled to portage between two lakes. This way the canoes could still be used individually too. I like this idea of having an extra long canoe as another option. It could be used maunually powered or if I decided to add an outrigger could be sail powered. Also, I didn't really want it to have an outboard motor on it, but if I had the flat transom style canoe I would have that option in the future.  

rwatson Senior Member

James Wharram designs sailing catamarans that are canoes - with a kyak like covered in seat in each hull  

Petros Senior Member

Sounds like a fun project. How about one really large cargo carrying canoe (better l/w ratio), with a kayak outrigger (or even two kayaks to make a trimaran). The kayaks can be attached to the outrigger booms with quick and simple bungee cord mounts. That way you do not have to unpack the canoe to take one of the kayaks out to scout ahead or find a campsite, etc. You would have more flexibility as to the use of the hulls together or apart too. Under sail the passengers and cargo are all together, where your single rudder is located on the center hull. The sea kayak outriggers could also store cargo was well, or an extra passenger. It would also be easy and light to attach the outriggers after trailering so you can go much wider which is much better. You can carry more sail this way too. There is less drag with a larger distance between the hulls, so not only can you carry more sail, but lower drag too due to interference effect from closely spaced hulls. the rotation molded sea kayaks (called "Tupperware" kayaks) are cheap, get them used from craigslist. Or better yet, build skin-on-frame kayaks, quick, light and inexpensive. I've built seven, they have cost me $30 to $50 each to build (using salvaged lumber), even buying all the materials new would still only cost about $100 or so each. Mine weight only about 20 lbs complete (attaching something this light after trailering would be an easy task). The canoe can be built skin-on-frame as well, a lot less expensive and lighter than aluminum. BTW it is common to use fabric splash covers on river canoes to keep the water out, no reason that could be done on your canoes as well. Good luck.  

Well, the project has been approved and is underway. My group was able to model the canoes and get some measurements like lateral plane area, Longintudinal center of buoyancy, LWL, and wetted area for different weights. I have done some estimates on D/L and SA/D ratios and they seem within reason for the kind of boat I would like to build. Most of the reccomendations for these ratios that I have seen are for monohulls. Would they be any different for a catamaran? Is there any books or websites that anyone can reccomend that give calculations or reccomendations that are specific to catamarans? What I would like some help with is how to determine if the lateral resistance area that I calculated is enough or if I need to add a centerboard. Also, what calculations can I make with the wetted area? Thanks for the help, Kevin  

"Also, what calculations can I make with the wetted area?" You can calculate how wet the wetted area is ? Years ago, an old yacht designer told us kids about how to determine the centre or resistance without any math. He cut out a profile of the underwater hull from a piece of cardboard, balanced the shape on the edge of a ruler, and where it balanced, marked it as the centre of lateral resistance. It seemed to work back then. I always wondered if the profile he cut should have been the profile of the heeled yacht (would have had a curved top edge and a shorter keel), but that would not apply to catamarans. Does anyone else still use this or a similar technique these days?  

FAST FRED Senior Member

There are plastic pontoons made that can be put together to most any length to build your basic boat.. The shape of the weted surface would be better than the canoe , and might even be cheaper. FF  

The wetted area is used to calculate the drag. The less the wetted area the better, but in a canoe or monohull the smallest wetted area is a semi-circular cross section, which means no resistance to heeling moments. On a cat this matters little, so many cat hulls are semi-circular in cross section (for least drag) but if you use the hull as a canoe it will simply roll over. You need a flatter bottom so it has some inherent stablity,  

There are very few cat hull that are semi circular in cross section! They are either bell shaped or sharp edged. The sides are flattened to resist leeway, and avoid the necessity of big daggerboards. Certainly the forward part of the hulls are almost knife shaped, for easy entry to waves and wind. Examples, Hobie Cat, Tornado (which has a semi circle for a small section of the stern), Nacra etc These features to enhance sailing ability will be far bigger considerations than a bit of friction on a small 16ft hull. due to wetted area.  

Guest625101138 Previous Member

Kevin Get hold of a hull surface rendering program called Delftship. You can get a free version of it. Look at the hulls you are thinking of buying and draw approximate models in Delftship. This should take all of 10 minutes if you are a slow learner. If you are having trouble then post a couple of photos and I will spend the 5 minutes to do them for you. Delftship will provide you all the hydrostatic information. It will give you crap hydrodynamic data. However you can export the hull into Michlet format and then use Michlet to get accurate drag information - within 5% for a canoe type hull. With a sailing cat you can design for many cases. The two extremes is where you have both hulls equaly loaded on say a beam reach. The other extreme is where the entire weight is carried on a single hull when you are pushing hard to windward. There are obviously a whole series of load cases in between but looking at resolving the forces under these two extremes will give you a good understanding. If you want help on the detail after you get started, just post specific questions that are giving you difficulty. Rick W.  

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rwatson said: ↑ There are very few cat hull that are semi circular in cross section! They are either bell shaped or sharp edged. The sides are flattened to resist leeway, and avoid the necessity of big daggerboards. Certainly the forward part of the hulls are almost knife shaped, for easy entry to waves and wind. Examples, Hobie Cat, Tornado (which has a semi circle for a small section of the stern), Nacra etc Click to expand...

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How to Make a Catamaran Out of Two Kayaks? Here’s What You Need to Know

If you’re looking for an inexpensive and simple way to make your own catamaran out of two kayaks, then you’ve come to the right place.

In this guide, we’ll provide the necessary steps to create a stable and secure catamaran from two kayaks.

You’ll learn the benefits of making a catamaran out of two kayaks, the supplies you’ll need, a step-by-step guide to tying the kayaks together, constructing the platform, and more.

Plus, we’ll provide tips for ensuring a safe and fun day on the water.

So, let’s get started!

Table of Contents

Short Answer

Making a catamaran out of two kayaks is actually relatively simple and can be done in a few steps.

First, you’ll need to attach the two kayaks together using either rope or straps.

Make sure the kayaks are well secured together and evenly balanced.

Then, tie a cross beam between the two kayaks to make a platform for seating and storage.

Finally, add any additional gear, such as paddles and life jackets, that you may need for your journey.

With these steps, you’ll have your own DIY catamaran made out of two kayaks!

Benefits of Making a Catamaran Out of Two Kayaks

Making a catamaran out of two kayaks is a great way to enjoy the open waters with added stability and capacity compared to a single kayak.

Not only is it relatively easy and inexpensive to do, but it also allows you to explore further and carry more gear than you would with a single kayak.

One of the main benefits of making a catamaran out of two kayaks is that it provides added stability.

A catamaran is inherently more stable than a single kayak because the two hulls provide a wider base, which helps prevent tipping over.

This is especially beneficial for those who are new to kayaking, as it gives them additional confidence on the water.

Another benefit of making a catamaran out of two kayaks is that it gives you more capacity.

By combining two kayaks, you can carry more gear and supplies than you would with a single kayak.

This makes it perfect for overnight trips or long-distance paddles, as you can easily carry enough food, water, and other supplies to last the entire trip.

Finally, making a catamaran out of two kayaks is also relatively easy and inexpensive.

All that is needed are two kayaks, a few pieces of wood, and some basic tools.

With a few simple steps, you can have a great time on the water without breaking the bank.

In conclusion, making a catamaran out of two kayaks can be a great way to explore open waters with added stability and capacity.

So if youre looking for a fun and safe way to enjoy the water, making a catamaran out of two kayaks is definitely worth considering.

Necessary Supplies

When it comes to making a catamaran out of two kayaks, there are certain supplies that are necessary for the job.

The most important items needed are two kayaks, some pieces of wood, and basic tools.

Depending on the type of kayaks, rope or bungee cord may also be necessary.

The two kayaks should be tied together with rope or bungee cord.

This will provide the necessary stability and capacity that a catamaran needs.

The rope or bungee cord should be tied securely, but not too tightly, to ensure that the kayaks dont move apart when in use.

Using the pieces of wood, a platform should be constructed to attach the kayaks together.

This will provide the necessary support for the kayaks to be on the same level.

The platform should be made with durable wood that can withstand the elements and the weight of the kayaks.

Once the platform is in place, the kayaks should be secured together with more rope or bungee cord.

This will ensure that the kayaks stay together and remain secure.

With these supplies, youll be able to construct a catamaran out of two kayaks, providing a great way to explore open waters with added stability and capacity.

It is a relatively simple process to do, and with the right supplies, youll be able to enjoy a fun and safe day on the water.

Step-by-Step Guide for Tying the Kayaks Together

Tying two kayaks together to create a catamaran is a fairly straightforward process that can be completed with minimal supplies and basic tools.

To get started, select two kayaks that are similar in size and shape.

If the kayaks are not the same size, one may need to be secured higher than the other for balance.

Once the kayaks are selected, its time to start tying them together.

Begin by securing a rope or bungee cord around the kayaks, making sure to wrap the cord around both kayaks several times.

Its important to make sure the cord is tied tightly and securely; if the cord is too loose, the kayaks are likely to move while in the water, which could be dangerous.

After the rope or bungee cord is secured, a platform should be constructed out of wood and attached to the kayaks.

This platform should be large enough for the items being stored on the catamaran, such as coolers, fishing gear, and other supplies.

Once the platform is attached, its important to securely tie the kayaks together with additional rope or bungee cord.

This will help ensure that the kayaks stay together and dont move while in the water.

By following these simple steps, anyone can easily create a catamaran out of two kayaks.

With a little bit of planning and the right supplies, this project can be completed in just a few hours.

With the catamaran in place, its time to hit the open waters and enjoy a great day on the water.

Constructing the Platform

Constructing the platform for a catamaran out of two kayaks is the next step in the process.

The platform should be constructed out of wood, such as lumber or plywood.

The size of the platform will vary depending on the size of the kayaks and the desired capacity, but the general rule is that the platform should be at least twice the width of the kayaks.

The platform should also be long enough to span the distance between the two kayaks.

The platform should be constructed with two crossbeams for added stability.

These should be secured to the kayaks with bolts, screws, or rope.

The crossbeams should be evenly spaced along the length of the platform.

Once the platform is constructed, it should be secured to the kayaks with more rope or bungee cord.

It is important to make sure the platform is strong and secure.

Make sure that the crossbeams are securely attached to the kayaks and that the platform is securely attached to the crossbeams.

If the platform is not secure, it can cause an instability that could lead to an accident while out on the water.

Once the platform is secure, it’s time to enjoy your new catamaran!

Securing the Kayaks Together

Once the kayaks are tied together, it is time to secure them for a more stable and reliable ride.

This is done by looping additional rope or bungee cord around the kayaks and tying them together.

This creates a secure connection between the two kayaks and ensures that they will remain connected while out on the water.

Additionally, it is important to make sure that all knots are tightly tied and not loose.

This will help to ensure that the connection between the kayaks remains strong and secure.

Additionally, it is important to inspect the knots periodically throughout the day to ensure that they are still tight and secure.

This is especially important if the kayaks are being used in choppy or turbulent waters.

Tips for Ensuring a Safe and Fun Day on the Water

Making a catamaran out of two kayaks is a great way to explore open waters with added stability and capacity, and it can be done relatively easily and with minimal supplies.

However, its important to take the proper steps to ensure a safe and fun day on the water.

Before you begin, make sure you have all the necessary supplies.

This includes two kayaks, a few pieces of wood, rope or bungee cord, and basic tools.

Make sure you have enough of each material to complete the project.

Once you have all the supplies, its time to tie the kayaks together.

Make sure the rope or bungee cord is tied securely and tightly, as it will be responsible for keeping the kayaks together.

Its also important to make sure the kayaks are tied together in the correct way.

The best way to do this is to tie the sterns together and then tie the bows together.

Next, you will need to build a platform out of the wood.

Make sure the platform is the correct size and securely attached to the kayaks.

This will be the base for the catamaran.

Finally, to ensure the kayaks stay together, you should use additional rope or bungee cord to tie the kayaks together.

Once you have completed all these steps, youre ready to hit the open waters! Just remember to be safe and have fun.

And, if you ever have any doubts, seek out professional help to make sure your catamaran is constructed correctly.

Other Ways to Make a Catamaran Out of Two Kayaks

Making a catamaran out of two kayaks is a great way to explore open waters with added stability and capacity.

It can be done relatively easily and with minimal supplies, allowing you to save money and still have a great time.

In addition to the rope and wood mentioned above, there are a few other methods that can be used to make a catamaran out of two kayaks.

One option is to use a pair of inflatable air mattresses.

These mattresses can be used to create a platform between the two kayaks that will provide additional stability.

The mattresses should be connected with rope or bungee cord and then secured to the kayaks.

This is a great option for those who dont want to build a wooden platform or dont have the necessary tools.

Another option is to use two pieces of foam.

This method is similar to the inflatable mattress option, but instead of using air mattresses, two pieces of foam are used to form the platform.

The foam should be cut to shape and then connected to the kayaks with rope or bungee cord.

This is a great option if you dont have access to an air mattress, but it may not be as durable as a wooden platform.

Finally, another option is to use a piece of plywood.

This method is similar to the wooden platform option, but instead of using individual pieces of wood, a piece of plywood is used to form the platform.

The plywood should be cut to shape and then connected to the kayaks with rope or bungee cord.

This is a great option if you have the necessary tools and access to a sheet of plywood, but it may not be as strong as a wooden platform.

No matter which method you choose, making a catamaran out of two kayaks is a great way to explore open waters with added stability and capacity.

With the right supplies and tools, you can have a fun and safe day on the water.

Final Thoughts

With the right supplies and a bit of knowledge, you can easily construct your own catamaran.

So why not give it a try? You’ll be sure to have a great time out on the water with your new craft.

James Frami

At the age of 15, he and four other friends from his neighborhood constructed their first boat. He has been sailing for almost 30 years and has a wealth of knowledge that he wants to share with others.

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Canoe Camping: The Ultimate Guide

In the past ten years, I have been out on almost one hundred camping trips on the water, both here in Scotland and around Europe. These have ranged from short overnighters to eight day epics, some in my own time with friends, others guiding clients into a whole new world of canoe camping. 

In that time I have learned countless lessons along the way, often the hard way. From hunkering down under a canoe for a cold night in the rain, to eating dried oatmeal and cold coffee for breakfast when my stove died, I’ve been there. This guide is a cumulation of tips, hints, and ideas that I have picked up along the way that will help you prepare for your canoe camping trip.

Pre-Trip Planning

There’s plenty to be done before you even think about loading your canoe up on the rooftop and heading out onto the water. Sit down with a cold one, or a hot one depending on your preference, and make sure you have everything planned to make your trip a success.

How Much Time Have You Got?

The length of your canoe trip is often dictated by how much time you have off work. It’s surprising how much you can fit into a weekend though, especially if you’re packed and ready to go when you finish work on a Friday night. Short trips can be a down and dirty, fast and light style trip where you don’t have to load up on masses of gear to make things work. 

Though discomfort is bearable for the occasional night, on longer canoe trips you will usually want to carry more gear. Of course, you will need more food, but you’re also likely to want some of the creature comforts you would have at home. Perhaps charging blocks, pillows, and a more substantial tent might be in order when you’re heading out for a week.

How Far Can You Paddle in a Day?

The average canoeist will paddle at around 2 – 3 mph. This means that by paddling for 8 hours, you can cover 16 – 24 miles in a day. But not all canoes, or canoeists, are created equal.

It’s useful to learn how far you can reasonably paddle in a day and how long you can paddle for. You might top out at 10 miles or can go for 30. Knowing this will allow you to plan a trip that is right for you.

Remember that your pace and distance will also vary dependent on wind conditions, river levels, and even the rain. In cold and wet conditions, it can be hard to get motivated, while in hot weather you may struggle to exert yourself for hours at a time. Plan cautiously and don’t anticipate covering great distances until you’re sure you’re ready for them.

Pick a trip

It’s time to break out the maps, trawl through the guidebooks, and search the internet to find a trip. Trips come in all different styles and if you’re heading somewhere new it can be a great idea to phone an outfitter in the area – after all, local knowledge is almost always the best. 

Pick a trip that is suitable to your timeframe, but also your paddling style, as well as the paddling level of everyone in the group. A remote rapid three days into the trip and hours from help is not a time to push your skills, so stick to what you’re comfortable with.

Know the Route

Once you’ve read the reports or phoned the outfitter, keep researching your chosen trip. This is especially important if you’re heading somewhere remote, or to a location brand new to you. The more you know about the trip, the less likely you are to make a navigational error.

Maps can be left out on coffee tables for days or weeks and checked routinely until you know every turn along the way. You can even make notes on the map, or on a separate notebook, for bearings, portages, or notable features like large rapids along the way. This goes a long way to limiting mistakes and helps to put you more at ease once you’re out on the trip.

RELATED: Kayaking Near Me: the Interactive Map of Places to Go Paddling

Check for any facilities along the route, too. These could be towns that you can stay in or restock food supplies in, or simply water supply points and a shelter you can use for the night. It’s also a good idea at this stage to check whether you need a permit to paddle where you want to go.

Check the weather forecast

Ideally, all of our canoe trips would happen under a bright blue sky, with a gentle breeze to help us along and keep the bugs at bay. The reality is that nature is rarely so kind to us, but this makes those trips all the more special. 

The elements are not to be messed about with. Check the weather before you go and decide on whether you need to make any changes to your trip to accommodate the forecast. Are there rivers that are going to come into a flood, or perhaps a strong wind that will force you off the lake?

If the weather looks really nasty, you might have to completely change where you’re going. At other times, you can get away with minor route changes, or beat the weather by setting off earlier and having a mid-afternoon finish. If you’re not sure that you’re going to have a cell phone signal out on your trip, take the forecast with you.

Transportation

Getting your canoe and all of your gear to the water is the first step of your trip. If your trip is an out-and-back or a circular route, you can often get away with just one vehicle that is parked at the start of the trip. If you are canoeing a linear trip, you will need to leave a vehicle at the end or organize a shuttle service.

A lot of local outfitters offer shuttle services for you and your gear and this can relieve a lot of stress from your trip. Failing that, you can leave a second vehicle at the end to load up and return, or book a taxi and then go back to collect your gear. Where possible, leave someone with the gear while the shuttle is happening, that way you’ll still have a canoe to come back to.

Top tip: Keeping your key on your person at all times means that even if you lose gear, you can always make it home at the end of your trip. Secure it in a waterproof pouch or container and keep it in your PFD pocket. 

Have a Plan B

And C, D, and perhaps even an E. Most trips make it a long way through the alphabet by the end of their trip. Sure, you might stick to your plan A, but it’s always a good idea to know your options.

Check out where you can get out if things are going wrong, where you might have a cell signal, and any roads or towns along the way. On the trip, be ready to change it up if you’re not paddling how you had planned, or if things look a little different from how they were described in the guidebook. These usually aren’t big changes, but perhaps camping a few miles short of where you had planned, or in a spot with some shelter from the wind for example. 

Assign Home Contacts 

Sure, we all have cell phones nowadays and unless we’re a long way into the wilderness we can usually rely on having a signal. But what about if you lose your phone, or it gets wet and dies? A home contact can phone the authorities on your behalf if they do not hear from you after an allotted time and this has saved lives in the past.

These home contacts should know your plan, location, and details of vehicles and outfitters you plan to use. The more information these home contacts can give to the authorities – canoe type, color, tent style – the more likely they are to find you. 

Agree on a time that you should be in touch with your home contact, and an emergency time that they should alert the authorities if they haven’t heard from you. On shorter trips, this might just be an hour, while on longer trips it may be days, to account for a potential lack of phone signal. 

What’s the Best Canoe for Camping?

The best canoe for canoe camping or tripping will depend on the style of your trip. Picking the right canoe is imperative to success and comfort, so here are the three main elements to help you choose.

The key dimensions of a canoe are length and width. Longer canoes are faster and track more effectively against the wind than shorter canoes, making them a better choice if you have long distances to cover. Shorter canoes are more maneuverable and better suited to river trips or shorter journeys where you need to turn in tight spots.

Wide canoes have a higher level of primary stability, making them more stable when they’re flat or stationary. This width creates drag on the water and slows the canoe down though, so narrower canoes are often chosen on longer journeys. Wider canoes are suited to family trips or journeys where you are carrying heavy loads.

How much weight you can load into your canoes will directly affect the gear you can take with you. When you’re looking at your overall weight, remember to include the weight of all paddlers, their clothing, as well as any gear and equipment being taken onboard. You should keep your loaded weight to less than 70% of the overall capacity of the canoe for optimal performance.

The lighter your canoe, the easier it is to carry and the less you have to exert yourself. Lightweight canoes are ideal for trips with portages, but also remember you’re going to have to propel yourself across the water for days at a time. Heavy canoes might not make a difference on the first stroke, but by the thousandth, you could be feeling it.

There are advantages to heavier canoes though. For a start, they’re often far cheaper than their lightweight alternatives, making canoe camping more accessible. They also tend to be stronger and better suited to rocky rivers and rough water environments that can damage a canoe. 

Canoe trippers will often try to strike a balance of weight and strength which means they won’t be struggling along portage trails but also aren’t going to have to carry out running repairs every few hours.

Dress for the Weather

There are days for canoeing in a swimsuit and PFD and other days where you need to be loaded up with warm clothing and waterproof outers. Dress for the weather, remembering that you should be always prepared to get wet, just in case.

In general, it’s a good idea to prioritize layers over bulkier clothing. Layers keep you warmer and are also easier to change throughout the day if you need to warm up or cool off. In warmer weather, UV protective layers and sunscreen are essential.

ALSO SEE: What to Wear While Kayaking: The Ultimate Dress Code for Paddlers

We always recommend wearing secure footwear . You never know what’s lurking on the river or lake bed and when you might need to move around quickly on the shore.

Neoprene kayaking boots are often a great choice but can be too hot on long trips and lack grip for portages. More technical paddling boots are usually a better choice for long trips. Sandals are a great way to let your feet breathe on the water, but aren’t always great on the portage trail.

Hats and Helmets

Whether you need to take a helmet with you on your trip will depend on the environment but it would be unusual to head out on a canoe trip without a hat of some kind. Whether it’s a winter hat to keep you warm or protect you from strong winds, or a sun hat to stop you from overheating, these are essential for canoe camping.

If your trip takes you down a river that contains rapids, you might find yourself wearing a helmet intermittently. In this case, you can stuff your hat down the back of your PFD while wearing your helmet, then retrieve it once you are safely through the rougher spots. Don’t forget to secure your helmet to your canoe to avoid losing it.

Packing for Canoe Camping

Packing Your Gear: Dry Bags vs. Barrels

It’s important that you keep your canoe camping gear dry and secure while you’re on the water, but also in the event that you end up in the water. Most canoeists achieve this using either dry bags or barrels.

Barrels are popular among canoeists for their robustness and longevity. These barrels rely on a sealed lid, secured with a clip to keep it in place, and are capable of keeping your gear dry even while bouncing down a river. Barrel harnesses can be added for carrying these on longer portages, so you don’t have to make extra trips.

Dry bags can be more comfortable to carry on longer portages and have the added bonus that they can be compressed when they’re not full, freeing up space in your canoe. Heavy-duty PVC dry bags are usually the best option as they are more durable and have a higher waterproof rating. 

However you load your equipment, prioritize keeping important gear like sleeping bags and spare layers dry. Packing into smaller dry bags inside your barrel or bag can make it easier to find equipment and prevents it from getting soaked if your outer protection fails.

Pack a Day Bag or Barrel

Where possible, you want to avoid opening your main bag or barrel throughout the day. The more times you open it, the greater the chance is that you don’t properly secure the lid or straps. If your bag or barrel is tied into your canoe, you will end up wasting a load of time freeing it when you need access.

A small day dry bag or barrel for snacks and those things you need to keep close at hand is a useful addition to your canoe. This can be secured more loosely to the boat and shouldn’t contain any major essentials, but is a great place to keep snacks and spare layers.

Packing Food and Fuel

You’re going to need to eat plenty of food out on your canoe camping trip. One of the beauties of canoe camping is that you don’t have to scrimp on your meals. Sure, if you’re out for multiple weeks you might choose to eat energy bars and freeze-dried meals to save on weight. But if you’re going out on a shorter trip, you can cook anything, from steaks to stews.

Prepare as much food as is reasonable before you go, including chopping and packaging food that is going to be used on the first or second night. You can even make chili or similar to heat up when you get into camp and save time on the trail. How you cook is up to you and there are loads of canoe camping books and videos that show you meals for on the trail.

Cooking can be done using stoves, barbeques, dutch ovens, or any other method that works for you. If you’re carrying fuel, keep it separate from your clothes and sleeping bag in case of leaks. If you plan to cook on open fires or with a flame, be sure to check local guidelines and advice on wildfires and wood collection and abide by them. This may mean carrying in all of your wood or coals and loading the ashes back out with you too.

Emergency Extras

A few well-chosen extras, both gear and food, should be stashed in your main barrel or bag. Ideally, you won’t need these at any time, but should you capsize, or find yourself shore-bound for an entire day, they may be enough to keep you comfortable.

This gear list is not exhaustive and can be altered, but can help you to pack for your first trip. It’s a good idea to put together a list for each trip that you can tick off as you pack to prevent any surprises when you reach camp.

Paddling Items

• Paddles (One per paddler + spare)
• Personal clothing + PFD
• Waterproof jacket and pants
• Helmet (where necessary)
• Kneeling pad (optional)
• Drinking water

Camping Gear – Packed Into Barrel or Dry Bag

• Tent, hammock, tarp, or bivvy bag
• Sleeping bag
• Sleeping pad
• Spare clothing
• Spare shoes for camp
• Insulated jacket
• Stove and fuel
• Food (+ spare emergency food)
• Camping kitchen – knives, chopping board, cutlery, etc.
• Spare water (or purification/filter)
• Bug repellent
• First Aid Kit
• Saw/hatchet (where wood collection is allowed)
• Fire starters (+backup)
• Power bank and cables
• Toiletries 

Day Bag/Barrel

• First aid kit (smaller than the main kit, for minor injuries)
• Spare layer(s)
• Hat and gloves
• Snacks 
• Cell phone or personal locator
• Camera (waterproof ideally)
• Credit card/cash (for local towns or facilities on the way)

How to load your canoe

There’s more to canoe loading than just hauling your bag or barrel into your canoe and setting off. But how do you load up safely and securely?

Comfort and Safety

The most important factor to consider when you load your canoe is your safety. You should be able to safely exit your fully loaded canoe in the event of a capsize, or when you reach the shore. Don’t load gear onto yourself, or jam yourself in with bags and barrels.

Make sure you’re comfortable, too. Too much equipment can stop you from stretching out or can push you into uncomfortable positions. You need to be able to paddle for hours at a time and you can’t do that with a barrel digging into your ribs.

Trim and Balance

Aim to keep the weight neutral when you load up your canoe. Affecting the trim – the forward/backward balance of the canoe – can make it hard to control your boat, or to paddle against the wind. A side-to-side imbalance makes it harder to control your canoe and more likely that you will tip, and you can find yourself having to counterbalance your gear with your body weight.

Storing Gear in a Canoe: Tied, tethered, or loose?

In calm water environments, it’s often okay to simply load up your equipment into your canoe and head off. Unsecured gear will fall out of your canoe in the event of a capsize, but in calm water that makes it easy to rescue the canoe and collect up the gear afterward. By having your gear loose, it’s easy to access at all times and there’s no time wasted tying and untying your bags every time you stop.

A step above loose gear is tethering, using a long piece of rope to attach your bag to your canoe. With single bags or barrels, this can be a simple way to ensure your gear remains with the canoe if you capsize, and has the bonus that it can be moved around to help affect the trim if you’re paddling in the wind. With more than one bag though, you can end up with too much rope and this can be dangerous, causing entanglement issues that are especially dangerous in moving water.

In white water or strong winds, it’s advisable to lash your gear down securely in your canoe to prevent it from going anywhere if you capsize. In these environments, a bag or barrel going overboard may be unretrievable and you could lose the items stored inside. The lashed gear will also provide extra buoyancy in the canoe and make it easier to rescue, as it will fill with less water. 

Stay Safe on the Water

Don’t set off too fast.

You’re most likely going to be canoeing for hours, covering miles on the water. If you set off too fast there’s a good chance of burning out or injuring yourself. Think of the first hour as a warm-up and start gently where possible. If you don’t have that option and have to immediately paddle against a fierce wind, or in rapids, consider warming up before you get on the water. 

Keep the Group Together

If you’re paddling with other canoes on your camping trip, it’s useful to keep everyone within a reasonable distance of each other. That way, you can make decisions together, eat together, and if someone capsizes you are on hand to rescue each other. You often find yourself staying closer together in wilder conditions, and spreading further apart when the weather is calm.

Finding a Campspot

The canoeing is only a part of the trip and eventually, your day is going to come to an end. When you reach your camp spot, there are important factors to consider before firing up the stove and getting comfortable.

Location Location Location

Try to find a flat area near the water’s edge if you’re sleeping in a tent or a thicket of trees for hammock campers. Avoid pitching your tent in a dip in the ground, as these will fill with water if it rains. Look for shelter against strong winds, or an open spot if you need a breeze in calmer weather, to keep the bugs away. 

Avoid camping on private ground, and try to be discreet when you’re near civilization to avoid unwanted attention. A flowing stream is useful for drinking and cooking water, but unless you’re sure it’s safe to drink you should still treat it to avoid illnesses.

Tides or Rising Water

Before you set your pitch up, is the water level going to change overnight? Tides, heavy rain, or an upstream dam that could release water can all cause sudden changes in the water levels of lakes and rivers. Be aware of these to avoid being woken up by water lapping over your toes in the early hours of the morning.

Part of getting back to nature is making sure you keep yourself and your food safe from inquisitive creatures and critters. Bugs are a menace, but easy to deal with through bug spray and nets. A hungry bear, however, can cause far greater problems.

Keep your food secured in airtight containers in bear country and consider hanging a bear bag to keep your food out of reach. Do not take any food or food items into your tent overnight, and make sure you have tidied your campsite before you go to bed.

Top Tip: Secure your Canoe

A quick hitch around a tree with your painter can be the difference between waking up in the morning to still having a canoe, or being up the creek without more than just a paddle. This is especially important if water levels are likely to rise, or in strong winds.

Leave No Trace

Perhaps the number one reason for canoe camping is to get back into nature and reconnect with the natural environment. As responsible canoe campers, you should endeavor to leave as little trace behind you as possible. This means:

• Taking trash home with you,
• Using portage trails where possible, 
• Minimizing the impact of campfires and wood collection, as well as following any restrictions or advice,
• Not cutting live wood, but using fallen wood or wood you have brought in,
• Toileting responsibly and disposing of human waste in the right way, following any local guidelines,
• Respecting wildlife and other campers.

These are just some of the ways to be a responsible canoe camper, and you can find out more about responsible camping here .

Successful Canoe Camping: My Personal Top Tips

Here are my personal top tips from over a decade of canoe tripping.

Canoes Make Great Tables

An upturned canoe propped up by logs or barrels makes a great impromptu table for laying out food in the evening. This is especially great if you’re in a larger group. Just remember not to use it as a chopping board, or you might find yourself bailing as you paddle the next day! 

Go Old School with Navigation

In a world full of GPS systems and apps, there’s nothing better than a map and compass for navigation . It doesn’t rely on batteries and it doesn’t stop working if it gets wet – so long as you waterproof your map, of course.

Learning to use a map and compass lets you save battery on your phone for essential calls, which means you won’t be stuck in a tight spot if you run out of charge.

Be Prepared to Sit It Out

Sometimes we have to concede defeat to the elements. It’s not worth taking the risk against nature if conditions get too windy or rough, especially when you’re a long way from help. Be prepared to pitch your tent and spend the day waiting for the weather to calm down, or river levels to drop if they have flashed up. Perhaps pack a deck of cards or a book to pass the time.

Don’t Overload Your Canoe

You hear it all the time, ‘it’s great canoeing, you can just pack everything and don’t have to think.’ It’s true that you can carry a load more in a canoe than you can on your back, but you still have to propel your canoe across the water. What’s more, you might have to haul all of that gear along a portage trail at some point, too.

To keep your canoe performing to its optimal level, don’t overload 70% of the stated capacity. That means that if your canoe’s capacity is 1000 lbs., you should only load up 700 lbs. This includes paddlers, clothing, and all equipment.

Practice Rescues

Before you head out, practice emptying canoes and rescuing those in the water. Make sure you are capable of doing this in whatever environment you are going to head out in. If you’re paddling solo, have a plan to get back into your canoe and get to the shore if you capsize. If someone capsizes on the trip, it’s not a great time to be working out how to perform a rescue.

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Tom "Moose" Kilpatrick

Moose started his paddling life on the ponds and rivers in the South-East of England. He has slowly worked his way north and has spent the last few years paddling in Scotland, both with friends and as a canoe guide. A very experienced and knowledgeable coach and guide across Scotland and the rest of the UK, he spent a summer in Norway and a month in Nepal. He is also a cofounder of PaddleMore.co.uk.

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First refuelling for Russia’s Akademik Lomonosov floating NPP

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The FNPP includes two KLT-40S reactor units. In such reactors, nuclear fuel is not replaced in the same way as in standard NPPs – partial replacement of fuel once every 12-18 months. Instead, once every few years the entire reactor core is replaced with and a full load of fresh fuel.

The KLT-40S reactor cores have a number of advantages compared with standard NPPs. For the first time, a cassette core was used, which made it possible to increase the fuel cycle to 3-3.5 years before refuelling, and also reduce by one and a half times the fuel component in the cost of the electricity produced. The operating experience of the FNPP provided the basis for the design of the new series of nuclear icebreaker reactors (series 22220). Currently, three such icebreakers have been launched.

The Akademik Lomonosov was connected to the power grid in December 2019, and put into commercial operation in May 2020.

Electricity generation from the FNPP at the end of 2023 amounted to 194 GWh. The population of Pevek is just over 4,000 people. However, the plant can potentially provide electricity to a city with a population of up to 100,000. The FNPP solved two problems. Firstly, it replaced the retiring capacities of the Bilibino Nuclear Power Plant, which has been operating since 1974, as well as the Chaunskaya Thermal Power Plant, which is more than 70 years old. It also supplies power to the main mining enterprises located in western Chukotka. In September, a 490 km 110 kilovolt power transmission line was put into operation connecting Pevek and Bilibino.

Image courtesy of TVEL

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For the first time Rosatom Fuel Division supplied fresh nuclear fuel to the world’s only floating nuclear cogeneration plant in the Arctic

The fuel was supplied to the northernmost town of Russia along the Northern Sea Route.

The first in the history of the power plant refueling, that is, the replacement of spent nuclear fuel with fresh one, is planned to begin before 2024. The manufacturer of nuclear fuel for all Russian nuclear icebreakers, as well as the Akademik Lomonosov FNPP, is Machinery Manufacturing Plant, Joint-Stock Company (MSZ JSC), a company of Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL that is based in Elektrostal, Moscow Region.

The FNPP includes two KLT-40S reactors of the icebreaking type. Unlike convenient ground-based large reactors (that require partial replacement of fuel rods once every 12-18 months), in the case of these reactors, the refueling takes place once every few years and includes unloading of the entire reactor core and loading of fresh fuel into the reactor.

The cores of KLT-40 reactors of the Akademik Lomonosov floating power unit have a number of advantages compared to the reference ones: a cassette core was used for the first time in the history of the unit, which made it possible to increase the fuel energy resource to 3-3.5 years between refuelings, and also reduce the fuel component of the electricity cost by one and a half times. The FNPP operating experience formed the basis for the designs of reactors for nuclear icebreakers of the newest series 22220. Three such icebreakers have been launched by now.

For the first time the power units of the Akademik Lomonosov floating nuclear power plant were connected to the grid in December 2019, and put into commercial operation in May 2020. The supply of nuclear fuel from Elektrostal to Pevek and its loading into the second reactor is planned for 2024. The total power of the Akademik Lomonosov FNPP, supplied to the coastal grid of Pevek without thermal energy consumption on shore, is about 76 MW, being about 44 MW in the maximum thermal power supply mode. The FNPP generated 194 million kWh according to the results of 2023. The population of Pevek is just a little more than 4 thousand, while the FNPP has a potential for supplying electricity to a city with a population of up to 100 thousand people. After the FNPP commissioning two goals were achieved. These include first of all the replacement of the retiring capacities of the Bilibino NPP, which has been operating since 1974, as well as the Chaunskaya TPP, which has already been operating for more than 70 years. Secondly, energy is supplied to the main mining companies in western Chukotka in the Chaun-Bilibino energy hub a large ore and metal cluster, including gold mining companies and projects related to the development of the Baimsk ore zone. In September 2023, a 110 kilovolt power transmission line with a length of 490 kilometers was put into operation, connecting the towns of Pevek and Bilibino. The line increased the reliability of energy supply from the FNPP to both Bilibino consumers and mining companies, the largest of which is the Baimsky GOK. The comprehensive development of the Russian Arctic is a national strategic priority. To increase the NSR traffic is of paramount importance for accomplishment of the tasks set in the field of cargo shipping. This logistics corridor is being developed due regular freight voyages, construction of new nuclear-powered icebreakers and modernization of the relevant infrastructure. Rosatom companies are actively involved in this work. Rosatom Fuel Company TVEL (Rosatom Fuel Division) includes companies fabricating nuclear fuel, converting and enriching uranium, manufacturing gas centrifuges, conducting researches and producing designs. As the only nuclear fuel supplier to Russian NPPs, TVEL supplies fuel for a total of 75 power reactors in 15 countries, for research reactors in nine countries, as well as for propulsion reactors of the Russian nuclear fleet. Every sixth power reactor in the world runs on TVEL fuel. Rosatom Fuel Division is the world’s largest producer of enriched uranium and the leader on the global stable isotope market. The Fuel Division is actively developing new businesses in chemistry, metallurgy, energy storage technologies, 3D printing, digital products, and decommissioning of nuclear facilities. TVEL also includes Rosatom integrators for additive technologies and electricity storage systems. Rosenergoatom, Joint-Stock Company is part of Rosatom Electric Power Division and one of the largest companies in the industry acting as an operator of nuclear power plants. It includes, as its branches, 11 operating NPPs, including the FNPP, the Scientific and Technical Center for Emergency Operations at NPPs, Design and Engineering as well as Technological companies. In total, 37 power units with a total installed capacity of over 29.5 GW are in operation at 11 nuclear power plants in Russia. Machinery Manufacturing Plant, Joint-Stock Company (MSZ JSC, Elektrostal) is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of fuel for nuclear power plants. The company produces fuel assemblies for VVER-440, VVER-1000, RBMK-1000, BN-600,800, VK-50, EGP-6; powders and fuel pellets intended for supply to foreign customers. It also produces nuclear fuel for research reactors. The plant belongs to the TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom.

Rosatom obtained a license for the first land-based SMR in Russia

On April 21, Rosenergoatom obtained a license issued by Rostekhnadzor to construct the Yakutsk land-based SMR in the Ust-Yansky District of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

ROSATOM and FEDC agree to cooperate in the construction of Russia's first onshore SNPP

ROSATOM and FEDC have signed a cooperation agreement to build Russia's first onshore SNPP in Yakutia.

Rosatom develops nuclear fuel for modernized floating power units

Rosatom has completed the development of nuclear fuel for the RITM-200S small modular reactor designed for the upgraded floating power units.