We arrived in Hinesburg, VT today for our week-long stay at a rented summer house on Lake Iroquois. We were happy to find a canoe in the backyard, and after a cautious first-time paddle not too far out, we decided venture about a mile into the lake. I found canoeing to be a very relaxing form of exercise although I wondered if I was paddling the correct way.
More to come this week!
Guinea Pig is digging it!
welcome to the area; we live a short ways away from the other side of the lake.
some tips for canoeing:
– use your inside hand to grasp the top of the paddle; so that your fingers point toward the tip
(inside meaning toward the center of the canoe, rather than the water)
– dig into the water, with the paddle nearly perpendicular to the water, slightly ahead of you, leaning forward
– pull back with your outside arm, using your your inside hand as a fulcrum
– use your back as well, to pull the paddle back while keeping it mostly vertical
– at the end of the stroke, pull the paddle almost vertically, up out of the water
two things to do to steer:
– at the end of a stroke, rotate the paddle so it’s parallel with the flow, and use it as a rudder
– switch sides; paddle on the other side (hands switch position)
but above all: relax and enjoy.