Recent content by MyKneesHurt

my g0d!*$n knees

@lowangle al Bob is still popular, sir!

Perhaps this post itself could use a skeg to steer it back to the OP, but there is an enormous amount of specialization in native watercraft, a case in point being bark canoes, and they were tweaked or changed until they worked. There were known methods for increasing or decreasing rocker...

As far as I know, it's not actual temperature that affects wood so much as humidity fluctuations, so if you had an especially humid season followed by an especially dry season, that might be enough to put some cracks in a gunwale. I assume you're up north somewhere, which should be nice and...

I like to see someone take care of their boats! I'm not going to, but I like to see it. I just left one of mine in an open Vermont shed for the winter to see what would happen. Temps bottomed out at -12F. Today or tomorrow's the day to drag it out and inspect it. My boats and truck get washed...

The best no-tool technique I've used is to find two tree trunks quite close together, and feed a foot or so of a longer branch through them while torquing the rest of the branch sideways to crack it. The set-and-stomp works well too, if you have a rock or log handy, and is relatively controlled...

It is very easy to screw up what is normally simple and safe if you are tired, disoriented, or bug-crazed. I typically bring a little hand axe but it's more because I'm fond of the thing. I don't think I've ever used it on a trip. A folding saw is safer and generally more effective for anything...

I'll change my pronunciation depending on who I'm talking to. Same with the word 'coyote' - you can infer a lot of socio-cultural information depending on whether a person says "ky-ot-ee" or "ky-oht". I largely think of a portage, however it's pronounced, as a carry.

Nothing will tell you how your Trapper handles better than getting it out and pushing it past what it's supposed to do. (I'm assuming you're not dealing with water beyond your abilities as a paddler.) In my neck of the woods rivers run 1-2 miles per hour; at that speed and your stated mileage...

Only plastic boat I have is an Old Town Pack. It's too small for me at 6'4", fidgety, and spins on a dime. Don't think I'll ever part with it while I'm still paddling.

Thank you all for your replies. I think you've successfully talked me out of it. It was in great shape for what it was, but the juice ain't worth the squeeze.

There's a 14ft stillwater for sale not too far away, and it's thawing out enough that I'm getting the itch. I don't buy many canoes but I do enjoy looking at what's out there and hunting for bargains. It looks beamy and sluggish, but a good little flatwater boat. Does anyone have one or have...

https://vermont.craigslist.org/spo/d/south-windsor-canoeing-barrels-30l-60l/7824744346.html

I'm unsure how that creates a challenge, can you elaborate? You'd be shortening the strap, so it would seem you'd be fine as long as the distance between gunwales was the length of the seat plus whatever allowance for the cam buckle. Is it knee/leg space that becomes the issue? A slotted plank...

Pants arrived safe (and very quickly), but a quick test revealed they're several inches too short for me. A quick consult with @Boatman53 and the Woolrich pants are back available to anyone who wants them - I'll send them on myself, rather than having Jim pay double the postage. I'll get an...