Bow ballast for solo paddling: the more unusual, the better

You bow seat backwards and stern seat solo paddlers, what kind of bow ballast have you used when you're not perfectly trimmed with lots of gear for a trip? Especially anything uncommon. This question is motivated by recent photos from @Aslowhand, who had what looks like a burlap sack full of something, and from @lowangle al, who had perfectly sawn log stumps in the bow.

I'm glad you asked Glenn. I've come up with the perfect ballast for me, but I haven't completed it yet. I use an army duffle bag and lay it on its side. On the bottom ( actually the side) I lay a folded tarp. On top of that goes split firewood, this gives it the weight, and on top of that goes fire starter and kindling in a zip lock bag. On top of that goes a foam pad. That leaves enough room in the top of the bag for extra clothes etc. in a roll top dry bag.

This gives me a ditch kit/ ballast in one pack.

As far as "perfect" trim goes, I think it varies for different paddlers and situations. Up until a couple years ago I was very anti ballast, feeling that it was extra weight I didn't need. This past year I got into more aggressively carving my turns and found that the extra weight increased the wetted surface allowing me to get more lean. On a windy day I'll put the ballast as far up in the bow as possible. On calm days I'll put it anywhere from behind the bow seat to right under the center thwart. When it's in the center I'm very bow light. This makes the stern deeper and I get more carve with less lean. The trick is to find the spot where I like the amount of lean I get in relation to the amount of carve I get. I basically want to be able to lean as far over as I can without compromising secondary stability.

I'll even use the ballast when I'm paddling tandem and put it in front of the stern thwart. Not so much for more lean but more to get the bow light trim I prefer.

In this picture I'm using it to adjust my trim tandem. I didn't mention above that the tarp on the bottom also helps protect the bottom of the boat from the lumpy hardwood. The foam pad on top also acts as a cushion. Now I can comfortably sit on it pedestal style positioned anywhere in the boat.

Another benefit of ballast in general is, with a light composite boat I don't have to tie it down every time get out if it's breezy out.

I once used my wife's yoga weights in a duffle bag on a local day trip. Then I realized a large, empty dry bag weighs nothing to portage and and can be filled with varying amounts of water to adjust trim.

Glenn MacGrady said:

This question is motivated by recent photos from @Aslowhand, who had what looks like a burlap sack full of something...

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The burlap sack serves only as a cover for a filled water jug. So the tandem canoe that I paddle from the bow seat is perfectly trimmed.

alsg said:

I once used my wife's yoga weights in a duffle bag on a local day trip. Then I realized a large, empty dry bag weighs nothing to portage and and can be filled with varying amounts of water to adjust trim.

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Also, even though it only weighed about 25 lbs. I wouldn't be taking it on a portage trip. I wouldn't need it, because I can trim the boat with gear. That being said, I did take it on the two overnight trips I did this year. Not for the weight, but for the firewood. I was so used to hauling it around with me on day trips that I just brought it with me. It's good to know you already have a supply of wood with you when you get to a campsite. Once you burn the wood you now have an empty bag. You can fill it with more wood along the way. Just stop when you see a good wood source. Cut it up, stretch your legs, eat lunch or whatever Now you don't have to worry about a site being picked clean when you get there.

Glenn, I took the wood out of the bag at the end of the season to burn. I wanted to make sure it stayed dry, as I leave it outside under a canoe all season, where it is handy. Those rounds were nearby, and I used that small anchor as a chock to keep the round from rolling.

The bottom line is that I use the ballast to improve boat performance, improving trim is a by-product. I started out using it only in my Seliga. Now I use it in my other boats, even though I I have paddled them empty for several years.

I don't think it is unusual, but I've used "wet bags" as ballast. That's a dry bag with the water on the inside. The beauty of the wet bag is that it weighs next to nothing when empty, so you can portage with it if necessary. Strap it to the carry handle after filling to hold it upright.

I've used a collapsible water container before, but never stuck with it.

I like when things are multifunctional. This system is not only ballast, but a ready to go fire, shelter and a seat for in the boat or on shore.

When tripping I typically trim the canoe with my main pack, and a smaller pack which holds my food bag, and daily essentials- this pack is carried along with the canoe on double trip carries. The main bag goes as far forward as possible, the small bag in front of the center thwart where I can reach it during the day. I think it was once common to pick up rocks at the end of the carry to load the canoe for trimming while on the water until the next carry was reached. I haven't found this to be viable where I paddle since there are rarely any available rocks to be easily found. Also, while I don't baby my wood/canvas canoes, I am loath to load rocks into my restored canoes!

Day paddling I just use a mostly filled flexible plastic 5 gallon water carrier. This totals nearly 40 pounds and when stored forward does the trick for me and saves the canoe bottom. I don't like the sensation of shifting water though; it gives an odd fore and aft rocking sensation when paddling.

Just as Patrick says, I trim the canoe with the panniers on multi-day trips.

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On day trips, I have a 10-liter water bag that I put in the bow.

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If you got packs you don't need ballast.

water bags are neutrally buoyant in a swamped canoe, rocks aren't- I've seen more than one canoe go straight to the bottom because of the weight of the ballast...

Another benefit of my proposed ballast/ditch bag is that it will be buoyant. If I flipped over, my first priority would be to get to the bag. I could hold onto it and get more of my upper body out of the water, possibly increasing the time until I'm incompastitated.

A good dog. I ask my Border Collie to move to trim my boat and then tell her to lie down.

A good friend will also do, as long as they're not too heavy. I take a friend out fishing that has some physical issues and doesn't want to paddle. That's fine with me, I joke with him that he's my ballast. He's probably better than a dog, he can lean on command and he buys the bait.

lowangle al said:

A good friend will also do, as long as they're not too heavy. I take a friend out fishing that has some physical issues and doesn't want to paddle. That's fine with me, I joke with him that he's my ballast. He's probably better than a dog, he can lean on command and he buys the bait.

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Haha! That's how things go with my wife up front in the Malecite. She's mostly just ballast. I don't complain.

I tell my wife to turn around on the bow seat and face me. She thinks I want to talk but I'm adjusting the trim.