Backwards Prospector Expectations

[Guest]

I would venture to say it had something to do with the average size of Americans at the turn of the 20th century. A tall man for the time at 6 foot only weighed on average 170 pounds. He would easily fit in the stern seat and have plenty of leg room.

That makes sense. I had friends who lived in a farmhouse constructed in the mid-to-late1800’s. The stair treads were tiny, like 6” deep. Even people’s feet were smaller then; only half my size 12’s would fit on the stairs.

I expect the various manufacturers have some rational for the seat locations in a tandem, but I’m clueless about how the physics of that actually works. If the bow seat is located far aft should the stern seat likewise be further back?

In some WW-ish tandem canoes the two seats (not dual saddles) are much closer together towards the center of the canoe, which would seem to speak to keeping the stems less weighted.

 

[lowangle al]

I would venture to say it had something to do with the average size of Americans at the turn of the 20th century. A tall man for the time at 6 foot only weighed on average 170 pounds. He would easily fit in the stern seat and have plenty of leg room.

I never thought of that. I thought it may have had something to do with the boats getting lighter causing the stern to sink deeper without as much counterweight. That doesn't add up though, both my royalex OT tripper and my 20' White have their stock seat placements moved forward from earlier models. The tripper was changed sometime in the mid 80s. I don't know when the white was changed, but both are heavy boats.

I think it has to do with safety.

 

[Black_Fly]

Here's my Prospector 16 with no load, dog.

 

[Guest]

That is a lot of bow showing without some counterweight up front for trim, and would be hell in any breeze other than straight downwind.

But not too much weight up front

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...MygAegUIARClAQ

Were you backwards in the bow seat?

 

[Black_Fly]

Yes, that was 2006. Wife was along but wind was calm so I decided to play. Felt like it was BIG, but with no wind it was manageable.

 

[lowangle al]

Here's my Prospector 16 with no load, dog.

That trim doesn't look bad to me and as an added benefit you got that blunt entry with the skid plate out of the water.

Paddling a tandem from the bow is very common, probably everyone on this site does it, so why have canoes not been designed for this. Most tandems 16' and over have a thwart right in the way and boats with contoured molded seats aren't made to be sat on backwards.

 

[Black_Fly]

Better view.

 

[lowangle al]

Still looks good to me. Your bow is high but your stern is not too low at all. I would shoot for about the same trim in a loaded boat paddling from the stern seat. When the wind picks up you can push your packs forward to bring the bow down as needed. Having a bow light trim makes it easier to turn the boat from the stern

 

[memaquay]

Heel that thing over, lol. Or is that something just us Canadians do?

 

[Black_Fly]

Heel that thing over, lol. Or is that something just us Canadians do?

I don't get on my knees anymore, so there's that.

 

[PaddlingPitt]

Heel that thing over, lol. Or is that something just us Canadians do?

Kathleen practicing her weight turns way back in 1989.

 

[Black_Fly]

That hurts my knees just looking at it. I'd never get up.

 

[alsg]

If we start heeling our canoes in America like the Canadians do, where will it end? Socialized medicine? Tim Horton's? Speedo bathing suits? I for one am not willing to take the risk!

 

[memaquay]

LOL, hey alsg, get your facts straight, the speedo came from that other Commonwealth, Australia. No self respecting Canadian would ever wear a transparent nut sack, we swim only in cut off jeans don't cha know?

You can heel a canoe without getting on your knees, I do it all the time, even fully loaded. Just sit on the edge of your seat and lean the thing over. You don't have to go full Bill Mason, and you won't start calling your buddies "comrade", but you will discover a way to make those big prospectors actually go pretty good. Do Americans ever paint your flag on your paddles? We do it with our flag all the time, but I've never seen it done with the Stars and Stripes......hmmmmmm, maybe I should start a new Covid business.

 

[alsg]

LOL, hey alsg, get your facts straight, the speedo came from that other Commonwealth, Australia. No self respecting Canadian would ever wear a transparent nut sack, we swim only in cut off jeans don't cha know?

You can heel a canoe without getting on your knees, I do it all the time, even fully loaded. Just sit on the edge of your seat and lean the thing over. You don't have to go full Bill Mason, and you won't start calling your buddies "comrade", but you will discover a way to make those big prospectors actually go pretty good. Do Americans ever paint your flag on your paddles? We do it with our flag all the time, but I've never seen it done with the Stars and Stripes......hmmmmmm, maybe I should start a new Covid business.

Mem: there's a large contingent of Québecois who invade the beaches of southern Maine every summer and they are, almost to a man, parading around the beaches in speedos. So, as you say, no self-respecting Canadian. Just the Québecois.

(And before anyone takes offense, I'm only kidding. I love Quebec).

 

[memaquay]

Ha ha, I forgot about them, you are right. My wife is French, but from Northern Ontario, she thinks speedo's are gross. I have seen this in Mexico too, but I always assumed it was the German's, as the only dude I ever spoke with in a speedo was a German.

 

[Iskweo]

Mem...you could sell speedos with the fleur de lis on them.

As for using a double blade on a deep canoe like this one, I have tried it and you either have to sit high up at the gunwales with a very long (280) double blade or you sit where you normally do and change your technique from a sweeping motion to more of an overhead rock, closer to hit and switch. It works but its very wet and introduces you to a whole new set of muscles that wont like you. I find hit and switch to be less tiring than doing that. Give it a whirl, you may find a way to make it work for you.

 

[lowangle al]

I would try it sober first.

 

[alsg]

I would try it sober first.

lol

 

[scratchypants]

Mem: there's a large contingent of Québecois who invade the beaches of southern Maine every summer and they are, almost to a man, parading around the beaches in speedos. So, as you say, no self-respecting Canadian. Just the Québecois.

(And before anyone takes offense, I'm only kidding. I love Quebec).

Those are the ones we banned from Quebec beaches.