Perhaps you remember a time of frustration from trying to move your canoe sideways. Perhaps it was on a lake, trying to pull alongside a dock. Or perhaps it was on a river, trying to move further into an eddy to grab the security of the shore or a friends’ boat. In either case, you were probably left with the same frustration as you felt learning to parallel park a car.
Moving sideways is a necessary, and often awkward skill for any type of canoeing. Canoes were meant to go straight, not sideways, so your strokes have to be very definitive to make the boat respond.
The basic way to move sideways is the draw stroke. Turn your torso to place the blade straight out from your hip. With both hands over the water, hold the top hand steady as you pull in the blade. Try for a good bite on the water, with the blade digging in deep. Then, pull in gently. Feather the blade 90 degrees to slice it out for the recovery.
Tilting your boat away slightly allows the boat to slide sideways more easily, but more importantly, it provides counterbalance so that both of your hands can get out over the water. This helps gets the blade positioned to pull the boat to the side, rather than push down on the surface.
The sculling draw accomplishes the same lateral movement of the boat, and improves your paddle control and finesse. Your goal is a maximum sideways pull on the boat, with a minimum resistance to moving the blade.
By practicing the sculling draw you’ll get a good feel for how subtle changes in blade angle can help you. First work on basic sculling: gently move the blade along a 3-4 foot line six inches away from your boat, making sure to keep the shaft straight up and down. Gradually open the blade angle on the forward portion, then switch it so the leading edge is open as you bring the blade back. Don’t try to pull in on the blade, or to apply too much force.
Do you have basic sculling mastered? Try these variations either alone or with your partner: sculling to pull the bow around,.. or to pull the stern. Try cross bow sculling with the same variations :sideways, to the bow and to the stern. If you have all that mastered, try sculling the other direction by reversing the blade angles.
With a little practice you will be able to “parallel park” effortlessly, and you will notice the rewards of better finesse.