418 
FOREST AND S T R E A M 
July, 1918 
STERN PADDLING WITH THE SINGLE BLADE 
THE SCIENTIFIC AND CORRECT METHOD ORIGINATED AND USED BY THE 
INDIANS IS KEPT ALIVE TODAY BY A MERE HANDFUL OF CANOEISTS 
By IULE MARSHALL 
T HERE are two classes of paddlers 
with the single blade, those who pad¬ 
dle correctly and those who paddle 
incorrectly. The latter group comprises 
ninety-nine per cent. Perhaps this sounds 
exaggerated but after the writer has differ¬ 
entiated between the right and the wrong 
way, you will no doubt agree with him. It 
is very likely, therefore, that the reader is 
one of the larger class and would do well 
to read, correct his stroke and practise the 
proper method of wielding the blade. 
It is quite necessary to start with the 
proper paddle, and the main point here is 
to select one of correct length. The paddle 
standing upright should reach to the height 
of your eyes, no matter whether it is to be 
used in the bow, the center or the stern. 
Most paddlers make the, common error of 
selecting blades that reach over their heads 
and sometimes over their head and hands 
in height. The shape of the blade and the 
grip is simply a matter of choice and very 
often of use. It is well not to select a 
blade with too large an area as it will not 
respond to the deft strokes that a paddler 
must use at times, besides being tiresome 
under its extra weight. Any extra weight 
had better be in the haft. Most paddles are 
made with the haft too thin. This not only 
causes breakage but allows of excessive 
“spring.” There is just that happy medium 
in a paddle between the one that is stiff and 
the one that is too springy that would make 
you fondle the right paddle as you would a 
pet fly rod. For this purpose spruce is the 
best of woods. It is light and has just the 
right amount of “life.” Mahogany and but¬ 
ternut are stiff and brittle. Maple and cher¬ 
ry are heavy and springy, though the latter 
two can be made into very thin blades for 
noiseless paddling. 
Gripping the paddle is one of the essen¬ 
tial points in acquiring the proper stroke. 
Most folks place their hands altogether too 
far apart believing in so doing that they get 
the greatest amount of leverage with the 
least effort. As a matter of fact this causes 
an excessive movement of the body with a 
consequent checking of the momentum of 
the canoe besides a misplacement of the 
stroke causing a waste of power. The 
grips should be about thirty inches apart 
with the upper hand on top of the paddle 
grip. The paddle should not be held too 
tightly and on the recovery, a complete re¬ 
laxing of the muscles can be practised that 
will greatly relieve the strain of a hard 
constant pull. 
The stroke is next of importance. With 
the paddle poised for the start, the lower 
hand should be extended as far forward as 
possible while the upper hand is on a level 
with the top of your head and about twelve 
inches directly forward. The shoulders will 
be turned in the same general direction as 
the hands thereby adding to the reach. The 
paddle is then dropped so that the blade is 
completely submerged, gracefully, cleanly 
and without splash. The power is at once 
applied with all the muscles of both arms 
and shoulders by means of a combined push 
and pull. The driving power wanes as the 
lower hand comes abreast the hip and 
ceases as it passes. The object is to drive 
the craft ahead, so it will be readily seen 
that it is a waste of effort to attempt to 
further drive with the diminishing power 
resulting from a slanting blade. As there 
is no fixed fulcrum with this method of 
leverage there is no fixed point that can be 
determined on for the division of power 
The correct way to steer; the posture 
is good and every movement is ryth¬ 
mic with that of the canoe 
-.—-i 
•* 
The wrong way to steer; the body is 
out of alignment, the wrists are 
cramped and the paddle checks the 
progress of the canoe 
into driving and steering. Different length 
arms and paddles may alter matters consid¬ 
erably. However, the steering is a contin¬ 
uation of the same stroke that drives the 
canoe and is effected without any lost mo¬ 
tion in the speed of the canoe. Here then 
is the biggest single factor in the art of 
paddling and the point at which so many 
people fail to paddle correctly. 
As the steering is effected, the blade, in 
being brought back through the water, is 
turned gradually at right angles so that the 
edge that was the outer edge, now leads, or 
in other words, the forward side of the 
paddle at the start of the stroke becomes 
the inner side next to the canoe during the 
process of steering. To illustrate this, sup¬ 
pose that you were paddling with a single 
blade that was painted black on one side 
and white on the other, if the white side 
were the after side at the start of the 
stroke, it would be the outerside at the 
finish. This method of steering becomes 
automatic in that it allows the -\vater 
through which the canoe is passing to run 
off the blade at an angle causing a continu¬ 
ous straight course for the canoe. It re¬ 
duces the effort on the part of the paddler 
and the headway resistance of the canoe to 
the minimum. It not only saves the 
strength of the stern paddler but the bow 
man or all of the crew as well. It is the 
only way to paddle swiftly, the only way to 
paddle noiselessly and the only way to pad¬ 
dle in dangerous turbulent water. It is the 
only way the canoe can be steered toward 
the side you are paddling on without chang¬ 
ing sides. It was the method originated 
and used by the Indians and kept alive to¬ 
day by a majority of the Canadians and only 
a mere handful of Americans as compared 
with the great number of canoeists in this 
'.ountry. It is the scientific and correct way. 
A GAINST this we have that ninety-nine 
per cent, paddling the wrong way. 
Using the painted paddle illustration, 
they start the stroke with the white side 
of the paddle aft and finish or steer with 
the white side turned in against the canoe. 
In this way, the propelling power is sudden¬ 
ly stopped and some sharp steering com¬ 
menced. The canoe has been turned off 
its course through the very act of changing 
from driving to steering. The headway is 
partially checked and the canoe is slowly 
and laboriously brought back to its course 
again. The speed of the canoe is reduced, 
the paddle usually fetches up against the 
gunwale with a bang and the strength' of 
the paddler is more rapidly sapped, to say 
nothing of the poor innocent bowman who 
is plugging away pulling wide to make up 
as best he can the shortcomings of the stern 
paddler, and suffering mental agonies 
through ever being turned away from his 
objective. Still it is no wonder that so 
many people paddle wrongly since so many 
books have been written touching on this 
subject instructing people to paddle the 
wrong way. Only in a recent issue of one 
of our contemporary journals was printed 
a special article on guiding the canoe stating 
very concisely the WRONG WAY as 
though it were the right way. 
As the correct method of guiding the 
canoe is mastered, it suggests many other 
deft strokes that will not only make pad¬ 
dling more pleasant but come in very handy 
during trying moments. The canoe can be 
more easily turned to a new course. The 
stern of the canoe can be jack-knifed to 
the right or left without very much effect 
on the bow. The canoe can be sculled 
forward, backward or sidewise without 
lifting the blade out of water. The weight 
can be lifted out of the canoe for an in¬ 
stant like a flash by shelving the flat of 
the blade straight down on the water. 
Throwing your v/eight on a “feathered” 
