Canoe to tri?

When solo in a tandem, sit at the bow and paddle/motor backwards. This gets you more centered. Slope your motor mount so the leg tilts under the boat. Where is the tiller?

 

That works if the hull is symmetrical. Not so good at all if it's asymmetrical.

 

Works either way. It might even work better in an asymmetric. The improvement in trim will vastly outweigh the effect of hull asymmetry in a tandem. Stability will be improved either way as well.

 

Sounds like you want the boat that I have. For my 8hp engine the transom is too small but not much to complain about with someone fwd and gear amidships. I usually run the engine at about half throttle - very quiet. I've thought about amas but I've been in fairly rough stuff including the ocean off Vancouver Is BC and the ama urge is'nt very pressing. I've powered several canoes and finally decided the engine should be on CL. If you have a side mounted engine and an ama put it on the engine side preferably port. My thinking is to make the ama sizable and far enough outboard to balance the asymmetrical thrust line of the side mounted outboard. One could put fuel in it. Most canoes have more freeboard fwd so turning it around when solo worked very well for me. Liked the reduced windage in the bow too. My canoe has a 40" beam and 17" depth amidships.
1st pic is at launching w 6hp Johnson.
2nd pic is underway w 3.5hp Mercury.
3rd pic is in the harbor w 8hp Yamaha.
When I'm solo I use jerry jugs (clean) full of water as ballast fwd. Fill them at launch and dump at pullout.

 

I get it. So it's a matter of who eats who first :idea:

You're right, takes me longer to start the motor than to get to the other side, but that's probably the closest I'll ever come to a water front property

 

I will borrow heavily from this design as I design my Fishy Boxier Catamaran.
It must still come in under 10 feet long and fit inside the truck bed.

 

Yes, the boat will work either way, if you're going with an absolute. If you're going with functional useability, it is nowhere near as workable. When you say, might, that indicates that you haven't actually done it. Is that true? What you are going to battle with is more than the reversed asymmetry issue of how the hull wants to behave. There is also a rocker issue that will further enhance the difficulty of keeping the boat going in a straight line during the glide function.

Any canoe will perform better when in proper trim. Trim can be adjusted in many other ways besides forcing a boat to do what it is not designed to do. Get out of the mental place where a canoe can only be paddled from a fixed seat. What if the seat is one of those dandy, molded types that have a defined directional orientation? Do you also force your butt to enjoy the discomfort?

The most ideal answer is to not use an asymmetrical hull design for this application (flipping the hull around). If you can't do that and you feel you just have to have a seat for your butt, then you're gonna have to make some compromises. I'd simply get a pad for my knees and lean against the aft thwart and get on with it as the hull was intended to be paddled. The lowered center of gravity will do wonders to the stability of the boat.

 

From what I can see by eye--and by a quick measurement--my canoe is asymmetrical. It is fatter behind the midpoint for longer along the centerline than it is toward the bow.

Some of the other stuff you guys have mentioned.....is way over my head--- but Im reading as fast as I can.

 

Sistrunk, look at the photo in post nine. That's what we are talking about. It will work better if paddled backwards solo, which I have done for a few thousands of river miles as a river guide in the 80's. Rigged a motor in the 90's and continued to explore blackwater and salt marsh and everglades. I usually have no problem with trim since I'm out for days at a time and carry a few hundred pounds of kit.

As I see it, the most aideal answer is to achieve acceptable performace using the stuff you already have and making the fewest modifications as possible. Moving ones butt from one end to the other scores high in this regard.

 

Great rig Fannie, I think I will toy with that as well. On that frame I can see that as being the trailer with wheels hagging down and the hulls flipping up! I have a 16 ft canoe, I could get another one. My bike could sit on the trailer frame deck bolted down and go fising down our rivers. When I get down river just pack it and pull it back with the bike!

Even without the bike part of it, what would be a good sail rig for something like that with two flat bottom canoes??? My canoe is a cheape, a Dokata with that RAM X stuff. I'd put spray skirts on them. Be cheap fun!

 

Actually I should post the design, something different but could be very nice

Nonsense Logan, all you need to do is lose your mind and you can be a good boat builder
So, why don't you just find another canoe - or two that are the same and make a catamaran with the motor in the middle ? Making a little trimaran is still going to limit you to the center hull.

Of course with the cat setup you can even vary the width. If you know what you want you can preset it, even make a solid deck between the two kanoes...

 

I'm sold, the time and cost trying to make the two amas compared to just getting a duplicate canoe is a no brainer! Much quicker for me and maybe my girl friend will get on it.....LOL

 

Oh dear, now it probably won't ever get done !

O ok I see you mean get the BOAT done Yes good. Stay focused.
Now you can each have your own sides too...

 

I see that you are suggesting the flat, lack of paddling imagination, most modest seat on the planet, for your reference, Phil. Actually, when I made my comments, I was thinking of the latest in seat technology as causing discomfort when the paddler sits on it backwards. See the photo below and perhaps you will agree

The seat being shown is the bar stool version so common in the places I visit. Even though it is otherwise adapted, I'm sure you can see the potential.

 

But it doesn't have a cup holder. I mean a holder for a cup. You know what I mean . . .