Paddling a birch bark canoe

[Oblio13]

Just returned from the Maine Canoe Symposium. Among other things, a local museum sent a 20-foot birchbark canoe, and I got a chance to paddle it. (The fellow in the pic isn't me, but he's more photogenic.) Remarkably light, paddled very well, and it even smelled good. Not to mention that it's a work of art.

[Robbi]

now thats lovely !!

[Toddy]

It is indeed
Looks like a beautiful piece of work

cheers,
Toddy

[drewdunnrespect]

i would say that, that is a stonishing piece of work and is that beautiful i want one but the last lotto ticket i baught ended in the bin cos i aint won yet

[John Fenna]

Raging envy makes me hate you!
I hope that is rain we see falling on the water - or huge mozzies hatching to attack!
That is the boat of my dreams....you lucky, lucky man!

[al21]

What lovely canoe. I bet that was a joy to paddle. Very envious!

[JonathanD]

I'd love to try the real thing out. I bet the smell of them is amazing. I was promised I could try a friends bark canoe out a couple of years back. Turned out it was a fibreglass one that was painted for production use.

[Gill]

Now that is truly magnificent wow,something i have always wanted to do but doubt i will ever be lucky enough.

[Oblio13]

It was practically a religious experience. Here's another pic just to rub it in.

BTW, one of the instructors there said that Brits tend to be better paddlers than Americans. When they decide to take up the sport, they tend to start with lessons. Americans, on the other hand, usually paddle for a decade or two before it occurs to them that lessons might be helpful, by which time they've thoroughly engrained bad habits.

[Neumo]

Oh that is lovely. I am getting into canoing so definatly want to have a go at one of these. After seeing that show of Ray making one I know that I want one... just got to find the funds.

[Chainsaw]

Amazingly good looking boat, but I think I'd be scared to paddle it in case I damaged it!!

BTW, one of the instructors there said that Brits tend to be better paddlers than Americans.

Becky Mason was over here recently and said a similar thing about Canadians and for the same reasons.

Cheers,

Alan