Different Methods of Canoe Steering

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One of the skills that you should learn with a canoe is steering. Knowing how to steer a canoe will help you in being able to control where you wish to go. Effective steering will not only help you establish control over where you would take the canoe but also help provide stability.

There are different kinds of steering methods used in propelling a canoe forward or backward. Each one is ideal for the type of steering a canoe enthusiast will employ. Canoe steering can be done in two ways- bow and stern steering. Bow steering involves propelling the canoe from the front while stern steering employs working from the back end of the canoe to move the vessel forward. The different methods can work ideally for each of these two basic forms of canoe steering. Here are some of the methods that you might want to make use of on your next canoe trip.

Cruising Stroke
This is probably the easiest stroke to master and is considered by most canoe enthusiasts to be the foundation of all the other methods of canoe steering. Also known as the forward stroke, it is used mainly by the bowman to simply propel the canoe forward without turning. Its features include bringing the paddle blade forward along the side of the canoe, then dipped into the water, and drawn backwards. The paddle is drawn straight back from shaft to blade and not angled, following the gunwale's curvature.

J-Stroke
The J-stroke is so named because it resembles the letter J when seen from the port side. This method of steering is best for propelling the canoe from the stern. It begins just like a standard stroke wherein the paddle is drawn straight backwards. But towards the end of the stroke, the paddle is rotated and pushed away from the side of the canoe. This is done with the power face of the paddle still remaining on the same side throughout the stroke. This action effectively counteracts the natural tendency of the canoe to steer away from the side of the stern man's paddle and turn instead of going forward. The J-stroke can also be used in reverse by the man at the bow while trying to back paddle in white water.

Pry Stroke
This canoe steering method may be used by either the bow or stern paddler. This method is achieved by inserting the paddle vertically in the water. The power face of the paddle is placed outward and the shaft braced against the side of the gunwale. A gentle prying motion is then applied, in the process forcing the canoe the opposite direction of where the paddle is being used.

The push-away stroke has an identical purpose to the pry stroke, but is performed differently. Instead of bracing the paddle against the gunwale, the paddle is held vertically, as in the draw stroke, and pushed away from the hull. This is more awkward and requires more force than the pry, but has the advantage of preventing damage to the paddle and canoe due to rubbing on the gunwale. It also uses force more efficiently, since the paddle is pushing straight out, instead of up and out.

The running pry can be applied while the canoe is moving. As in the standard pry, the paddle is turned sideways and braced against the gunwale, but rather than forcing the paddle away from the hull, the paddler simply turns it at an angle and allows the motion of the water to provide the force.