[Paddlewise] Overloaded Tripper

Clipper Tripper, eh?  I bet it has "tractor" seats.

Kneeling might be a start.  Kneeling with the tractor seats will be a pain,
as chances are, his feet won't go under the seats very well.  I notice you
said that you and your buddy came in about 600 lbs..  Is he your size, or a
lot bigger?   You didn't mention any steering problems, so I guess the trim
wasn't too bow-down.  

The problem with retrimming the boat by moving him aft is that it puts him
further from the side of the boat, as the boat is beamier there.  This
forces him to sit to one side of the centre, to paddle comfortably.
Changing sides becomes somewhat scary.  He has a lot more mass, and a bigger
lever arm, so sitting in the stern, it may not be possible to correct any
sudden, indiscrete motions.

I ran into this last summer, trying to introduce a teenager to canoeing.  He
is over 200 lbs, and not particularly agile, although he is not considered a
klutz on land.  The lake was warm, and capsize practice was on the list of
things to do, and, wow, did we ever get a lot of practice! He will be able
to learn, but he will need more than an afternoon to get the hang of it. 

Quite frankly, I think you need a bigger canoe.  I paddled one of these
boats around Kyuquot Sound a year or so back, with about 500 lbs total in
it, including water, gear, and food for a week. I wouldn't have felt
comfortable with another ounce in it.  In an open boat, I like to have
decent freeboard to handle chop, swells, and the occaisonal surf landing.

Have fun.

Rob.




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