Sideslips in a Canoe: Hanging Draw, Crossdeck, Running Pry, Solo and Tandem

How to sideslip in a canoe. Looking at a range of stokes to get that movement.
If you enjoyed this then consider making a small donation at: www.buymeacoff...
Thanks to the wonderful Katrina and Colin Skeath for the tandem stuff. These two paddled and sailed an open canoe 40 miles out into the Atlantic to reach the remote island of St Kilda unsupported. In addition Colin with his nephew Davis paddled and sailed around the entirety of Great Britain for the first canoe circumnavigation: source-2-sea.c... The story is mind blowing and the book a very good read.
If you prefer an article then it is now in Paddler Magazine as 'Can you sideslip a canoe?'
paddlerezine.c...
Download as a PDF: joom.ag/6ObI/p20
I am paddling the Prospector from www.venturekay...
Paddles by freebirdpaddle...
Odyssey pfd by www.nrs.com
Using some heavy duty airbags (they do lighter ones) from: / tribalairbags Billie, my collie, jumps all over the front airbag so they are going to get a real testing.
My website: www.RayGoodwin.com
My illustrated book 'Canoeing', is available direct from me or from Amazon.

[@davidblyth4330]

Lovely demos Ray. Thanks! I hadn't thought of doing them backwards - now I'm going to have to try that. 😁👍

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Have fun. A lot of skill acquisition should be play. So fun, laughter and a little sprinkling of frustration to motivate further.

[@rman126]

Stumbled upon your channel while preparing for my second backcountry canoe trip in Algonquin Park. Great information you have provided, you've gained a new subscriber!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Welcome aboard and thanks for that. I look forward to getting back to Algonquin when we can fly from the UK again.

[@Rudecheers]

Hi Ray, great to see another upload! My partner always thought that "the one in the back does the steering". Ever since I showed her the hanging draw to steer as the bowpaddler our trips have become so much more enjoyable for the both of us. She now has much more sense of accomplishment as a bowpaddler, being able to make decisions of her own (if that makes sense). Greetings from Belgium

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Yep wise words re bow paddlers. Learning good steering strokes gives them real purpose. Have fun.

[@Trailtraveller]

Top notch !

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thank you

[@downeastprimitiveskills7688]

Our rivers are so low right now a paddle is hard to use. Great techniques to learn and practice. Thanks.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

You are most welcome

[@abigailbown3243]

Very cool, and you make it look so easy. One to practise for the weekend

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Thank you. I did consider doing this you and Mike but felt I should concentrate on other things at that time. I am sure you two could sort this as a tandem pair.

[@abigailbown3243]

Well certainly have a go this weekend :)

[@spoonerbooner]

Rays the man

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

That made me smile. 😁

[@pipster3613]

Love this 😎

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

😀

[@wrzlgummidge7663]

Thanks Ray, really useful. atb

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad you like it.

[@MrMjt888]

Nice one Ray. Answers some questions. I now have to practice it in reverse 🙂 I practice a reverse jam, but not tried this.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Go for it! What possibly could go wrong?

[@Tim8o1]

A very good and informative video, nice one Ray, I used a hanging draw whilst sailing (was also using a lee board at the time) in 24mph winds without it i am sure i would have swam) so yeah a good stroke to master, but in reverse? Challenge accepted 😁.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

😁 Result awaited

[@Tim8o1]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe confirmed that I can reverse side slip, although you will have to take my word for it mind 😁

[@KanoottiTomaatti]

Thank you for this one! I’m going to practise these upcoming weekend!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Have fun!

[@marleymac370]

Hi, What size of venture canoe are you using in this video, thanks.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

15'5''

[@nm-ge4tb]

👍👍👍👍🍺👌🙏

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

😁

[@explorerjames8563]

Just been out for a practice, thanks for the inspiration Ray!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

I hope it went well and was fun.

[@srappywoo]

Super video, thank you so much!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Glad you liked it!

[@philschaefer4651]

Another great instructional video Ray. The hanging draw is one of my real go-to techniques in white water. Since most of my white water is shallow rock gardens it's great for holding or adjusting a line without having to turn sideways to the current while dodging rocks. I find I often end it by sweeping forward into a bow draw, or back into a sweep stroke as needed to maneuver around obstacles. Now I need to go practice it backwards. :)

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Your comments absolutely nail it. In an ideal world I would have included some ww with this but there are always time restraints. Yep I also do the sweep forward to bow draw or into stern sweep. Once we get into a bigger environment these adaptions are key. Good stuff and best wishes. PS I included the reverse one to get folk going/challenged. My bit of fun.

[@philschaefer4651]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe Well if you ever need some footage of bad WW technique I'll gladly donate some of my video to the cause. In reviewing my own videos I see that I rarely get my top hand out where it needs to be.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

@@philschaefer4651 : Too kind (he says between chuckles). Yep looking at videos of oneself can be a real education. Keep well

[@philschaefer4651]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe That's the main reason I film myself.

[@alexedinborough8040]

hanging draw is currently my nemesis - I'm working towards my Canoe Award this summer to go onto canoe and kayak sheltered water coach over the autumn. I can do it if I'm going slowly but lose it as soon as I try going a bit faster, and only on one side atm (coincidentally the other side to my stronger running pry stroke - so I'm ok if all my obstacles are one the same side ;-) )

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Not easy to master but one trick is not to give up on an attempt. If the boat begins to turn react and move the paddle forward or back to correct the spin. There is rarely a perfect placement and I will be constantly adjusting the paddle fore or aft. Otherwise just keep playing

[@martinoutdoors6941]

Fantastic can’t wait to try this, I had this almost there but can’t get it consistently..

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

I think its about making those adjustments rather than thinking its one fixed position. I am constantly making small adjustments, and occasionally big ones, to make sure it goes smoothly. But It all about doing enough practise to make it consistent. And yep I remember thinking this was difficult all those years ago when I was learning.

[@richardswinson4381]

Have you got a link to how you put the paracord onto the shaft

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Hi, If I remember correctly I used the one that was third in this video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d4nGpKOEg66li5Ysi=Wyoa_drrTdMH-fnS

[@RooDavis]

Ray, thanks for putting so much detail into your videos and demonstrating variety in the dynamic way they are done for both solo and tandem paddlers. (thanks Katrina and Colin) Just to get my understanding right: 1. Would it be correct to say these techniques all need to be performed with the canoe moving at a different pace to the water its floating on, and and by holding the blade so the water deflects off the blade as it passes and thus causing the canoe to sideslip? 2. Its called a 'hanging' draw because its a draw that just hangs (pauses) there for a while before being drawn in? 3. Its called a 'running' Pry, because the canoe needs to be in motion (runnning) to be able to perform it? (if the canoe is stationary then its just a pry) 4. Is a hanging draw the same as what some may call a running draw, and a running pry the same as a bow jam?

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Yep the canoe has to be moving faster than the water the blade is put into. Yep on hanging and on running. I suspect that the hanging draw and running draw are the same (we seem to like lots of names for the same thing). The running pry and bow jam both use the blade in the same way and effectively in a tandem boat are the same including position, in a solo boat a running pry is done midships whereas the bow jam is done much further forward. Hope that helps

[@RooDavis]

@@RayGoodwinCanoe Thanks. Im happy to accept there are lots of names for the same things, just working out what all those sames are, and which are not same. I originally learnt bow draws and cross bow draw, which in the initial rudder phase were called a standing-draw. You say boy, I say boo-ee, but we can bother agree it's the same buoy. I just have to make sure someone is not actually referring to a male child floating in the water :) Again, very helpful instructional video

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

I must admit I prefer the North American and Dutch (I did a lot of sea kayak guiding for Dutch groups) pronunciation of Boo-ee: far clearer and apparently it is the older way of saying it in Britain. No wonder my daughter is confused by spelling.

[@pardon_this_1]

I've followed you for years...Ray, you make it look way too easy!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

I try. 😀

[@coleclissold5617]

Thank you for this Ray. I always find the hanging draw difficult and for me boat turns rather than side slipping. I'll try moving the blade forwards or backwards to find the correct position.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Ah just to confirm most times I do not find the 'correct' position but rather am quick to react to any turn on the canoe by moving the blade to counter that. I think it's a bit of a myth about there being THE position. Once I ditched that as an idea I soon got the hang of it. But it does help if the initial position is pretty good. Have fun and I hope you get it sorted.

[@coleclissold5617]

Thanks Ray. I've found your videos a great help for my paddling and I'm sure I will get the hang of my hanging draw 😁

[@nigelgregory4777]

Thanks Ray, a very informative video, I never thought that canoeing was so technical, your videos both technical and travel are a great insight into what I can look forward to in the future, ps, are these strokes taught on the frontier Windermere course of are they further education? Once again, many thanks. Nige.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Many thanks Nigel. Yep we teach all of this on the Frontier Windermere course along with a real emphasis on how to expedition with a canoe. You can get by with less stokes but the more you master the easier it is to make the canoe do what you want. Cheers

[@nigelgregory4777]

Thanks for the reply Ray, will be looking forward to more of your vids, in preparation, take care of your family and friends, and yourself. Nige.

[@BobBob-jo5ro]

Colin and Katrina, sweet.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Nicely spotted. It is good to sneak them in.

[@Laxcom]

Hi Ray. Thanks for yet another great video. This weekend I bought my first canoe and today I took her on her maiden voyage. I practiced the J-stroke of an hour after watching your tutorial video. Keep up the great work and keep’em coming. Cheers from Sweden.

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

A lot to learn, many journeys to be done. Have fun and I am glad you are find the videos useful.

[@Carlcra]

Check out Friluftsfrämjandet where you live, you might find some friends to enjoy paddling with -go tur!

[@RayGoodwinCanoe]

Good suggestion.

[@Laxcom]

Carl Crafoord Tack!! Will check it out!!