The Proper Way to Unload a Canoe by Red Rock Wilderness Store

Proper Canoe Unloading Technique

by Red Rock Wilderness Store

After 25 years of outfitting, we at Red Rock are still amazed at how few paddlers ever learn the proper way to unload a canoe at the beach or portage. After making a zillion canoe deliveries to the various BW landings surrounding Red Rock and Northwind Lodge, we're seen it all. From dragging fully-loaded canoes all the way to the parking lot to observing the "canoeing-challenged" trying to paddle their fully loaded canoes down the beach, TO the water which is still 5 feet away. We used to just walk away shaking our heads, but enough is enough! Now, in my older age, when I have the opportunity/misfortune to witness sheer ignorance in progress, I'll usually point it out to the party whether it's our canoe or not. Improper unloading and handling, which includes stepping in a canoe that's on the ground and worse yet, dragging a fully loaded canoe over the rocks is just plain dumb and irresponsible both on the part of the paddler and sometimes the outfitter. Considering that one will be relying on that canoe to get home, why would he treat it so poorly?

So, for those of you who want to see how it's done, here are the pictures and words to explain the procedure. Proper care of your canoe is very simple and requires no special skills or brain-power. It also usually requires LESS time and grunting than beating up your canoe like an idiot. However, if grunting and dragging your canoe over rocks, from lake to lake makes you feel special, there is still a place on this earth for you, too. Much sooner than later you'll need a new canoe and new canoe sales keep canoe builders and their employees with food on the table and a roof over their heads. Have fun!

Step1: Grab your canoe by the grab handle when it's still floating like the guy in this picture is doing. Notice the canoe is devoid of humans yet it's floating and all the gear is still inside. to find out how that is done, click here.
Step 2: Pick up the canoe and begin to pull it towards shore. Very easy to do and takes about 3 seconds. Sheesh - will you look at the gut on that guy - a small kid could keep dry under there in a rainstorm!
Step 3: Keep walking inland - your feet will stay much drier in that direction. As you are carrying the canoe bow, you can't see how close the bottom of the canoe is to the ground, but there's no noise as long as the stern is floating on the water.
Step 4: The instant you hear the canoe touch the ground, STOP. Set it down as this portly fellow demonstrates. (The camera added 10 lbs.) Dragging it beyond this point of initial contact is unnecessary and makes you appear to be a pinhead with no skills and even less common sense!
Step 5: Grab the first pack by the "ears" (or the grab-handles just below the ears in a modern pack like the one you see here that the big guy missed) and get it out of the canoe.
Step 6: If you can't reach the rest of the packs, repeat steps 1 thru 4. Then grab the next pack by the ears, not the straps. Doing so will prevent you from wrecking your straps and dumping gear out of your Duluth packs all over the beach, thus saving unwelcome catcalls, jeering, and laughter by moose and squirrel.
Step 7: Take everything out of the canoe. Now you are ready to pick up the canoe for the portage. See how to do that here.

As you can see, this is not difficult to do. It doesn't even require practise. Just let your sensitive side show when unloading your canoe and guys like me won't be snarling at you at the public landings. Show a little repect for that canoe, will ya? (Unless, of course, you hate your canoe and would rather be paddling a Souris River instead of that banged up boat anchor you inherited from Uncle Ernie)

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