“Let your boat of life be light, packed with only what you need – a homely home and simple pleasures, one or two friends, worth the name, someone to love and someone to love you, a cat, a dog, and a pipe or two, enough to eat and enough to wear, and a little more than enough to drink; for thirst is a dangerous thing. ”. Says Jerome K. Jerome in the classic novel Three Men in a Boat.
Speaking of which; how many people fit in a canoe? Read on to find out all about it.
Weight Capacity and Weight Distribution
Vessels of all shapes and sizes have a weight capacity that they shouldn’t exceed, as well as a balance they should maintain. And canoes are no different in that respect.
The weight capacity of the canoe is the safe load of passengers, gear, and amenities, that wouldn’t affect the canoe’s performance. So if 5 people and their backpacks get on a tandem, they’ll most probably affect its speed, maneuverability, and agility over choppy waters.
Weight distribution is the way the canoe is loaded. If one side gets a heavier weight, it would tip downwards sending the dynamics of the vessel wayward. It would naturally be difficult to steer and drive forward.
And if this scenario happens with a whitewater, fishing, or racing canoe, it would definitely compromise its balance. It would detract from its overall performance and even safety.
Proper weight distribution is essential just as much as staying within the limits of the rated weight capacity. Thus, as you invite your friends over in a touring or a tandem, make sure that the number of passengers plus their gear is within the right limits. And arrange the seating and gear storage in a uniform manner across the canoe.
Does Usage Affect the Number of Passengers on a Canoe?
Actually, it does in a big way!
If you want to fit 2 people in a canoe, you’d just go for a tandem. But if you have a party of eight, should you get a large touring canoe? Or would it be better to use 4 tandems? There are more arguments about this matter than there are 15 passenger tandems!
Here are some scenarios that you might come across:
One person paddling a tandem?
Solo and tandem canoes top the list of the most popular canoes around. And that’s why they’re abundant commercially more than any other type. As you aim for longer vessels or a higher passenger number, the costs rise up significantly.
Also, you’d find yourself searching for these large specimens, unlike the small vessels that you’ll see everywhere.
It’s customary for a person who has a life partner, or who really appreciates the company, to get a tandem instead of a solo. However, they might not always find a canoeing buddy, and they end up going solo. This often comes with odd weight distribution. To counter that, they’d need to carry extra gear to add some balance.
A better solution is using a three-passenger canoe, and paddling from a middle position. This would give a lot more balance and stability to the vessel. In addition, it would provide more room for a pet and some extra gear.
However, this comes at a higher cost. Furthermore, a larger canoe would be heavier and longer. Thus it would be a bit more demanding in transportation and storage. Especially for a solo sailor.
Two tandems or a 4-passenger canoe?
I can bet that you’d always hear an emphatic affirmation to the first statement. Two tandems carrying a total of 4 passengers are incredibly easier than sailing with a larger 4-passenger canoe.
Here’s why:
- Tandems are easier to transport on regular cars, while larger canoes need trailers.
- Tandems are much lighter, so they can be carried around without much trouble.
- Storage of a longer canoe is much more demanding than storing the smaller tandems.
- Tandems are abundant in all canoe shops, they’re available online, and on canoeing forums.
- Steering, manoeuvering, and controlling a tandem, are much easier than a 4-passenger canoe.
So unless there’s a very good reason why you’d prefer a 4-passenger arrangement, it’s recommended to go for the tandem.
Racing Solo? Or With a Racing Team?
The answer to this question is that it’s simply up to you. If the race is between 10 solo sailors, then get on the lightest and most agile canoe, and ace it!
Alternatively, if you’d like to relive the ancient experience of traditional canoeing with a bunch of teammates, then gather 10 others, and hop on a 27 ft canoe. Then beat the other teams out of their wits! You’d need plenty of practice though, paddling in unison isn’t as easy as many people think.
So how many people can you fit on a racing canoe? Anywhere from 3-10 is viable.
How Many People Can Fit in a Touring Canoe?
Touring canoes can be quite large, and they often carry 5-10 passengers. Some places might restrict that number though, and put limitations on the maximum number of passengers per canoe, and the overall maximum number of canoes in any group.
These types of regulations are intended to ensure the safety of the passengers. Smaller amounts of people often increase the stability of the canoe, and the tour organizers can keep closer vigilance on all the members of the group.
How Many People Can fit in a Canoe?
Generally speaking, you can fit as many people as there are seating spots. At the same time, you should stay within the weight capacity of the canoe and distribute the load evenly from bow to stern.
The canoe manufacturers often indicate the number of passengers. So if you want to know the number of people that can fit in a canoe, look at the datasheet of the one you like.
Also, there’s a rough calculation you could do to get an approximate estimate:
Number of passengers = canoe length (ft) x canoe width (ft) / 15
To demonstrate, let’s take a look at some popular canoe sizes and see how many passengers they fit. A 13-ft Old Town Next is a solo but in a comfortable way. The 14 ft Saranac is good for 3 passengers, but they’d be slightly packed.
A larger crowd of 5 would get easily on a 23-ft Savage River. Interestingly, the smaller 22-ft Clipper Mariner was designed to house 8! Taking a daring step, now we move on to the big guys. 10 passengers can fit inside the 25-ft Clipper Voyageur, and a whopping 15 passengers can paddle a 27-ft War Canoe. It’s often specially made-to-order though.
In Conclusion
In theory, you can fit 100 people in a really big canoe, but then, how can you sail it? Where can you store it? And how is that mammoth of a vessel be transported?
The largest canoe was a 149-ft affair, and it was built in 2006 as a challenge. The students and teachers of a school in Maine had taken it on, but then, it was never utilized beyond gaining the record.
While you can fit a large number of passengers on a canoe, it’s always prudent to consider the practical sides of the matter thoroughly. Also, make sure that you stay within the weight limits of the canoe, and distribute the weight inside it wisely.