Shooting the rapids the natural way
If you ever find yourself stranded in the Amazon or the wastes of Canada, you could always follow the example of Samuel de Champlain.
Having successfully crossed the Atlantic to the Canadian coast, and after sailing up the Lawrence River, the 17th Century French explorer found his progress blocked by the Lachine Rapids near modern day Montreal. His fleet of boats were too big and cumbersome to navigate through the fierce waters, while thick forest made hiking too difficult.
There was just one solution – travelling by canoe. As far as the indigenous tribes of Canada were concerned, the canoe was ideal for travelling freely through lakes and rivers on hunting expeditions, when exploring, transportation and, of course, the 9 to 5 commute!
Construction differed according to the canoe’s purpose and the materials available; native Americans on the west coast, for instance, built canoes from giant red cedars in the area, which were hollowed out to create a shell. This was then packed with hot stones and water to soften the wood before it could be moulded into shape. Fast and flexible, some canoes could carry as much as two tons in weight and were sturdy enough for hunting whales and other large mammals at sea.
Most commonly, canoes were made from birch-bark which is light, impervious to water and exceptionally tough and pliable. Canoe builder David Gidmark claims: “A birch-bark canoe can go through rapids that would damage a wood and canvas canoe”. It is extremely kind to the environment too, simply returning to the eco-system once discarded.
Sadly, trees suitable for making birch-bark canoes are becoming rarer, so modern canoes are built from canvas, wood, fibreglass and aluminium.