Use caution when motoring in low water

[dixieangler]

If you motor around in a small boat or square stern canoe, please use caution when waters are low and more shallow where stumps and other underwater obstacles may not be seen until too late. In fact it would most likely be better to wait for higher water levels so obstacles will be well below the canoe and prop. It happened to Don and me on his canoe the other day. Prop hit an unseen stump or root and wrenched the tiller around uncontrollably. The canoe went over on the starboard and did not come back until we were in the water hanging on to the canoe with our heads out of the water. The motor had cut out as soon as it went over. We flipped the canoe back over pretty quick so we didn't loose anything and walked it to the bank. The motor was water fouled and wouldn't start so after bailing out the canoe with a plastic dish and cooler we had to paddle back in. Fortunately only our pride was hurt but it was an unavoidable thing. We will be more careful next time but it would probably best to wait until the water levels come up after getting some rain but rains probably won't start until May.

P.S.
The [img] code is not working right now for me or I would post photos of the canoe. That's not all that is wrong. I know I have around 1300 posts, not 805. Also looks like the clock isn't working either.

[ducksterman]

Robert,
Re: the clock....go upper right and click ...user control pattern....the forum preferences on the left...and you probably have to check Daylight savings

[BassYakker]

[weehooker]

Sorry but not surprised to hear of your mishap. FWIW, I've found square stern canoes to be tempremental when under power. ( had 3 , thy are all gone) Too narrow a beam to take sudden powered movements and the narrow transom doesn't provide the same boyancy as a boat. Iv'e found that they are best paddled in all but the most ideal situations. Even tehn, a small electric seems to work better/more predictably than gas.
If you must motor, leave the leg unlocked ( so it can kick up) and power slowly.

[DaleW]

About the best outboard motor I ever remember for a canoe goes back (hate to say it) over 55 years ago ~
And that was a 3/4 hp Neptune. I don't think the tiny thing even filled with gas weighed 18 lbs! But it would putts a canoe along just a tad above paddle speed (wide open) and not upset the balance of things that much.

Today I use a transomed Raddison (not to be confused with a square back) as my back into the boonies fishing boat. Most usually I paddle the thing ... not as smooth a paddler as the real thing, but I can hang a small outboard or an electric motor onto it for some larger streches of water. I like using my 3hp Evinrude the best but never at full throttle, maybe about half. A friend has a 2hp Evinrude and they look almost identical and produce about the same speed for a little boat. One big difference ~ the 3hp has the "shift" (really a clutch), where you can start the thing in neutral, get yourself and everything all settled and then gently drop it into forward gear. Makes a big difference for a small type water craft.

Dale