Canoe Catamarans?

[BluNosDav]

Anyone ever lash two canoes side-by-side and push with only one motor?
(a side-mounted motor on one would then be "centerline" for both.)

Just thinking out loud, Dave.

 

[tboehm]

Yes, it's been done and pictures shown here. With a little searching you should be able to find out some info. Maybe familyman or Mariner will chime in and show you the way. What you are talking about is a cat-a-canoe basicly.

 

[VernAK]

It works quite well if done carefully......be sure there is no "toe-out" in lashing the canoes together as it will force water up between the canoes.

Usually poles or 2x4s etc. are lashed across both canoes.....a motor mount can be built on the rear, middle.

It was a common practice for carrying large items like refrigerators to cabins in Canoe Country. There was a guide operated out of the Eagle area that used this procedure to make a more stable canoe for clients yet coould be easily dismantled for transport.

I've never used this setup in rough water or big waves ...please be cautious!

 

[Rick]

cata-canoe ....

cata-canoe ....

I've been cata-canoeing my Grumman with my 16' Wenonah Royalex Kingfisher for some years now. It works, is highly stable, and will haul a big load. The rig originally was designed to deal with several logjams that blocked a small river we hunt. At the jam, we dsmantled the rig, took the Wenonah over the jam, and up river to see if there were other blockages, before working the Grumman and motor over the jam. We also use the double ender on off river lakes and ponds and in other places unsuitable for the 19'er.

My first effort was lashing with 2X4's. It was risky and was constantly in need of re-lashing. The next season I made a clamping system and used aluminum tubing. Worked much better. The addition of the "deck" sealed to the gunwales, kept everything much dryer with a new place for a load and a movable "kitchen.

The rig, powered by my 2 stroke 15 hp Yamaha - 78# - cruises at approx. 13+ mph.

I consider this to be a very stable, safe rig, with an on paper load capacity of 1900#. My heaviest load had been about 1600#.

 

[VernAK]

Good job Rick!

 

[BluNosDav]

Rick,

Did you "need" to set the two canoes that far apart for some operational reason?
(waves between the hulls, stability, etc.) Or did you just "want" some additional flat space?

Thanx, Dave.

PS - I never would have thought of "decking" the space between the canoes! Cool.

 

[alaskamokaiman]

We lashed 2 to retrieve a crashed plane removed engine and wings two trips we were done worked great 15 Mariner for power.

 

[FamilyMan]

Yes, it's been done and pictures shown here. With a little searching you should be able to find out some info. Maybe familyman or Mariner will chime in and show you the way. What you are talking about is a cat-a-canoe basicly.

Actually danattherock is likely the better source; he's lashed two foldable canoes together and posted pictures here before. And he floats more of remote Alaska than Alaskans do, though he's a (very nice) Southern gentleman.

 

[Rick]

Hey Dave ...
The closer the hulls, the more problematic the standing wave that forms 'tween the 2 hulls. The center lines of the 2 hulls have about 8" of toe-in at the front to somewhat reduce the amount of water compressed 'tween them. The "deck" has to be sealed to the gunwales to keep the boats from taking water in under the deck. By the way, this year I used a 16' extension ladder separated into its 2 - 10' sections as a pallet on top of the deck. Our moose meat was in game bags on top of a 16X20 tarp that was carefully folded and lashed down containing the meat, completely bone dry back to the landing.

We used the deck as our kitchen. I like it, although I'm a bit weary of assembling my rig on the landing.

 

[tboehm]

Hey Dave ...
The closer the hulls, the more problematic the standing wave that forms 'tween the 2 hulls. The center lines of the 2 hulls have about 8" of toe-in at the front to somewhat reduce the amount of water compressed 'tween them. The "deck" has to be sealed to the gunwales to keep the boats from taking water in under the deck. By the way, this year I used a 16' extension ladder separated into its 2 - 10' sections as a pallet on top of the deck. Our moose meat was in game bags on top of a 16X20 tarp that was carefully folded and lashed down containing the meat, completely bone dry back to the landing.

We used the deck as our kitchen. I like it, although I'm a bit weary of assembling my rig on the landing.

Do you have any pictures of this set up?

"I like it, although I'm a bit weary of assembling my rig on the landing" Could you please explain what you ment by this?

Thanks for the input.

 

[Rick]

tboehm .... Sorry to be so slow responding. Been busy with a dog race this weekend.

A picture of the rig is higher up on this thread. As for being tired of assembling the cata-canoe on the landing ... It takes about an hour to assemble the setup, what with all the clamping and making the vital deck to gunwale seal, making sure the center lines are as intended, etc. Further, the rig, 'tho it works very well, tends not to get taken apart out at our hunting area, 'cause it's tiresome to put back together. Thus my great Wenonah has become a fancy pontoon.

I'm getting my HB from Whitehorse shortly, so the Wenonah will be going along on top of my load ... and used on ponds, lakes and small creeks, as intended.

 

[mainer_in_ak]

I had two identical square stern canoes some time ago, it would've been nice to have lashed them together with a big mud motor hangin off the back. I ended up selling both of them, just to afford a new Esquif Cargo canoe.