I love canoeing; but I'm also a rag man. I want the option of sails on my canoe. I know it can be done elsewhere, but what about in the Boundary Waters? "No mechanical devices," yes; but what constitutes a mechanical device? Sheet winches, travellers, and vangs - probably, but what about a rudder (as on some kayaks)? Is an outrigger temporarily fastened to a canoe a "mechanical device"? Or a fixed mast?

If the bow man folds a bed sheet over a paddle and holds it up while the stern man grasps the free corners, would that be considered using a "mechanical device"? (It might be a good way to get wet.) Don't get me wrong. Paddling across a lake has its own challenges and rewards; and purists might scoff at the idea of using a sail. I can appreciate that, and I wouldn't want the Boundary Waters filled with a host of sail powered canoes speeding across the lakes at 10plus knots, but sailing is just as environmentally friendly as paddling.

I don't want to break the rules, just understand them.

I understand the rules to be that jury rigged sails are fine - anything more formal is probably not kosher.

On a trip up Agnes in Quetico we tried a sail. We found two trees and stripped the dead branches from them. We used a large tarp rolled the tarp around them with some lashing and form a triangle. It worked OK but we did not spend the time to fix it to the canoe well. I think sailing would be great it you can get some basic equipment and it was "legal". I think the big issue is getting the sail to attach to the canoe to transfer the power.

Crossing a big lake under sail would be fun!

Check out this link on Canoe sailing.

http://www.paddlin.com/fivelakes/canoe_sailing.html

Wind at your back is always a great way to travel in the bwca area. We use a light weight tarp, that also doubles as our dining fly, when we have favorable winds. We simply hold the fly high enough in front with our paddles to catch the wind. We recently flew across Lake Agnes without any paddling and were across the whole length in minutes. I'm not sure if this is with-in the "rules" of the BWCA but the few times that we have done this the experience has been great. Our group was able to lash the canoes together and "enjoy" some free time and yet keep traveling with little effort.

Here's another twist for thought. I've been pondering this for years, since playing with sport kites. Parafoil kites in the two-line version can be easily steered within maybe a 150 degree window (or so). They come in a wide variety of sizes (different powers) and do not attach to the boat in any way. I'm not familiar with the fine details of the law, would kites be allowed?

Also an easy way to rig a sail when the wind is with you is to use a poncho. Bowman sticks the paddle through to the hood, and holds the handle between his legs, he then holds the corners of the poncho out.

Stern just keeps paddling.

quote muskielips: "Wind at your back "

What's that??

Bump=moving old topic to top of que for further discussion

Umbrella

I guess it's a lot easier to be going with the flow, most umbrellas would break in a heavy wing on a big lake but he may have something there.
I remember sitting along the shores of lake Sebago (NY not ME) watching the weekly canoe sailing races, no paddling allowed. Canoe sailing

I resurrected this old topic to try to get a better comprehension of what's OK for a sail in the BWCA. My searches leave me with a bit of gray area.

On a recent trip across Crooked Lake, we made a makeshift sail with a paddle and a rainfly. I believe this to be legit and it worked fairly well. I was in the front holding the paddle as high as I could while keeping it anchored at the bottom with my foot and other hand. My buddy got the much better end of this deal.

As my arms grew tired, the idea of a kite like a small parasail came to mind. If I strapped myself to the canoe seat, weighted the front end down a little more and flew a kite, this would be much easier on the front dude and a great way to move a long distance.

I respect the whole purist thing, but let's face it, days upon days of paddling gets sooooo monotonous.

quote BWPaddler: "

quote muskielips: "Wind at your back "

What's that??"

Ya' can't repeal the laws o' physics, Cap'n! The wind only blows into your face! <:o

An easy technique that is less efficient but still effective is to let the bow paddler use their paddle as a sail while the person in the stern rudders the canoe. We were able to book along down Crooked lake on a pretty sweet clip a few weeks ago by doing this.

If you wanted reference, in reply to my email I received this from Ali Bickford, Visitor Information Specialist, Forest Service, Superior National Forest:

"As for Sailboats the Forest Plan, page 3-54, clearly outlines what is not permissible. "Watercraft or sailboards designed for propulsion by wind are not permissible." Additionally, in the BWCAW Final EIS the following is stated, “Watercraft or sailboards designed for propulsion by wind are not permissible. Watercraft with types of rowing devices that were in regular use in the BWCAW, prior to the 1979 BWCAW Act, are permitted.” Sail craft are not appropriate because of the mechanized equipment used and the visual impact on other users. Incidental use of ponchos, tarps, etc. to catch a favorable wind is allowable when used in conjunction with craft designed for paddle propulsion." Retro-fitted sails specifically designed to sail canoes and other water craft are also not allowed. Hobiecat foot peddle craft and Hobiecat and sail craft are also not allowed. The sails and peddles are designed for propulsion."

In addition to some paddles and a poncho, this could be interpreted to allow a paddlesail, but not as clear as it could be.

Unfortunately I cant find these references in the Forest Plan and Final EIS on the SNF website, so checking to see if there is a more recent version than what is posted (2004).