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Why does a canoe float?

How deep of water does a canoe need to float?

  • I just bought a canoe and i want to know the least amount of water it needs to float be fore trying it first. Thanks

  • Answer:

    Depends on the weight. It will displace exactly how much water as it weighs. So, if it weighs 100 pounds, it will displace about 10 gallons of water. So, what you CAN do is pour 10 gallons of water IN the canoe, and the water level inside will be the water line on the outside when it is floating empty. Simple. Archimedes is the guy who figured this kind of displacement thing out in his bath one day. You know, the guy who ran down the street in nothing but a towel shouting "Eureka"! For the canoes I am familiar with, it would mean at least 4" of water to float an empty canoe. For 2 people and camping supplies, you might be looking at 14" to 16" minimum. A friend and I worked in water as shallow as 2' with no trouble as long as the bottom was sandy or at least flat.

Jason R at Yahoo! Answers Visit the source

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It depends on what you have in the canoe. A canoe will float on 2 inches of water if nothing is inside...it's less dense than water and has positive bouyancy. If you're packing a cooler and a few friends, I would say to make sure the water is at least 6-8 inches to embark. That should clear you of any rocks or debris on the bottom of the river bed....Also, please wear a life preserver and have one for each person on board. You may also want to look up different paddling techiniques for different situations before your first cruise on the water. Good Luck.

jackohearts3

Depends how many people your bringing, or how much you weigh. I've managed to make it through less than a foot of water but i don't recommend it.

grady

The canoe itself will float empty in an inch or so. After you get in, a couple more. But you can't paddle easily in that - you want at least a foot, and probably two so you can paddle normally without watching each stroke to see if there's enough water. You can actually canoe over a sandbar with an inch of water by shifting your weight and pushing off the bottom with the paddle. For just starting out, good weather, no rocks - 18 inches. Make sure you have some strategy for rescue if you capsize, like being able to swim to shore so you can empty it out and start again, or go in a group. While it's possible with practice to right a kayak doing an eskimo roll, it's almost impossible to balance a canoe half full of water; it floats OK, but the stability is gone.

adaviel

It depends on the particular canoe and the weight it's holding. I'd say at least a foot of water should be enough to keep a typical canoe carrying a typical weight from scraping the bottom. But I've gone floating a lot, and I can say that it's really common to come across shallow parts of a creek or river that need to have the canoe pushed or pulled over.

Vigilant_apathetic

Only needs the displacement, so really only a few inches for float. You will need more to use a paddle, less for pole. Don't forget your life vest should you tip over.

Poppy

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