Why does a canoe float?

How deep does water have to be for a canoe to float?

• If 8 people are in the canoe how deep does it have to be?

• Answer:

  The only canoe that would fit 8 people would be a Voyageur type hunting or cargo canoe that would be 25' to 30' long and these have quite a deep draft due to the volume they have to support in displacement. The draft depth has to do with the design of the canoe so there is no way to tell you minimum water depth. The more weight in the canoe, the higher the water has to be because the water line on the canoe will be higher as the weight sinks it deeper. Too deep and it will be incredibly unstable and will easily capsize and sink. So it depends on the length and width of the canoe and the weight of the 8 people.