(1) A boat used by many Indian tribes of North America. Canoes were made from an entire tree trunk (hollowed out by fire and chopping), or else a frame was first constructed and later covered with bark. Canoes had symmetrically pointed bows and sterns and were of various sizes, with seating capacities ranging from two to 100 persons.
(2) A modern canoe is a paddle boat without oarlocks that is typified by a dugout-shaped hull and a paddling method using one single-bladed shovel-shaped paddle. Steering is done by twisting the paddle in the water and changing its trajectory at the end of the stroke. There are domestic general purpose canoes (for carrying loads and passengers, for hunting and fishing), touring canoes, and sport canoes (for “flat” racing on calm water and for water slalom on rough mountain streams). Canoes are classed according to production method as those hollowed out of whole tree-trunk pieces and those made by covering a frame with waterproof materials (special plywoods, skins, rubberized fabrics, synthetic coatings, and plastics).
The finest canoes are the sport canoes, which are made of polished plywood (the best being made of mahogany) or plastic material. Touring canoes are usually built for two or three persons and have collapsible frames or are inflatable. Water slalom canoes are made of fiberglass with unsinkable, airtight compartments in the bow and stern. The paddlers sit on the bottom of the canoe or on bench-type seats; in sport canoes the paddlers kneel on one knee. The number of paddlers in a canoe ranges from one to several dozen persons (from one to six in sport canoes). The dimensions, weight, and shape of sport canoes are limited by regulations. The cross-section and longitudinal lines of the hulls of these canoes must be convex and continuous. One-man canoes have a maximum length of 520 cm, a minimum width of 75 cm, and a minimum weight of 16 kg; for two-man canoes these specifications are 650 cm, 75 cm, and 20 kg, respectively; for six-man canoes they are 1, 100 cm, 85 cm, and 50 kg, respectively.
E. L. KABANOV