Steering by Leaning

You can steer a marathon canoe by changing sides, or with draw strokes and cross bow strokes.  However, the most efficient way to steer the boat is to lean it and let it carve to one side or the other. Leaning the canoe allows you to maintain speed while turning.

In order to do this well, both paddlers need to keep the boat loose so that it can lean gently and effectively.  The leans work the opposite of a bike; so lean away from where you want to go.The person in the back decides when to lean and how much, the person in the front stays loose to accommodate it.

• Try to rock the boat a little bit as a reminder to keep your hips loose.
• To practice, stop paddling and lean the boat to curve it
• The person in the front can try some big draws strokes, but leaning onto them.  See how much better this turns the boat compared to leaning away from your draw strokes.
• When turning, the person in the back should reach as far forward as they can. 

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