Toren’s Winter Update

by Toren Hynes

It’s the middle of winter. It might be the off-season when it comes to canoeing, but that does not mean that I am not thinking about it, at least occasionally. Here are some of the things I have been doing.

Giving the Canoe some TLC

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably not particularly motivated to work on the canoe during the summer: you’re probably wanting to paddle it instead. However, during the winter, when the lakes are frozen over, it’s a perfect time to give the canoe and paddles some much-needed TLC, and that is what I have been doing.

The Canoe

I have a 12.5 ft long Sportspal that I bought used a few years ago. While it’s been a great boat for travelling solo, the rough and rocky lakes of Nova Scotia have taken its toll on it, with lots of scratches and torn-up sponsons. The overall maintenance and work consisted of the following:

  • Installation of a spruce yoke for easier carrying
  • Moving the forward seat closer to the bow (otherwise my head doesn’t fit between the yoke and seat)
  • Replacement of the sponsons
  • Replacement of the original galvanized hardware with stainless. This proved quite challenging as the old bolts had severely corroded due to dissimilar metals (aluminum canoe, steel bolts). Many of them had to be broken in half with vice-grips to be removed.
  • A repaint of the bottom. I used Interlux TopLac for this.

With all that done, the boat looks like new! Now to move onto…

The Paddles

These were in generally decent condition, with just some normal wear and tear. A good sanding followed by a few coats of marine grade varnish (I used Interlux Schooner Gold) has got them in great shape once more.

Cross-country skiing

The frozen lakes have made for excellent cross-country skiing. So far I have been out five times, exploring Oak Lake, Salmon River Lake, the Musquodoboit Trailway, Abraham’s & Abbiecombec Lake (caution! those lakes have weak spots due to underwater springs!) and Ragged Lake. Skiing is also a great way to get around the backcountry for taking winter drone photographs.

Future plans

While there are several areas I would like to visit in the upcoming warm season, the one I am most interested in is Tobeatic Lake cabin. It looks like it will be a long day’s paddle to get there, and there’s lots to explore in the local area. Overall, it will make for an excellent long weekend trip. On the way, I’ll also look at Pollards Falls cabin and see what kind of shape it’s in. 

Continuing the cabin theme, I would also like to check out the Rocky Lake cabin in the Medway Lakes area, as I have heard good things about the canoeing in that area too.

Other routes I am interested in include GPS tracking the portages in the White Lake wilderness area between Rocky Lake and Red Lake, examining whether there still is a connection between Sixth Lake and the Tangier River, and helping out with some portage work parties.

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