Adding Floation to a Canoe

[TruthWalleyes]

Looking at adding some more "float" or weight capacity to a smaller aluminum canoe i've got for some rough river adventures this spring.

Has anyone got experience in adding boyancy to your craft?

--I'd like to add enough boyancy to compensate for 40gallons of water

[Duffman]

The only thing that comes to mind, are those whitewater bags. I don't know anything about them, but I've seen pics:

[pureinsanity]

do you want it removable? or permanent. I would say spray foam. if you could make a frame for it, spray foam it and insert it when you want to. or you could just buy a kayak for probably the same cost.

[TruthWalleyes]

Def though about spray foam, and lining the area of the canoe with wax paper so the foam would be removable and leave no sticky residue behind as the canoe i would like to add floation to is not mine to modify....I don't want to sink it this weekend as i know i'll have 30+ gallons of water come on board in the rapids..

I have two other canoes that are 16' fiberglass and 17' aluminum. The fiberglass canoe has such a large keel it makes fast water very difficult, and i'm nervous about the length of the aluminum canoe when navigating such a narrow and fast river. I have made it down some pretty ugly situations in the fiberglass canoe, and barely made it out to talk about it - won't make that mistake again.

Kayak has been on the mind for some time now, but at 275# and 6'6" it's not the easiet task to find one to fit my size and weight. I'll probably end up settling on a whitewater canoe with air bags in the future.

[pureinsanity]

Make a mold out of wood and spray foam it. than remove the wood slide it in the canoe. Spray foaming the canoe while line with wax paper might not work. That spray foam is strong stuff. It can blow out walls, it blew out some siding on my house...

[PartyWhine]

I don't believe it's possible to add a significant amount of bouyancy to an aluminum canoe.

Outriggers work, but you don't want that.

The key in your situation is minimizing the amount of water that COULD get in the canoe.

That, as I understand it, is the primary benifit of that whitewater gear pictured.

It occupies the space and significantly reduces the amount of water you could take on.

Might go from 40 gallons to 10, 200 + lbs saved.

But your impacting the innate bouyancy of the canoe very little.

Hope that makes sense.

[TruthWalleyes]

Oh I understand the displacement of water vs actual boyancy...Thats for the advice pureinsanity Good to know how powerful that foam is .