If you’re new to canoeing, lifting a canoe without getting hurt can be challenging at the best of times. I’ve been slugging canoes over my head for 40 years and I’d love to save you some hassles I’ve been through for far too long!
The best way to lift a canoe for transport is to have 2 people lift it up from one end (while the other end stays on the ground). Then one person holds the end up high while the other person walks to the yoke. The person holding the end of the canoe high then lowers it to the shoulders of the person under the yoke.
While this method is ideal, it’s not always practical or possible. I’ll show you (with photos and video) the most common, easiest, and best methods of carrying a canoe, and I’ll also show you a trick when solo lifting a heavy canoe.
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How to Lift a Heavy Canoe (or a light one for that matter!)
Before we jump into how to lift a canoe, we have to figure out how many people will be involved. In most scenarios, I’ll guess there is one person carrying the canoe, and either 1 or 2 people that can help with the mounting on the shoulders part. Still, we’ll outline the most common carrying options.
1 – Solo (one person to lift the canoe, and that same person carries the canoe)
As a solo lifter with a heavy canoe, it’s best to be near an immovable object like a tree or large rock. This comes in handy when you start lifting one end of the canoe. The canoe can start to move (especially on smooth rock) so an object is helpful.
In the photos, I am using a LIGHT canoe made of Kevlar only because I don’t own a dozen canoes and of the 3 that I currently own, none are really heavy. However, I’ve been using this method of lifting on very heavy canoes I’ve had over the decades.
I would definitely use this method for canoes weighing over 60 pounds.
Here are the steps if you’re lifting a canoe on your own;
PRO TIP
How Much Do Canoeists Paddle Annually?
8 – 18 Years Old
55 Years Old +
All Age Average
2 – Tandem Lift (2 people help get the canoe into position for one person to carry it)
The easiest lift to learn is an assisted lift. With the canoe upside down, you and your partner should each grab a gunwale near the bow and lift the canoe, allowing the stern to rest on the ground. Back under the carry thwart while your partner holds the bow as high as possible.
Rick Sparkman – Lifelong canoeist and author, Acadia University, Wolfville, NS
Before I show you how the tandem lift works, let me address an issue over which I’ve received a bit of flack and resistance. Some paddlers take issue with needing 2 people to do this technique, and to an extent, they are right. If you push your canoe up against a rock so it doesn’t slide, you are likely strong enough to lift the canoe on your own in a similar fashion to the Tandem Lift.
However, if you are lifting on uneven ground, shifting ground (rocks, stones, sand) and especially if it’s windy, you could have bitten off more than you can chew.
When you are picking up a narrow bow (nose) of the canoe while the only point of ground connection is the stern point, there is virtually no stability in the entire body of the canoe, and you can easily lose your balance as the weight shifts randomly (especially in a stiff breeze) before you can get both hands on opposite gunwales a few feet in from the deck plate.
This technique is perfect if you have 2 paddlers and a canoe weighing over 60 pounds.
Here are the steps to lifting your canoe tandem;
3 – Solo Lift for Lighter Canoe (under 60 pounds)
It’s never a bad idea to use any of the first two techniques even if you have an ultra-light Kevlar canoe. The purpose of lifting a canoe is NOT to show the squirrels you’ve still got biceps.
Your purpose in lifting/paddling/portaging is to stress your body the least amount possible during your trip in order to conserve energy and most of all, prevent injury while you’re in the backwoods. Your safety and perhaps your very life could depend on your physical condition, so don’t be a hero lifting canoes using your ego rather than your brain.
Here are the steps in lifting a lighter canoe:
