Book Review
Basic Essentials: Solo Canoeing

by Mel Baughman

(Second Edition) by Cliff Jacobson; The Globe Pequot Press, Guilford, CT 06437; 72 pp; $7.95.

I've paddled my tandem canoes solo on numerous fishing trips to lakes and rivers when my fishing buddies weren't available and I couldn't talk my wife into being a trolling motor, but I've never paddled a true solo canoe for more than a short spin around a local lake. Solo Canoeing was especially interesting to me because I've been pondering the idea of buying or building a solo canoe for fishing sorties and maybe for a week-long trip when I couldn't find a partner. Cliff's book was just the ticket I needed to determine what type of solo canoe I would need, how to outfit it for camping, how to maintain the canoe, and how to adjust my paddling style for a solo boat. The appendix on sources of solo canoes, gear, and additional resources was very helpful. As usual, Cliff's writing was packed with practical advice and details while being fun to read. Cliff also included paddling chapters by Harry Roberts and Charlie Wilson to ensure that the book covered a broad range of techniques applicable to different boats and uses. Although I'm an experienced canoeist in a tandem boat and this book was written for beginners; I qualify as a beginner in solo canoeing and found the book very useful. Now if I can just convince my wife that we really need a third canoe, I'll be in business.