Meryl Grandy

Here's an interesting method for using paddles to portage a canoe. It appeared in Popular Science - August 1946, p 155 in a brief article entitled "Canoe Paddle Holders Ease Portaging".  The method involves permanently mounting rawhide straps through a rib with screws and washers. Additional leather straps with buckles are mounted to a forward thwart.




The illustration shows a canoe without a centre thwart or yoke. Not sure I'd trust a lightweight cedar rib with 8 screws to handle the strain of portaging, though. For similar setups of using paddles to assist with portaging, see this earlier post.