eet long and ten inches wide would
furnish a good-sized surface in the water--one dropping on each side
of the canoe and firmly supported by a bar fastened to the gunwale.
The blades should be so rigged that, when striking an object in the
water, they will quickly release, causing no strain on the canoe. The
leeboard, like a centre board, is of course intended to keep the canoe
from sliding off when trying to beat up into the wind. When running
free before the wind the board should be raised. The general rules for
sailing larger craft apply to the canoe.

The paddle is used as a rudder and may be held by the sailor, but a
better plan is to have two paddles, one over each side, made fast to
the gunwale or the brace. The sailor can then grasp either one as he
goes about and there is no danger of losing the paddles overboard. In
sailing, the sailor sits on the bottom, on the opposite side from the
sail, except in a high wind, when he sits on the gunwale where he can
the better balance the sail with his weight. The combination of sail,
leeboards, and the balancing weight of the sailor, will render the
canoe stiff and safe, with proper care, in any wind less than a gale.
A crew may consist of two or three in a seventeen foot canoe.

The spars and mast of a sailing outfit should be of spruce or some
other light but strong wood, while cedar or some non-splitting wood is
best for the leeboards. Young canoeists will enjoy making their own
sailing outfits; or a complete Lateen rig as made by various canoe
manufacturers can be purchased either directly from them or through
almost any dealer.

In case of an upset the greatest mistake is to leave the boat. A
capsized canoe will support at least four persons as long as they have
strength to cling to it. A single man or boy, in case of upsetting
beyond swimming distance to land, should stretch himself flat upon the
bottom of the canoe, with arms and legs spread down over the
tumblehome toward the submerged gunwales. He can thus lie in safety
for hours till help arrives. When two persons are upset, they should
range themselves one {179} on each side of the overturned boat; and,
with one hand grasping each other's wrists across the boat, use the
other hand to cling to the keel or the gunwale. If the canoe should
swamp, {180} fill with water, and begin to sink, it should be turned
over in the water. It is the air remaining under the inverted hull
that gives the craft sufficient buoyan