John
MacGregor, a Scottish adventurer and philanthropist,
is widely credited with creating the modern sport of canoeing
and with the introduction and early development of double-paddle
sailing canoes. Journeying to North America in 1859, he travelled
as far as the Bering Sea and marvelled at the native canoes and
kayaks he saw -- their seaworthiness, their carrying capacity,
their light weight, and their intrinsic fun. So inspired was
he that on his return to Europe he designed and built the first
of his famed Rob Roy double-paddle canoes, and went on to make
many spectacular voyages in it.
His first book, "A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy on the Lakes and Rivers of Europe", was published in 1866 and, along with subsequent books, magazine articles, and lectures, was extremely popular. They introduced the world to paddling and inspired many to take it up, including American writers Nathaniel Bishop and Nessmuk (George Washington Sears), famed builder J. Henry Rushton, and many others.
By the turn of the century, recreational canoeing was an international sensation and the double-paddle sailing canoe was actively raced in many countries. Designs were becoming more specialized, and a nation's international stature rested on the success of the nation's canoe sailors. We can only suppose these were simpler times. Sadly, the First World War put an end to such amusements, and afterwards people became distracted with other, less noble and far more boring activities. Today, we are again rediscovering a fascination with sailing canoes.
|
"Glancing water, brilliant sun, a pretty canoe, and a light heart, all your baggage on board, and on a fast current, -- who would exchange this for any diligence or railway, or steamboat, or horse?" - "A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy", John MacGregor (1866) |
