West PA Solo Canoe Rendezvous 2024
A long standing informal gathering of solo paddlers, manufacturers, and vendors of solo canoes and paddling equipment.
A long standing informal gathering of solo paddlers, manufacturers, and vendors of solo canoes and paddling equipment.
Established in 1986, the Maine Canoe Symposium is a fun-filled weekend where you can learn new skills, connect with other paddlers, share stories, and enjoy the quintessential Maine sport of canoeing.
Celebrate the Ipswich River - free to members and the community
Week long celebration of wooden canoes - their history, current use and everything in between. If you have any interest is these gorgeous and effective canoes.
“I’ve had the opportunity to fish from almost every type of watercraft, and have come to the conclusion that if I only could have one fishing boat…it would be a canoe” Come to the Gather to find out why!
Attention Trippers and folks who want to find out more about back country canoeing - here’s a great resource that is valuable even if you can’t get to the actual event.
Join us as Bob Latshaw shares his paddle on the Broken Skull River in the Canadian Northwest and Chester “Ozzy” Osborne talks about his urban tripping experience paddling from the Assabet River to the Sea.
Join Charlie Saulnier, formerly with the Essex Agricultural & Technical High School in Danvers (now part of the Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School) and John Macone, Policy and Education Specialist for the Merrimack River Watershed Council, as they share their knowledge of, and experiences paddling on, the Merrimack River.
A Gathering of folks from throughout the Northeast and Canada who share their love for backcountry travel by canoe, by snowshoe, or by ski. Land and water workshops, great presenters, good food, and the opportunity to make good friends.
Join us for Messin’ about in a variety of canoes from fellow paddlers and the White Rose Canoe demo fleet.
Join us for a Messin’ About paddle on the Parker River.
Join us for a relaxed paddle on the Ipswich.
Lake Gardner is finally open! And we’re ready to paddle. Click for more info.
SAVE THE DATE: JUNE 17, 2023
The Ipswich River Watershed Association’s Paddle-a-thon is a unique signature fundraising event celebrating the Ipswich River and clean water. It’s IRWA’s annual fundraising event that encourages folks to paddle a stretch of the Ipswich River on their own or with friends.
NEW THIS YEAR:
Party at Riverbend — Morning Mindfulness Paddle — Family Turtle Paddle — Your Portraits & River Stories — Canoe Auction
This is a great event, and the new location and approach is going to make it even better. We (White Rose Canoe) are one of the sponsors of the event and we strongly encourage all of our friends and customers to participate and donate!
NEW LOCATION: Paddle from the Ipswich River Canoe Launch on Ipswich Road, by Willowdale Park and just upstream from Foote Brothers Canoe and Kayak.
Join us for a relaxed paddle on the Ipswich.
Paddle from Lake Gardner Beach, Amesbury to Woodsom Park landing.
Join us at the White Rose for a fun day of trying out canoes, chatting with Steve Procunier, the Nova Craft Director of Sales, listening to a couple of speakers, and (if you place the order by April 1st) picking up your new special order Nova Craft canoe!
Gear - the bits and bobs that can make a paddle safer and more comfortable. . There are minimum needs, basic kits and purpose specific extensions. Each paddler’s kit is a bit different, so this is a great opportunity to compare choices and pick up new ideas that will make your paddles more fun!
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Ipswich River Watershed Association is auctioning off a Merrimack Osprey canoe (donated by White Rose Canoe) as part of its annual Paddle-a-thon fund raiser. Bidding is now open!!
There are a lot of choices out there - for both canoes and paddles. We’ll use canoes and paddles in the shop to illustrate the key differences between types, share info on how designs are “tuned” for different kinds of water and paddling and why they work and we’ll be answering your questions as we go along.
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UPDATE: The Zoom link has been sent to all participants registered as of 02/13/2023. Links will continue to be sent to individuals as they register. If you don’t see it in your email, please check your spam/junk folder.
Tripping in the Canadian North - for many paddlers it would be a dream come true. And even if it’s not your dream, listening to the stories and picking up the techniques and tips from two presenters with over 100 years of combined wilderness paddling experience will make for an enjoyable and informative way to spend a cold February evening.
The Old Town Canoe factory in Old Town, Maine - the largest canoe factory in the world, in a small town in Maine. Come join us as Benson Grey, a historian with the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association how the phenomena happened - great story!!
(Click the title for more details)
Paddle Country Pond in Newton NH
Paddle Johnson Pond. Launch from Eastern Car Top Boat Launch, Washington St, Groveland
Paddle from Lake Gardner Beach, Amesbury to Woodsom Park landing.
Paddle from Lake Gardner Beach, Amesbury to Woodsom Park landing.
The WCHA is a nonprofit membership organization dedicated to preserving, studying, building, restoring, and using wooden and bark canoes, and to sharing information about canoeing heritage throughout the world.
The Assembly is a annual gathering of the WHCA, open to all. More information will be available closer to the date.
The Maine Canoe Symposium is held annually in June. Normally a weekend long event, it will be limited to just Saturday for the second year. This family oriented event features workshops, lessons, slideshows, and talks on canoeing, camping, and wilderness recreation and includes a unique program for kids.
The Western PA Solo Canoe Rendezvous is a gathering of solo canoe enthusiasts held always on the first full weekend of June each year at Cooper’s Lake Campground near Slippery Rock PA. It features various manufacturers and designers of solo canoes with demo models of their boats available for test paddling; demonstrations of, and informal instruction in FreeStyle paddling; assorted programs on various aspects of canoe design, construction, and use in the real world. It is a deliberately laid-back, relaxed, and informal event – very much made up as we go along. It is an opportunity to immerse yourself in solo canoes and canoe folks for a long weekend to the exclusion of all other reality.
Sundays at Riverview - Small Group Canoe Skill Share: Join White Rose Canoe’s Team Canoe for a fun hour on the Ipswich River practicing basic flat water canoeing skills while raising funds to support the Ipswich River Watershed Association. The session will be a great intro for folks just getting started and a useful review of the basics for folks who may not have been in a canoe for a while. IRWA will use the funds to protect and restore the Ipswich. Open the event for dates, times and to sign up for the sessions.
Thursdays Messin’ Around in Canoes - Informal Get Togethers: Grab your canoes, paddles, life vests and whatever and join White Rose Canoe’s Team Canoe and fellow canoeists for a fun couple of hours messin’ around in canoes – sharing skills, exploring different sections along the river, exchanging info on paddling spots and launches, telling stories, and, after, maybe a beverage. These are “out and backs” so no need to worry about shuttles. IRWA will use the funds collected to protect and restore the Ipswich. Open the event for dates, times and to sign up for the sessions.
Celebrate Spring with White Rose Canoe on Saturday, April 16 at our 2nd ‘Canoe Gathering at White Rose Canoe’. There will be demo boats to paddle, some interesting folks to chat with, opportunities to share stories, ask questions, and a raffle or two.
Bring your own boats and gear if you have them, take the opportunity to share your experiences, favorite launch spots, trips, and hear what others have been up to. We’ll also have a “gear” table if you have something you’d like to move along.
If you don’t have a canoe (yet), no worries - the demo fleet will be on the waterfront and we’ll supply paddles and life vests for test paddles. It will be a great opportunity to get your questions answered and meet other canoe enthusiasts
The program (subject to change) include:
Talks on the waterfront about “Canoeing with Kids” and “Traditional Tripping” that will include displays of kit and demos
A series of “Five Minutes About” quick talks on things like “Picking a canoe”, “Paddle Sizing”, “How to Go Straight”, “Picking It Up and Putting It Down” and “Tying One On”.
Demo boats and paddles on the waterfront to inspect and try out (conditions and weather permitting)
Gear Raffles
The waterfront launch is also available to customers and other paddlers who want to explore the Great Marsh on the Parker, Mill and Little Rivers, as well as experience Plum Island Sound.
Come join us and other canoeists for a great day on the water!
Go to our event on our Facebook page to let us know you’re coming (not required, but will help us get a feel for how many folks to expect)
For more info about us or the Gathering, visit the White Rose Canoe website, send an email, or call the shop at 978-465-0312.
Michael and Keith