Paddling a Chestnut Y-stern

[The Canoe Kid]

Hey now,

I've been kicking around the idea of restoring a Chestnut Y stern.

I'm looking for a W/C canoe that I can throw a motor on and use for windy-day lake crossings and up-river runs.

I'm wondering how Y-sterns handle. Do they feel like canoes? Can I paddle and pole them like a canoe?

Or do they feel like boats (or like those square-stern OTs, the newer, plastic ones)?

And can I reinforce the transom to take a 4hp motor. When I need to move, I like to do it at a brisk pace.

Grazi.

The Canoe Kid

 

[Fitz]

Y-Stern

CanoeKid:

My tripping bud has a 20ft, Chestnut Ogilvy Pool. Probably more canoe than you are talking about, but we have paddled it (not far though - a few miles), and I have even paddled it solo (even less), but it did paddle quite well, even for a big honking canoe.

We have also used a 3 hp outboard on it and it went really well. It was Loaded with 4 adults, 5 kids, a dog, and miscellaneous gear.

 

[Andre Cloutier]

A friend has a 17' y stern, they seem to paddle just fine as the modification is above the water line, with the stem below resembling a regular double ended canoe. My 17' tremblay however was no paddler, and i had a 4hp on it. You will find however that 2 or 3hp will be perfect, once they hit hull speed (at 1\2 throttle on my 4hp) they only make more noise and use more gas if you try to make them go faster, you wont get any brisker a pace out of them once they get up to speed. Sure is nice on a windy lake or a long distance though!