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stick is the most suitable shape for grasping. I don’t know why I’ve never seen canoe paddles with rectangular shafts. It works and feels great. This blade is 8½"×18", which is big like a snow shovel (Figure E). Later I cut it down into a smaller, more graceful shape, which I unfortunately lost. Be sure to take a Sharpie marker (or a laser) and write a return address on all your gear.
Photography by Tim Anderson
6. Make cord grommets. Method #1: Braided Grommets: This style of lashing is popular in Bali. It’s surprisingly quick to do. Put 2 turns of cord around the stick. The third turn gets zigzagged through the first 2 turns to form a 3-strand braid. For this example (Figure F), I kept following the pattern through the braid until I had 6 turns and the braid was doubled. Then I tightened it until it was the right size and pulled the tails through the inside of the braid.
Method #2: Half-Hitch Whipping: This method is simpler to learn and remember. (If you’re in a hurry, use bigger cord and skip the whipping; if you soak it with paint, varnish, super glue, epoxy, or something similar, it won’t unravel regardless of how crudely your lashing is finished.) Use the tip of your paddle shaft as a spacer to set the size of the cord loops. Make sure the lashing mostly fills the holes in your blade. This mason’s twine is thin, so it took 7 turns of cord to seem right. Then I tied a half hitch around the turns of string (Figure G). Pull the half hitch tight. The tip of the stick is there for a gauge. Don’t make the loop too small. You’ll want to jam the stick in there a few inches. Now whip your loop by tying a series of half hitches around the turns of cord. Somewhere I’ve seen these called “French knots.” To finish, use a spike to part the turns of cord (Figure H). Poke the tail through them, and pull it tight (Figure I). Your cord loop is done. Make:
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