Draw Strokes

Draw Strokes (for Pulling Close)

Draw strokes are used to move your boat sideways so you can pull close to a dock or another boat.

The basic draw stroke, sometimes called a T-stroke, works as follows:

Use your arms to extend the paddle away from you.

Place a blade in the water about 2 feet or so from you; the shaft should be on a slight angle with the lower blade tilted away from you.

Use your lower hand to pull the blade straight toward you.

To repeat, twist the blade 90° so the blade can slice through the water away from the boat. The slicing motion is also known as feathering.

If the blade begins to get sucked beneath your boat, resist the urge to apply a prying motion. You could cause your boat to tip. So simply let go and start over. Keep this little rhyme in mind: Don't pry; better to retry.

Sculling is a more powerful and effective draw stroke that requires a little more technique. The motion is like using your blade to spread peanut butter on bread.

Extend the paddle away from you.

Place a blade in the water about 2 feet away; keep the shaft as vertical as possible.

Rotate your wrists so the blade face repeatedly opens and closes as it moves across the water.

Maintain a "climbing angle" with the shaft by pushing gently toward the bow when the face is open, toward the bow when it is closed.