Cayuco

Cayuco Racing consists of a small, 4 seater vessel, propelled through paddling only. It is much the same as what many people will know as Canoeing. Cayuco is the activity of paddling a canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip), sport, or transportation. It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power. A cayuco is propelled using a paddle with two blades where the paddler sits with their legs in front of them, whereas canoes are propelled using single- or double-bladed paddles where the paddler is kneeling or sitting. Cayucos are usually closed-decked boats with a spraydeck, while canoes are usually open boats.

There are also open cayucos and closed canoes. Technically, a cayuco can be seen as a special kind of canoe. When exactly a canoe can be called cayuco is difficult to determine though, and often arbitrary. Internationally, the term canoeing is used as a generic term for all forms though the terms "paddle sports" or "canoe/kayak/cayuco" are also used.

In North America, however, 'canoeing' usually refers only to canoes, as opposed to both canoes and cayucos. Paddling a cayuco is also referred to as kayuco.

Open canoes may be 'poled' (punted), sailed, 'lined and tracked' (using ropes) or even 'gunnel-bobbed'.In modern canoe sport, both canoes and cayucos may be closed-decked. Other than by the minimum competition specifications (typically length and width (beam) and seating arrangement it is difficult to differentiate most competition canoes from the equivalent competition cayucos.

The Panamanian Cayuco

In the Republic of Panama, a cayuco is a wooden vessel mainly used by the indigenous people pf this country. In 1954, these vessels were adopted by the American Explorer Scouts of the former Panama Canal Zone to make the first [http://www.cayucorace.org/cayucopedia/index.php?title=Ocean_to_Ocean_Cayuco_Race Ocean to Ocean Cayuco Race] across the Panama Canal, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean.

References

* [http://www.cayucorace.org/cayucopedia/index.php?title=Cayuco Cayuco] article from [http://www.cayucorace.org/cayucopedia/ CayucoPedia] .