Matt and I got plenty of practice
Trying to keep up with his son Aaron. I won’t speak for him, but I always say that I’m a class II paddler with class III self-rescue skills - not to far from the truth.
My bungie cords always break
so I tuck my painter (bow only, don’t want rope where I can’t see it.) between my float bags and lacing so that it will pull out from the bow. If it’s much of a swim I turn the boat right side up and swim with the painter in hand.
But I HATES swimming so mostly I try to stay in the boat.
Hey people do all kinds of stuff,
some of it makes sense and some of it doesn’t to me, but you get to make your own decisions. I paddled the lower gauley this fall with a guy from Canada who would hook into his blackfly right after he swam and tow it to shore. He had great self rescue skills but that’s something I would never consider doing (hooking in with a beener) and breast stroking with the boat in tow.
I’m a better paddler and decision maker than a swimmer so that keeps me humble. I don’t like “the beat downs” so much anymore. I got in a lot of swim practice when I paddled a Taureau for several years.
Pete, I think you’re in the minority with the painters on the blackfly but if it works for you its all good. I pretty much rely on help with swims from others in the group. To be fair though, I help others out way more than I get paid back. Raft support is nice because you don’t have to make it all the way to shore to empty and relaunch. My one swim this year (kayak) was at middle keeny (New River Gorge) and I literally floated with my boat right to a raft. Only my pride was hurt, river was negative two- somehow middle keeny gives me more problems at low flow which is kind of embarassing.
Just got to open Tommy’s picture
Great shot of Matt hanging on for dear life. This is the trip that inspired Matt to write that Christmas favorite “Ode to snow melt (and-drysuits)”
Twas two days past Christmas, and all thru the state
The snow it was melting, the weather was great
Message board was a perking, but the gages were ice
With some optimism, we thought paddling ‘d be nice
Came Tommy, Craig, Erik, 2 Jeffs and a Scott
Wade and a Sparky, Al, Aaron, dang that’s a lot
Tommy he e-mails, says “I’m gonna’ pole”
Well I gotta’ join him, can’t just be one a-hole
Well, the gages they’re spiking, but now it’s too late
Dumoines already loaded, 3 poles on the tailgate
I tell Al the new guy, it’s a real scenic run
More scenic than exciting, it’ll still be fun
Well seems two feet of snow melted and it’s fifty degrees
Throw in a new put-in, I’m just thinkin’ “Jeez”
What the heck am I doing, poling on a whim
I know what’d feel better, think I’ll take a swim
Now that feels better, swimming is fun
Guess the feelings mutual, ‘cuz in plops my son
Well swimming may not have been part of the plan
But throw in some snow melt and one broken dam
Well we do recover, another swim, no big deal
So in goes Craig and Al, flippin’ for real
Well return on investment they taught me in school
Since we’re all wearing drysuits, we’re loose, pretty cool.
This goes back to 2009 from a run on the Salmon River in CT.
Different techniques
On whitewater boats:
– I remove the decks on some boats to reduce end weight. On those, I tuck the bow painter under the bow bag lacing.
– On one WW boat (Encore) I have a six foot rear painter which is secured behind my hip on the gunwale in a jam cleat. I can use that painter as a rescue rope to tow other canoes. Take the painter out of the cleat, thread it through the bow loop of the loose boat, and then put the painter back in the jam cleat. If the towed boat becomes stuck, I can release it by removing the painter from the jam cleat and letting it fall aft.
On flatwater canoes, I do different things:
– Bungee onto scuppered decks with Bungee Dealee Bobs.
– Just leave the lines loose on floor near bow and stern, so they fall out in a dump. Entanglement isn’t a significant issue in flatwater, and it is easier to swim a boat ashore in flatwater with a line.
– If, when tripping, I need to exit the boat often with line in hand while stepping ashore, I may secure the bow line amidships as the OP discussed.
Generally speaking…
Generally speaking, I’m use the same technique as Tommy.
The only difference is that I have both bow & stern painters.
With that method I have never experienced a foot entanglement.
Only whitewater entanglement I’ve ever had was getting the toe of my right foot stuck under a Yakima foot brace in my Mohawk Probe 12 ll. Canoe ended up behind me when I finally got loose. Worst swim I ever had!
My canoe came off a big drop I’d already done and hit me in the back of the head. Nearly knocked me out. Then I couldn’t get out from under the canoe. Finally dove & swam downstream under water to get away from the boat. Hadn’t swam 20 feet when a buddy laid a throw rope right on top of me, and I was on shore in about 20 seconds. My boat hung out in the hole under the falls for a minute or two.
In a Bell Wildfire, I got my my foot sideways & stuck under the seat; got dragged about 40 feet down a rocky chute.
BOB
Funny you should say that Bob
I bought a pedestal from Mike Yee, and the pegs were up about 2 ½ inches, which I thought was too high. The toes of soft-soled shoes would slide under the pegs, and I was afraid of getting stuck. I added a couple of plastic drops, and problem solved. Now I know I wasn’t just being paranoid.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eckilson/albums/72157662054123715/with/23168317389/
I’ve had my feet get stuck under the seat of my Yellowstone a couple of times, but nothing serious. I tend to be more careful now about where I take that boat.
Workable solution Eckilson…
The addition of the pieces of plastic to the foot pegs looks like a workable solution. I think I might like that better than filling the space beneath the footpegs with close celled form padding.
Where did you get those pieces of plastic?
Looks as if they were cut off a larger piece of plastic? Feel sure they are your own adaptation, not purchased from outfitter.
I am absolutely positive about one thing; I never want to do another swim like the one that getting my toe caught under a foot peg caused.
BOB
Works great
– Last Updated: Dec-06-15 6:46 AM EST –
The plastic was from a thin cutting board that I bought at Walmart. I cut it to shape with a saber saw and attached it to the pegs with flathead nuts. It's nice that you can still adjust them, not that I ever do.