One time we shuttled cars for a 12 mile paddle on the Suwannee river. One of the paddlers shuttled her car to the take out. She rode back to the put in and left her keys in the car that shuttled drivers. …
Which meant she had to ride up to the put in again to collect keys and ride back.
Shuttle might be time to remind paddlers to take car keys on the paddle.
I locked my keys in the car at a take-out many years ago. Didn’t want to lose them in the river, dontcha know. Fortunately, cars still had wind wings then and one wasn’t latched all the way, but I still remember that “what a dumass” feeling quite clearly.
So i drank that kool aid for a long time. Now I enjoy more flavors than the notion of going slower or faster than the current. Mostly now, I’m trying to be as lazy as i can be and let the moving water do the work. Frequently with ww kayaking there is acceleration involved and in wilderness canoeing (in ww) often deçceleration is used to increase reaction time and allow the bow to rise over waves. Both are good, but floating can be good too. It all depends on how much current, how many obstructions, and what you are trying to do. Raft guides are experts at staying in the current to move a heavy boat down moving water. Often the only strokes they take are the ones they need to stay in the current. Ferrying is a time when you may strive to reach the same speed as the current to prevent being swept downstream. I think of most movements as a combo of speed, angle, lean or tilt. I like to go into eddies that have lots of rocks by drifting in, lessons the potential impact. Plenty of room for lazy soft paddling in my bag of tricks.
Keeping track of your keys is important - I’ve seen people forget them, lock them in the car, or lose them on the trip. Also had a guy with one of the keys with a chip in it that got wet and wouldn’t work.
Agreed - how fast you are going depends on what your are trying to do. Plenty of opportunities to leisurely float into an eddy, or over a wave train, or down a shoot. You don’t need to be muscling the boat all the time. Apply the stroke when you need it.
I found the shuttle can be both the frustrating or rewarding. there seems that there is always someone “not quite ready” when the shuttle should be leaving. On the other hand it is a great time to get to know the new paddlers and catch up with your old friends before a trip.
Ferrying requires going against the current.
Don’t forget bypassing impassable obstacles like dams or radids beyond the capabilities of some members of the group.
I used to stop for hang glider pilots - the harness bag and helmet were signals that a: they were safe; b: they might be far from home without a ride, having flown cross country without a chase vehicle. Always appreciated! I assume you expressed your gratitude, too.
Yes. I practice expressing gratitude for acts of consideration, kindness or even those of common courtesy. I paid it forward by picking up other obvious paddlers on the way up to the put-in with my boat.
What one does shapes how one perceives and carries him/herself in the world.
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Ever notice that often it is easier to fèrry one direction as opposed to another (left to right or right to left). Often the current isnt flowing directly downstream but veering toward one shore or another. You could be ferry with that variation or against it.
The direction of the current varies a lot, but it does matter you still have to ferry at an angle against it.