I would like to do a river trip from Clarks Hill Lake Dam tdown the Savannah all the way to the ocean. I am still a noob and my kayaking experience is limited to slow rivers (Western WA) and Clarks Hill Lake. Both of the current boats I use are fiberglass and I’d like to purchase a new or used poly boat for the trip. Has anybody paddled that much of the river here? I’m 6’ 4" and 230 lbs. Can anybody suggest some good boats for this trip. It has to be able to carry some gear and be big enough to fit me. Is there a length limit I should consider? I was thinking of a 16’ Necky Eskia or 17’ Prijon Kodiak. Are these too long? Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Hmm
Kind of a length dilemma there. Normally I would suggest a longer boat for that sort of extended, self-supported tour on a large semi-industrial river. But the river is rated Class 1 all the way down and a look at YouTube videos of some of the rapids areas show shallow rock gardens and drops I would not want to try to negotiate a 16’ or longer kayak through. Also, the summary of the trip mentions a number of portages so you need to have a kayak you can reasonably haul overland in some way by yourself.
We often paddle the Susquehanna, which has some similar characteristics. I wonder if you might want to consider higher volume but shorter touring boats that are fairly maneuverable, like in the 13 to 15 foot range. I’d also suggest you try a few shakedown day trips before your big journey on one of the sections with a dam so you get some experience locking through and a feel for what that involves. Get familiar with maritime regulations for paddling in shipping lanes and harbors, too.
Also be sure you know how to read the currents and deal with wing dams, which can be dangerous. And be aware of the restrictions on paddling and landing around the power plants – I recall a trip report on here where some canoe tourers ran afoul of security when they tried to camp out near a nuclear plant. You can search for trip reports on the Savannah through the “search” button here in the Forums.
Consider a canoe, maybe a decked one.
good tip, String
What about a Mad River Adventure 14 or 16 – plastic tandem canoe with low enough gunwales and narrow enough beam that it can be paddled solo with a kayak paddle? Used ones are fairly common and reasonably priced. I’ve only ever used an MRA in flatwater and a windy harbor, but was impressed enough we are thinking of picking one up for trips down the Susquehanna West Branch in similar waters.
thanks
Thanks everybody for the advice. The Dagger Savannah looks like it might be worth trying. I’ll try to test fit one if I can. Thanks again.