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I've noticed deck caps in wooden canoes add a lot of strength to the end of the canoe. They prevent the end of the gunnels from flexing together and apart. Following gunwales replacement, my fiberglass Mad River Explorer seemed floppy at the ends. I didn't have deck caps, so I bound the ends...

Thanks for posting this. I was wondering what happened up there. I think this is the online version of that article: Startribune story on BWCAW Curtain Falls drownings

I agree. It's easier to recover a paddle board. You also feel more exposed the whole time, so you're less likely to get into trouble.

Wow, that table is awful for canoes. 46 canoeist died, and only 17 paddle boarder. Considering how few canoes I see about compared to kayaks and paddle boards. The table really needs to be adjusted for usage time to be meaningful. For example, automotive death rates per vehicle are normally...

I had an unplanned swim several years ago on the lake. I was lollygagging near shore and didn't have a jacket on. When the canoe finally sank I was surprised that I went all the way under and then had to bump around and deliberately get my head back above the water. It was surprising because...

Wow. I'm particularly wary of older Kevlar hulls that show that much oxidation. But others here are more knowledgeable about what caused this and how to fix it. But if you think it is too much, then it probably is. Almost certainly it is a total constructive loss, meaning that cost + time +...

It does look really cool. But I see disadvantages. The first is weight, as already mentioned. The second disadvantage is your attachment points have to be wide enough to fit the webbing. Some methods this won't be a problem at all. But if you're using little d-rings attached to the gunnels...

That is just rotten. What an awful feeling. Stuff happens. The bright side is when you are done you'll have a composite that you don't worry about. I had a worn out Kevlar Mohawk that somebody had patched it up. Poorly. We took it everywhere, even bony rivers. It was wonderful, like an old...

Yeah, that is the trouble with most stuff in the southeast. That and the Piedmont rivers are often dirty looking from the clay. Rivers like the Yadkin and Catawba have river trails but they're just not very pretty. The Chattooga was mentioned above, it is probably the best wilderness river...

Fish feeder?

On a lighter note, there's this weird creature I saw on the river last year. Previously posted in our art on the river thread.

In the '90s I was paddling the Little Peedee or Lynches river in SC. As I approached a road a man and two kids appeared on the bridge. This was a low country bridge, about 15 ft or so. Then the man bent down, picked up a retriever, and threw it from the bridge. The dog landed with a mighty...

I've wondered about the position forward and aft. This is something that could probably be tested over a couple long trips. You've got more flexibility than most people since you can go back farther. I've also wandered how much the canoe funnels the air through it, and how that relates to...

I've found far more interesting things than I've lost. My first canoe was recovered from the bottom of the lake, and I think I've found three more since. I haven't purchased an adult life jacket in several decades. They are readily available on the roadside, normally about a quarter mile from...

I omitted it from my trip report, but last month we lost a Luggable Lou toilet lid on our trip to Jocassee. It was behind the stern seat and I leaned back on it. I was trying to push the protruding hinge around to the side, so would stop digging in my back. Instead of must have popped it off...

While in an AI training class I had Copilot draw rat logos for one of my canoes. It was pretty impressive, but it really struggled to understand I didn't want double-bladed paddles in the logo. Then I told it to draw the rat poling the canoe. It couldn't comprehend how a rat would hold a...

I frequently think about cutting the timber from a local river. However, I'm very hesitant to cut trees in the water because of the risk of getting pushed and pinned underwater. In particular newly fallen trees with the crown intact seem unpredictable. It sounds like you are using good...

I'll add this is a project the first time you do it. You might end up taking a thwart off too. It's good to budget an hour to do it and then some time to test it and adjust as necessary. It will take like three times the normal amount of straps too.

I see lots of good solutions here, but let me suggest something different. I've carried two canoes by removing the portage yoke from one and laying it partially on top of the other. The bottom canoe is completely on the racks on one side of the vehicle. The cattywampus canoe has one set of...

We awoke to a cool morning. There was a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. We had an easy breakfast of Pop-tarts and apple pastries heated on the a-frame toaster. We broke camp and loaded up. With the two motor boats on the beach we loaded wet-footed. However, it was much easier on the...