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So with temperatures dropping to 45F from 85F a week ago, I did notice one nice thing. In addition to just plain less boat traffic on the local river, the boats I see now are fishermen in practical aluminum boats. These guys are ALWAYS respectful to canoes. It makes me realize that I have never had a problem with fishermen...and they do go out even in winter around here as long as the river is liquid going after Steelhead (the larger aluminum skiffs have little huts with heaters). But they only go by one time, they do not go back and forth. I often catch back up to them eventually and when I do either I go way around them or sometimes they move shortly before I reach them to make room for me. When under power they often alter their path to make more room for a canoe. They never harass you intentionally or even buzz you accidentally out of ignorance. I even wave to them occasionally.
Just two weeks ago we had powerboats zooming by pulling kids on inflatables. Most boats going upstream come back downstream within a few minutes. Many will come towards a canoe to make room for other powerboats. Some throttle back just a little and end up leaving bigger wakes. The few jet skis and jet boats that can get up on plane are actually no problem since they leave a small wake.
So the weekend before last it's in the 80's and I go for a quick paddle at an easy put-in with the dog knowing that there may powerboat traffic. After a while a yellow boat zooms by upstream and later we were passed by a fisherman in a small aluminum skiff. That's it. Then much later we are on the way back downstream and close to being able to pull around an island and out of the main channel when I hear a boat coming up pretty fast behind us. So I assume it's the yellow powerboat and don't worry since it was a jet boat that left a small wake. Finally as the boat passes us I look over and see that it is a large cabin cruiser with it's bow up so high that I can see about 1/3 of the bottom of the boat and it is throwing huge waves so we have to immediately turn perpendicular and take them head on and even then we had little margin. Kind of funny.
It was the second time I had been passed in the river by that cabin cruiser and both times made me think of this scene from Caddyshack.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oBcFfvmm_uI
So I'm pretty happy that the colder weather has discouraged the recreational boaters and left the river to the outdoors people.
Just two weeks ago we had powerboats zooming by pulling kids on inflatables. Most boats going upstream come back downstream within a few minutes. Many will come towards a canoe to make room for other powerboats. Some throttle back just a little and end up leaving bigger wakes. The few jet skis and jet boats that can get up on plane are actually no problem since they leave a small wake.
So the weekend before last it's in the 80's and I go for a quick paddle at an easy put-in with the dog knowing that there may powerboat traffic. After a while a yellow boat zooms by upstream and later we were passed by a fisherman in a small aluminum skiff. That's it. Then much later we are on the way back downstream and close to being able to pull around an island and out of the main channel when I hear a boat coming up pretty fast behind us. So I assume it's the yellow powerboat and don't worry since it was a jet boat that left a small wake. Finally as the boat passes us I look over and see that it is a large cabin cruiser with it's bow up so high that I can see about 1/3 of the bottom of the boat and it is throwing huge waves so we have to immediately turn perpendicular and take them head on and even then we had little margin. Kind of funny.
It was the second time I had been passed in the river by that cabin cruiser and both times made me think of this scene from Caddyshack.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oBcFfvmm_uI
So I'm pretty happy that the colder weather has discouraged the recreational boaters and left the river to the outdoors people.
