I wanted to take my wife out for her first paddle-powered trip, in order to get her hooked on the idea, thinking that would be my best bet for getting consent to start my next boat building project. So I decided on the upper end of the Chassahowitzka River. It's an easy paddle, beautiful scenery, and plenty of shade.
As far as I can tell, it worked!
She loved it. And I think that what I'd been telling her about solo vs. tandem paddling kind of sank in, 'cause my Pirogue had very little free-board to spare. Got to say, that fact kept me from going very far down stream from the ramp, as encounters with power boats were all too likely.
Anyway, I realized I'd never posted (or had taken,) any pics of the boat with me in it! I'm still not so sure that was such a good idea, but she had the camera and started snapping away.
First shot, walking the fully loaded Pirogue to the ramp:
Down the ramp. . .
And in the water.
Figured I'd revert back to my old Infantry methods for teaching her how to paddle; See one, do one, teach one.
That one also shows what the scenery is like on the upper part of the river, below the ramp. We did wander just a bit down stream, but it was getting late and I didn't want to push my luck.
OK now, brace yourself for this one:
Can't say I didn't warn you! :lol:
There's a little run off to the right as you go up stream from the ramp, and once you get into it, here's what you start seeing on the bottom:
There's a series of these "pothole" springs, maybe 6 or 8. Some are just a foot or two across, the largest maybe 5 or 6 feet. Not sure about the depth, that looks to have varied from 3 to 8 feet. Some are clearly connected and people have dropped down into one, and surfaced in another. (Not ME, not today!)
Here's some close-ups of a few of these springs:
.
.
I wanted to give her some time alone in the boat, to get comfortable with it, without me being there. So, I parked her here, (next pic,) while I got out and did a little fly fishing. I waded in around a couple of those springs, in water that ran from knee-deep on the sand bottom, to just ankle deep, standing up on a flat, lime rock shelf. (Caught a couple of small bluegills.)
I suggested that she try her hand at some solo paddling while I continued fishing. She started out up stream, towards the canoe with two young ladies aboard. That canoe is just about as far up as you can get in this little run, and the girls in the canoe had stopped for a little wade & swim in the 72* (F) water.
That gave her the confidence she needed, so she paddled back down and on to where the run joined the river again. Here she is paddling back up towards me, quite confident and relaxed. (And a new convert!)
Once home, she asked about when the next trip would be.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! :mrgreen:
We are now talking about what boat to build next, and now it will be two, instead of just one.
After that, who knows?
Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL
As far as I can tell, it worked!
She loved it. And I think that what I'd been telling her about solo vs. tandem paddling kind of sank in, 'cause my Pirogue had very little free-board to spare. Got to say, that fact kept me from going very far down stream from the ramp, as encounters with power boats were all too likely.
Anyway, I realized I'd never posted (or had taken,) any pics of the boat with me in it! I'm still not so sure that was such a good idea, but she had the camera and started snapping away.
First shot, walking the fully loaded Pirogue to the ramp:
Down the ramp. . .
And in the water.
Figured I'd revert back to my old Infantry methods for teaching her how to paddle; See one, do one, teach one.
That one also shows what the scenery is like on the upper part of the river, below the ramp. We did wander just a bit down stream, but it was getting late and I didn't want to push my luck.
OK now, brace yourself for this one:
Can't say I didn't warn you! :lol:
There's a little run off to the right as you go up stream from the ramp, and once you get into it, here's what you start seeing on the bottom:
There's a series of these "pothole" springs, maybe 6 or 8. Some are just a foot or two across, the largest maybe 5 or 6 feet. Not sure about the depth, that looks to have varied from 3 to 8 feet. Some are clearly connected and people have dropped down into one, and surfaced in another. (Not ME, not today!)
Here's some close-ups of a few of these springs:
.
.
I wanted to give her some time alone in the boat, to get comfortable with it, without me being there. So, I parked her here, (next pic,) while I got out and did a little fly fishing. I waded in around a couple of those springs, in water that ran from knee-deep on the sand bottom, to just ankle deep, standing up on a flat, lime rock shelf. (Caught a couple of small bluegills.)
I suggested that she try her hand at some solo paddling while I continued fishing. She started out up stream, towards the canoe with two young ladies aboard. That canoe is just about as far up as you can get in this little run, and the girls in the canoe had stopped for a little wade & swim in the 72* (F) water.
That gave her the confidence she needed, so she paddled back down and on to where the run joined the river again. Here she is paddling back up towards me, quite confident and relaxed. (And a new convert!)
Once home, she asked about when the next trip would be.
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! :mrgreen:
We are now talking about what boat to build next, and now it will be two, instead of just one.
After that, who knows?
Mike S.
Spring Hill, FL