I've had similar, heavy-water experiences on lakes and have also survived without spilling. I have come to believe that if you keep your cool, in spite of the fact that the wave tops are higher than the gunwales, and keep your bow mostly headed into the waves, a properly loaded and paddled canoe is more seaworthy than it looks.

Probably my scariest canoeing incident occurred on the Llano river in central Texas. It has a few, short, whitewater stretches, but mostly is a moderate river of alternating pools and rapids unless the water is high.

It also is apparently a river rarely traveled by canoers. We were riding the current and fishing along the way while enjoying the scenery when we entered a long, straight stretch of moderate rapids. I was at the stern, steering when I glanced forward and noticed that one of the ranchers whose land we were crossing had strung a barbed wire fence across the river.

My partner in the bow was about 20 feet from it when I recognized the danger, and the bottom strand was right about neck level for him. Fortunately this happened years ago when I still was reasonably nimble. With little time to think, I leapt out of my seat and landed in the water behind the canoe with my heels planted in the gravel and my hands pulling on the back of the canoe with all my might.

I'll never forget that experience…being dragged across the gravel as my partner layed back to avoid decapitation. Thank god the water was shallow and not terribly swift. We stopped about two feet from the wire.

If y'all ever come down to Texas to do some paddling, beware.

…Tom

Posted by Tom Swulius on January 08, 2000 at 01:29