Here are a couple of suggestions: 1) Keep a throw bag (small nylon bag with draw string closure - stuff inside 75ft of floating rope) clipped to a thwart or attached to the bow as a painter. If you paddle close to shore (75ft) you grap the line and swim to shore and then pull the canoe in. That's how river runners perform a self rescue. 2) keep all packs sealed so they will not take on water (they should float) do not tie them into the canoe but rather on a tether say 6-8ft. Now if you capsize - you invert your boat in the water if it isn't already. Get your packs floating clear of the boat on one side. Swim under the over turned boat with your PFD on hopefully - the floation helps. Now in the center of the canoe tip the boat so that one gunwale breaks the air lock then push hard on the other side. The canoe should have more air under it now - take deep breath of air and then with an all out effort break the air seal again (on the non tether side) and give a mighty kick with your legs, and toss the gunwale that's tilted out of the water all the way up and over so the canoe lands upright.There will still be water in the canoe but you should be able to toss your packs in and crawl aboard.

Posted by CC on May 30, 2002 at 00:03
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