marlin55388 wrote on Apr 30^th, 2010 at 7:41am:

OH yes, tucking in the boat. Tie her in for the night, when yah get into camp very sound advice indeed. The new ultra light boats make fine kites indeed. [smiley=thumbup.gif]

Fifteen years ago I was camped one summer night on the immense Santee Cooper Reservoir down in South Carolina.  I didn't tie down my Crow Boat (very similar but heavier than most canoes; has a squared-off back end for trolling motors).  A big wind blew up in the night.  As heavy as that danged thing was with all my fishing gear still in it, the vessel was upright & the wind shuffled it a dozen feet or so right into the water. Then it sent her sailing - minus a crew - eighteen miles across the lake!  A good samaritan commercial fisherman heard my pitiful APB that I put out on CB radio, saw her bouncing off the rocks near the dam, & hauled her all the way back to me.  Oh, by the way, all my fishing tackle, fishing poles, landing nets, etc., were still in her.

Just after the first-ever Bushwhacker's Jamboree five years ago, my oldest son & I were camped on Wetasi Island in southern Pickerel Lake.  We were just stopping for lunch but I guess I hadn't learned my Santee Cooper lesson very well some ten years earlier.  I had the bowline laced through some bushes.  Of course the afternoon wind kicked up - as it is sometimes known to do on Pickerel Lake - and, well, you can guess the rest.  My SR17 was probably 30 yards off shore and about to catch bigger wind on more open water when we looked up from our peanut butter & jelly and noticed what was happening.  We didn't say a word.  Ben simply looked at my portage boots laced all the way up; I looked down at his bare feet (bad island to walk around in bare feet; LOTS of ants).  In another minute that vessel would be headed full steam toward French Lake.  Ben took the cold water plunge, caught up to the Souris River 17 &, thankfully, retrieved her.

Since then, for lunch stops, I tie very securely.  For overnight camps, I flip it over & tie it down bow & stern, generally under the bushes to avoid wind.

If there is anything stupid that can be done in or to a canoe, I've probably done it at one time or another.  Experience is a great teacher.  It's just that some of us require more remedial attention than others.

Jimbo   8-)