When you say vision impaired, do you mean poor vision or no vision?

I’ve done trips with poor vision paddlers. One had to be led by hand.

zski wrote on Dec 13^th, 2018 at 3:57am:


  When I used to paddle with a tandem partner the guy I went with literally had glasses as thick as coke bottles. I don't know how that compares to your potential bow paddler?

  I was the stronger paddler and had better skills, so he was the bow paddler by default.

Our problem wasn't landings or portages, it was maneuvering in a rocky area or when a big rock was just below the surface and I couldn't see it from the stern.

  By the time he could make out the rock, we were either on it or bouncing off it.
   
   

I do know of totally blind folks who have successfully deer hunted.  Obviously, a sighted person is along to guide the hunter and help target the weapon on the animal.  That being said I would think it more of a communication issue than anything.  I'm thinking that the visually impaired person would be very good at teaching us how to communicate effectively with him or her on what needs to be done wether that be hunting or paddling a canoe.
In the past I've hosted a wheelchair bound youth deer hunting on our property.  I built an enclosed, accessible shelter for this purpose. Her rifle was mounted on the wheelchair and she had to move the chair via toggle sticks to sight on the animal.  She then would depress two devices, one on each arm of the chair, to fire her
weapon. She did and continues to do this very well.  I wish I had one tenth the determination that she has.
For me personally it was more a matter of myself getting past some barriers in my thinking than of the challenged person getting past their physical barriers.

Hope this helps.......mike

mpeebles wrote on Dec 13^th, 2018 at 12:53pm:


No doubt about that.  Going in with the right set of expectations for a challenge like that is everything.

Sometimes you get surprised, however.

I did a trip with my brother about 14 years back.  We invited a friend along whom we hadn't seen in 20+ years.  We didn't know he had grown to be over 400 pounds.  He was my brother's bow paddler.  It took the two of us, standing hip-deep in the lake, to lower him into his seat in my brother's tandem.  Portaging was also a real challenge.  Even the real easy portages seemed the "Bataan Death March" to my brother's friend (his phrase, not ours).  The key was just as mpeebles says, "a great sense of humor" on everyone's part!

Similarly, one year I got saddled with a "blind date", so to speak, in the bow of my canoe.  My buddy from NJ asked a couple of his friends along... and HE cherry-picked which guy was going to be seated in the bow of his tandem.  I got the fellow who couldn't stay awake and whose paddle seldom touched the water.  I got so used to chauffeuring "old Bob" around Russell Lake while trolling that I didn't notice he had fallen asleep (again) and dropped his paddle about 1/2 mile back (where Chatterton Falls spills in).  So he snorts himself awake and finds his arms still going but he's holding nothing in his hands.  It was worse a few days later when I made the judgment error of attempting to paddle up a Grade One rapid where the B-Chain empties into Oliphaunt.  Bad move.  Had Bob even dipped his blade into the water once on his side of the canoe, we'd have made it up those rapids!  Oh, well.  So we flipped a fully-laden canoe... first time for me in over 30 years.  Even I learn, eventually, however.  At the very end of that trip we were confronted with BIG rollers on Pickerel Lake.  Let's just say I wizened-up and chose the better part of valor that time.

I truly applaud the efforts of folks who are fighting their way through personal challenges to keep their passion for canoeing going.  However, the entire party needs to have a sober & frank discussion of any party members' serious limitations well in advance (if they are aware of any).  Without group commitment, it can truly jeopardize safety and overall morale on a given trip.

Later,

Jimbo   

z.....back to your point about landings and portages.  I agree with you that these may present the greatest challenge.  Some of these can be down right treacherous especially if slippery.  After all it's not like walking down a sidewalk or climbing a few flights of stairs.  I've taken enough falls and dunks myself.  I would also think that it would take "considerably" more time for almost anything to happen.  Per Jimbo, I'd be having the conversation. Perhaps a trial run?