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| Raft carnage in the gap. | ||
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Moderators: WayneM, Josh Lutz, ChuckS
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| Author | Post | ||
| ChuckS |
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   Registered Member #4 Joined: Wed Mar 17 2004, 06:54 pmPosts: 673 | I had Friday off and was taking a new paddler down Fife. On our way up to the putin we stopped and watched a certain raft company in their orange rafts attempt to run the gap ahead of the bubble. The full flow of the release simply was not there yet. The first raft down hangs up stuck between the hammer rock and a river right rock, I thought the whole thing was going to flip, but they became unstuck with only one projectile customer who went over the anvil and many other exposed rocks at that level. While the first raft group is dragging the swimmer back in the raft guide signals “all clear” with his paddle to the next raft in line. At this point the water is rising as the release is finally reaching the gap, but its not at full volume yet. The second raft comes down and pins on the hammer rock and projectiles customer number two into the water. Customer number one is in a ball holding his apparently scraped up knees in raft one at this point. Customer number two is swimming, as she gets to the lower rock on river right raft two hits her making a raft paddler rock sandwich…. This hit did not look good. Raft two pulled the customer on board but we could not see her status from the road. At this point the full release flow is in and the other rafts come through fine…. I have to comment that I’d recommend anyone rafting to stick with one of the companies that uses the blue rafts. Based on what I’ve seen again and again orange rafts are dangerous. | ||
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| Rob Larkham |
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  Registered Member #107 Joined: Sun Jul 18 2004, 06:39 pmPosts: 3496 | Ya, I don't know where they buy those orange rafts but they just don't perform as well as the blue ones. Rob *AKA \\\\\\\"Pumpkin Head\\\\\\\" roblarkham©yahoo.com | ||
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| wavehopper |
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 Registered Member #1311 Joined: Thu Dec 09 2004, 04:27 amPosts: 4208 | Hey Rob,Nothing wrong those orange helmets though!  My avatar is an avatar Lets step it up in 10 You cant stay young forever But you should always be able to feel like a kid | ||
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| Sparky |
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 Registered Member #3372 Joined: Fri Mar 31 2006, 07:57 amPosts: 724 | I have seen similar incidents with those ornage rafts. Time after time I just shake my head in disbelief. I always make it a practice of sterring clear. " I'd rather be upside down in my kayak then right side up at my desk " Surfin' at T'Ville New Lime Green Jackson 4 Fun!, Blue Jefe Proud father of JIPaddler thought him everything he knows Proud father of Sgt J. Ivanisin US Marine, | ||
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| UScoastie |
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 Registered Member #978 Joined: Fri Sep 17 2004, 12:59 pmPosts: 12 | I fully concur about the orange rafts. Stay far far far away. If I see any orange rafts on the dryway I typically eddy out and let them pass... | ||
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| bsmitty101 |
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  Registered Member #5830 Joined: Wed Jul 16 2008, 03:01 pmPosts: 75 | yeah that's pretty ridiculous. I remember once I was in an eddie on the Fife Section when a raft came barreling into the eddie and flipped me over. I'm not sure if it was orange though. Which company has the orange rafts? brendan I'm injured right now, broken neck and back going off a ski jump, but I hope to be back surfing at the beach on my new Element this summer! White Fluid Element | ||
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| DustyRivers |
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  Registered Member #2764 Joined: Thu Sep 15 2005, 05:44 pmPosts: 1252 | Don't let the orange rafts on the deerfield effect the way you think of them orange rafts up there in Maine. I have heard some scary stories about the deerfield crew. That is not to say that there are some really good guides on the deerfield in orange rafts. But I've trained and worked in orange rafts up in Maine, and would not work for any other company. Their training and knowledge of the Kennebec, Dead, and Penobscot is far beyond that of many other companies. I have trained with more than just those orange rafts, and have decided upon completion of that training, that I would not be guiding with them. Raft guiding is not an easy task. This should be understood by all, the guests in the boats, the kayakers, and especially the rafting companies. Training should be difficult, and designed to weed out those incapable of handling the tough situations that can occur. Maneuvering a raft through a river like the dryway is like weaving a bus through traffic at high speeds. Being a Kayaker, I can also say that sometimes it proves much more difficult than being in a kayak, which is more like moving a small sporty car through. I understand that the other companies are not operating as poorly, I just think it should be said that the task is not as easy as expected. The scene is also important to consider. Charlemont is not an exciting town to live in. The dryway does not release everyday like in the forks. This means that the guides are not getting nearly as much practice on the deerfield as they are with their branch up north. Not only does the lack of practice effect the guides, but, because there is less time spent on the river, you (as a company) are not attracting the same kind of dedicated outdoors person to command those rafts. The forks is a scene fully dedicated to the Guiding industry. This is hard to find anywhere else. All I am trying to say here, is that you should not let the performance of the orange boats down here effect the way you view them in Maine. I promise they are the best boats you will find up north. our growth depends not on how many experiences we devour, but how many we digest Maroon Pontiac Montana (Mini-van) Red Seven-O & Green Dagger Nomad (203)994-3515 | ||
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| Proraft |
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| Registered Member #5871 Joined: Sun Aug 03 2008, 02:41 pmPosts: 17 | Orange Blue they are all the same. | ||
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