General how to for rowing rivers

[mallard83]

Here is a response I gave to a fellow walaker after being asked how to row rivers through a pm. I thought it was some pretty good material for someone just getting started rowing rivers.

As far as your cat is setup I really don't know. If it is the steelheader II, it is a 12' boat. I have The steelheader I guide model which is a 10' boat and a 16’x54” Fish Rite drift boat. From what I know of the 12' steelheader the rowers seat is behind the front passenger seat. The first thing that you are going to want to do is get/make a foot brace if there is no place to push your feet against already. This gives you more power and stability in the backstroke. On my 10' I welded up some removable foot braces off of the front frame tubes. I don't know the frame setup of yours but foot bracing is key.

Another thing to take into account is weight distribution and where you put the frame on the tubes. If it is a drift boat, where the weight is located is just as important. This can make all the difference in having a nice pleasurable float or it can be something that you are fighting all day. Getting this right only comes with experience on the water with that particular boat. It gets a lot easier with time. There are too many variables to this so you will just have to experiment. You essentially want the boat to ride perfectly level with you, your passenger and gear in the boat. You can get a lot of adjustability with this by moving the frame towards the front or rear of the boat. Or with a DB moving passengers or gear around. With the weight to far forward, back or to one side the boat will want to come around on you.

Another thing is seat/oar position. This is all up to personal preference. You don't want the oars right in your chest but you also don't want the oars so far forward that you are having to reach for every stroke. And where you have your oar stops is also very important. I personally run mine so that the oar handles are a few inches apart (on my cat) holding the oars straight across the center. On my DB, I run them a slightly further apart. This also comes down to personal preference and is whatever feels most comfortable and can get the most dig/stroke with the oars.

Also oar length plays a big role. I have 7.5' on my cat but wish that I had 8'-8.5' oars. Again this comes down to preference but on the 12' I would go with a 8'-9' oar. On my 16x54 DB, I have 9’ oars but need to get 9.5’ oars.

As far as how to row or learn how to is concerned, that is a pretty big question. I don't know if you have ever oared before but I will just go off the assumption that you haven't. The best place to start to learn would be in non moving water i.e. a lake/pond. After you have taken it out and got the basics down like turning and hard backstrokes then take it to an easy drift on a local river such as the Sky from Sultan down to Ben Howard or Lewis Street. I would go nothing bigger than a class II on your first moving water experience. After you have gotten good and comfortable there then try High Bridge to Sultan which is still only a class II maybe a low class III during the right flows. Really the only thing to look out for here is a few boulders near the beginning and a couple of sweeping turns against some clay/rock banks. (Scout ahead if you are unfamiliar with an area)

The best advise I can give you for rowing without actually showing you is first and foremost learn to read the water much the same as you would for fishing. Going with someone knowledgeable such as a guide is a good option to learn also. Not always but for the most part point the front/downstream end of your boat towards obstacles you don't want to hit and row away from them at an angle. You don't want to row against the current and fight it but rather let it work for you and angle away from said obstacle.

Scout out rapids you are unfamiliar with by getting out above them (if possible) and look for the best possible route through. It is extremely important to enter the top of the rapid in the correct place so you are not frantically trying to correct at the bottom end, or worse. If you ever feel uncomfortable about any rapid there is no shame in walking or lining your boat through. Try not to go into any rapid or run sideways (especially in a DB). This can cause the boat to flip if you catch an edge right. Once you get comfortable on the sticks and your boats abilities then you will figure out what angles you can go into certain rapids. On corners in the river, quarter towards the inside when possible. This not only gives you a chance to rest on faster flowing rivers but also puts you in the best place to fish for the most part. These are all general rules and by no means textbook as every river, riffle and rapid are different and change with each years floods.

These are just some of the basics. There really is no substitute for on water experience. Get out enough and it will all fall into place. That said, there are some people that should never oar a boat down a river. Not saying this to anyone personally so don’t get uptight. It’s kind of like driving or riding a bike, no matter how much practice you give some people they just can’t grasp the proper way to do it.

I pretty much taught myself how to oar on rivers and just gained experience with lots of time on the sticks. There is no better way to learn than actually experiencing it first hand. I have been on the oars for the past 10+ years. The most "dangerous" drifts I have done are the Sauk from Whitechuck to Darrington, Calawah and the Teanaway North Fork and main stem during spring runoff. Nothing too spectacular but everything from a class I to a class IV. My friend and I are planning on Idex down to High Bridge this summer in our cats. We've always wanted to hit Boulder Drop among others.

One other thing that is very important is to beware of wood in the rivers. Boulders suck, but wood is a rowers worst nightmare. Sweepers are just that, a log that is spanning most of, if not all of the river channel and act as a broom for boats. When in doubt, scout it out.

If anyone has anything to add that I have missed please put it up. I am by no means a professional oarsman but I do have a lot of experience rowing Washington rivers. This is not a guide to rowing rivers but is more of a place to get started for the beginner.

Here are a couple links to some youtube videos of mine on a couple Washington rivers.
http://washingtonlakes.com/forum/viewto ... 37&t=17136" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://washingtonlakes.com/forum/viewto ... 37&t=17137" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[mallard79]

It's row not oar....an oar is an object used for rowing......you know.....row row row your boat.....never heard oar oar oar your boat....

Good info otherwise.....

[Mike Carey]

We have three videos from Clackacraft that may have some helpful info:

http://washingtonlakes.com/WatchVideoHD.aspx?id=73

http://washingtonlakes.com/WatchVideoHD.aspx?id=74

http://washingtonlakes.com/WatchVideoHD.aspx?id=75

[Mike Carey]

good points, reading water and anticipating, and knowing how water breaks is a lot of drifting a river.

[Bodofish]

Great stuff guys! One thing I'd like to add is log jams and sweepers are the worst things to cme in contact with. With the way the water moves around and under them a drifter, pontoon or kayak can get into to a lot of trouble in a big hurry. They can suck a boat of considerable size right under and make it a part of the jam. I've had the miss fortune of loosing a very close friend to bothe the Skagit and the Nooksak. Both sucked under like they were toys. Both wearing quality PDF's. With both no way to save them. Nuff said? Stay away from them.