I moved to Athens, GA recently and realized the Middle Oconee River is
only 150 yards through my back yard. Very thick trees and brush. I
am anxious to discover the river with the proper craft. I have been
told a canoe is about the only boat that can maneuver the slight white
water and rocky, sometimes shallow areas. I am 230 pounds and a
healthy 61 years old. I don't want to take any chances, but the river
lures me. Any suggestions? Recommendations? I would like to find
someone with a canoe who would take me on a tour of the river (I'll
pay, of course) to get a feel for the right raft/boat/canoe to
navigate the river. I am concerned that I don't ever see anyone on
it. I may just not be in the right spot.

Don in Athens

Generally speaking, a canoe will work in shallower water than other
watercraft. It is generally easy to get out and drag the canoe over any
shallow areas; plan to get wet or wear boots or fisherman waders.
(Harder to get in and out of a kayak, and inflatables generally require
deeper water).

You did not say how wide the river is, but you want the boat to be
shorter than the width of the river, if practical.

Solo canoes are generally 12 to 16 feet long. I use a 16 foot tandem
canoe solo a lot, I run it backwards and sit on the front seat, with my
weight near the center of the boat.

Water levels can vary, so you might find that you can conveniently float
the river some months of the year and not in others.

You might want to find a shallow area of the river and walk out in it,
if that is practical and safe. This will give rou a sense of how deep
it is. If you have 6 inches of water in the shallow areas, most any
canoe should float with occasional scrapes on rocks. For very shallow
water, poling can be advantageous, but there is some skill involved in
standing up and poling a canoe. ;-) The shallower the water, the more
attractive poling will be, as you need more than a foot of water to get
a good paddle stroke. Poling also can take you upstream, which could be
very convenient in that then you would not need to do a vehicle shuttle
to run the river. Poling upstream is strenuous, I have found.

Royalex canoes are generally preferred for shallow rocky rivers, they
slide over rocks easily and with less damage.

You might want to visit a local paddling store and ask what they know
about the river. They would be a good place to look to hire someone to
take you down the river safely and get a better sense of boating it.
They may also know of canoe classes.

The big hazards on rivers that do not have whitewater are dams (very
dangerous) and strainers (trees in the river or other obstacles that
will pass water but not boats and people).

Richard


Don Smith wrote:
I moved to Athens, GA recently and realized the Middle Oconee River is
only 150 yards through my back yard. Very thick trees and brush. I
am anxious to discover the river with the proper craft. I have been
told a canoe is about the only boat that can maneuver the slight white
water and rocky, sometimes shallow areas. I am 230 pounds and a
healthy 61 years old. I don't want to take any chances, but the river
lures me. Any suggestions? Recommendations? I would like to find
someone with a canoe who would take me on a tour of the river (I'll
pay, of course) to get a feel for the right raft/boat/canoe to
navigate the river. I am concerned that I don't ever see anyone on
it. I may just not be in the right spot.

Don in Athens

Thank you for that detailed and informative answer to my question.
The River is about 70 yards wide, there are many areas where I might
have to get across shoals. My first step, as you suggested, is to
find someone with a canoe who I could pay to paddle it with me so I
can get a feel for the whole experiences. Thanks again.

On Wed, 20 Jul 2005 03:51:16 GMT, Richard Ferguson
wrote:

Generally speaking, a canoe will work in shallower water than other
watercraft. It is generally easy to get out and drag the canoe over any
shallow areas; plan to get wet or wear boots or fisherman waders.
(Harder to get in and out of a kayak, and inflatables generally require
deeper water).

You did not say how wide the river is, but you want the boat to be
shorter than the width of the river, if practical.

Solo canoes are generally 12 to 16 feet long. I use a 16 foot tandem
canoe solo a lot, I run it backwards and sit on the front seat, with my
weight near the center of the boat.

Water levels can vary, so you might find that you can conveniently float
the river some months of the year and not in others.

You might want to find a shallow area of the river and walk out in it,
if that is practical and safe. This will give rou a sense of how deep
it is. If you have 6 inches of water in the shallow areas, most any
canoe should float with occasional scrapes on rocks. For very shallow
water, poling can be advantageous, but there is some skill involved in
standing up and poling a canoe. ;-) The shallower the water, the more
attractive poling will be, as you need more than a foot of water to get
a good paddle stroke. Poling also can take you upstream, which could be
very convenient in that then you would not need to do a vehicle shuttle
to run the river. Poling upstream is strenuous, I have found.

Royalex canoes are generally preferred for shallow rocky rivers, they
slide over rocks easily and with less damage.

You might want to visit a local paddling store and ask what they know
about the river. They would be a good place to look to hire someone to
take you down the river safely and get a better sense of boating it.
They may also know of canoe classes.

The big hazards on rivers that do not have whitewater are dams (very
dangerous) and strainers (trees in the river or other obstacles that
will pass water but not boats and people).

Richard


Don Smith wrote:
I moved to Athens, GA recently and realized the Middle Oconee River is
only 150 yards through my back yard. Very thick trees and brush. I
am anxious to discover the river with the proper craft. I have been
told a canoe is about the only boat that can maneuver the slight white
water and rocky, sometimes shallow areas. I am 230 pounds and a
healthy 61 years old. I don't want to take any chances, but the river
lures me. Any suggestions? Recommendations? I would like to find
someone with a canoe who would take me on a tour of the river (I'll
pay, of course) to get a feel for the right raft/boat/canoe to
navigate the river. I am concerned that I don't ever see anyone on
it. I may just not be in the right spot.

Don in Athens

Don, send me an email to . I live on the
Oconee downstream of you. We can get together and paddle sometime.

Steve Cramer