First, check with soume of the outfitters and guides in that region
first - see if you can hire a canoe for your trip. Might be cheaper
than bringing one up, at least according to friends who got there regularly.
Beyond that, snaps. And if she just can't handle snaps, velcro. The
adhesive backed stuff is OK, contact cementing it on is better. Make
sure the cover is in sections so that you can escape the cover if you
flip. Full covers - even sectioned ones are *dangerous* if you go
swimming. First rule - don't panic. When you exit the boat, make sure
the cover is completely disengaged from you.

Marsh
New Brighton, MN

Richard Ferguson wrote:
We are headed up to paddle the Nahanni River in Canada's Northwest
Territories. The sources that I have found are consistent in
recommending a spray cover for the canoes on the Nahanni.

The boat belongs to my partner, but she doesn't want to spend the money
for a commercial spray cover, so I was going to make one.

Jacobsen in his book, Expedition Canoing, has plans for spray covers,
including a couple of variations. I was going to follow his
instructions, with some minor variations.

The issue at hand is how to fasten the spray cover to the canoe. As far
as I can tell, most of the commercial spray covers use snaps. Jacobsen
says snaps. However, a friend of my partner has told her that snaps are
awful and should be avoided.

Anyone with experience with canoe spray covers? How was your cover
attached to your boat? How did it work out? Anything else I should know?

Richard

On 10-Apr-2006, Marsh Jones wrote:

And if she just can't handle snaps, velcro.

I'd like to see how many seconds a velcroed spray cover would last
in whitewater.

Make
sure the cover is in sections so that you can escape the cover if you
flip.

Have you ever been in one? A one piece cover is not difficult to get
out of. How would sections make it any easier?

Mike