Ultimate Senior Citizen Canoe Alternative Solution

If you've been following my blog you know that I am home recovering from sun poisoning, back problems and a sinus infection. I'm trying to heal as fast as I can, but it's not looking good getting back on the river soon. My 22 year old mind has caught up with my 162 year old body I guess.

My son sent me this picture of the rig pictured here. I think it is a good solution for me. I would be well protected from the sun and when I get tired I can just set down the paddles and take a nap. The ultimate senior citizen canoe alternative solution. I love it.

Video Tour of My Canoe

This video was made on launch day just before I put the canoe in the water. Watch it and take a tour of my canoe.

Helping Friends

It's always good to have friends. Smart friends who don't mind approaching you with a suggestion or three.

My friends have been following this blog and learned of the struggles I have been having. Here are their suggestions:

1. Go to an 18 foot canoe instead of 15'. A longer canoe runs faster.

2. Sit in the back seat. The canoe is more narrow at the back seat than the front seat. The back seat enables you to keep your paddle closer to your core body thus giving you more power, leverage and control with less effort.

3. Paint the canoe UT orange. Passing boats may not be seeing me because my canoe is highly polished and it reflects the water making me look like part of the lake.

4. One friend is a yacht builder. He said yacht owners feel that they own the river as well as their yacht, like 18 wheelers feel that they own the road. Paddle defensively.

5. Exercise your legs often. It can be unhealthy being confined to a canoe for days at a time.

Thank you friends. Good stuff.

Injured and Sick - Going Home

You try to think of every detail in the planning stage of an expedition hoping to have all of the bases covered. Sometimes it is the little things that get you.

Friday I was using sun block on my exposed skin but for a short time my ankle was exposed and burned. I didn't feel it until the next day. It blistered and became edematous. I have lived at 8000 feet and climbed to 13,000 feet with no sun problems before. 

  

Also on the second night the air mattress went flat and I found myself sleeping on two bars. I woke up with my back in a mess. I have such pain in my foot that I didn't sleep much last night and so far I have not been able to sleep tonight.

I have called someone to pick up my trailer and come get me for some medical care. I guess what I do about the trip depends on what's wrong with me and how long it takes me to mend. I can't safely continue while in pain and not able to sleep for days. I need all of my wits about me on the river.

"I Want Some Signs"

Canoes and bicycles are the same, they just live in different environments.

A bicycle is a small open road vehicle that often shares the road with other larger vehicles. The canoe is the same on the river. One major difference though is that the bicycles get signs that say " Share the Road", "Watch out for bicycles".

What I want to know is...where are the canoe signs?

Today I was paddling way out of the channel and this big cabin bruiser (cruiser) left the channel and passed within 20 feet of me. He was moving fast and created a big wake. I turned my canoe into the wake and rode it out as water splashed over my bow. As soon as they passed me, they dropped the rpm to an idle. "Yeah, it's too late now buddy" I was thinking.

Another time today, one yacht passed me going fast and then I noticed a second yacht coming up behind him coming even faster. They both flew right by me. As the faster second yacht passed by me and began to overtake the first yacht, I heard the overtaking yacht radio say "May I pass on your port? I'll reduce my speed so the wake won't affect you as much"

Now wait a minute. What's up with that? He passes a canoe going 45 and then offers a yacht his same size wake considerations?

I want a sign like the bicycles have..."Watch out for the canoes", "Share the River". I want some signs.

At least I don't have to wear a brain bucket.............yet.

Sorry. No beautiful pictures with this post. I was a little busy.

River Hazzards

There are lots of hazards on this river, but this was one that I was surprised to find. I'm glad I selected aluminum and not inflatable.

I performed better today!

Friday I performed terribly. I averaged only 0.7 mph. Today I did a lot better. A new friend, Fred Wicks, called me to suggest that I remove the outriggers to give me a longer range on my paddle strokes. He was right. I paddled so fast today that I think I contributed to the erosion of the river banks.

Fred is the owner of Kay-Noe, a small canoe accessory manufacturing company. http://kay-noe.com Fred made my outriggers. Thanks Fred.

The mph in my stats are real only because the river was so busy and I had to stop and position my canoe to ride out big waves. My speed is really much better than this stat. I think if I could stick with it, I could do 3 mph. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

When I arrived at this park, I was so tired, I just crashed. I didn't sleep well at all last night. I didn't have the horse power to paddle on.

I'm so tired, I feel now like I did after climbing Mt. Dana in Yosemite. 13,056 feet.

I am so tired right now that I could sit on my couch to watch a NASCAR race or an Atlanta Braves game and take a long nap.

Lunch

I need no words to describe this after 3 days in a stupid canoe eating cold food.......

I pulled up into a small city park. I used an iPhone app called "Where" and I located the closest Dominoes Pizza and had it delivered to my picnic table. Isn't technology kewl?

I have been here so long that the picnic table weathered around my pizza.

I'll eat half of this pizza now and the other half in the morning for breakfast.

The best part of this pizza was the ice cold Sprites I ordered with it.

Watershed Eastern Border

Look off in the distance of this picture. You will see an eastern watershed border for the Tennessee River. The foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Isn't that interesting. I know that you have always wondered about that. Now you know.

Big Houses Everywhere

All along the river since I started, I have been seeing these huge beautiful houses on the water. They are all beautiful and distinctive in their own way, but they share one commonality. After passing by hundreds of these houses I have observed that there are no people to be seen inside or out. Not one.

You would think I might spot someone inside an open window, working in the yard, sitting on the porch waving at the little canoe going by. Nope. No people.

I think these people have built these houses as a monument to themselves but don't really live there. I don't know where they live but it's not here.

I built a large home once. I don't want that much space anymore. It's too much stuff to buy and manage. I would be happy living in the top level of the tower in this house.

Encountered My First Barge

I have had my canoe around barges before on the Tennessee River. You might think they would be a threat to me but they are not.
The larger the boat, the longer and slower the wave frequency. Just like sounds through the air.
A big elephant makes sounds so low that human ears can't always hear it. A chipmunk or a small bass boat makes a short frequency, thus short choppy wakes. It's those mid range boats like cabin cruisers or Lions that play havoc with me. I have to turn my canoe toward the wave. I still have water splashing over the bow sometimes.

Ole Tender Foot

Friday I burned the tops of my feet through the netting of my nautical shoes. They are swollen and blistered. I didn't sleep much last night because of the pain. I have a sharp intense pain for a few seconds then nothing for a minute. It keeps cycling like that. Weird.
I am wearing socks today. I can't get my shoes on.
Some idiot hunters are moving in. I'm gone.

Hot Viddles This Morning

Scrambled Southwestern EggBeaters and sliced vege dogs (Big Franks). Yahoo!
That should get me down the river a few miles.

Yacht Parade Today

I learned this evening why the locals suggested I stay off the river today. There was a home UT football game today and the big boys take their river hardware to the game. When the game is over, they all parade home down the river together. It is an impressive site to behold, but no place for a little canoe. Awesome display though.

I Been A Thinkin'

I been a thinkin'. If you read my post from last night, you would know that yesterday I averaged only 0.7 miles per hour and wearing myself out doing it, right? Well it's because I'm doing everything wrong. Here is what I realized today just sitting here.
1. I have a long heavy canoe with a large surface area contacting the water.
2. I'm utilizing my shortest and weakest extremities to propel this freighter.
3. I have a good light weight double ended paddle but I am still making little contact with the water compared to the surface area contact and weight of the canoe.
4. Since I am using my arms only for propulsion, when I do anything else with my arms, the canoe stops. Like; take a picture, eat lunch, dry my face, check my email, gesture to that speed boat driver that I think he is number one.
5. The longest and largest extremities on my body with the the largest muscles in them are just sitting in the hull of the canoe. I even have to stop once in a while to exercise them. Even that works against me on my average speed.

I been a thinkin'.

I need to be propelling this freighter with both my arms and legs together. Wow. What a concept. So what am I thinking? A peddle powered paddlewheel system? A peddle powered prop? A peddle powered air boat canoe thingy. I don't know yet, but something has to change. I been a thinkin'.

So, if I did add an additional source of propulsion that utilized my legs, would this still be referred to as "canoeing"? The canoe purist would tell you no and I would agree. I think it would have to convert over to a " human powered water craft". But I want to "canoe" the Tennessee River. Does it really matter what I call it or how I accomplish it as long as I accomplish it uninjured? Something has to change or this trip will take too long, I could injure myself and I won't be having much fun. I been a thinkin'.

I didn't have another new breath taking picture to send you because I have been just lying here all day. So I just sent a picture of what I am doing right now.

Life is Good

I know that you may not be able to fully visualize this, but I am lounging on the top of my canoe, tied to a rock in a nice cove reading a book and napping. My CotTent converts to a lounge chair. I'm too lazy to go to the bank to set up my camera on a tripod so this us the only picture you get for now. It's a beautiful cloudless day. Soon I will be able to float under a Willow Tree for shade for the rest of the day.

Fog on the River

This is what I woke up to this morning...fog. My tent and some of my gear is soaked. I'm going to stay at this location today to dry out. I talked to a local last night and he says the river traffic gets crazy on Saturday's. (I thought it was busy yesterday) I knew that and planned to rest on Saturday's anyway. It seems crazy to rest already after only one full day out, but I am going to stick to my plan.
I slept 12 hours last night. Guess I was tired huh?

Not getting it done

This was my first full day out and as you can see from today's stats that I am not getting it done. I can't blame the canoe, the weather was perfect and I ate right. Maybe for the first time in my life I feel my 162 year old age.
At today's rate, it will take me 3 1/2 months to complete this trip. That will be Christmas. Not good.

Beautiful Evening

It's a beautiful evening on the river tonight. Shot with my iPhone from inside my tent.

"Are we there yet Daddy? How much longer?"

"Only 641.2 miles! Now hush and keep paddling sweetheart."

I Finally Launched Today

Tropical Storm Lee finally inched it's way farther north and out of Tennessee. The storm cost me a couple of days so it feels especially good to be on the river again.

This canoe is wonderful. Even though it is a freighter with all of the gear and supplies I have in it, it runs straight and true, glides with ease and is very stable. I made a good choice.

I got a late start today. The launch location I planned to use wasn't available so I had to find another location. I didn't get on the water until four o'clock. I paddled through downtown Knoxville and found a cove to overnight. I have my outriggers deployed, my tent is up on the canoe, I am well fed and resting on my air mattress. Life is good.

Tomorrow morning I will get up when I wake up and hit the river again.

Current Conditions for Launch

Today is my planned launch day but I am going to delay it a day or two. Yesterday, Chattanooga experienced it's all-time record rainfall of 9.85 inches. Knoxville (my starting point) had less than 6 inches for the same time period but the difference is that Knoxville is in the mountains and they are experiencing more flash flooding than Chattanooga. Plus it is still raining hard in both cities. I am packed and ready to go. I will continue to monitor the weather and will launch the first reasonable day.

The day following an all-time record rainfall, I am surprised that there is not more water coming through the Chickamauga Dam in Chattanooga. Looks pretty good.

This is the river today about 10 miles below the dam. It is definately full and flowing fast and I'm ready to get on it.

I'm waiting for the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee to move on out. If it is still storming in Chattanooga, it is probably still storming in Knoxville.

Later...I just compiled enough information to decide that I am launching Thursday.

Launch Date Delayed by Weather

I am excited and ready to begin my trip on the Tennessee River tomorrow but I am delaying my launch date for a few days until Tropical Depression Lee passes. As you can easily see by the maps, my launch location is in the center of 6 to 10 inches of rainfall. The storm is moving in a northeasterly direction at only 5 MPH right now so hopefully it will pick up speed and move on out soon. There is also a 50% chance of tornados coming up from the gulf. Tornados and canoes don't play well together.

After the rains leave, I have flash flooding to consider. The Tennessee River has a very large watershed area which could make for big water on the river. A torent river could be dangerous for my little canoe. I will be in communication with TVA, watching webcams and observing advisories for the next few days to monitor the river level and water speeds to reset a launch date. I will leave as soon as I feel it is safe.

The area in yellow is the Tennessee River watershed area. It covers 40,890 square miles. Most of that area is receiving between 6 and 10 inches of rain in the next day or two. Can you imagine how much water will be flash flooding into the river? I can't. Not yet. The farther I paddle down river, the worse the flooding will get. I may not have to paddle at all on this trip. All I have to do is steer. I will need a big brake though. 

Follow my blog here: http://CanoeTennesseeRiver.com

Weather Outlook For Launch Day

Well, it's not looking very encouraging is it. There are two major storms headed right into the path of the Tennessee River and my canoe travel plans. One weather service predicts that eastern Tennessee could receive 12 to 24 inches of rain from Tropical Storm Lee. What do you think that would do to the Tennessee River. If I started my trip just after the storm blew through, I wouldn't have to paddle at all. All I would have to do is steer.

If that is not enough rain and wind for you, then here comes Hurricane Katia. Who knows what will happen to the river by the time this storm blows by. At that point I may be able to canoe directly from Knoxville at the river head, west to the river terminal end in Paducah, Kentucky. That would be only 270 miles instead of 652 miles. Hummm. Not a bad idea. That could be some kind of record or something.

Polishing The Canoe

After about 50 years of life as a canoe, the aluminum had a lot of oxidation build-up. I knew that under all of that grey rough surface was a beautiful shinny aluminum and I wanted to get to it. My first attemp was a disaster because I attempted it myself. I did a terrible job, became very frustrated and quit. I decided to take it to an auto body shop to have it polished. They polished it very well, better than I ever did, but it was really not quite to the perfection level that I was seeking.

This morning a friend suggested a chemical that you just spray on and it just magically shines the surface of the aluminum. I was a sucker and I should have known better. It was a disaster. The canoe turned a milky grey color with splotches and runs.

I finally in desperation took the canoe to an auto detail shop just down the road and they said they could help me to bring out the shine. Here it is the Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend and I am leaving in 4 days. I had no choice but to trust them. This was my last shot. Anything would look better than what I had anyway. The detail guy and I worked on it together for several hours and it turned out great. I am very pleased. This is the polished canoe that I had envisioned from the beginning. Yahoo! Success!

Now I can lighten my load by not having to lug along a mirror.

How is that for a canoe surface?

One Eye On The Weather

Tropical depression #13 is coming up from the gulf bringing high winds and tons of rain. Hurricane Katia is moving in from the Atlantic and each storm so far has Tennessee in it's sights. It's still early so anything can still happen. I don't mind canoeing in the rain, but the wind will blow my little canoe across the river. The day I start my trip, Tuesday September 6, this is where the storms are projected to be and the course they are on.

Channel 9 News

Chattanoogan Article

Towing Rig

"Knot So Fast" and the towing rig.

"Knot So Fast"

Yep. I named my canoe. Seems appropriate.
Also I have completed the splash aprons. The splash aprons serve several functions:
1. Helps keep the inside of the canoe dry
2. Reduces the surface area of the canoe so the wind catches less surface
3. If I roll the canoe it will retain all of my gear inside the canoe instead of dispersing it all down river
4. Prevents the canoe from getting swamped by a wave
5. Theft deterrent.
6. Looks good
I'm having fun.

Fabricating a Splash Apron

Today I am fabricating a splash apron...the canoe's equivalent of a tonneau cover for a pick up truck bed. Visited the sign shop to order a vinyl name on the bow of the canoe. Will keep working tomorrow morning.

First Float Test

I finally got the canoe wet for the first time. Even though this canoe is decades old, this is one of the few times it has been on the water. It didn't sink. I was happy about that.

The canoe is a two seater. I have decided to sit backwards in the front seat and paddle the canoe in reverse. Since I will be traveling in the canoe alone, I wanted my body closer to the center of the canoe to distribute the weight more evenly. One of my goals in taking the canoe to the water today was to be sure the canoe sat level in the water with my body in this new position and my gear distributed in the general location of where it will be placed during the trip. I like it. I think this will work fine.

Also I have added outrigger flotation stabilizers today. Since I will be sleeping in a tent on top of my canoe, I needed a method of preventing rollover. These stabilizers and perfect for the task. I can retract them during the day when I am traveling and deploy them at night. I will post more information about these stabilizers soon in another post.

Tomorrow I will be measuring, cutting and installing material to make a splash apron for the canoe. Also I will be installing a 12 volt battery and wiring to recharge electronics and will be wiring in a photovoltaic solar panel to recharge the battery.

Making Progress

I'm making progress with my preperation. I had the canoe polished, I am fitting the tent into position now. I have ordered material and hardware the fabricate a splash apron over most of the top of the canoe. The outrigger stabilizers are made and being shipped today from Florida. Today I am doing some shopping at Academy Outdoors and Sportsman Unlimited for a few small items I will need. I have a 12 volt battery selected. I will pick it up today and do some wiring for running lights and recharging of phones and radios. In about a week I will be ready to go out into the Tennessee River Blueway for a few days to test my designs and systems. The launch date is approaching quickly. September 6.

River Navigation

People are asking me how I will be navigating the river as there are many coves and tributaries that can cause me to loose my way. I thought about just following the barges or stopping other boats to ask directions, but then I discovered this Tennessee River app for my iPhone and thought I would use it. I went down to the river to check and that red dotted line through the middle of the river channel doesn't exist. I guess I will have to use the GPS navigation features of this navigation app. Isn't technology amazing? More importantly, I also have an app that will locate the closest Dominoe's Pizza.

Why The Tennessee River?

Why the Tennessee River and not some other river? That's easy. I live in Chattanooga, the river city. I have hiked along the banks of the river. I have canoed the Tennessee River Blueway, a fifty mile stretch of the river from the Chickamauga Dam to the Nickajack Dam through the Tennessee River Gorge. I have been involved in River Rescue and other river related organizations for years. It's a natural for me to be interested in the Tennessee River.

Check out my trip down the Blueway on my website CanoeTennessee.com. Now that I'm retarded, I mean retired, and have the time to finally get the job done. I have been talking about and planning this trip for years.

Also I am a touring paddler and not a white water paddler. The Tennessee River is really just a long skinny linear lake because of the 11 dams along the river. Who knows. If I have fun on the Tennessee River, perhaps the Cumberland River will be next.

This journey will be 652 miles, 11 locks and 1,144,000 paddle strokes in about 6 weeks.

Getting Ready

The Tennessee River is 652 miles long. The river starts in Knoxville, TN, flows through Alabama, along the state line of Mississippi, up through Tennessee again and terminates into the Ohio River in Paducah, Kentucky. There are many state parks and private campgrounds and marinas along the way, but there are also many long stretches of wilderness river with few or no portage opportunities. My plans are to live on the river full time, day and night if I need to.

To accomplish that, I have a Cot Tent that I can lay down flat on my canoe during the day and deploy up into a tent during the night. OK...OK...I know what you are thinking...won't that make the canoe top heavy and this guy will roll the canoe over! Ordinarily yes, but I will be using retractable stabilizers to prevent the canoe from rolling.

The stabilizers built by Kay-Noe will be retracted up during the day for traveling and deployed down during the night for sleeping in the Cot Tent. Check back here often as I plan and prepare for my journey. I will be launching my trip on September 6.

First Step Completed

Well, the all essential first step is completed...I bought a canoe. It's an old Grumman canoe like maybe out of the 60's or 70's that I found on Craig's List. (I'll research the exact birth date in a few days.) Locating this canoe was desireable and important to me because it is the real deal. Grumman manufactured airplanes for the US government during WW II. After the war Grumman had lots of raw materials laying around the yard and no more orders for airplanes, so they started building canoes from their residual stock. This was the good stuff. This was the stuff they used to make airplanes and that is what I wanted. 

Grumman has evolved through some changes over the decades and they still make a great canoe, but I feel good about having one of the originals. Even the Grummon logo is painted on. How often do you see that anymore?

The original owner was an older man who bought the canoe new for $1200 (a lot of money for a canoe back then) for his grandchildren when they came to visit. Well the grandchildren came to visit year after year but they never even got the canoe wet one time. The man needed some quick cash one day and sold the canoe to the second owner, a good friend of his.

The second owner had been canoeing a northern New York river each fall since about 1960 but this canoe never made it to the river. It has been sitting in his barn for many years just waiting for me to come by and put it to good use. Even though I am the third owner, I sort of feel like the original owner because the canoe has been sitting idle for decades just waiting to be used for a special event.

My plans are to polish this canoe to a mirror shine and spray on a coat of pickup bed liner on the interior of the canoe to help protect it. I'll be starting that project in a couple of days.