Monty Cerf Discusses the Most Common Mistakes Made by Wilderness Canoeists

 

Today, the United States is recognized as having the fourth-largest number of waterways in the world, with 3.5 million miles of rivers and streams. Throughout our nation's history, hundreds of thousands of Americans have enjoyed our scenic wilderness by these waterways, most often traveling by canoe. Thought to have been invented in 8000 BC, the canoe has held an important place in American culture and continues to be a favorite pastime of many Americans today. Monty Cerf, or Montgomery Cerf, is one such American who has held a lifelong passion for canoeing and hopes to inspire others to take up this historic sport. While canoeing is a sport that all ages can enjoy, Monty Cerf stresses the importance of safety and hopes to better inform canoeists about the sport's most common mistakes within this blog.

 Not Scouting Beforehand

This mistake is often made by both amateur and experienced wilderness canoeists. More often than not, canoeists will become familiar with a well-traveled river and believe they know it well enough to not scout ahead. However, this costly mistake does not account for recent storms that may have left large debris within the river or severe droughts that have brought large stones to the surface. By not scouting beforehand, canoeists run the risk of capsizing or wrapping their canoe. It is important to always scout before setting off and never underestimate how much the river can change.

 Leaving A Canoe Untethered

All canoeists have a story of going ashore and watching from the bank as your previous beached canoe floats downstream. There is nothing that puts a damper on a canoeing trip more than a runaway boat- especially on a solo trip. Montgomery Cerf stresses that canoeists must always secure their canoe by tying off the bowline to a secure object like a tree or a picnic bench. If there are no trees or large objects near the beach, canoeists can string out the bow and stern lines along the ground near them. If you see the bowline move, you can make a run for it and grab the line before the canoe floats off. 

 Overloading The Canoe

It is notoriously difficult to not overload a canoe, especially on a multi-day trip. Whether it's packing additional food, a guitar, or extra beer cases, packing items adobe the gunwales will often lead to instability and cause serious accidents on the river. It's crucial always to remember that the more items you pack, the greater the chance of losing them when the canoe encounters rapids or tips due to instability.