Devil's Gut Redux -- Troop 451 paddles the Gut on 9/11/2010

This year we added people, a total of 23, and changed the season (early fall, no bugs!) and had a GREAT Time.

Troop 451 paddles the Devils Gut

That was fun!

A trip to the Devil's Gut

Troop 451 canoes the Devil's Gut from BikesAndBooks on Vimeo.

In April 2009 ten campers from Troop 451 paddled down the Roanoke River, into the Devil's Gut, up Deadwater Creek to the overnight platforms (Beaver Tail and Beaver Lodge). The put-in is in Williamston, NC and covers roughly ten miles to the take-out at Jamesville, NC.

Audio Production Note: The owl sounds are live, recorded in the middle of the night, in the middle of the swamp. While the owl sounds (audio) are out of sequence, they are actual live owls caught on my digicam. Of course, it was waytoo dark to see the owls but they hooted and screeched for a good 2 minutes straight. Wow!

A Few Stills ...

The Canoeing Merit badge was finished up back in April (or was it May?!) but it took me a little while to get all my videos/pics out of the camera. See the three part video series below for a demonstration of how to right a swamped canoe. And this last post shows a few pictures from the hands on clinic. Great fun had by all. Thanks to Scoutmaster Jim and the crew of scouts.

Swamp And Rescue a Canoe and Paddlers - Part 3

Part 3 of this video series shows the wet or swamped canoe has been drug on top of the dry canoe. During that process the water is emptied and the boat is now dry. The last step is to roll the boat back over and relaunch it back into the water.

Swamp And Rescue a Canoe and Paddlers - Part 2

Part 2 in the video series shows how canoeist roll over the sinking canoe and then lift the canoe up onto the dry boat. This process dumps out the water as the swamped canoe is lifted upsidedown onto the gunwales of the floating canoe. An upside down canoe full of water can create a vacuum seal which will making lifting the canoe very difficult. Try rotating the canoe to it's side, this can help.

Part II:

Swamp And Rescue a Canoe and Paddlers - Part 1

Merit Badge requirement item 6.h helps a canoeist learn how to rescue their swamped boat in deep or vast waters. This video shows the technique done with a helpful companion canoe. It can be done with a single boat but we won't go into that now.

Part one of this 3 part video series shows how to swamp the boat. This is the fun part.

Water Skills Course this Sunday - 1pm

Anyone who wants to work on the Canoeing Merit Badge.

Jim and I are doing the swamping and obstacle course again on Sunday. Come and get the skills part of your Canoeing MB done (items 6, 7, and 8 on the worksheet:

Meet at the Scout hut at 1:00 PM.

Bring a towel, swim suit, change of clothes and some sun screen.

ALSO, have your swimming prerequisite already signed off. That's section 3 of the worksheet.

If you're coming, call me by Saturday afternoon so we can have all the equipment we need.

--John