Re: River Cruising In small boats
What kind of batteries does the scooter use? I have had some
experience using solar panels to recharge batteries and the results
have been very disappointing, particulalry for the deep cycle golf
cart type battery.
Solar panels seem to only work as trickle chargers to keep charged
batteries from draining. Or to run electonic equipement. Anything
large enough to do what you want would probably cost more than the
boat.
With the 500cc moped I had - I would run out of gas long before it
did. I carried a spare 5 liter can in one saddlebag and fuel for me
in the other - along with rainsuit and first aid kit. But perhaps if
you where only traveling a couple of miles with the scooter it might
work. Gelcell batteries are also more effecient but very pricey.
Hope George Jr doesn't get wind of what Bruce is doing eh? Mind you
we might be able to get in on some of his aid programs! Few billion
big American bucks would sure help out about now - and you folks seem
to have lots of them;-))
experience using solar panels to recharge batteries and the results
have been very disappointing, particulalry for the deep cycle golf
cart type battery.
Solar panels seem to only work as trickle chargers to keep charged
batteries from draining. Or to run electonic equipement. Anything
large enough to do what you want would probably cost more than the
boat.
With the 500cc moped I had - I would run out of gas long before it
did. I carried a spare 5 liter can in one saddlebag and fuel for me
in the other - along with rainsuit and first aid kit. But perhaps if
you where only traveling a couple of miles with the scooter it might
work. Gelcell batteries are also more effecient but very pricey.
Hope George Jr doesn't get wind of what Bruce is doing eh? Mind you
we might be able to get in on some of his aid programs! Few billion
big American bucks would sure help out about now - and you folks seem
to have lots of them;-))
--- In bolger@y..., "futabachan" <futabachan@y...> wrote:
> I have a tiny little electric motor scooter that I'm planning to
> carry in the bow cockpit of a boat that I'm planning to build, to
> be charged off the boat's solar array. While I was shopping for
> it, I ran across a very lightweight electric commuter car, that
> wouldn't add much weight to your boat. I'm not sure that it
> had two seats, though.
>
> Wait a minute -- you're building an aircraft carrier, and you're
> planning to convert your existing boat into an L.S.T.? Who are
> you planning to invade? :-)
>
> --
> Susan Davis <futabachan@y...>
I have envisioned a scenario with a Bolger houseboat, towed by my
diesel chevy work van with a bike about that size onboard to use to
retrieve the van. Or perhaps a smaller birdwatcher type and carry the
bike in the back of the van, dropping it off at the destination or
the first portage. I know it means more driving but in one day a
person can set things up to allow a weeks relaxed cruising. Two
people on a Honda 250 on the 401 sounds pretty scarey!
Another option is a mountain bike which I believe to be one of man's
great examples of mechanical evolution. I used to attend courses at
the MOT Traing Centre in Cornwall and we would bike along the river
paths on the weekend. Beautiful area except for some of the chemicals
in the air whenever an inversion set in.
My cruising dream is the Trent Severen Canal. Could spend a whole
season messing about in that area. Do you have any information on the
traffic density these days? Also are you aware of the online site
http://www.cruising.ca
that has a guide to Lake Ontario, The Thousand
Islands and part way through one for the Trent Severen? They are
talking about putting them out on DVD.
Another area is the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal. A lady friend
from Australia did that trip in a solo canoe she called Roo.
Then there is Lake Of The Woods, where a lot of people go to from out
here on the prairies.
Still -20 out here this morning! Nels
diesel chevy work van with a bike about that size onboard to use to
retrieve the van. Or perhaps a smaller birdwatcher type and carry the
bike in the back of the van, dropping it off at the destination or
the first portage. I know it means more driving but in one day a
person can set things up to allow a weeks relaxed cruising. Two
people on a Honda 250 on the 401 sounds pretty scarey!
Another option is a mountain bike which I believe to be one of man's
great examples of mechanical evolution. I used to attend courses at
the MOT Traing Centre in Cornwall and we would bike along the river
paths on the weekend. Beautiful area except for some of the chemicals
in the air whenever an inversion set in.
My cruising dream is the Trent Severen Canal. Could spend a whole
season messing about in that area. Do you have any information on the
traffic density these days? Also are you aware of the online site
http://www.cruising.ca
that has a guide to Lake Ontario, The Thousand
Islands and part way through one for the Trent Severen? They are
talking about putting them out on DVD.
Another area is the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal. A lady friend
from Australia did that trip in a solo canoe she called Roo.
Then there is Lake Of The Woods, where a lot of people go to from out
here on the prairies.
Still -20 out here this morning! Nels
--- In bolger@y..., "brucehector" <bruce_hector@h...> wrote:
> It's like what I do when I load my Honda 250 cc motorcycle on
Adagio.
>
> We hope to explore the Erie and Hudson this way [in a boat thatIf you get as far as Rochester, give me a call, and I'd be happy
> carries a motorcycle aboard] this summer.
to introduce you to trash plate and Abbott's frozen custard, our
local delicacies. Your stomach will never forget them. :-)
> I'm thinking of eliminating the front deck completely and addingI have a tiny little electric motor scooter that I'm planning to
> a garage & ramp affair to carry a light, compact car that I could
> load and unload at any boat ramp.
carry in the bow cockpit of a boat that I'm planning to build, to
be charged off the boat's solar array. While I was shopping for
it, I ran across a very lightweight electric commuter car, that
wouldn't add much weight to your boat. I'm not sure that it
had two seats, though.
Wait a minute -- you're building an aircraft carrier, and you're
planning to convert your existing boat into an L.S.T.? Who are
you planning to invade? :-)
--
Susan Davis <futabachan@...>
It's like what I do when I load my Honda 250 cc motorcycle on Adagio.
It really extends your cruising range. Instead of reaching Brockville
on Sat. (about 50 miles east through the 100 Islands) and needing to
start back, we can continue on thil Sunday afternoon finds us in
Cornwall. Then make arrangements to moor at a marina until the next
weekend and drive home on the bike.
We chose the Honda 250, as it was about the smallest and lightest
bike that would reliably do highway speeds with two adults on board.
I could not imagine maneuvering a Harley down a wobbly, floating dock
and ...well actually I could imagine the possible outcomes all too
well. I widened the gates on the bow deck to make loading the bike
easier and extended the deck 2 feet. The bike also comes in handy
when a marina is too far from shopping, nightlife or a sight we want
to explore.
We hope to explore the Erie and Hudson this way this summer. I'm
thinking of eliminating the front deck completely and adding a garage
& ramp affair to carry a light, compact car that I could load and
unload at any boat ramp.
Bruce Hector
www.brucesboats.com
It really extends your cruising range. Instead of reaching Brockville
on Sat. (about 50 miles east through the 100 Islands) and needing to
start back, we can continue on thil Sunday afternoon finds us in
Cornwall. Then make arrangements to moor at a marina until the next
weekend and drive home on the bike.
We chose the Honda 250, as it was about the smallest and lightest
bike that would reliably do highway speeds with two adults on board.
I could not imagine maneuvering a Harley down a wobbly, floating dock
and ...well actually I could imagine the possible outcomes all too
well. I widened the gates on the bow deck to make loading the bike
easier and extended the deck 2 feet. The bike also comes in handy
when a marina is too far from shopping, nightlife or a sight we want
to explore.
We hope to explore the Erie and Hudson this way this summer. I'm
thinking of eliminating the front deck completely and adding a garage
& ramp affair to carry a light, compact car that I could load and
unload at any boat ramp.
Bruce Hector
www.brucesboats.com
This may be a bit off topic but perhaps some of my experience may be
of use to others planning trips in small boats - most of which were
not designed for tripping in my view - but for sailing in sheltered
waters.
Many years ago, my wife, two kids and a small dog used to go on
trips. I had a Dodge Club cab with a camperette, a rack on the front
bumper that held a 50cc moped and a 17 foot whitewater canoe plus an
181/2 foot tripping canoe on the top.With that we could go almost
anywhere we wanted and float down rivers.
For example, we made one trip were we stopped at a bridge about 100
miles downstream from our put in spot and left the moped with a park
warden. Drove to the headwaters - two large lakes. Unloaded the
tripper and my wife and youngest who found lake tripping kind of
boring drove to a campgroud at the outlet and fished and relaxed,
while my son and I paddled to them. Then we all got in the canoe and
travelled downriver for three days until we reached the bridge which
had a little park. They stayed and fished while I took the moped back
and got the truck. Went back with it and loaded the tripper and
unloaded the whitewater canoe. Drove further downstream left the
truck and came back by moped. Ran the next 15 miles of almost
continuous whitewater, loaded up and headed back and got the moped.
Still with me?
Well the possibilities are endless. We could stay in the truck and
camp as well. Some trips we left extra grub with the moped so we
could restock part way through the trip - or even end it there if we
wanted. I had lots of fun with the moped and the kids loved the extra
time fishing. My plan was to get a small Honda trail bike that would
even offer more possibilities but the moped could get into a lot of
trails that made the trip shorter than going on the main roads. Plus
we saw a lot of rivers which we could never have seen otherwise and
it was relatively cheap.
Many places we left our stuff at insisted we stop in and give them an
account of our journey. I can still recall the saskatoon pie at one
place Jamie. And that was farther north than the Churchill River. We
always stopped at the Otter bridge and ran the rapids. I loved that
area west of there as you mentioned. The Churchill is one river you
journey down with a small sailboat. Many of the portages are open an
short and 15 foot motorboats freqently are seen out there.
But we had a sail on the tripper, using our cooking tarp. We used it
for day trips and also was handy to go back and re-run certain
portions that we really enjoyed the first time we went down. In fact
that is exactly what we did with that whitewater stretch mentioned
above. The second time we took both canoes!
Funny never saw anyone else use that idea of mine though... Nels
of use to others planning trips in small boats - most of which were
not designed for tripping in my view - but for sailing in sheltered
waters.
Many years ago, my wife, two kids and a small dog used to go on
trips. I had a Dodge Club cab with a camperette, a rack on the front
bumper that held a 50cc moped and a 17 foot whitewater canoe plus an
181/2 foot tripping canoe on the top.With that we could go almost
anywhere we wanted and float down rivers.
For example, we made one trip were we stopped at a bridge about 100
miles downstream from our put in spot and left the moped with a park
warden. Drove to the headwaters - two large lakes. Unloaded the
tripper and my wife and youngest who found lake tripping kind of
boring drove to a campgroud at the outlet and fished and relaxed,
while my son and I paddled to them. Then we all got in the canoe and
travelled downriver for three days until we reached the bridge which
had a little park. They stayed and fished while I took the moped back
and got the truck. Went back with it and loaded the tripper and
unloaded the whitewater canoe. Drove further downstream left the
truck and came back by moped. Ran the next 15 miles of almost
continuous whitewater, loaded up and headed back and got the moped.
Still with me?
Well the possibilities are endless. We could stay in the truck and
camp as well. Some trips we left extra grub with the moped so we
could restock part way through the trip - or even end it there if we
wanted. I had lots of fun with the moped and the kids loved the extra
time fishing. My plan was to get a small Honda trail bike that would
even offer more possibilities but the moped could get into a lot of
trails that made the trip shorter than going on the main roads. Plus
we saw a lot of rivers which we could never have seen otherwise and
it was relatively cheap.
Many places we left our stuff at insisted we stop in and give them an
account of our journey. I can still recall the saskatoon pie at one
place Jamie. And that was farther north than the Churchill River. We
always stopped at the Otter bridge and ran the rapids. I loved that
area west of there as you mentioned. The Churchill is one river you
journey down with a small sailboat. Many of the portages are open an
short and 15 foot motorboats freqently are seen out there.
But we had a sail on the tripper, using our cooking tarp. We used it
for day trips and also was handy to go back and re-run certain
portions that we really enjoyed the first time we went down. In fact
that is exactly what we did with that whitewater stretch mentioned
above. The second time we took both canoes!
Funny never saw anyone else use that idea of mine though... Nels