Canoeing with family and customers. I am the author of Canoeing: it is an illustrated guide to canoe technique with over 900 photos. It is available direct from myself or from any of the incarnations of Amazon. I work as a canoe guide and coach. Website is www.RayGoodwin.com
Ray was awarded a prestigious MBE (a Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the 2019 Queen's New Year's Honours for services to canoeing. The award was presented at Buckingham Palace.
In 2020 Ray became a Council Member for the Canadian Canoe Museum in Peterborough, Ontario. The first non-Canadian to be invited to become part of the council. canoemuseum.ca
Thanks for putting this video out. Just in the process of prepping some notes to lead an instructor course and thought I would mine your video for some key points to bring forward. Excellent as always!
Tanks Ray and Co. I've made it as far North in Saskatchewan as there Grey Owl cabin, North of Waskesiu and Prince Albert. The Porcupine River looks amazing!
I really love the story of Grey Owl and have visited a number of the places associated with him in England. Yep the Porcupine is amazing, one of the best.
Really useful video as you said the instructions are very good, but it’s great to watch someone do it. Just done the bow and it looks a lot neater than I expected thanks to your video. All ready for canoefest 😀
If you have to have a favourite - this would be mine. Not only does it feel at one with nature through the stroke but it forces you to limit your speed to allow you to enjoy the wildlife and critters around you.
I first saw you on a series called Northern Wilderness with Ray Mears. You seemed effortlessly meander down rapids looking almost feather like, but controlled. I was happy to find your channel almost a decade later. It’s sad to hear that your health troubles are putting an end to this type of expedition for you. The very fact you were on this trip shows your perseverance. I also remember you demonstrating that in starting a bow drill fire in Northern Wilderness. I look forward to more of your content, even if more laid back.
I am not sure if it is perseverance or bloody mindedness! 😅 Yep that trip with Ray Mears was really formative for me. I had never really been up in front of the camera before and I felt a lot of pressure/nervousness about how I would come across. In the event it worked well and gave me a new confidence. Thanks for the kind comments and yes I have a lot of ideas and plans but excluding the tough portages. Keep well
Hello, Ray. This is really important. I've been wanting to go canoeing the open waters for almost a year now. I just don't have the money to buy one yet. But if I do, how do I prepare for a trip?
Well that is a really big question! Find some sources of information: my book is just one possibility. Join a club: in the UK you could look at the Open Canoe Association. Once you have a canoe get out on simple water: canals, slow moving rivers and small lakes but stick to the sides. When you are a novice you can easily make a mistake and end up in the water so early paddles should be within swimming distance of the side. Possibly get a couple of days instruction to get you going.
Bittersweet. Ive had to give up or dumb down many of my hobbies and interests due to injuries sustained in the line of duty. I know what it's like adapting to a new normal and coming to terms with the fact that there are certain pleasures in life you'll never experience again. I wholeheartedly empathise. Plenty of hard graft on the portages, but what a phenomenal, pristine, and beautiful environment to be immersed in. I thoroughly enjoyed these videos and hats off to the entire crew for making it such a success. Lastly, big respect to David as your a hard act to follow, Ray!
Yep David did well and he looked after me on the get in and outs. He is a kind man. Yep it is hard when we have to let go. I still have a lot of plans so its not over yet although the body keep telling me otherwise. Making the videos is very good therapy for me and gives me a purpose. So thank you so much for your kind comments. Thery are very much appreciated.
Oh dear. David had no experience of that size or speed of water. He needed direction. He wanted direction. That is not the way I like to paddle tandem. Sorry you didn’t enjoy it.
It almost brought one to my eye! But it was part of the story of that trip and felt it needed to be in there. Plenty of trips left but not of that nature.
For those of us new to canoeing we are standing on your shoulders of men like you who have giving so much. Many thanks Ray you are a warrior. Cheers from Colorado.
Some of the descents were hair raising! I don’t think you guys were using ferrying techniques in the white water. That would have helped. I think it is better to back paddle in big water rather than crashing thru. Also it didn’t look like anyone was doing Eddy turns. Beautiful river. Glad everyone made it out ok.
Hi Richard, we often used ferries to get in position at the start of rapids. Lots of eddy turns but often the Eddys were often shallow and full of rock in the rapids. So eddy taken at the start of most rapids and at the end but few taken in rapids for the reason given. Back ferries are good but it takes a lot of skill on the part of the bow paddler and there wasn’t the experience to do this: this was not the place to learn it. Anyway thank you for commenting.
Mr. Goodwin, I have fallen in love with paddling just in the last few years. Your content and training videos, as well as your adventurous spirit are so inspirational. Thanks so much for the videos you make and post, they are all part of my research, enjoyment and edification process. Cheers from Vancouver BC
@@RayGoodwinCanoe Without you I wouldn't have been able to do nearly as much. It's been a truly mutually beneficial partnership. And we still have the Lakes and the Spey to look forward to 🙂
Great video Ray. I feel your pain. My knees have forced me to make the same difficult decision to back off the more challenging routes. There is still lots of canoeing left in me however. I am always ready for an easy trip with good company if you find yourself in Canada again. Take care.
Great video, nice to see the tripping warts and all. Love the lining segments, it is one of my favourite things to do. Fine finale to great career of river tripping, chapeau!
Thanks Gord. Yep I do to do the Cromwell thing and include the warts😁. Swims and mistakes are really important to acknowledge for both myself and other to learn from. Yep I too enjoy lining and the whole inventive thing of getting down a wilderness river, judgement calls and all. I may head out west to the Yukon again to do a river out there: no portages.
Sorry but I don't recall. It was fairly typical of the paddles that outfitters provide and with no choice I just use them. Back at home I use wood paddles almost exclusively but it is too expensive to fly my own paddles.
Ray in many of your videos I've enjoyed your blend of paddling know-how and lessons in setting up a canoe, reading rivers, currents and history of areas I will never get to. I've enjoyed you and your paddling partner's banter, and discussion over whether to run, line, or portage the next section of river. You have given me much to keep busy in video and print to help me learn and I just wanted to say 'thank you' for sharing your experiences with us. I'm glad my neighboring province hosted your last 'big river' trip (although I struggle to say why really - pride in what Canadian paddling has to offer I guess) - all the best to you and your family in whatever you choose to pursue. Brian
Thank you so much Brian. Your comments are so appreciated. Yep I have loved my trips in Canada and might still have one or two to do on rivers with no portages. Lots of stuff to do here at home as well so the videos will keep coming and I will keep paddling. Cheers.
Your videos are so inspiring and make one feel like they are in the boat with you. It may be the last of your big wild river trips but there are so many places to explore that are a bit gentler...I love your passion for sharing your knowledge and adventurous spirit!
Wow, thank you! I have a lot more to do but yep that is the last of that type of trip for me. That is a hard pill for me to swallow but there are plenty more adventures to be had. Again very many thanks.
@@RayGoodwinCanoe And though I am sad that your body will not support you for the riggers of these trips, I'm bouyed up by the foundation that you have built and reinforced, and the resource that you continue to provide.
That day through the gorge must have been exhausting for everyone. Well done! Ray. It was good that you had a young paddling partner. He did well and took care of the heavy stuff for you. I remember those days when I had all that young energy. Not so much now with back problems, but I can still paddle just fine. I still want to do the long paddling trips, but have to exclude portaging now. My bad back has affected my legs. They don't work so well anymore. I like your spirit though. Keep paddling and keep it within your limitations and you will still have fun. Enjoy it as much as you can and for as long as you can. ❤
What an amazing adventure for your last big one. I think that's called 'going out on a high'? Inspiring too, so thanks Ray. Coffee brewing as we speak ..... :)
ITS nearly impossible to upright and reenter a capsized canadian canoe in deep water. And unballastet sailvessels acustombrize to capsize. She sails well, I advice to use outriggers for stability and spareboyancy.
The whole point of my rig is that I can sail it and easily dismantle it to continue down a white water river. most of us who use these small rigs practise capsize and reentry. I now fit side air bags, internal to hull, to make the reentry easier. But thanks for commenting and your thoughts it is all useful stuff
