POV video guide to the Illinois River at 650 cfs from a 16' Wing gear boat. The Handbook to the Illinois River Canyon can be purchased on Amazon at amzn.to/2HfSmP2.
Great video, Zach! I really appreciate your low key, informative style. Barry Kruse and I had plans for the Illinois this year, but the level dropped by the time of our window. Maybe next year, in my new Wing!
I ran the Illy one time and it was 1800. It definitely looks tougher at 650. Watching your technique particularly your oar management is quit fascinating and educational. Great job!
Hey Zach, these perspective videos with the play-by-plays are great. It would be awesome if you could do something showing the scouting with comments on the lines, then do the play-by-plays running that line as beat as you can.
Well done on the video. I appreciate it when someone takes the time to edit. What are you using for your camera setup. Looks like a mast on the the stern?
Hey Zach, what are your thoughts on river shoes? Seems like the shoes Astral makes are becoming more popular in my local shops. I usually wear Chacos because it’s easy to get sand and rocks out. But chacos definitely don’t protect - a buddy of mine ripped his toe nail off on the upper MF Flathead a few years ago and now I always wear some type of sock for the toenails. Anyway, thoughts on shoes?
I'm trying to figure out the oar lock system. Can anyone explain how the work and the pros and cons of running them. Or just let me know what they are and I can do the research. Thanks for any help.
The system he has here is called “ Pin & Clip”. The pin (a bolt about 8-9 “ long) is fastened to the frame with nuts where an oarlock would go. The clip (a flat bar bent into a U shape) is welded to a curved plate which is held on the oar with hose clamps. This system does NOT allow one to “feather “ or rotate the oar as an oarlock does. The oar blade remains perpendicular throughout the stroke. The Pro here is one does not have to be aware of the angle of the oar blade, it is always positioned to get a strong “ bite “ against the water. The Con is one cannot “feather “ the oar. If one lets a downstream oar blade of a drifting boat dip or sink to the bottom or hit a rock the impact will shoot the oar ( like an arrow) and most often dislodge the clip off the pin. Getting the clip back on the pin is more difficult than putting an oar into an oarlock. IMO this is a big Con. I see the P&C system being good for beginners learning to row as they do not require the awareness, finesse or wrist strength necessary with open oarlocks. The open oarlock system requires one to always know the angle of the oar blade. Most oar handles are round so it is easy to loose track of the angle of the blade. Nothing worse than taking a big critical stroke and having the blade slice through the water messing up the line you expected to make. I solve this by filing the handle flat, top & bottom making an oval that I can feel as I grip the oar handles. This allows one to get the most powerful angle throughout the stroke and feather the blade for a clean release from the water. Oarlock is really a misnomer as an open oarlock allows more freedom and the P&C locks the blade in a constant position. Regardless of which system a person chooses reading water, rowing and controlling a boat through rapids is thrilling and a wonderful way to enjoy being out there.
