Capsized | SouthernPaddler.com

Capsized

jpsaxnc

Active Member
Jan 28, 2012
34
0
Wifey and I were canoeing in a swamp the water was very clear, I spotted a big snapper on the bottom and positioned the canoe so wifey was right over it so she could get a good look. Then I stupidly stood up on the same side she was on, took one step and dumped us both over the side capsizing the canoe in the process. The water is now the color of coffee, our feet can't touch the bottom, wifey is screaming hysterically, we don't know where the monster is and our canoe is upside down in the water, what to do? Near by was a small branch sticking out of the water, just enough to get part of my foot around for a little purchase, I lifted the canoe till the gunwales were even with the surface and gave it a quick flip up right, it still had water in it but was floating good, I held the side while wifey dragged her self in over the side then pulled my self in, boy! what a change in mood, we rung our closes out and finished up with a pleasant afternoon.
 

catfish

Well-Known Member
Feb 7, 2007
996
3
jesup, ga.
there aint never a good time for that. yea ive always heard to lean forward not to the side? :lol: i hope your wife really likes canoing? :?: :? i guess yal got a personal and up close shot :?:
 

jpsaxnc

Active Member
Jan 28, 2012
34
0
Thank God, there was a happy ending. I can't use the language here to describe just how scared we both were, a funny and sobering experience. Oddly, it must have been the only time we went into this place with no gear in the canoe, usually I carried my fishing gear, a machette, small bow saw, clippers and some extra rope, but that day we were empty and did'nt loose anything.
 

oldsparkey

Well-Known Member
Aug 25, 2003
10,479
123
Central , Florida
www.southernpaddler.com
jpsaxnc said:
Thank God, there was a happy ending. I can't use the language here to describe just how scared we both were, a funny and sobering experience. Oddly, it must have been the only time we went into this place with no gear in the canoe, usually I carried my fishing gear, a machette, small bow saw, clippers and some extra rope, but that day we were empty and did'nt loose anything.

Jack.....
I am betting he wishes at a later date he did not tell us what I underlined.
That sounds like a deliberate thing he did so the canoe would not have anything in it that would be lost. In my younger days we ( a buddy and I ) would take a canoe out in the lake so we could go swimming and we made sure nothing was in it. We would dive out of it and a lot of the times ( when standing up ) it helped us to get wet. :lol:

Jpsaxnc....
Don't worry about the language on here we use some to describe things that happen to us. Like .... Golly , Jee Whis , dag gum it , aw shucks , O fiddle sticks , B.S. ( Boat Science ) and when things get really bad ..... Shoot !!!!!
 

gbinga

Well-Known Member
Nov 7, 2008
736
2
Hoschton, GA
I had a similar experience while fishing with a friend in South GA. No fun. Like one of the other guys said "there ain't never a good time to do that".

If you haven't ever fallen out of a canoe, you should go somewhere safe (close to shore, minimal gators and snakes) and do it on purpose so as to figure out just exactly how you plan to right the boat, get back in it, and/or get yourself and the boat back to shore. The process isn't easy or intuitive, and an accidental emergency is not the time to be learning.

By the way, having this happen by accident will teach you a lesson about tying things down that you don't want to lose. :cry:

GB
 

mike

Well-Known Member
Jun 29, 2009
694
9
TEXAS!
I spent two summers working at a Boy Scout camp. Our waterfront was a large bow in a fair sized stream called the Glover River. While there, I spent many of my off hours fly fishing from an aluminum canoe. When not fishing, I was probably just having a good time with a canoe, rocking it, standing on the stern deck plate bouncing the canoe for forward motion and yes, turning it over just for the fun of it. A canoe is easy to flip back upright even when you can't touch bottom. Just get underneath and grab a gunwale on each side. Tilt the canoe just enough to see light under one side and break the suction. Then, heave upward and over to flip it. After flipping it upright, it is easy to crawl back inside if you know how. If you don't know how, take your canoe out on a nice day and get in some practice. There are several videos on youtube that show you how. Here's one. There are a bunch of other canoeing videos on the right side of the youtube video.

Mike