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Wanted to post this not to bash DIYpackraft, but to raise awareness.
I have been paddling my huge tandem Voyageur packraft for almost two years down all sorts of rivers, back and forth to my boat when anchored in Alaska, hauling deer back to my boat, catching king and coho salmon from it, hauling hundreds of pounds of sockeye, adult men, and many many days with my wife/kid in it. I totally trusted this thing.
Today we anchored my boat in 39 degree water in Alaska, hunting on an island outside of Juneau. We shot two deer, loaded up the Voyageur with two deer, two men, two packs, two rifles, and a dry bag. I was in my V3 DIY packraft. We all paddled to my boat about 100 meters off shore.
I heard a scream and the Voyageur was rapidly deflating. Two friends clutching to the inflatable floor that still was in it. One had a life vest on, the other didn’t. Both were totally screwed in 39 degree water about 50-60 meters from shore. I spun around, paddled back, and pulled them back to shore…..barely. It was almost impossible to pull them.
We all had dry clothes in dry bags, all survived, but it was VERY close. You die really quick in the ocean when it’s 39 degrees. They were in the water for five minutes and almost to the point of being incapacitated.
Lessons: Don’t over-inflate then over load your packraft. Take your time building it, be sure it’s bomber. And don’t paddle alone or without a life vest. You need a back up plan or you’ll just die.
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