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Comment by Dave Borba on January 14, 2011 at 7:18pm

Thanks for the feedback folks!  Much appreciated :)

 

DUTCH! Good to hear from ya! Man... Me & Lil' AJ never made it back up this year... Maybe we'll do a late winter trip and come up your way :)

 

Unfortunately, I haven't made any sawdust yet... And it's not looking like I'll be getting around to it anytime soon.

 

The trip leader and others on the trip weren't comfortable with the idea of a dory coming along for the ride. I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, so I'm gladly rowing rubber to make everyone happy and respect the concerns of the folks that invited me on the float :)

 

Not to worry... I've had this whitewater dory in the back of my mind for YEARS... She'll come about! :)

 

Cheers everyone!

 

Borba

Comment by Adam "Dutch" Gottschling on January 13, 2011 at 6:14am

Borba,

That boat done yet?  Knowing you, you havent gotten any sleep since you found out about the grand trip. Hurry up.

Comment by Kelly Neu on December 28, 2010 at 9:10pm

Woohoo!  You scored. Start making sawdust. Like Joe said, 8 people in 5 boats means light boats for all.  A friend just did a 21 day private with 5 boats and 16 people... tell your friends you are bringing your dory!  With just 8 you could easily do the trip with 5 dories.

 

Dories can carry massive amounts of gear...we just tend to not advertise that fact.  Thats because if you fill your hatches with booze to the brim and then add 4 passengers over 200 lbs its starts getting a bit un-managable. -for me (I'm little and have chicken legs for arms).

 

What they don't carry are the big outfitter tables and the huge 175Qt coolers.  They do carry roll tables and smaller coolers and deal with produce well as the hatches stay cool on spring and fall trips.  On our commercial trips we throw the units, charcoal, firewood, dry bags and tables on the rafts and the dories take the rest.

 

Here are some sample loads:

1. Front cross hatch: 14 square white food buckets. Right side hatch: 2 cases of wine, box of melons, 2 rain tarps, major first aid, com case, booze.  Left side hatch 2 cases of beer, personal gear, Stern cross hatch: Trip kitchen. Bow hatch: 4 chairs.  Stern hatch: pin kit.

2. Front cross hatch: Fruit, potatoes, toms, onions, 3 tents, 3 pads. Right side hatch: booze, box of cabbage, box of melons and first aid.  Left side hatch 2 cases of beer, personal gear, Stern cross hatch: 2 roll tables, 8 chairs, rain tarps, 2 dutch ovens, 1 propane tank. Bow hatch: 2 cases of beer. Stern hatch: drag bag full of beer.

3. If you're a highly experienced dory boatman you might get away with this load: 2 boxes avocados, hats, personal beer.

 

Tell your friends to start building too!!

Cheers,

Kelly

 

 

 

 

Comment by lhedrick on December 27, 2010 at 8:09am

Congratulations, 21 days in the Grand Canyon is a good as it gets.

 

Yes, convince them they need one or more dories on the trip.   When you get to Hermit they will be fighting over who gets to ride that last big wave.

 

I started a boat back in Sept.  I am 80 percent done in about 4 months.   Hope to check it out this May on Deso.

 

Our Grand trip last April had 16 people and 4 dories.  No real space trouble and 2 of the dories were only 14 footers.  With the decks, you can really pack them down and the Briggs boat is much bigger.

 

There are plenty of us here in Salt Lake so if you needs hands just let us know.  

 

Perhaps you could be the first to run the Grand in a Rapid Robert if you don't have enough time to build a new boat.

 

Larry

Comment by joe nielson on December 26, 2010 at 11:44am

There are other's with a lot more experience than I, but my dory (17')holds just as much and a 16' raft, but not quite as much as an 18' commercial set up. (the difference is being able to stack the duffle load to an unlimited height where a dory fits everything under hatches.) I have a 178 quart food cooler under the deck hatch and I certainly carry as much if not more than my share. I would say that if you dont have a food cooler, which many commercial dorys don't, you'll carry just as much as everyoner else. 

 

5 boats is more than enough room for 8 people...I did 14 days last spring with 8 people. we had 3 boats. 5 boats is gonna give you so much room, unless you plan on bringing a piano...  my rule of thumb is that there's pleanty of room when the ratio is 1 boat for every 2 people. After all, commercial groups fit 4 passengers and a guide on each raft...I've done those trips without a gear boat...

 

the only difference between my trip as yours is the amount of days, so food is the only thing you'll have more of. 5 boats...easy.

 

good luck with the build.

Comment by Kevin C. on December 21, 2010 at 7:47pm

Dave,great news for you to be headed down the greatest trip one can take down a river!Rule # 1,GO LIGHT!I had rubber raft friends that went with a guy and his dory one time and all he agreed to carry was his small pile of gear and two crates of apples and oranges.I overloaded on the Middle Fork(a much different experience)and it proved to be very difficult to maneuver while carrying that weight...I'm sure brad or ukalady will have some insight as well .Good luck on the build!