Come hell or high water, 73-year-old Bruce McGonigal and his pal Rob Goodine intend to float a homemade catamaran 30 kilometres down the Bulkley River from Quick to Smithers in northern B.C. in August.

Their plan sparks a notable question: what would inspire someone to undertake such an endeavour?

香蕉视频直播淚 never thought I would live to experience a pandemic and I香蕉视频直播檓 going crazy,香蕉视频直播� McGonigal said. 香蕉视频直播淚 was outside thinking of something to do and I saw the two kayaks under a tarp and had this epiphany; it just kind of flashed and then it kind of just morphed.香蕉视频直播�

It morphed into a craft, dubbed the HMCV Cat 1, with two boat seats and a cooler bolted onto a wooden superstructure attached to the two kayaks with an oar for a rudder.

香蕉视频直播淲hen you think about it, it香蕉视频直播檚 quite a stupid thing that we are about to do,香蕉视频直播� McGonigal said.

香蕉视频直播淪tructurally, those two kayaks香蕉视频直播� they香蕉视频直播檙e not designed to take that kind of force as a catamaran,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淧oints of contact, that香蕉视频直播檚 going to be the issue.香蕉视频直播�

To resolve that issue, McGonigal initially bolted the superstructure onto the kayaks香蕉视频直播� bow and stern with GRK RSS screws, a rugged structural screw with high tensile, torque and shear strength. But looking at craft afterward, he recognized while the screws themselves might hold up, there was another potential problem.

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香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 going to be all kinds of force and the only thing [holding the platform on] is the fibreglass thickness of the kayak at the bow and stern,香蕉视频直播� he explained. 香蕉视频直播淚t became readily apparent that the four RSS screws were not adequate.香蕉视频直播�

So, he added four cinching belts.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檓 now putting all my faith in the four cinching belts that bind the superstructure to the mid-frame of the kayaks in addition to the four GRKs,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 going to be a test by fire.香蕉视频直播�

McGonigal 香蕉视频直播� who has been on the river many times in other kinds of crafts and who worked in water management in Smithers for 35 years 香蕉视频直播� figures by mid-August the river will be into its lower flow phase and most of the 30-or-so kilometres will be a fairly casual float.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a coastal, sort of fairly high-velocity river on the west coast,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou just have to be attentive, there are some log jams, so you just pick the best channel.香蕉视频直播�

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However, there are three critical points where hydraulic conditions could be a major factor.

香蕉视频直播淭hey香蕉视频直播檙e not to be ignored or taken casually,香蕉视频直播� he said.

The first is just above the Telkwa Bridge.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 some fast heavy water in there,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淚 think I香蕉视频直播檓 only talking Class 1, no more than Class 2 [rapids] for sure, but in this contraption we香蕉视频直播檒l have to pick the best line.香蕉视频直播�

The next one is at Eddy Park, where they will have to avoid heavy water in the eddy, but McGonigal believes there is a side channel they can use to get around it.

Finally, the big test, the standing wave at Tatlow Falls, a favourite play area for kayakers, canoeists, riverboarders and even motorboaters, but has unlikely ever seen the likes of McGonigal香蕉视频直播檚 latest invention.

香蕉视频直播淚香蕉视频直播檝e been over, around, Tatlow Falls many times so you just do river right,香蕉视频直播� he said.

What香蕉视频直播檚 the worst that could happen?

香蕉视频直播淭he worst-case scenario is we go under and we don香蕉视频直播檛 come up,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淎 more realistic scenario is the boat breaks up and either a) we salvage the kayaks and paddle down or b) if the whole thing floats away on us, we paddle to shore and start walking to a road.香蕉视频直播�

In any case, he said he has the best partner for the task. Goodine, a local contractor, is a big, strong guy, he said.

香蕉视频直播淗e香蕉视频直播檚 cannon-proof, he香蕉视频直播檚 rock solid,香蕉视频直播� McGonigal said. 香蕉视频直播淲hen things go sideways, he香蕉视频直播檚 the kind of guy you want at your side.香蕉视频直播�

They are not picking a date for the adventure, simply waiting for the first calm, sunny, 20 C degree day in August.

They are also not planning to test the boat or have anybody monitoring the float.

香蕉视频直播淚 just want to put it in and see what happens,香蕉视频直播� McGonigal said.

editor@interior-news.com
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