The following is a true event, and perhaps the hairiest I've experienced in the BWCA/Quetico, if I do not count wild thunderstorms and lightning....

We were paddling and fishing big Saganaga along the shoreline near American point. It was early afternoon and the wind is gusting to perhaps 15 mph from the southwest and creating fast moving 1-2-foot rollers in the big open waters east of American point. So we're staying in calmer water protected from the wind. We have two tandem canoes, one with 2 “somewhat experienced” 14-yr old paddlers (your son and his friend on his first BWCA trip) and your canoe with you and your “somewhat experienced” 16 yr old son.

We decide to head back to camp to the south about a mile away (Englishman Island) staying in protected waters. Along the way we pass a large rock outcrop about 50 feet from shore. On it are 4 boys (scouts), one older, and the others around 14 yrs old, who are camped on the other site on Englishman Island. These scouts landed their canoes on the rocks and are fishing from the outcrop. Their adult scout leaders are apparently still back at camp. After passing by them and about 30 yards away, we hear a scream and turn around to see one of their canoes, empty, being blown by the wind into the 2-foot rollers on its way fast to Canada. Then we watch the oldest scout jump in the other canoe and give chase to the other canoe now about 50 yards away in the rollers. This scout is not wearing a PFD which he left on the outcrop. I realize there is no way he’s gonna be able to turn his and the other canoe around in the wind and waves. We’re still about a mile from our camp, about 15 minutes of paddling, to the south.

So what would you do?

What month is this and what is the air temp?

I'd fetch their canoe. It would be long, hard pull in those conditions, but it would be even harder for a single scout and much more dangerous for his PFDless body.

I'd show up just in time with 25 horses and save some butts.

thegildedgopher: "I'd show up just in time with 25 horses and save some butts."

I'll see your 25 horses and trump that with my Iron Man armor, so I'd save the day in style.

Hmm, tough scenario requiring quick decision-making. Canoearoo's question would have important implications.
I would send my 14yo canoe to the rock, send the solo/PFD-less scout back and head off with my 16yo to fetch the drifting canoe, maybe trying to snag it with a fishing rod cast. 2 foot rollers are tricky even with experience, so even this action might be questionable. Possibly the safest bet would be to just track the canoe from safer waters (I know, Sag is huge) until it could be retrieved in the evening when it's calmer.

Canoearoo: "What month is this and what is the air temp?"

Around June 19, mostly sunny and low 70s...

Paddle to older scout and tell him to turn around, as best he can. If he swamps, then he becomes priority. In fact, I'd probably guide him back (staying near to him) to the rock from which he came. All he is doing is being a danger to himself.

After that, I'd do my best to grab the canoe that blew away using a painter line (and maybe a BDB to quickly attach the line) to tow it. BUT...I'd probably only give it one try. Two foot rollers are not to be trifled with. I'm all about helping, but I won't put myself in danger to do so.

If their canoe blows away, they can shuttle back to camp, get the adults, and mount a recovery expedition.

Mike

What Mike said.

First, get the kid safe, then rescue the canoe. If not today in windy conditions, in the evening or the next day when it's calm.

Well the water is a most likely chilly so I would put the older teen in the front of my canoe and try and help. If it were May I'm not sure what I would have done. But in May I wouldn't have been out on a windy day.

MikeinMpls: "Paddle to older scout and tell him to turn around, as best he can. If he swamps, then he becomes priority. In fact, I'd probably guide him back (staying near to him) to the rock from which he came. All he is doing is being a danger to himself.


After that, I'd do my best to grab the canoe that blew away using a painter line (and maybe a BDB to quickly attach the line) to tow it. BUT...I'd probably only give it one try. Two foot rollers are not to be trifled with. I'm all about helping, but I won't put myself in danger to do so.


If their canoe blows away, they can shuttle back to camp, get the adults, and mount a recovery expedition.


Mike


"

This is exactly the leadership they need!

That stretch of sag between Honeymoon Island and Munkers narrows is treacherous. If the wind is out of the northwest, it comes out of cache bay and is awful, but even in this case, when it's out of the southwest, it still catches alot of wind coming up out of Red Rock Bay. It gains velocity once it gets far enough north, and catches all of the wind coming from 1st bay as well. That's my least favorite section of Sag.

I kinda lean towards kissing that canoe goodbye for now. I think I would have definitely tried to stop the solo paddler. He would be in a world of hurt trying to just paddle his canoe against the wind, no way is he going to handle both. I don't know what he was thinking.

I think I'd maybe try to ferry the boys over to Englishmans, but that's going to be multiple trips, and not easy. Then, as you're in the motorized zone, perhaps try to flag down a tow boat, or fisherman to go retrieve the canoe. I don't know if they can legally go get it though, without a RBC permit.

As analyzer always hides his 5 horse motors on the near by point, I think I would go back in the woods, borrow one of his motors, and go fetch the canoe : )~

That's a horrible scenario, and terrifying. I'm scared for that kid thinking about it. I'm looking forward to hearing how the story ended. I'm guessing you got assistance from a motor boat.

By the way, 15 mph is sort of my tipping point on crossing Sag. Anything over that, and I'm making alternate plans.

I'm going to guess, that the older kid, paddling solo, couldn't even turn his canoe around in that wind. If he didn't have ballast in the front, it would have been very difficult to turn around, solo.

Get the kid to turn around. Between 3 canoes, you could ferry everyone back to Englishmans. Then make your way over to munkers narrows, and wait for a motorboat to come through. Ask their assistance to go fetch the canoe.

All of the tow boats go through Munkers narrows.

I see no other option, than to paddle our asses off, to save the day.
I'd get him into our canoe, and tow the others.

Having just been in this area last summer with my 12 year old in similar or slightly worse conditions, I know my son and I would be unable to go get the loose canoe. My first priority would be to yell to the older scout to turn around and come back to the rocks. The problem is- will he hear me? If the wind and waves and sounds from the rocks hold true, he may not. But for this, let’s assume he hears and does as I ask. Once he is safe, has his PFD on and my son (who would be unable to handle this next step) is also safe at the rocks with our canoe, I get in with the older scout and go get their canoe as carefully as possible. I wouldn’t trust on a lake that size that I would be able to find their canoe hours later somewhere in the vastness of shoreline to the north. I would then accompany the two canoes of scouts back to their camp and go have a discussion with their leaders so they can turn this into a learning experience for their scouts and those coming on future trips.

MikeinMpls: "Paddle to older scout and tell him to turn around, as best he can. If he swamps, then he becomes priority. In fact, I'd probably guide him back (staying near to him) to the rock from which he came. All he is doing is being a danger to himself.


After that, I'd do my best to grab the canoe that blew away using a painter line (and maybe a BDB to quickly attach the line) to tow it. BUT...I'd probably only give it one try. Two foot rollers are not to be trifled with. I'm all about helping, but I won't put myself in danger to do so.


If their canoe blows away, they can shuttle back to camp, get the adults, and mount a recovery expedition.


Mike


"

Agreed - in all likelyhood, you're not going to catch the canoe blowing away. Get the kid making the attempt safe, get them back to camp and the scout crew can mount the recovery expidition when conditions permit.

I'd say this situation would be difficult to judge without being there. It depends on if I feel safe going after this canoe and how fast it really is moving. 2 foot rollers is not something to make light of. On the other hand, that canoe could end up going the entire length of the lake if the angle is right. Either you go NOW to get it before it is a big chase, or you play it safe and keep an eye on it as much as possible. Either way, there is no way that the kid going after it is a good idea.

Paddling down wind is not quite as bad as turning in it or paddling across it. IF the wind would carry you close enough to the islands on the American side or the one island on the Canadian side then maybe you can just keep going mostly with the wind then use then seek shelter at the island(s). At that point you can either wait out the wind, or plot a course back that would be somewhat safe. Hopping from island to island on the American side, trying to stay out of the wind as much as possible, would be the best bet. It's hard to see the scale of it without being there though, those islands might be farther away than they look or the wind could be blowing the wrong direction.

It was quite the harrowing paddle after reaching the lone scout hanging onto his other canoe....good ending, although I couldn't feel my forearms for a couple hours afterwards....

Tomorrow I'll provide more details of what I did, two key mistakes I made in my decision-making process, and two things the adult scout leader did that sorta ticked me off. In the end the scout showed more class than his adult leaders....

PineKnot: "It was quite the harrowing paddle after reaching the lone scout hanging onto his other canoe....good ending, although I couldn't feel my forearms for a couple hours afterwards....


Tomorrow I'll provide more details of what I did, two key mistakes I made in my decision-making process, and two things the adult scout leader did that sorta ticked me off. In the end the scout showed more class than his adult leaders...."

Looking forward to hearing about it.

So what did I do? After seeing the scout take off in pursuit of the empty canoe, I quickly decided to go after him….he needed the help. I talked it over with my team of boys, and had my 14-yr-old get into the canoe with the 12-year-olds. Reason--I didn’t want him out on the big water. That was my first mistake -- not bringing my 14-yr old to help paddle. I told the boys to paddle as fast as possible to our island camp and run to the other side and tell the scout leaders what was happening. I also had them dump whatever they had (tackle, bait bucket, etc) into the bow of my canoe for ballast. Then I turned and paddled like heck to get to the scout, figuring we could tie the canoes together and paddle as a 3-car train back to Englishman Island. By the time I reached him, he was about a ½ mile east-northeast of the rock outcrop and heading towards Canada. We’re a little more than a mile back to Englishman Island straight into the wind. The waves only had the occasional whitecap, but were fast moving, about 1+ feet with the occasional bigger waves. He was unable to turn his canoe and all he could do was hold onto the other canoe. I used my only rope to tie the empty canoe to my stern and that’s when I realized the scout did not have a rope at all--in either canoe. Well shit!! That was my second mistake--bringing only one rope. Hey, 16 years ago, I considered myself of only modest experience.

Not wanting to let the empty canoe float to Canada, I decided to have the scout lay across his bow and hold the stern of the empty canoe. From the front, I would paddle the train back to camp. And paddle I did. I made steady, albeit slow progress into the wind. After 20 minutes, my forearms were burning, and I may have gained a couple hundred yards. I was hoping to see the scout leaders at any time. Then, looking west, I see a boy floating in the water with a PFD on trying to swim from the rock outcrop back to camp. WTF?? Finally, after what seemed forever, I see two canoes from the island with an adult in each one. One veers over to pluck the boy out of the water. The other adult gets to me in about 5 minutes. He's pissed. And what does he do? He shouts at the scout, “Where’s your life jacket? Why aren’t you wearing your life jacket”?!! I was like, what? So I asked this guy to worry about that later and please help get these canoes back because I’m just about spent. Deal with the life jacket later, ok? So the other adult comes over and they take care of getting their scout and canoes back to camp.

The next morning, I see the scout group pass by and neither adult leader stops by to say thanks for helping them out yesterday. Then their last canoe comes by and the scout paddles over to our camp and just wanted to say thanks to me and the boys for helping him out of the jam. I give him a quick nod and wish him safe travels. Classy move he could teach to his adult leaders….

In retrospect today, there was probably a better option that didn’t cross my mind back then. I probably should have gotten to the scout and simply tried to hold our positions till the scout leaders finally arrived. Having that scout laying from his bow and gabbing the stern of the empty canoe while I paddled may have been stupid on my part….but everything ended okay….

I commend your actions.

It is easy to, afterwards, critique what you did in the moment. But this will make you better prepared in the future. And actually, by sharing this scenario, may also help others in a similar situation.
Unfortunately, the group you helped had poor leadership. Sad to see in such an environment.

JW

I hesitate to critique adults willing to lead teens and kids on a canoe trip. I've taken my boys and their friends when they were young, but never a group of kids I was not related to....hats off to them. I've always wondered if the boy I helped was this guy's kid and hence dad came down hard because he was so worried/pissed at the danger his kid put himself in. Maybe, maybe not. But the kid showed his true good self the next morning by saying thx....probably after doing all the chores that morning....