Rafts
This will be the place to go for information on the various rafts that Wes refers to in his stories.
This link will take you to the Wikipedia page about Colorado River Rapids.
Contents
- 1 Colorado River/Grand Canyon Dory Boat
- 2 Colorado River/Grand Canyon Oar Raft
- 3 Colorado River/Grand Canyon Paddle Raft
- 4 Colorado River/Grand Canyon C-Rig Motor Raft
- 5 Colorado River/Grand Canyon J-Rig Motor Raft
- 6 Colorado River/Grand Canyon S-Rig Motor Raft
- 7 Eastern River Nantahala Raft
- 8 Eastern River Ocoee Raft
- 9 Georgie White's Grand Canyon Triple Rig
Colorado River/Grand Canyon Dory Boat
Dory Boats are for the most adventure seeking. They are as close as you can come to the way the canyon was explored by John Wesley Powell.
Colorado River/Grand Canyon Oar Raft
An oar raft like the ARR raft is as close as you can come to the way Canyon Tours runs the Grand Canyon.
Colorado River/Grand Canyon Paddle Raft
The way paddle rafts are used in the canyon today is different from what Wes describes in his books. In Wes's books they just use paddles on an older style oar raft. Modern Oar rafts actually have guest seats instead of just sitting on the gear pile, in the bottom of the raft or just on the side tubes. Today paddle rafts just carry the guide, paddlers and some essential supplies. All of the guest's gear is carried in one of the trips oar rafts.
Colorado River/Grand Canyon C-Rig Motor Raft
I have not been able to find very much information on the C-Rig beyond the attached diagram.
Colorado River/Grand Canyon J-Rig Motor Raft
The J-Rig Raft is a proprietary design of Western River Expeditions.
Colorado River/Grand Canyon S-Rig Motor Raft
An S-Rig raft like the ARR raft is as close as you can come to the way Wes describes the motor rafts. It was Arizona River Runners that Wes used for his motor raft trip through the Grand Canyon.
Eastern River Nantahala Raft
Most whitewater activity on the Nantahala River centers around The Nantahala Outdoor Center.
The Wikipedia page is here NOC.
Eastern River Ocoee Raft
Whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River is a 2 to 3 hour thrill ride.
Georgie White's Grand Canyon Triple Rig
Georgie White was the first woman commercial guide in the Grand Canyon. She was the first to use inflatable rubber rafts. She lashed together 3 rafts and ran them sideways down the river. The unwieldy triple raft combo was called a G-Rig. In later years people remember her standing at the back of the motor powered rig with the tiller in one hand and a beer in the other. Her last trip took place in September of 1991 when she was 79 years of age.
Like many pioneers Georgie was one of a kind, controversial and frequently went her own way. She probably had as many detractors as champions.
The wikipedia page about her is here: Georgie White.
