Danelle and I volunteered to be a safety boat for the Mississippi River Rendezvous. This is a new event put on by the Mississippi River Water Trail(MRWT). The general idea was to get a large group of paddlers of different skills out on the water together. There were a few different distances of paddling. Danelle and I were assigned the middle distance. We got out early and waited for the paid participants to arrive.
MRWT does a good job of safety and including lots of people. One way they facilitate this is with their own fleet of boats available to rent at events. Here is a small selection getting ready for people.
Participants arrived on time and we waited for the signal that the upstream group was almost to our location. When they were close, we shoved off and met them in the channel forming a river of boats.
Our friend Tanner standing up in the back guiding the voyager canoe.
Our group joined the final group with about 3 miles to the end of the paddle. From a safety perspective, there was one person that flipped his SUP. I suspect he was just messing around. Also one young lady that was very uncomfortable with her boat. One of the safety boats connected and towed her in. We stayed close nearby in case she went over.
The day was a success getting about a hundred people on the water.
Hogan Haake