Nahanni River, Northwest Territories, Canada 1997
Dear Alv,
First, let me thank you for the timely delivery of our 17 foot Pakboat. The sprayskirt proved essential and I appreciate the extra effort you made to get it to us on time.
But most important, kudos to the boat. Our trip was a tough one on the South Nahanni River in the Northwest Territories of Canada. The 360 mile route started with 60 miles of continuous and wild whitewater through the “Rock Garden”, followed by four major canyons with standing waves and swell higher than I would like to remember. Unfortunately, we happened to hit a major flood at the 200 mile mark and had to contend with water in the last canyon that still sends shivers down my spine.
We are only intermediate canoeists and your canoe made us look good throughout it all. As a Ph.D. fluid mechanicist, I understand much about the interaction of fluids flowing by obstacles. Fortunately, your canoe was no obstacle. Instead, it squeezed between rocks (seemingly smaller than the beam) and flexed in the big waves. Flexure and buoyancy were key to our boat’s ability to run high in the water, where the waves were higher and the water fast. Time and again we were amazed how easy it was to eddy turn, dodge rocks and glide over rocks in “scratchy” water.
And then there is the financial payoff where an adventure in the wild requires a fly-in. With the packable canoe, our bush pilot was able to use a single rather than a twin engine plane, thus saving us at least $1000.
Finally, damage assessment. None – barely a few scratches on the bottom. I never even had to straighten any of the frame parts. The boat took much abuse, but I am sure if you managed to get rid of the persistent sand that remains inside, you could sell it as new. Throughout our trip down the Nahanni, people stood on the shore astounded by this boat. They looked for damage and found none. they also wondered why they were still using a hard hulled boat that weighed a ton and cost a fortune to cart into the wilderness, not to mention the 1 mile portage at Virginia Falls.
Congratulations on designing and manufacturing a fine watercraft capable of taking much abuse and play in whitewater with the best.
Sincerely,
Jeffrey A. Asher
