Who Shot My Oar

I was lucky enough to be able to do back to back Grand Canyon trips in both 2010 and 2011numbers 9 and 10 for personal Grand trips. The first trip with a friend and the second my own launch I'd been on the waiting list for 14 years to get. I took the same 16’ Avon Pro on both trips and the same set of Sawyer wooden oars. No problem at all on the first trip in 2010 when the water level was 9,000 cfs. In 2011 we had a bit more volume at 16,000 cfs. My first 4 trips down the Grand in the early and mid 80's had all been @40,000 cfs so these levels seemed quite reasonable.
On the second trip right in the middle of the large lateral waves in Granite I took a big stroke and suddenly was only holding half an oar. Fortunately it didn't break until near the end of the stroke so I hit he lateral square and stayed dry but there was a few seconds of distress as I handed the partial oar to my wife, Jaci, and retrieved the spare. My son Matt was rowing a little 12’ Incept with another set of Sawyers and saw my broken one as was able to retrieve it. He laughed and said I deserved to swim and was just upset that he hadn't caught it on his GOPRO.
The break was very clean and just about mid shaft so I duct taped a beer can over the two broken ends and hauled them down the canyon and then sent them in to Sawyer when we got home wondering what the deal was. I had never had a Sawyer oar break before (we have about 8 sets of Sawyer oars that we use in my outfitting company on Colorado). Interestingly enough the Sawyer folks got back to me and said there was a bullet in the oar right at the point of breakage. They said that they had found that in other oars before. Apparently folks in Oregon must target practice on the trees they fashion these oars from or perhaps it's those Friday afternoon bashes the workers have once Bruce has gone home, who knows. I only know they stood behind their oar and sent me a new one. I just hope it gets to do a couple of Grand trips as well.

Bill Dvorak

Dvorak Raft, Kayak & Fishing Expeditions
17921 US Highway 285
Nathrop, CO 81236

(719) 539-6851 office
(719) 539-5607 cell
719 221-3212 cell NWF
Bill@DvorakExpeditions.com
www.DvorakExpeditions.com

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