If you or someone in your group gets a boat stuck in the river the first priority is to protect personal safety and the safety of the group.
Option 1 – Get Help
Recovering a pinned boat can be dangerous and if you do not have the right equipment or if the boat is in a dangerous location, the best option may be to get help and recover the boat latter.
Note: A pinned boat is a navigation hazardous for other river travels. If you need to leave a boat in the river try to flag it or leave something visual to alert other boaters of the new river hazard. When you get off the river let someone in the local paddling community know where the boat is pinned so they can inform others and/or help recover it.
Role Deck Down Stream
If you can safely get the gunwales or deck of the boat facing downstream it will help shed the force of the river, which will help to protect your boat, and help with recovery.
Pivot & Pull
DO NOT TRY TO LIFT A BOAT FULL OF WATER. A boat full of water can weigh over a ton. You may be able to roll the boat upside down to empty the water out and then lift it off the rock.
You will most likely need to pivot the boat off the rock and then roll it upside down to empty the boat and recover it. Pull from the end of the boat farthest away from the rock and/or the end in the strongest part of the current. Once you get the boat moving allow it to pivot around the rock until it is parallel with the current. Pull the boat downstream clear of the rock. While the boat is still floating, turn the boat upside down to empty the water before trying to right the boat.
Recovery Rope
It may be helpful and safer to attach a rope to the boat. A rope can help you pull the boat off the rock and can help you recover the boat once it is unpinned.
You can attach a rope to the grab loop of most modern kayaks. This will also work for canoes, if you do not need to put a lot of stress on the grab loop. If it is a difficult canoe recovery it may be necessary to attach the rope around the canoe haul. Weave the rope under a thwart around the haul and back under the thwart, tie with a bowline.
If a rope alone is not sufficient to get the boat off the rock, you may need to use a z-drag or pulleys to gain a mechanical advantage.
