I've done the same type of system on some other trips, notably on the Gila, and for small groups it works really well. It would be interesting to try it on a large group, say more than six people. So, incredible as prime rib au jus is on a river trip, I'd rather do ramen with tofu and seaweed if it means we can do twenty miles before the wind kicks up.

Doug ran his boat with a two-blade paddle the entire way. I started with a paddle above Warren Bridge and switched to an oar rig below that. My reasoning was that if we had to line or portage the skinny rapids, the paddle rig was much easier. I went back to paddle for the Seedskadee to save time rigging since we had very long days of flat water, then put the frame back on for the rest of the trip. The oar rig has phenomenal power that came very much in handy on the rapids of Lodore, but the extra 60 pounds or so of gear off-set the power when it came to making miles on the flats.

I plan to make some slight modifications, mainly a fabric splash deck on each wing. I also realized that the wings make it a little awkward getting in and out in the original configuration, shown in the photo below. By moving the wings all the way forward and the oarlocks all the way back on the wings, I can have a nice splash deflector once I fill them in with fabric, which will also eliminate an entrapment hazard. Or I can move them all the way back and have a little extra storage space right beside me. It just goes to show, you can't step in the same boat twice!