Tandem at the Scantic Spring Splash - March 29, 2024

Opening Ceremony 

I’m not much of a canoe racer, but I’ve always loved watching the carnage at the Scantic Spring Splash Canoe and Kayak Race – especially the tandem canoes. I have run the Scantic many times in my solo canoes. This year I wanted to try a tandem run, so I partnered with Aaron for a run in my Mohawk Whitewater 16.

The Scantic arises in Hampden, MA (southeast of Springfield) and flows general southwest for 40-miles to join the Connecticut River in South Windsor, CT. We would be running the "Expert Course" from Quality Avenue in Somers to the Powder Hollow Barn on South Maple Street in Hazardville – about 5-miles. 

Competition takes a swim above Trestle

Much like RICKA’s old Branch River Race (AKA Rhode Island Whitewater Championship), the Scantic Spring Splash is a downriver race with four significant rapids. On the Branch the rapids are below the Harrisville Bridge, Whipple Drop, Glendale and Oakland. On the Scantic they are Trestle, Stokers, Chimney and Staircase. 

I dropped off my boat at the put-in and headed down to the barn to register with Aaron and pick up our bib. We got number 29. We then caught the shuttle bus back to the put-in. 

Running Stokers

After the mandatory safety meeting we got on the water at around noon with our class – Men's OC2 – Masters (AKA the “old fogey” group). There was only one other boat in our class, so we were guaranteed to place. We launched first and headed downstream. 

Even with the dam release the river was very low - .75-feet, 22 cfs on the Broad Brook gage. The race starts off with 2.5-miles of quickwater, and we scraped and bumped our way down the upper section. At one point we grounded on a gravel bar and got passed by our competition. The first of 5-times that the lead would change,  

Below Stokers

The removal of the Springborn Dam in 2017 created the first major rapid – Trestle. As we approached the rapid we saw our competitions swimming down the left side.  We went right, checked to make sure they were OK, and continued downstream. We were back in the lead. 

Shortly after Trestle is Stokers - a 3-foot ledge that needs to be run about 10 feet off the left bank. We ran the drop fine, but filled the boat up with water and needed to pull over to empty it out.  As we were emptying the boat our competition passed us again.

Running Staircase

We got back on the water and continued down some more quickwater. It wasn’t long before we saw our competition stuck on a gravel bar on the left.  We passed them to the right and were back in the lead. 

After some more quickwater we came to the next major rapid – Chimney.  It’s an “S-turn” through some rocky ledges that is run down the center. We made it through fine, but got hung up on a gravel bar at the bottom. Unfortunately, our competition grounded on the same gravel bar and blocked us in. They got back on the water first, so they were back in the lead.  

Staircase from the Bridge

We continued downstream to the last rapid – Staircase. It is exactly what you would expect - a series of ledges that look like a staircase with a large shoot at the bottom. We could see our competition out in front of us. At this point, our only chance to win would be if our competition swam the big drop at the bottom They didn’t, and neither did we.

It was fun paddling under the bridge at the finish line to the cheers of spectators above. We finished second in out class with a time of 57:19 - that was 32nd out of 55 racers. We hung around to collect our trophy at the awards ceremony before heading home.

Link:

My Pictures

My short video of the run

Aaron's longer video of the run

Richard Tanguay Slideshow at Stokers

Stuck on Staircase Video

Spring Splash Video from Staircase

Scantic Spring Splash website 

2025 Race Results at PaddleStats.net

Broad Brook Gage

Scantic Spring Splash - March 25, 2023

Looking for the line at Stokers

We were supposed to babysit my grandson this weekend, but he got sick, so babysitting was out. With a free day, I decided to run the Scantic Spring Splash downriver race. I have run the Scantic River many times, but have never done the race, which is part of the NECKRA (New England Canoe and Kayak Racing Association) Downriver Series. This would be only my second race since I started paddling - the first was the BRWA Canoe/Kayak Race way back in 2010.

The Scantic arises in Hampden, MA (southeast of Springfield) and flows general southwest for 40-miles to join the Connecticut River in South Windsor, CT. We would be running the "Expert Course" from Quality Avenue in Somers to the Powder Hollow Barn (South Maple Street) in Hazardville – about 5-miles. There are 4 class II+ (maybe class III) rapids - Trestle, Stokers, Chimney and Staircase.

Entering the rapid at Stokers

I decided to bring my Yellowstone Solo for the race. I thought it would be faster then my Outrage, but it was probably slower since I needed to stop and bail after each rapid. I dropped off my boat at the put-in and headed down to the Powder Hollow Barn to register and pick up my bib. I saw a lot of familiar faces as I headed out to catch the shuttle bus back to the put-in. After the mandatory safety meeting we got on the water around noon with my class – Men's OC1 Recreational – going first.

The river was at a nice level with 1 foot, 40 cfs on the Broad Brook gage and additional water from a release from the dam upstream. The race starts off with 2.5-miles of quickwater. The removal of the Springborn Dam in 2017 created the first major rapid – the Trestle under the railroad bridge. Shortly after Trestle is Stokers - a 3-foot ledge that needs to be run about 10 feet off the left bank, moving right after the drop to avoid the rock pile at the bottom. There was a big crowd of spectators there, so I was glad I made it through.

Running the main drop at Stokers

After some more quickwater the next major rapid is Chimney - an “S” turn through some rocky ledges that is generally run down the center (maybe center left). I filled up my boat running the rapid, and bounced over the rocks in the shallow water below the last ledge before I could finally find a spot to empty my boat.

The last rapid is Staircase, which is exactly what you would expect - a series of ledges that look like a staircase with a large shoot at the bottom. I came down the ledges too far to the right, and dumped in the eddy above the shoot trying to set up for the drop - first swim of the year. After getting back in my boat, I peeled-out and ran the drop fine. 

In the hole below Stokers

It was cool paddling under the bridge to the cheers of the spectators above and crossing the finish line. I finished third (last) in my class with a time of 50:22. Rick was the winner with a time of 43:22. After dropping off my boat I walked back over to Staircase to watch the runs, snap some pictures, and help recover boats. 

Here is a video of the OC1 runs (including Dory who had her own class but still beat me) and some boat recoveries at the bottom of Staircase. You can see me take a dump at around 0:30 - if I had just paddled forward it looks like I would have made it. Thanks to Pinay & Mainer for the video. 

Scantic Spring Splash from Erik Eckilson on Vimeo.

Links:

My Pictures

Scantic Spring Splash

Pictures at Stokers

Video at Stokers

Video at Staircase

Race Results  - I am class G - OC-1 Men's Recreation

Broad Brook Gage

Branch River Race/Rhode Island Whitewater Championship

Original RICA (RICKA) Logo

The Branch River Race, later known as the Rhode Island Whitewater Championship, was established by the Rhode Island Canoe Association (RICA, now RICKA) in 1980. For 25 years it was run on the third weekend in March - the first race of the year on calendar the New England Downriver Championship series (now the New England Canoe and Kayak Racing Association).

This well-known race was run in accordance with American Canoe Association rules. All racers had to submit to safety inspections, and improperly equipped boats or paddlers were not be allowed to participate. All entrants were required to wear PFD’s, spray skirts (for kayaks) and helmets. Wetsuits and drysuits were strongly recommended, as were float bags in canoes and kayaks.

Original race logo

The base of operations for the race was the Townsman Club, later the Village Barn and now the Western Hotel. Classes were included for canoe and kayak, with classes for recreational, mixed, women and masters. There was even a “tavern” class competing for the coveted “Saloon Cup”.

The race was run on Rhode Island’s only whitewater river – the Clear and Branch from Harrisville to Nasonville. The 7-mile course began below the Route 107 Bridge and ended above the Slatersville Reservoir. It is mostly quickwater with some flatwater and four class II rapids.

Running Glendale

The first rapid was at the start below the Route 107 Bridge. The next rapid was about a half mile downstream at the Whipple Drop - a broken dam with a 2½-foot drop and a canoe-busting boulder about 25 feet downstream.

About 3½ miles downstream was the portage at the Oakland Dam. Below the dam, was a mile-long section of quickwater that led to the Glendale Rapid. This short, rocky rapid caused problems for new and experienced paddlers alike.

Running Mohegan (Atlas Pallet)

After another half mile of quickwater was the Mohegan (now called the Atlas Pallet) Rapid. This rocky drop changed at different water levels. It always required superior maneuvering skills but became easier as the water level rose. Another half mile downstream was the portage at the Nasonville Dam. After that, the remainder of the run was quickwater.

As with all RICKA events, safety was a principal concern. Safety checkpoints were set up at critical points along the route. From many years, the Ocean State Amateur Radio group partnered with RICKA to provide real-time communication between safety personnel on the racecourse, and those back at race headquarters.

25th Anniversary Poster

The Branch River Race was an important fundraiser for RICKA, and provided the opportunity for new paddlers to experience whitewater paddling using good safety practices under relatively controlled conditions. The race continued for 25 years, but eventually had to be discontinued due to the high cost of insurance and problems with river access.

Today, many RICKA paddlers still paddle the Clear and Branch on the traditional third weekend in March.

The Race Map

Its Official - I'm Average

They posted the official results for the BRWA Race that I did last Saturday. My time was 2:32:56. The average for all boats was 2:33. Here's how it breaks down:

• 11 Short Kayaks (< 13 ft) - Average 2:36, Fastest 2:11
• 11 Long Kayaks (>13 ft) - Average 2:23, Fastest 1:54
• 22 Tandem Canoes (all classes) - Average 2:35, Fastest 1:52

I'm kind of surprised - I thought that two paddlers in a tandem canoe would be a lot faster than a single paddler in a kayak (or canoe). The averages didn't work out that way - maybe because there weren't a lot of real racers due to the low water.  The fastest time was a tandem canoe at 1:52, but that team was only a couple of minutes ahead of the fastest kayak at 1:54.  Four boats - 2 kayaks, 2 canoes - didn't finish the race.

BRWA Canoe Race - May 15th

I had a good time yesterday at the Blackstone River Watershed Association Canoe/Kayak Race. A total of 49 boats entered, and I was surprised to see that half were tandem canoes. I was the only solo canoe.  Here I am at the starting line.

It was my intention to paddle my J-200 racing boat, but as I was getting ready to leave for the race, I noticed a large crack in the gunwale. I had time to glue up the gunwale, but decided to take my Bell Yellowstone Solo instead. Not exactly a racing boat, but it turned out to be a good choice considering the conditions.

When I arrived at the put in around 10:00 there was already a good crowd. I saw a few familiar faces, and talked for a little while with Ranger Chuck Arning who was helping out on the safety crew. When I commented that I hadn’t paddled the upper sections of the Blackstone very often, he suggested that the section from Riverlin Street in Millbury down to Grafton is also nice when there is more water. Add that to the list of places to paddle.

Registration went quickly, as did the safety talk. By 11:00, boats were lined up at the starting line. Kayaks started first, followed by canoes. Since I was the only solo boat, I was a division of one – guaranteed a first place finish. I started in the middle of the pack with the Tandem Mixed (men and women) and Tandem Masters (both paddlers over 40) Divisions.

The race starts in Grafton where Main Street (Route 122A, Google Map - 53 Main Street, Grafton, MA) crosses the Blackstone, and ends at River Bend Farm in Uxbridge - 12 miles with lots of twists and turns. Water level was low – about 2’ on the Millbury gauge, 3’ on the Northbridge gauge. The race course can be divided into three sections.

From Grafton down to Plummers Landing is mostly flatwater with two portages. The first is a dam at Depot Street which is protaged on river right.  The second is a dam at Riverdale which is protaged on river left.  I held my own in this section, and even passed some of the slower kayakers who started before me. I also got passed by several of the faster tandem teams that started after me.

The section from Pummers Landing down to River Bend Farm was extremely scratchy. This turned out to be an advantage for me since I could float over many of the shallow areas that forced the tandem boaters to get out and walk. Even when I had to walk, my small solo was a lot easier to maneuver. It was actually nice to take a break from paddling and stretch the legs.

The loop through River Bend Farm went quickly. My Yellowstone was perfect for the river section. After portaging over to the canal I still felt good, so I did my best to stay in front of a tandem team that was right on my tail. They weren’t able to pass me.

I ended up doing the 12-mile course in 2 hours and 33 minutes. Respectable time, good people, and I won my division - can’t beat that.