By Janice Bolen
Graphics: Via Google Gemini
One of the most daunting aspects of organizing a paddling trip can often be the shuttle. The options are nearly exponential. Your paddling buddies may have very strong feelings regarding what they believe is “right”. For the trip organizer, a well-thought-out plan, a cool head and some leadership skills are required to keep the day on track.
This guide will review a few basic shuttle options. Regardless of the shuttle method chosen, there are a few principles to keep in mind:
- Carpooling is great!!! The fewer the cars, the easier the shuttle
- People with crew cab pick-ups or mini vans with roof racks should be your new paddling BFF. In general, people with vehicles that can carry more than one boat are always good additions to your boating crew
- Always bring more straps and rope than you think you might need
- The more detail you can provide on meeting times, shuttle departure time etc., the better
Option 1: Meet at the take-out
This is a good option when you have a small group of people, and all the boats and people can fit on or in one (or max two) vehicle(s).
How to execute:
- Meet at take-out, load all boats and people to one (or maybe two) vehicle(s)
- Drive all boats and people to put-in in the designated shuttle vehicle, run the river
- At the take-out, one person takes the shuttle driver and boat back to the put-in
Advantage:
This is often the most streamlined way to run a shuttle and maximizes your time on the river relative to waiting or driving.
Pitfalls:
Can go horribly wrong if you aren’t confident in who’s showing up to your trip; an extra boat or person can derail what was supposed to have been a streamlined day.
This method works best with a punctual and organized group of people. All it takes is one paddler to leave his or her PFD in the car and your plans have descended into chaos.
Option 2A: Meet at the put-in and self-shuttle
This option is good for very big groups, when the plan is not solid or you have disorganized or often tardy people in your group.
How to execute:
- Everybody meets at the put-in, unload boats and gear [Bonus organizer tip- make sure to clarify the arrival time versus shuttle departure time to make things clearer]
- All drivers head to the take-out and park cars
- The minimum number of cars drive people back to the put-in
- At the take-out, drive the shuttler and their boat back to their vehicle [Bonus organizer tip – designate the return driver ahead of time to avoid stranding your shuttlers at the take-out]
Advantage:
This is a pretty flexible option that can adapt on the fly as needed. This method can also handle late arrivals – in this case, the late arrivals do not participate in the initial shuttle, and you shuttle them at the end of the day.
Pitfalls:
It may take an hour or two to run the shuttle and delay getting on the river
Make sure that you have at least one group of people who carpool so that the boats and gear are not left unattended while running the shuttle
Remember to count the number of drivers heading to the take-out and ensure that they all make their way into a car back to the put in. Something like a quick bathroom break may result in accidentally leaving somebody at the takeout. [I know from experience that this can happen]!!
Option 2B: Meet at the put-in and Uber shuttle
This option is similar to 2A except an Uber is used to shuttle people from the takeout back to the put in. This works best for the option 2 scenario because relatively clean and dry paddlers are being shuttled by the Uber.
An Uber is only a good idea when right in the city – e.g. Credit River Day trip.
Advantage:
All the vehicles will be at the takeout
Pitfalls:
If you value your 4.93 Uber rating, you should avoid wet and dirty paddlers in an Uber vehicle at all costs.
Some members of your party may begrudge their share of the Uber cost. If you are a trip organizer, you should let people know in advance that you’re planning on an Uber shuttle and highlight the anticipated cost per person.