Build a wooden raft. How to build a raft: personal experience How to make a do-it-yourself camera raft

A raft is an exceptionally common construction of water transport, and it is much easier to make it than a canoe or a boat. There are various methods of building rafts, you can make a simple structure from boards or logs, using barrels or PVC pipes that will keep it afloat. In addition, you can build a raft entirely from empty bottles of soft drinks - this is true, tested in practice! A wide adhesive tape is taken, with which all the bottles are fastened together.

What can a raft be made of?

One of the popular types of rafts is wood. To make such a craft, you need to choose high-quality logs and planks of strong wood. Many masters are thinking about building a tree raft, since this type of water transport is great for fishing and for long hikes.

But besides this, there are other types of rafts. It can be foam, cameras from cars, plastic and iron barrels, as well as canisters or plastic bottles, and you will learn how to make a raft from plastic bottles below. For the manufacture of rafts, special pontoons are also sold, but they are quite expensive. The most affordable and simple option is a water construction made of plastic bottles.

How to make a raft

Don't know how to make a bottle raft? You can make a boat with your own hands, for this you will need:

  1. 20-25 plastic bottles with a volume of 2 liters.
  2. The tape is waterproof.

The number of bottles can be changed at your own discretion, depending on the size of the raft and the number of people who will be on it.

Raft building process

How to make a raft with your own hands from bottles and where to start?

  • Cool open empty bottles in the refrigerator, then tighten the lids tightly to stiffen the containers.
  • Glue the prepared containers into a single sheet. Moisture-resistant adhesive tape connect 4 bottles in turn, laid out in 2 rows. A two-layer raft is much more stable and durable. You should pay attention to the fact that the bottle caps are located on one side. For a full-fledged raft, you will need approximately 5-6 two-row blocks.
  • Glue the rows from the finished blocks. For the strength of the system, bottles should be stacked in the following way: 2 pieces horizontally and 3 vertically. The result is a standard "pillow" of rectangular shape.
  • Combine bottles. Adjacent rows must be laid one after the other according to the cork-bottom pattern. On the side part of the raft should be additionally strengthened with adhesive tape. This facility is designed for 1 passenger!

How to make a raft of bottles with your own hands for two or three people? Everything is very simple - the number of plastic containers increases two and three times. If you do not have enough bottles of 2 liters, then you can take other volumes (5, 1.5 and even 1 liter). On top of the glued bottles, it is recommended to lay a thin plywood sheet or plastic so that the raft does not squeeze through under the influence of the mass of a person.

Do not be afraid to experiment and fantasize, but do not forget about safety rules!

log raft

Do not know how to make a raft with your own hands from wood? In order to make a structure from logs, you will need dry pine or spruce wood, that is, when tapping on it with an ax, the sound should be sonorous. But it must be borne in mind that dry material with old wood is not at all suitable for the construction of a swimming facility. Such a tree will dampen very quickly, and the raft itself will sink. To determine the specific gravity, you need to saw off a small piece of about 10-11 cm from the end of the log with a tool. Then throw it flat into the water. If the stump goes down 5-6 cm, then this wood is well suited for building a raft. So, how to make a raft out of boards?

You will need:

  • Logs 8-9 cm wide and 1.5 m long - 2 pieces.
  • Wooden planks approximately 2.5 cm thick, 13 cm wide and 91 cm long - 11 pieces.
  • Thin boards 5 mm thick, 13 cm wide and 91 cm long - 5 pieces.

Manufacturing process

Don't know how to make a raft? The build process consists of the following steps:

  • Lay two logs parallel to each other at a distance of 85 cm.
  • Arrange eleven planks across the logs to form a deck. The boards must be laid in such a way that they slightly extend beyond the line of logs, which, in turn, should peek out a little from all sides from under the deck.
  • Hammer it all with nails.
  • Turn the raft upside down.
  • Insert the foam between the logs. Try to pick up a piece the same size as the raft. If you can’t find the right size, then you can use individual pieces, the main thing is to carefully arrange them.
  • Lay out 5 thin boards across the logs to fix the foam.
  • Nail them down.
  • Turn the raft over and lower it into the water. This design is designed for one adult passenger of average build.

Important! When using a raft on the lake, it is mandatory to wear a life jacket. You can not take this design to the river, because it is unstable and can be dangerous on moving water. For such movements, only an inflatable raft is suitable, which is used in sports activities such as rafting, but it is quite expensive. A self-made log structure is perfect for a lake, you can fish or sunbathe on it.

Structural features

You already know how to make a raft out of wood, it's time to figure out how to choose the right material.

  • The largest log diameter is 25-30 cm.
  • Minimum - 10 cm.
  • In order for the future log raft to have good durability, thin logs are placed in the middle, and thicker logs are along the side. If the logs are slightly crooked, then these parts are placed in the lower part.
  • Permissible gaps between logs - 2-3 centimeters. Otherwise, the water structure will be unreliable and inert, in addition, building a raft according to all the rules simply will not work.
  • The logs are stacked on a slipway, after which they are rolled to the sides, and their upper parts are marked.

The grooves of the raft

At a short distance of 80 cm from the end, grooves are formed on the main log (sawed or cut down). An indispensable condition is the location of the lower grooves at the same level. In depth, they should approach the center of the log - this is very important. If this condition is not met, when driving a wedge, you risk damaging the sawn wood. As a sample, a special end is used, which is squeezed out of a wet birch. It is laid on the intended log with the central part.

Don't know how to make a raft out of wood? Further, in a groove prepared in advance on it, it is freely located on top, and the lower part fills the top of the groove. A wedge is driven in between the grooved wall and the side of the slope. It should be woody and dry, the ronjins are placed in one plane.

Having worked out the technique on the sample, you can move on to the rest of the logs and make the same grooves. They are sequentially fixed with wedges to the main log. Before laying the last logs, a different type of grooves are formed in them, suitable for vag. In addition, 3 special racks are cut out, about 11 cm wide and about 70 cm high.

After that, the main rope is pulled over them, instead of which you can use wire twists or rope ties.

Design choice

Don't know how to make a raft? If you are going to use the raft on calm lakes, then it is better to use the "P" scheme. 2 racks are cut into the logs in advance, on which the deck is subsequently put on. It needs to be wedged and a section for rowing cut out. To avoid spalling of the struts, rowing should be located at a distance of 50 cm from the stern and bow.

On fast-flowing and difficult rivers, it is necessary to use structures with an iron frame, for the construction of which modules and couplings are used. Modules can be taken in different lengths, but the coupling must be shaped. In order to build such a raft, it will take a lot of effort. You will need to drill a lot, and you will also need the help of a turner.

But despite all of the above, the resulting raft will be fairly easy to assemble and disassemble. To pack the structure, you will need two kayak cases and a separate wardrobe trunk for storing oars.

It is attractive that the resulting frame can, if desired, be divided into two small rafts or even assemble a catamaran.

A raft of car cameras

Have you decided to spend your summer days on the banks of a river or lake and there is a problem of lack of swimming transport? In this case, you can use the system of a shallow-draft tourist raft, which can withstand up to 6 people with backpacks, in addition, the design has decent stability, including on a fast-flowing river. Next, you will learn how to make a raft, this process is as simple as possible.

You will need:

  • Cameras from a car with a diameter of up to one and a half meters - 6-10 pieces.
  • Wooden poles with a diameter of at least 6 cm and a length of 5 m - 3 pieces, a length of 1.7 m - 4 pieces.
  • Pieces of duralumin pipes.
  • Iron or duralumin strips about 10 mm wide.

Manufacturing

Don't know how to make a raft with your own hands? Follow these steps:

  • Lay wooden poles 5 meters long along, those that are shorter across them at the same distance from each other.
  • Next, the manufacture of the main deck and the "captain's" bridge begins. They are 3 shields from assembled poles. First of all, the main deck is made. On two hewn poles with a length of 1.7 m, poles or pieces of two-meter boards 20 mm wide (this is even better) are laid out and nailed. "Commander's" bridges are constructed in a similar way.
  • The supports for the canopy are wicker rods. The manufacture of the raft should proceed only after their installation. First of all, car cameras are tied to the base with ropes, then the main deck and "captain's" bridges are installed. The sides are made of 4 hewn poles, and the canopy is made of a piece of cellophane.
  • Rowing supports (control oars) are located diagonally on the bridges: on the front part - on the right, and on the back - on the left side. The supports are bent from three duralumin pipes and reinforced with two steel or duralumin strips. The rowing itself is made from long poles (250 cm), and the blades are made from duralumin or plywood sheets (dimensions are selected individually).
  • The frame is formed using a cable with a diameter of 6 mm and modules with a length of 200 cm, hinges serve as their connecting parts. At this point, a 20 degree bend is formed. The frame weighs approximately 80 kg. Rope breaks are possible on solid shafts.

Conclusion

Now you know how to make a raft, so if you are thinking about an upcoming vacation on a lake or river, thinking about leisure time on the shore and leisurely boat trips, you need to build a shallow-draft water transport for 5-6 people. In the above scheme, their backpacks are also provided. For fishing on a calm lake alone, a raft made from plastic bottles is quite suitable.

Why spend a lot of money on a motor boat when you can make a raft for rafting on the river from improvised means? This is a reliable, wave-resistant watercraft, used not only for rafting, but also for crossing. Its buoyancy and strength allow it to be used for rafting on taiga rivers with natural rapids and fast currents. Among the shortcomings of the raft, one can note the low speed and low maneuverability, and it cannot be used when rafting through reservoirs with impassable blockages. The most widespread are wooden rafts, but they can also be made from other materials that everyone has at hand.

How to build a river raft

The most reliable raft for rafting on the restless taiga river is made of wood. To make it, you will need from four to ten logs, depending on the size of the craft and the number of people calculated for the crossing. The logs must be the same size. For their bundle, six poles must be prepared, longer than the width of the logs folded together. The poles are attached to a bunch of logs above and below them perpendicular to them. The ends of the poles are tied with a strong rope on the sides to hold the logs together more tightly. If there is no rope, and the raft is assembled in survival conditions, wire, bast, plants suitable for tying can be used instead.


How to build a raft for rafting

An elevated platform should be created on top of the stacked poles in order to keep clothes and shoes dry, as well as to create thermal insulation. At home, the platform can be made from boards by attaching them with a screwdriver, but if construction is carried out in an emergency, you can examine the area for any wood, floating snags, bark that can be laid on top of the logs. To make the raft easy to steer, you can attach a pole perpendicular to the base, on which to place the sail. For comfort, it is better to make a frame of bars, on which to attach a canopy that protects from the sun, wind and rain.

When it is not possible to use logs, any materials that have the ability to hold on water are used.


For example, for crossing in the warm season, you can partially float on the water with the help of a bundle of reeds, reeds stuffed with straw. If you manage to find a tire or an auto-tube on the shore, you can build a kind of boat for one person, wrapping them in a raincoat-tent.

How to build a raft out of plastic bottles


How to build a raft out of plastic bottles

Plastic bottles as floats are able to keep a different number of people afloat, this ability must be supported by a reliable frame. There are three ways to build a plastic bottle raft:

The easiest option is to use plastic bottles and tape.

The bottles need to be prepared - washed, dried and screwed tightly with a lid so that they are filled with air. Bottles are fastened with adhesive tape in 3-4 pieces, and there should be from 30 to 50 such blanks. These blanks are then simply tied together to form a raft. Of course, a raft made of plastic bottles, made in this way, may not withstand serious tests, but it is quite suitable as a means of relaxing on calm water.


Bottle catamaran.

A raft of plastic bottles, reminiscent of a catamaran, is made on the basis of a frame from an old folding bed. It must be completely free from fabric, various fasteners. Wooden boxes are attached to the four corners of this frame, inside which plastic bottles are placed in an upright position and fixed with tape and rope. The boxes are attached to the corners of the frame with clamps, cable, ropes and other fastening elements. A wooden plank for sitting is installed in the middle of the frame.

The most reliable bottle raft is made as follows: the bottles are tightly closed with lids and placed inside plastic bags. The more bags made, the better, this will give more stability to the craft. Bags are well tied with ropes. A frame is formed from wooden boards: they are tied together and fastened with nails so that a lattice is obtained. Bags with bottles are attached to this frame, the raft is ready.

How to build a barrel raft


How to build a barrel raft

Barrel rafts require more expensive material than bottles to build, but this construction allows for a higher landing above the water. For the construction of a small raft of barrels, six containers of 200 liters of plastic are enough, for the manufacture of a large raft, about 20 barrels will be needed. They are tight, plastic, but at the same time very durable. The tanks are arranged parallel to each other, like pontoons on a catamaran. For the frame, a frame is made of bars with transverse bars, while each barrel is, as it were, in its own compartment, which is limited by two bars and two bars. To the frame of the barrel are attached with slings.

A deck of boards is laid on top of the frame. On a large raft of barrels, you can build an upper deck for relaxation. It is assembled from wooden racks, which are attached to the main deck with grooves. Since the weight of the finished structure is quite impressive, it is best to transfer the manufacture of the raft to a place near the shore into the water. A large barrel raft is a good tool for relaxing on the water, which can be equipped with a kitchen, tents for spending the night, shelter from rain and wind, etc.

By the way, with the help of plastic barrels, you can make not only a mobile watercraft, but also a stationary pier on the river bank.

How to build a raft for rafting from autocams


How to build a raft with your own hands

A do-it-yourself raft can be made from such a pontoon as car cameras. It is much lighter than a wooden raft or a raft made of barrels, which is convenient in the manufacture and forced carrying through the shallows. For the construction of a raft designed for six people, it is necessary to take eight cameras from heavy vehicles, for example, KAMAZ, ZIL, MAZ. They are laid out parallel to each other in two rows and fastened with a strong nylon rope. The choice of fasteners in favor of a nylon thread is explained by the fact that it does not collapse and does not stretch from prolonged exposure to water.


How to build a raft from car cameras

Square bars are laid on top of the autochambers, two for each row of chambers, and are attached to them in the same way. Boards are attached to the bars, forming a deck. It must be borne in mind that the length of the boards should be such that they extend beyond the edges of the autocameras by about half a meter. This is necessary so that when obstacles arise in the water, they bump into the boards, and not into the cameras, in order to avoid damage to them.

In addition, the protruding edges of the deck leave room for various mounts for canopies, sails, rowing seats, and more. A canopy is necessary not only for shelter from wind and rain, but also for drying clothes, and in windy weather it can serve as a sail. The canopy is best made foldable to stow in a headwind for easy paddling. For insurance, when going on a long trip on the water, you need to have a spare chamber and a pump with you.

Make a simple raft on a hike!

A raft is a fairly simple means of transportation on the water, which is often used by fishermen or tourists on hikes. Such devices are made from different materials. The most popular and effective is a log raft. Its design is completely affordable, so you can make a wooden swimming device with your own hands.

The wooden raft has a simple structure. Its main constituent elements are:

  1. Pontoons. With the help of such a detail, the craft is kept on the surface of the water. Floating pontoons are made of light material, the density of which is much less than the density of the liquid.
  2. Frame. The base of the raft is a strong set across or along the elements that contribute to the connection of all parts of the floating structure. When building a frame, its weight and rigidity should be taken into account. Too heavy base parts make the raft inconvenient for launching. The rigidity of the device is necessary to maintain the shape of the frame, on which the integrity of the entire swimming device depends.
  3. control mechanism. To direct the raft in the right direction, such adjustment elements as large oars are installed - row, keel or six. The type of control mechanism is selected depending on the depth at which the raft will be used and what current in the reservoir.
  4. Insurance items. When the raft is moving fast or if it hits a hard surface, safety devices are required to ensure the safety of passengers. These can be parts of the control mechanism that you can hold on to with your hands or special supports that prevent people from falling into the water.
  5. Float cover. The flooring on the raft is not always installed. Such a structural element is used for the external design of the device for swimming and in order to create comfort. The material for covering the raft must be strong enough.
  6. Equipment for things. Some boats are equipped with a special cover in the form of a tent. Such a device allows you to store things in rainy weather. To prevent luggage from falling into the water, it is tied with ropes.

All valuable items are transported in bright waterproof bags so that they are easy to find even in the river.

Material selection and preparation

Logs are the most common material for building a raft. The tree has excellent floating characteristics. In addition, the material is quite affordable.

The wood for the raft must be:

  • dry;
  • even;
  • without knots;
  • easy.

A tree with a high moisture content does not hold well in water. To check the quality of the logs, you should hit them with an ax - sufficiently dry wood makes a ringing sound.

The lightest material is balsa wood. It's completely easy to handle. But such a breed grows in the tropics. Therefore, dry pine or spruce is most often used. Logs are selected with a diameter of not less than ten and not more than thirty centimeters.

To prepare a tree for a raft, cut off all the branches with an ax and inspect for splits and knots. If necessary, the wood surface is leveled.

Determining the carrying capacity of a raft

In order for the raft to hold securely with passengers on the water, it is necessary to check the characteristics of the future watercraft before construction. Such calculations allow you to find out the amount of wood material needed for construction.

The main purpose of the calculation is to determine the carrying capacity of the raft. For calculation it is necessary:

  1. Set the total weight of all passengers and equipment. Multiply the resulting value by the buoyancy factor. Such an indicator is important in the calculations. With a sufficient value, the raft does not bow while the members of the group move along it, and also passes without problems through turbulent sections of the river and whirlpools. The optimal buoyancy factor is 1.5. For reservoirs with a strong current and the presence of large stones that create obstacles, the indicator increases to 2.5.
  2. Find the diameter. For five people, it is enough to pick up logs with a diameter of thirty centimeters. When carrying more passengers, a larger tree with a diameter of forty centimeters is required.

The carrying capacity of a raft can be determined using the following equation:

In such a formula, D is the length of the logs, N is their number, and A is the carrying capacity of a running meter of a log. The last value is taken from special established tables.

Calculate the volume of logs according to the formula Q = G / (1 - U). In this case, Q is the volume of wood in cubic meters, G is the required load capacity and U is the specific gravity of the wooden material. The last indicator for pine is 0.19-0.35, and for spruce - 0.3-0.44.

Construction technology

It is quite easy to build a raft from logs. A floating craft can be made by almost everyone with little skills in carpentry.

Necessary tools and materials

In the process of building a boat from logs, one cannot do without such wood tools:

  • axe;
  • hammer;
  • saw;
  • sharp knife.

You also need to purchase fasteners:

  • creepers;
  • nails;
  • ropes.

As materials are used:

  • dry logs;
  • wooden beams.

For flooring, you can take plywood, boards or bark.

Installation of logs

The construction of a raft is best carried out near a reservoir, since the construction, especially for a large number of people, can be very heavy.

To make a simple raft yourself you need:

  1. Spread the selected logs near the water so that the thin material is in the middle, and the thicker one at the edges. Such placement will increase the strength of the entire structure.
  2. From above, install across the wooden beams. You can fix them with nails, vines or tie them with ropes previously soaked in water. The beams are fixed both above and below the logs laid in a row. In this case, you should carefully monitor that there are no cracks and gaps in the design. The cross beams should be slightly longer than the logs.

After that, the steering gear is attached and, if necessary, small fences are installed along the edges of the craft.

Logs can also be fixed with special steel brackets. This does not require the construction of a frame base.

deck fixing

The flooring is mounted on already fixed logs. Sheets of selected material are attached so that a flat, smooth surface is obtained.

Launching the raft into the water

When building a raft near a reservoir, it is quite easy to drain its water. It is recommended to start laying logs at the same level with the shore. This will allow you to easily move the craft to the river.

The easiest way is to launch a raft built on supports located parallel to the channel of the reservoir. Such a design should simply be rolled up to the river.

Small raft for three

You can make a small raft from logs with a diameter of up to thirty centimeters. Its construction consists of the following stages:

  1. Pick up even logs about three and a half meters long. All debranched and cut tree trunks must exactly match in size so that when laying them in a row, a flat surface is obtained.
  2. Lay two separate logs parallel to the mouth of the river as guides. Such supports should be sufficiently even and equal in volume.
  3. Cut grooves from both ends and sides of the logs. They should be at each log at the same distance from the edge so that when the structure is laid out, one continuous line is formed. The location of the upper grooves should be close to the edge, and the lower grooves should be slightly directed towards the middle of the log.
  4. Wooden lintels are prepared with a length of thirty centimeters more than the width of the laid out logs.
  5. Jumpers are pushed through the grooves, first in the lower part of the structure, and then installed on top of the raft.
  6. The binding is made with vines or ropes of the blowing edges of the jumpers. It is not necessary to perform such fixation, since when launching the tree swells and is firmly fixed in the cut grooves.

Flooring is laid on top. Optionally, supports are made from slats to cover the hut.

Storage and care of a wooden raft

In order for a boat made of logs to be launched more than once, you should follow the rules for storing and caring for it:

  1. Do not leave the raft in the water for a long time. After using the device for swimming, you should immediately pull it ashore. To do this, use the guide logs. They facilitate the movement of the structure on land, and prevent dirt from sticking to the lower part of the craft.
  2. Dry after every swim. To prevent the tree from spoiling, it should be allowed to dry completely before storing the raft. To prevent wood from rotting, it is recommended to treat it with special water-repellent impregnations.
  3. The raft should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated area. For these purposes, a barn is well suited. If this is not possible, then the craft is placed on the street, while covering it completely with a tarpaulin. Boards or logs are placed below the raft to create ventilation.

With proper operation, the swimming device will last for many years without changing its original characteristics.

A log raft is a convenient watercraft that allows you to safely move around various water bodies. You can make it yourself by adhering to the exact construction technology. If you equip the upper part as a shelter from the rain, install a control mechanism and take care of the safety elements, then you can safely go on a short trip with friends along the river.


In preparation for the new construction season, we decided to make an unusual rafting down the Nara River on a raft assembled from sheets of extruded polystyrene foam. The route passed from Naro-Fominsky to the Chekhov district of the Moscow region, partially passing through the territory of the Kaluga region. We assembled a raft from 8 sheets of polystyrene foam and 6 boards, which withstood 5 people and a large amount of equipment without any problems, including an exclusive aerated concrete grill assembled on mounting foam. In just 6 hours we walked along the river for about 30 kilometers.


The construction of the raft is very simple. Our task is to make a raft using a minimum of materials. We used high-density extruded polystyrene foam sheets (used in the construction of Swedish slab foundations) with dimensions of 2400x600x100 mm. In total, 1 cubic meter was required (2 packs of 4 sheets each). For reliable fastening of sheets, I used boards with a section of 100x50 mm (thinner 100x40 mm could also be used, but this size was not on sale in the nearest market). In total, it took 4 boards 5 meters long and 2 boards 3 meters long (diagonal). Studs with self-locking nuts and large washers were used for rigid fixation. There are 9 fixation points in total. Diagonal boards are needed in order to eliminate the distortion of the structure.

Collected all the components on the site. Initially, they thought of assembling the raft directly on the shore, but then they decided to take it assembled on a trailer, especially since the river is only a couple of kilometers away.

During the assembly process, I slightly modified the design from the remaining materials (boards are sold 6 meters long, but I only needed 5). I made a triangular bow to make it easier to ram the blockages. We faced a very non-trivial task, how to transport a five-meter (and in fact six-meter) raft on a two-meter trailer. I had to lengthen the drawbar of the trailer with a rope and another board.

We arrived and unloaded on the banks of the Nara near the village of Melnikovo. We lower the raft into the water, check the buoyancy and reload things. The heaviest in the construction of the raft is the boards, but 4 people can easily move the raft (its weight is about 100 kilograms). If we assume that we already had polystyrene foam, then the budget for the construction of the raft was a ridiculous 2 thousand rubles (1000 rubles for boards and about 1000 rubles for hairpins / nuts / rope).

Let's sail!

The construction of the raft turned out to be very strong, despite the skepticism of commentators on Instagram, where I published the first drawing of the raft. In fact, it is basically impossible to drown or break such a raft.

Rowing rowing, and lunch is on schedule. For the swim, I made a special brazier from thin aerated concrete blocks with a thickness of 50 mm and a density of D500. The blocks were glued to the usual mounting foam for windows and doors. The budget for the construction of the brazier is 144 rubles for 4 aerated concrete blocks and some mounting foam. Let's rock!

The water level in Nara is now slightly higher than usual, by about 50 centimeters. Although in general Nara is very shallow and its average depth did not exceed one and a half meters.

We started at noon, which means it's time for lunch.

In our time, you will not surprise anyone with a brazier made of aerated concrete. Aerated concrete glued to mounting foam is also a trivial story, so houses have been built for a long time. But a floating barbecue made of aerated concrete glued onto mounting foam is something new.

The first 10 kilometers of the way, the speed of the current was about 4-5 kilometers per hour.

The beauty! We took a cordless saw with us to deal with blockages on the way, and it really came in handy several times (see the video for details). Although, as practice has shown, the cordless saw is not sealed and is not designed to work in water.

Rainbow Falls is a famous landmark on the border of the Kaluga and Moscow regions.

In the Kaluga region, the most serious obstacle for the entire route awaited us - a concrete dam. During the passage through it, the raft caught on the nuts located on the underside of the rear studs. The raft was covered with a wave, which did not allow to lift and release the raft. As a result, we managed to push the raft off the obstacle, but in the process of fighting the elements, we lost a bag of food (it was untied from the raft at that moment) and one oar. A little downstream, we found an oar in the branches near the shore and took it away. This moment is in detail on the video.

The sun came out briefly towards evening.

And then fog fell over the river.

Picnic area on the beach.

The width of the river increased and the speed of the current dropped sharply to a ridiculous 2 kilometers per hour. I had to lean on the oars a little to get to the intermediate stopping point before dark.

In total, on the first day we walked almost 30 kilometers on the water in 6 hours. Unfortunately, the video is no longer available for viewing.