Canoe Rentals Open Gateway to Delta at 5 Rivers

By DAVID RAINER

The gateway to the Mobile-Tensaw Delta is now truly open at 5 Rivers – Alabama’s Delta Resource Center.

 With the recent opening of Five Rivers Outfitters at the center’s Bartram Landing, easy access to the lush flora and fauna of one of the most prized delta systems in the nation became a reality.

The landing, the terminus of the Bartram Canoe Trail, is open to canoeists and kayakers from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, while Five Rivers Outfitters will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

“From the facility perspective, this is a critical component of our recreational programs out here,” said Hank Burch, Manager at 5 Rivers. “To be the gateway to the Delta, there needs to be access where people can physically get in touch with the Delta. Going by canoe or kayak is a very low impact, great exercise way of exploring our Delta.”

Five Rivers Outfitters will offer a rental operation for canoes and kayaks, both single and tandem, for half-day and full-day trips. Guided trips are also available with the same time frames. A retail store is open with kayaks, canoes and accessories like dry bags, camera bags, paddles and life jackets for sale.

“For people who don’t have any experience with a canoe or kayak, we offer basic instruction right here at the dock,” said Bob Andrews, shop manager and paddling instructor. “We show how to get in and get out, as well as the basic paddle strokes. We stress safety a great deal, and we make sure they get the basic strokes down. We teach them how to keep the boat straight and how wind affects the boat. Most of them catch on real quick. We start in slack water, so it’s perfect for beginner situations.

“On a guided trip, we usually go into Justin’s Bay. It’s a good place to go canoeing and kayaking because the powerboats seldom go up in there. We take you to the places where you are most likely to see wildlife. You may see concentrations of birds, fish or other wildlife. We’ll be there to help identify what they see and make sure we go along at their pace. We just want to make sure they get to see everything that’s out there on that particular day and have a good trip.”

Andrews said intermediate and experienced paddlers only need a little guidance before heading out into the Delta

“We can give the more experienced paddlers all the information they need at the dock,” he said. “We just give them information on route and what the local conditions are that day, like the tide. Tide has an affect here. We can tell people where they can and can’t go because of the tide. If you move out of here, you can go out into the Blakeley River and that is a more intermediate trip.”

Andrews said for beginners he recommends the kayak because it’s usually the easiest to master.

“You sit down lower, so your center of gravity is closer to the water, which makes it more stable,” he said. “Plus, there is less surface area for the wind to affect. Wind hits a canoe both inside and outside, so a kayak is less affected by the wind.

“A misconception people have about kayaks is related to something they’ve seen on TV. It’s extreme stuff they’ve seen on National Geographic. They’ll come in and say they saw these guys on the Ocoee River flipping over and doing all these tricks. That’s about as different as paddling can be, compared to what we have in the Delta.”

Andrews said the main misconception is that some people think that is if they turn over, they’ll be trapped inside the boat.

“The actual fact is you have to outfit a kayak in a specific way to be able to stay in the boat,” he said. “You have to significantly modify a boat to be able to stay in it and come back up. In 99 percent of the cases, if you turn over, you’ll fall out just like if you were in a canoe.”

With surging gas prices and other costs, Andrews says the sport of paddling is becoming ever more popular.

“A common thing is to have people come into the store, especially fishermen, and they’ll say they’ve got a 20-something-foot boat and they’re tired of feeding it gas and oil and upkeep, plus the hassles at the loading ramp and insurance,” he said. “They say, ‘I want to simplify my life.’ For one or two trips out in their regular boat, they can buy a kayak, which has very few moving parts. The simplicity of it is very attractive. You simply use them and put them up.

“Also, these kayaks and canoes can take you to places where the power boats can’t go, where it’s too shallow or the water volume is too low. Kayaks and canoes only draw a few inches of water. In fact, our favorite places to go are where the power boats can’t go. One thing about power boats is they are definitely going faster than we are, but they don’t see what we see. When you’re in a power boat, you’re focused on where you’re going, mainly straight ahead and the main thing you hear is the noise of the motor. Paddlers can look all around and you’re in a quiet environment. When you’re going slow and quiet, you’re going to see a whole lot more in a shorter period of time.”

The escape aspect of paddling also is very alluring, according to Andrews.

“Really, what paddling is about is getting off work and easing out here in 15 or 20 minutes. You can be working in downtown Mobile and be in practically a wilderness area in 10 or 15 minutes. Even though you can see downtown Mobile, everything else is just like it was 100 years ago. You can make a sunset cruise and paddle back in and have dinner on the Causeway.

“This facility gives people the closest Delta access to the population centers of Mobile and the Eastern Shore with the loading ramp and floating dock.”

There is no fee to use the ramp at Bartram Landing, but it is limited to canoes and kayaks only.

“When everything is finished, this will be the terminal end of the Bartram Canoe Trail,” Andrews said. “Right now there is a gap in the middle. When they finish filling that gap, you’ll be able to put in at Boatyard Lake and paddle all the way to the Causeway. When that is finished, paddlers will have opportunities for a couple-hour jaunt in the afternoon or a trip of four, five or six days.”

Burch said he couldn’t be happier that the retail store and rental facility are up and running.

“Five Rivers Outfitters will be run by the same folks who run Fairhope Boat Company,” Burch said. “They have a very professional staff. Harriet Ingram and Bob Andrews are avid paddlers and know the Delta like the backs of their hands. The facility is ideally suited to get beginners involved in this growing sport. They can get instruction before they go out. We refer to Justin’s Bay as our bunny slope. A beginner can spend a day in Justin’s Bay. It is calm water and they can see a lot of wildlife and a variety of plant species. That will be the short trip out of here. Other trips will be into the Blakeley River and out into the Delta.

“My No. 1, most frequently asked question for the first few months since we’ve been out here is, ‘When can I rent a canoe?’ I am extremely pleased to say, ‘Now you can rent a canoe.’”

For information on rental rates or other questions, call 251-626-8464. For information about 5 Rivers –Alabama’s Delta Resource Center, visit http://www.outdooralabama.com/outdoor-adventures/5rivers or call 251-625-0814.

PHOTOS:

Top - Paddlers can be in the water in their kayaks and canoes at 5 Rivers within minutes of downtown Mobile.

Bottom - Bob Andrews of Five Rivers Outfitters carries one of the kayaks available for rent up the ramp from the boat dock at Bartram Landing at 5 Rivers - Alabama's Delta Resource Center.

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