"If they weren't my brother and dad, I would not go up to them."

September 15, 2020 8:00 AM

Paddle of the Century: CBC describes a record-breaking father-son(s) canoe trip from Winnipeg, Canada to Belem, Brazil.
posted by jacquilynne (8 comments total)

Whoa, that's a new one for me, thanks - gonna have to find a copy of his book, a life well lived for certain. And here I thought my week down river on the Ohio was a little adventure.
posted by thecincinnatikid at 8:32 AM on September 15, 2020

Crazy! Thanks for posting this!
posted by zerobyproxy at 8:44 AM on September 15, 2020

I grew up in Winnipeg and remember seeing this book on other families' bookshelves at the time. But I was 8 years old and it had no pictures and very few maps, so I never actually got around to reading it. Might be worth a revisit!
posted by Johnny Assay at 8:53 AM on September 15, 2020

I got sucked into this story mostly because we are getting towards the end of Amazon's Eco Race show. People who can actually do this are on a different level
posted by NoMich at 10:14 AM on September 15, 2020

I read this book years ago and have recommended it to many folks. As far as I can tell, everyone gets as far as the main idea and then just imagines their own story.

This trip sounds almost entirely unpleasant after maybe the end of the Mississippi. Several near misses with humans, animals, and nature.
This type of adventure is very interesting to me, but his kids would be right to never speak to him again in my opinion. He seems fairly convinced to the end that his son's asthma is all in his head.

But what a story!
posted by Acari at 5:33 PM on September 15, 2020

I'd like to add that this book entirely cured me of the desire to paddle a standard canoe to make an ocean crossing. I thought it sounded challenging but romantic, previously...
posted by Acari at 5:35 PM on September 15, 2020

This reminded me of The Mosquito Coast, except that the dad is not a delusional cult leader. Too strict, maybe. But it is still not a great idea to go to the South Caribbean with nothing but a beard and an idea. I am glad they made it all right.
posted by Countess Elena at 7:34 PM on September 15, 2020

When I was a kid growing up in far Northwestern Ontario I remember walking with my family along some body of water and running into a man with a canoe who was selling a book about his long distance canoe adventure. This would have been in the late 80's, and either in Winnipeg or somewhere near enough that a local author would have been on a book tour.

So I think somewhere in my parents' house is a signed first edition of Paddle to the Amazon.
posted by Gortuk at 6:36 AM on September 17, 2020 [1 favorite]