When is a swim a swim?

[RiverWrangler]

So Patrick and I are on USB yesterday, when he pins on a rock in the slack water. He exits his boat, and then climbs up his boat onto the rock. He doesn't even get his hair wet, nor does he have to swim from the rock to shore. Is this still tallied as a swim? Does he still have to drink from the booty? We were torn, so we thought we'd let you decide.
Evan J

[Andy H.]

In addition to not even getting his hair wet, you didn't have to chase down any gear, no one risked endangering themselves trying to save him, and there was little or no lost time on the water. Its not a swim. He was just dealing with an obstacle in the most basic way.

-Andy

[spencer]

I was on the Gorge several years back (Mr. Clean days) & stuffed my boat under Wall Slammer. I jumped out, waited for my boat to surface for several minutes, and found my paddle down stream. My head was dry, but I swam. No question about it.

[twitch]

An unplanned departure from one's boat? Sounds like a swim to me no doubt.

Spencer - I'm glad to see that middle age is allowing you to more readily accept your shortcomings. Atta boy!

BTW - I've swam too many times to list here in this forum...might crash the server with too much data.

[dvanhouten]

I had a similar situation a couple years ago. My boat was horizontally pinned--stable pin, but could not get my boat off. I climbed out of the cockpit and stood on my boat. Took a little while to get unpinned. I had no other alternative but to exit my boat.

[lotsawater]

One time I swam on the Big South Platte. But it was snowing, so that doesn't count

[Cheyenne]

So he simply portaged from one side of the rock to the other.

Doesn't sound like a swim to me..

[Ed Hansen]

In a swim, the river decides that you will get out of the boat NOW! You have (or believe you have) no choice but to get-out-now.

In the pin you describe, Patrick realized the boat was stopped. He could have eaten lunch there, just sitting in the boat. He exited the boat ON HIS TERMS, got out, stretched his legs, repositioned the boat, got back in, and continued downstream.

I vote NOT a swim.

[81230rivers]

Originally Posted by lotsawater

One time I swam on the Big South Platte. But it was snowing, so that doesn't count

It counts. buy a six pack to share, drink from the booty and say 5 "hail Ferries"

[kclowe]

I don't think anybody could be faulted for exiting a pinned boat. Would you have felt better if he swam a little? Swimming sucks and it sounds like he managed to avoid getting wet. Good Move!!!