Oi from Brazil

[TMN]

My name is Patrick, I'm 22 years old, from East Texas and I live on my 15 foot wooden, locally built fishing canoe the Muiraquitã in the Amazon Rainforest. Our mission is to explore the Amazon River and her tributaries over the course of the next five to ten years. So far we have logged more than a thousand kilometres on three rivers (Tapajós, Amazon, and Trombetas) over the course of four months.

Eventually I would like to buy a 8-10 metre longboat and throw a pair of Leg O Mutton sails on her and follow the coast back home from Venezuela. But until then, I'm a river man and I like it that way!

-TMN

[redbopeep]

You know, you can sail a canoe--it is very fast. There's instructions on a kit from the ACA for a "class" boat that you can race. However, if you're like us, you just go a bit bigger--and faster!

One of my favorite canoeing books is Paddle to the Amazon. If you've not read it, you need to. A father and son take their canoe from Canada to the Amazon. 12000 miles of canoing--no sailing, just lots of paddling. Wonderful trip.

Another great read for adventuresome souls who think they can't go anywhere with their kids: The Family Canoe Trip This one is a hoot, Mom and Dad take the kids for a x-Canada canoe trip completed over two summers. They are literally stalked by a polar bear for the better part of a day.

Fair winds,