Seaworthy Adrift with William Willis in the Golden Age of Rafting

In 1953, the 60-year-old Willis sailed a homemade balsa-wood raft over 4,000 miles across the Pacific from Peru to American Samoa, accompanied only by a cat and a foul-mouthed parrot. Novelist Pearson (Glad News of the Natural World) gives a rousing retelling of how, along the way, Willis endured a hernia and a perforated ulcer, sewed up an artery ruptured by a shark’s tooth and survived on seawater after running out of fresh. He details Willis’s eccentric diets, yogic breathing exercises and mystic spirituality, his half-baked, spur-of-the-moment planning, and the uncanny luck and superhuman hardiness that saw him through the rafting crises. Continue reading

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River rafting auto program launched by ITT Hartford unit

Hartford Specialty Co., a unit of ITT Hartford Insurance Group, Hartford, Conn., launched an automobile insurance program for recreational river rafting businesses that transport customers and rafts to and from river locations in specially fitted vans and buses.

The program provides up to $1 million in automobile liability protection, uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage, up to $35,000 for hired car physical damage and $50 per day for transportation costs. Clients must have at least three vehicles to qualify for coverage. Continue reading

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Risks aside, rafting the Payette is still a hit Two recent fatalities fail to keep tourists away

Two rafting fatalities this month aren’t keeping people off popular whitewater rivers north of Boise, and the number of fatalities versus the number of participants shows that it’s a relatively safe activity.

Rafters like Jen Compton of Boise continue what they consider an exciting sport by knowing the river, their paddling crew and whitewater safety. Continue reading

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RAFTING SEASON

ACCORDING to the Miami Herald, the balmy weather of the first week of June brought more than 70 Cubans in makeshift boats to the United States. There they were welcomed with open arms. Granma, Cuba’s official newspaper, has a different tale to tell. Irresponsible American laws are luring Cubans to their deaths. This year alone, 160 “delinquents” have been picked up at sea and returned. Continue reading

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Rafting across snow melt a thrilling, chilling adventure

Rafting the Wenatchee River is an experience that most out-of-town clients will never forget!

In rafting jargon, the river is classed as a III to 3+ and the season generally runs from as early as March through July.

Icy water melting from the north Cascades generate waves as high as 12 feet, making river rafting a thrill and chill for beginners and experienced rafters alike. Continue reading

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