Intex Seahawk 2: Capabilities Test No. 3 - Whitewater Rafting White Horse Rapid at 4.80ft./15,800cfs

Описание: Intex Seahawk 2: Whitewater Rafting Capabilities Test - Pushing The Limit - Episode 3, Rafting White Horse Rapid on the Potomac River in Harpers Ferry, WV/Sandy Hook, MD, at 4.80ft./15,800cfs with ‪@FrankensteinDIYkayak‬

A little surprise in switching up the fun factor in swapping out the kayak for the inflatable this time around...it was time, with there being a whopping 88% more flow than Test No. 2, and it having been nearly 3.5yrs since last taking out the ol` Seahawk 2 to the wave train rollercoaster.

White Horse: the only way to say it, given its centuries old reputation ~ Always Kickin' and Ready to Give a Lickin'

Previous Two Operational Field Assessments - Performance Tests with Results (both passing) at White Horse:
Episode #1: September 10, 2017, at 1.51ft. -    • Intex Seahawk 2: Rafting The Needles & Whi...  
Episode #2: September 6, 2020, at 2.74ft. -    • Intex Seahawk 2: Rafting the Potomac River...  
Episode #2, Extended Version, Featuring 100 Yard Dash: September 6, 2020, at 2.74ft. -    • Intex Seahawk 2: Whitewater Rafting on the...  

If you're going through White Horse, make sure to look left and smile, because Al Rubio, founder of HFPics.com, will be there to capture what just might be the most exciting memory of your summer!
https://hfpics.com
  / hfpicswv  

The Seahawk 2 is designed & advertised by Intex for use in flat water. Previously, I succeeded in taking on historic White Horse at both low & medium levels, with this performance test & Critical Design Review being a whopping 2.1ft. jump from the previous 2.74ft. level, on 9/6/20. Unfortunately, getting off the direct line skewed the results, due to the flimsy & inadequate oars. The premature flip was due to operator error, where I was broadsided in the choppiness by an irregular wave at the worst possible set up position/angle (as I was trying hard to get back on the tongue before it was too late), causing me to miss the targeted wave - White Horse's hungry jaws.

I was left of center, off of the intended & most challenging line where the V shaped tongue funnels into the Rooster Tail/two converging irregular standing green waves.

Being off the line caused me to be broadsided by one of the breaking sideways waves in the crosscurrents. The spin, ineffective oars (for whitewater), and realignment costed me the time and realization I needed to line up further right to lock into the tongue to head full tilt into the "Bucking Bronco Zone," with the exact positioning like at: 1:56, 2:11, 4:30 & 6:37.

Field Assessment Details:
Date: February 4, 2024
Water Temperature: 44°F
Level (flow rate):
4.80ft./15,500cfs (USGS Point of Rocks)
3.32ft./2,540cfs (USGS Millville)
NOAA Gauge: Potomac River At Harpers Ferry (HFEW2) - Offline
"This gage does not provide readings below 3.1 feet. To determine an estimation of values at low water, view the Point of Rocks gauge. At low water, values at Harpers Ferry are generally within a quarter foot - usually slightly higher - of those at Point of Rocks. Streamflow is typically a few hundred cfs lower at Harpers Ferry than Point of Rocks at low water."
Location:
White Horse Rapid AKA The Spout (39°19'25.7"N 77°43'03.3"W); this is the exact route and rapid that President George Washington canoed through and wrote about in regard to the treacheries of navigating through "The Spout," in The Diaries of George Washington (August 7, 1785), included in more detail in my documentary video, titled "A Good Morning at Harpers Ferry (2018),"
C&O Canal Lock 32 & Mile Marker 60.23
Class: III
Raft: Intex Seahawk II

Locations:
Potomac River at Harpers Ferry, WV/Sandy Hook, MD:
White Horse Rapid
The Confluence AKA The Point
Harpers Ferry National Historic Park
Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historic Park
Lock 32/Mile Marker 60.2
Loudoun Heights
Split Rock Overlook
Blue Ridge Mountains (Appalachians)
Appalachian Trail
Potomac Water Gap (Elk Ridge Mountain & Blue Ridge Mountain)
Lehigh River
Middle Creek
Piney Run AKA Crazy Creek
Potomac River: Little Falls
Savage River
Tohickon Creek

Scenes:
Introduction 00:00
Approach 1:00
White Horse 2:08
Test No. 2 - White Horse at 2.74ft. (09/06/20) 4:12
Test & Evaluation (T&E) Debriefing Part I - Review 4:42
Analysis Break Down 6:50
T&E Debriefing Part II - Approaches 7:22
T&E Debriefing Part III - Swim Lessons 10:33
T&E Debriefing Part IV - Take Away 15:31
T&E Debriefing Part V - Concluding Points 17:04
The Confluence & George Washington 18:50
Hydrographs 19:35

"Then They Cried Out To The LORD In Their Trouble, And He Brought Them Out Of Their Distress. He Stilled The Storm To A Whisper; The Waves Of The Sea Were Hushed. They Were Glad When It Grew Calm, And He Guided Them To Their Desired Haven. Let Them Give Thanks To The LORD For His Unfailing Love And His Wonderful Deeds For Mankind." - Psalm 107: 28-31