Paddling through the Narrows below St. Francisville
Paddling through the Narrows below St. Francisville
After St. Francisville you will now need to negotiate the tight stretch of river as it flows past the Big Cajun Power Plants and through the narrows under the New Roads Bridge. The river is about one mile wide at the Ferry Landing, and there is a hidden shallows in the middle of the channel, which rises from the bottom like an island, and is often marked by buoys. If the reds and greens look misplaced, or washed out, they’re not, it’s this shallow underwater island that would cause problems from an errant tow. In low and medium waters navigation channels are found on either side, against left bank descending, and right bank descending. Best visualized looking at the Army Corps 2007 maps, it is the blue shading you see around 265 like a classic “seal-shaped” island. At high water the buoys are removed because towboats can safely steam anywhere over this area without fear of becoming grounded.
Downstream paddlers leaving St. Francisville can simply stay left bank descending and maintain that position down around Bayou Sara Bend and on under the bridge. It might start out slow at first, but the current will pick up and by the time you get opposite the Big Cajun II you will be in the fast water. If you are coming in from above St. Francisville and not making a stop stay mid-channel if there are no tows. In the presence of any traffic your best route would be to stay in the current right bank descending and curl into the bend above Big Cajun II, if you go with the flow it will eventually push you into center current for final approach under the bridge. If there are upstream tows under the bridge, oh boy! You are in for a ride! The waves get big in this turbulent stretch of water. It may not be too bad in low or medium water, but in high water (above 22BG) the waters roll like a screamer roller-coaster. Stay as far right as you safely can, watching for fleeted coal barges along the Big Cajun Wharf Islands and the activity of small tows servicing them. Small service tows like these sometimes make the biggest waves, because they are high frequency, short and choppy, often crashing. If you hit them wrong they will easily capsize a 2-man canoe.
After you have gotten under the bridge and are riding the broad tongue of current on downstream towards Fancy Point you can breathe in a deep sigh of relief and high five the other paddlers in your group. The danger is over... for now.