By Lawrence Jordan

I have been planning to build a raft for a few years and I committed to start working on the framework on the Fourth of July.

We built a frame out of 2x4s and lashed bamboo lengthwise to the frame in order to provide a solid support for the deck and barrels. Pate’s Dry Cleaners donated twelve 55-gallon drums which were used for buoyancy under the deck. We cut several trailer loads of bamboo and used that for the deck.

The raft’s deck was 12×24 feet. The shelter was 12 feet wide, seven feet deep, and six feet tall. Fitting the parts on the trailer was difficult because the deck sections were 12 feet wide each and would take both lanes on the road. We had to figure out a way to stand the two halves up on the trailer so they rested against each other like a tepee.

The parts were transported to the Cashua’s Ferry Bridge on the Big Pee Dee where the raft, named The Cause, was assembled and then carried into the river. We cut out two 11-foot long oars and built an oar yoke on each side of the raft for steering.

On Friday evening, July 25, the crew boarded The Cause and made our way down the Big Pee Dee River. A john boat and two canoes were towed behind the raft so that all of the crew and equipment would safely reach the bank in preparation for the worst case scenarios.

We anchored in the middle of the river after traveling down two bends. Our anchor was not strong enough to hold our raft against the current. This problem had to be addressed as we did not want to drift into a pile of logs while sleeping. Hunter took the boom off from the mast and tied it to the anchor so it would hook onto the river bottom.

The anchor held and Matt cooked hot dogs, baked beans, corn, and cookies for supper. We had an iron fire bowl on the deck and sat around the fire talking before going to sleep. This was the first time I have ever slept while floating on a boat and hearing the water rushing underneath was the most relaxing sound.

I crawled out from the shelter at about 6 a.m. on Saturday morning to a thick fog. We lifted the anchor and steered the raft as Matt prepared doughnuts, grits, and bacon for breakfast.

The oars were for steering only. We depended on the current for our speed. We struggled to steer the raft at first as we hit tight turns and multiple logs. Hunter fell overboard in an effort to save the raft from its first collision. The second collision with a stump busted a barrel out from under the raft. Ellison, Patrick, and Matt swam below the deck to retrieve the barrel and tie it back in place. I was very proud of the rails around the deck but they were built only for looks and they quickly began to break.

By the time we passed under the I-95 bridge, we realized that it is much easier to guide the raft by steering from the stern rather than paddling from each side.

We encountered some wildlife along the way such as a 4-foot alligator and blue herons. We saw fishermen along the way who seemed to have plenty of luck catfishing. At that point, our day became much easier and relaxing.

Saturday afternoon was hot and we all took turns swimming around the raft. We set anchor about a mile up river from the Highway 301 bridge and had chicken, garlic bread, and green beans.

The raft was a perfect floating campsite at night. All of the sleeping bags were in the shelter covered by a tarp and mosquito net. We sat in lawn chairs around the fire and talked for a while before dimming the lanterns and going to sleep. We anchored closer to land Saturday night than the night before and no matter how much bug spray we applied, the mosquitoes would not slow down.

On Sunday morning, we woke and began cooking breakfast. Edward started a fire quickly in an attempt to stop the bugs. As Matt cooked pancakes, the fire pot tipped over and the deck caught on fire. The air pockets in the bamboo burst and the voyage of The Cause was coming to an end. In a rush, we loaded our supplies onto the canoes and finished our pancakes. The fire covered most of the bow and Matt flipped his last pancake before loading the stove onto a canoe.

After the canoes were loaded, we guided the raft to the middle of the river and abandoned ship. The half with the shelter was not burning and so it was cut loose. Both sections of The Cause collided with the pillars underneath the Highway 301 bridge where they burned and fell apart.

Our crew reached the landing under the 301 bridge and pulled the boats out from the river. This was the first time that any of us had been on land since we launched on Friday. All but one of the barrels were retrieved and loaded onto the flatbed trailer.