Rafters info

Contents
Contents ...................................................................................................................................... 2
1.
The building site ................................................................................................................. 3
Materials ................................................................................................................................. 4
Tools ....................................................................................................................................... 4
Building Advice ..................................................................................................................... 4
2.
The equipment .................................................................................................................... 4
3.
The raft ............................................................................................................................... 4
4.
Transport of rafts to the starting area ................................................................................. 6
5.
The Starting area ................................................................................................................ 6
6.
The way along the river ...................................................................................................... 7
7.
The finish area .................................................................................................................... 8
8.
The Raft-cup ....................................................................................................................... 9
9.
Regulations ......................................................................................................................... 9
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1. The building site
The construction site will open on Wednesday 23 April and will be open 10:00 to 18:30 until
Tuesday, April 28. It is only these times that you may work with you raft.
When you arrive at the construction site for the first time you go to Infoteket / Information.
Where should you write on the so called Rafters Regulations. This means that you agree to the
terms as we set for rafting and construction site. Everyone in the team must sign Raftersregulations and after that, you will receive glue. Then seek up the pile of material that will
have your raftnumber and that is the material we provide you with.
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Materials
You will have foam blocks, planks, nails, glue, paint, brushes. Remember that we unable to
offer more than its allocated. And do not forget to it should be enough for the paddles you
need. To get your brushes you need to get your raft approved by SÄK and then go to Infoteket
where they are handed out.
Color release will be on 25 /4.
Tools
Gear ready with tools that you can use but the number is limited. We got hammers, rasps,
saws and foam saws. Be sure to hand back the tools that you do not need at the moment.
Building Advice
• Be gentle with foam saws.
Plastic foam saws are dangerous if not handled properly, especially, they very hot. Do not
hesitate to take the help of Stuff, Pryls volunteers or Forskå if there is doubt.
• Process foam blocks in a container.
As you will process your foams, such as rasp should be done in any of the containers . This is
essential if we are to maintain a decent standard of standard on the construction site.
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More materials are available in prylshopen (stuff shop)
Need tape, water balloons or spray paint? Go to prylshopen! It will be located at
the same place as infoteket.
2. The equipment
During the rafting it is mandatory to wear:
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a helmet that is fastened under the chin
life jacket that is CE-approved
wet suit
shoes that stays on and covers the feet (meaning not flip-flops or something like that).
3. The raft
The following applies to your raft:
Wood frame
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All rafts must have a wooden frame. Therefore a recommendation is to start by building this
frame, when it´s time to design your raft. If it feels difficult and you do not know how to do it,
there will be an example raft at the construction field that you can look at.
The dimensions of the raft is 240cm long, 120cm wide and 80 high
You are not allowed to exceed the height 80 cm. This is to ensure that your raft will
come under the bridges. Although, the raft is allowed to have parts that are higher than
this, if they can be folded down or removed when going under the bridges.
It is allowed to build a raft that exceeds the length and/or width dimensions. But if you
do so, you will be responsible to make sure to transport your raft to the starting area. In
this case, the raft must be in the starting area on Wednesday, April 29th between 10:00
and 18:00.
So, if you will transport the raft by yourself, it must be in the starting area between
10am and 6 pm.
All material that you are using on the raft must float, with one exception for the nails.
The reason for this is because the raft must not contain any material liable to sink if it
comes loose.
You are not under any circumstances allowed to nail the cellular plastic! It's common
that the cellular plastic breaks. If there are nails in it there is a risk that someone will
get hurt.
The raft is also not allowed to have a roof or a high rail.
This is because you should not risk getting stuck under the raft if it capsizes.
Exceptions can be made if you make sure to leave an opening on the raft, if you want
to build a high rail around it.
If you really would like to build a small roof, exceptions can be given if the roof is
removable BUT you need to discuss this with me first and get an approval for this.
There cannot be anything on the raft that the rafter risks to get stuck in, such as ropes.
However, each raft must have a loop, roughly the same size as a fist, positioned at the
front of the raft and well anchored.
The loop is to make the work in the finish area easier. All rafters will assist the staff in
the finish area by attaching a safety hook to the loop on your own raft so that the raft
can be pulled up on the finish ramp. A tip is to fasten the loop in the wooden frame.
Also en exception can be made for having a small piece of rope or similar that you can
hold on to during the water falls.
Marked along the sides
The raft should be marked on the sides with 'your start number: the amount of rafters',
like this. For instance 120:4 – If you have start number 120 and there are 4 persons on
the raft.
If the number of rafters will change before the start, you must update this on the raft
so we know how many persons to look for if you fell off.
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Generally speaking, the raft can be designed in any constellation!
Although, the raft must not have commercial message, unless it is a company-sponsored raft
and has paid us for that. Also section associations are allowed to advertise themselves.
The raft is not allowed to have any political messages.
When the design of your raft is finished and before you can start painting it, the raft must be
approved by SÄK. When your raft is approved and all members of your team have signed the
regulations, your team will get brushes to paint your raft from ”Infoteket”.
4. Transport of rafts to the starting area
On Tuesday the 29th of April all the floats are to be transported down to the starting area. All
the Rafters should be on site and themselves load their raft on to a container and after that
pick up your equipment if you have chosen to rent from us.
Loose objects in danger of disappearing!
Since the rafts will be loaded on high edge the risk of having loose items falling of is high. So
you have a choice to either yourself take care for loose items or The River Rafting
Committees favorite GAFFA the loose items to the boat and make sure they stay put and that
way you should have all your parts when coming to the staring area the next day. Also make
sure to gaffa or take care of loose objects well in advance before you should load the raft on
the truck.
After having loaded your raft on to the truck it's time to pick up your equipment at ladan, just
ask anyone in Forskå if your unsure were this is. When you pick up your equipment you
should be aware that you might not be assigned exactly the sizes that you ordered. That
should not be a problem, but if you should happen to need a change we unfortunately have no
possibility to do that. What you can do is try and switch with another rafting-team.
When:
Kl 09.
StartNr 1-30
Kl 10.
StartNr 31-60
Kl 10.30
StartNr 61-90
Kl 11
StartNr 91-121
5. The Starting area
The starting area is located at Eddaspången.
Sign up in the Secretariat, located tent at the starting area. Make sure to sign up together with
your whole team to speed things up a bit.
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Here you will be checked on a list, get race numbers and a black bag where you can put down
your things. The bag should then be submitted in the tent before 10:00, be sure not to have
fragile things in it.
After you have registered you and your equipment must be approved by SÄK so stick to your
raft for this to go as smoothly as possible. When it is your turn to start rafting, it is important
that you listen to the starting guide and follow his instructions.
The times that apply to each rafting group:
Time: start number
07:30: 1-31
08:00: 32-61
08:30: 62-91
09:00: 92-121
6. The way along the river
We will have a rescue team by the Uppsala Diver Team Tumlaren, The Swedish sea rescue
society and paramedics by Röda Korset. The paramedics will patrol along the river, but will
have focus on Kvarnfallet, Islandsfallet and the finish area. The divers will focus on
Kvarnfallet and at the stairs near the cinema. The sea rescue team will be in boats and help
you if necessary after Islandsfallet.
The safest way down Kvarnfallet is going to the left. It is also allowed to go down “rännan”.
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The river is calm until the falls and there is no danger unless you expose yourselves to them.
Then when you pass the last bridge (St. Olofsgatan) you have to keep to the left. Here be
attentive to the volunteer who will stand on the bridge that's at the height of Gotland nation.
If the volunteer is signaling you it is important that you paddle there and park there while
waiting for your turn. This is extremely important because our rescue men cannot assist you if
something happens if the flow of rafts becomes too large. When you are going down to the
falls, it is important that are not on the right side. If you end up on that side, it is very
rocky and the diver do not have the same opportunity to assist you.
If you should happen to fall into the water:
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Hold your breath
Try to get up on your raft again
Attract attention of the rescue men, ”Tumlarna”, if you need assistance.
If you should fall of your raft the rescue men will jump in to the water and get to you whether you
need help or not. The divers will help you exit the water in height with Norrlands nation on
both sides, if necessary.
Do you think you can handle you without their help, just say tell them you're OK.
7.The finish area
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All rafters will assist the staff in the finish area by attaching a safety hook to the loop on your
own raft so that the raft can be pulled up on the finish ramp.
When you’ve left your raft and given it a push towards the other side of the river you get out
of the water and head towards the secretariat. All rafters need to announce themselves at the
Secretariat, in this way, we can confirm that all rafters come up out of the river. All rafters
who gets picked up somewhere along the river must go down to the secretariat to check
off themselves. When you have been checked off you head straight over the area that is
outside Friskis & Svettis, or next to Svandamshallarna. Here you must return your equipment
and your patch with your team number in a bag and when this is submitted you will get back
your sack with private stock that you submitted at the start. Important to remember here is that
you will not be able to go into the showers at Friskis & Svettis with the rafting equipment and
you will not get back your personal equipment before you leave your wetsuits , helmets and
more back to us. No one is admitted on Friskis & Svettis with the rafters equipment! So it
is good to have something you can show yourself in public with under the wetsuit. Outside
Friskis & Svettis there will be in small pools with water in so that you can wipe your feets of
before you enter. Make it so we will not have problems with drainage channels that would
otherwise have a tendency to malfunction.
8. The Raft-cup
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One contest each day – Great prices!
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You can sign up for the contest the same day from 10 am.
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Limit number of teams for each contest - varies for each day.
9. Regulations
In the Rafting regulations you will find out all about the rules that apply for rafting. These
Regulations must be signed by all the persons who will go rafting, but would you like to read
it already, then there is a copy on the website.
This year the Akademiker försäkring is providing all of you with a Swedish personal number
an accident insurance for free. This is for you who are under 40 years old and building a
student raft. The insurance is for accidents happening between 10am and 6pm from April 23
to April 28. Go to Infoteket for more information regarding this insurance.
Good Luck!
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