Hey I am looking for tips for when floating a large glacial river and two branches come together. Wondering if there are any specific things I should do or point my boat in a certain direction when coming into a fast-moving stream junction to avoid that feeling of getting your boat sucked in sideways. Thanks for the help.
The most effective way to deal with this is to “square up” to the incoming current. Another way of explaining this is that if the incoming branch of water hits you from the side, it will tend to roll that side under the boat and flip you. Your bow is upswept 4" and so if this surface hits the incoming branch first it will keep your boat from tipping.
The kayak-style method is - loosely put - to lean downstream, since water will tend to pile on the upstream side of the boat. That’s a bit harder in a packraft without any retention system, but I still do it a bit. As Richard says, though, going bow-into the new current is a good tactic, and approximates some of the same effect by putting the upturned bow on the upstream side of the current.
I’ll also look for the “week points” in eddy lines, where the edge is the most diffuse.
Finally, I find being loose in the hips & waist helps: if I’m tense, it’s harder for me to compensate for the rocking of boat. So, relaxing helps. The boats seem to be far more forgiving of a relaxed boater.