I've been thinking about this a bunch lately, but everyone already said all of my answers. If no drum, make sure to mention during safety talk that back row being included with steer during count of capsize drill includes responsibility if the steer falls off, including yelling "Stop the boat" or "Hold hard." If one of them is also a competent steer, discuss them steering to pick up the lost steer, but honestly, unless it's race conditions, that person can prob just swim back (for a drill, not for an emergency, collision with injury, etc.) If losing the drum or steer in the non-motor boat areas (just sailboats for part of it) where we practice, feels a little less risky, so will probably run a drill there at some point. I wonder about describing the procedure for a few practices and then doing a surprise disappearing steer... But that's just because I think it would be fun. I would in reality practice it with everyone knowing it was coming at least twice before surprising them.

Ditto what Sarah said about where to do it and notification. I've done a ton of capsize drills in canoes, both with self-rescue and tandem - so the basics feel very similar. The lines being secure feels like something we could do more regardless of if it's a drill. They are just in a pile at the bottom of the boat. When I do other kinds of paddling, I always make sure my lines are tied up securely. I'd love to do a capsize drill on Monday if we've got time and conditions, since we've got a longer practice. Would leave extra bits and bobs on the beach and then go out a bit to drill. Could practice without flipping the boat first, just everyone outside of the floating boat in their pfds also floating. Same list of things as everyone else. Don't touch the boat, but stay with it. Count off, Account for drum and steer. And if we did with boat flipped, Right the boat Bail the boat Smaller paddlers in bail some more... I am curious about paddling a partially swamped dragon boat as it was one of the ways we practiced capsize canoe drills growing up.

I was in the July 4, 1999 storm in the Boundary Waters. Our crew was just outside of the blowdown area, and was uninjured, but if you don't know about it, here's some nerdery. https://www.spc.noaa.gov/misc/AbtDerechos/casepages/jul4-51999page.htm Since that time, nothing has come close to being as scary. I learned a LOT about getting off of the water during that experience - both logistically and managing everyone's emotional states during a big storm in the north woods. (and an earlier trip with worse leaders and lightning as a teenager where they didn't get us off the water until our hair was standing up...)

I paddle with @Season Devereux and @Liisa Reimann and @Tamara Ulman and @Sarah Rosedahl and @Tina Giangrande and maybe other folks who are on here who I've forgotten in burlington and it's just delightful, especially at this time of year when we're out for sunset. I'm working on learning to steer right now, hoping for some races next year probably.