Two more safety thoughts occurred to me:

1) When anchoring, particularly if you are leaving the boat, put out more rope than you think you need. This helps the anchor hold. In water with any speed at all, you want a rop angle flatter than 45 degrees. To keep your boat from swinging on anchor, get some anchor rites, which are mini oar-rites. These keep your oars vertical in the water, which keeps the boat from swinging like a pendulum.

2) Sometimes when you're floating skinny water, the boat grounds, and the passenger has to get out. When exiting the boat, if it's not anchored, try to get out on the upstream side. If the boat moves downstream on you, it can crush a leg.