[Paddlewise] Assisted rescue technique

Hi All

A couple of weeks ago I was shown an assisted rescue by a chap called
Donald Thompson, which I hadn't seen or heard of before. I don't know
whether anyone other than Donald has developed this rescue, but I was very
impressed and consider this technique to be the fastest method I've tried
for emptying a wet exit victim's boat in deep water.

The rescue is basically a T rescue, deviating from standard at points 4-7:

1. Get the victim holding on to your bow toggle.
2. Right the victims boat but do not attempt to drain it at this stage.
3. Hold the swamped boat's bow toggle and manoeuvre the boat 90º to your own.

4. ***This is the clever bit*** If the victims boat is on your right, hold
the bow toggle firmly in your left hand. Now simply capsize away from the
swamped boat, holding its bow toggle by your chest, until you are lying
horizontally on the surface of the water and your boat is ***completely***
on edge - the momentum of  your body leaning to the water, your boat's hull
rotation, and the shape of the swamped boats bow lifts the victims boat's
bow so that it slides effortlessly up and over your kayak, finishing with
the swamped boats bow by your head and over your boats right hand freeboard
(or vice versa if you are performing the rescue on your left). The more
confidently you throw yourself over, the less effort is involved - the
swamped boat provides tremendous stability.
5. With your free right hand rotate the victims boat towards you - its
cockpit is clear of the water and drains completely. 
6. Rotate the now empty boat to upright.
7. Hip snap up/push the victims bow back to the water. Again this is
effortless, as the victims boat sliding off does most of the work.

8. Swing the victims stern to your bow, raft up and return the victim to
their boat.

I tried this rescue with a variety of boats, and was extremely impressed
with the ease, stability, and speed that it can be performed. It may sound
complicated, but is very very simple to perform. It will work well with any
boat with a rear bulkhead (preferably sloping/close to the cockpit), bow
toggle, and anything but a completely square bow profile (for some
unfathomable reason Knordkapps seem to have been attracting a bit of abuse
recently on this list, but trying this out their high rounded bows provided
the ideal boat shape for this rescue). After about ten minutes practice
with this technique the sequence 4-6 above become one fluid movement with
which I could empty a swamped boat in literally about 5 seconds. 

As I see it the advantages with this rescue are:

You do not need any assistance from the victim, who is always visible to you
It is blisteringly quick
It is almost effortless
It is very stable
The victims boat does not interfere with any deck mounted equipment you may
have
You do not interfere with any deck mounted equipment the victim may have
Very simple to learn and perform

Hope this is of interest/understandable - If you haven't tried this rescue
I can not recommend it more highly.

Cheers








Colin Calder
57º19'N  2º10'W 
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