Re: [Paddlewise] Solo paddling . . .

Often times paddling solo-vs-in a group, comes down to the choice of
paddling or not paddling. A couple years back I wanted to paddle around Mt
Desert Island. People were coming up the next week who would gladly paddle
with me, just not around Mt. Desert Island. I did it alone, because I
wanted to do it and the only way it was going to happen was if I did it
alone. For the most part this is a fairly sheltered and safe paddle, its
just that camping opportunities are hard to come by so there has to be at
least one 30 mile day and none of my paddling partners were up for this.
I'm glad I went.
Nick

At 11:31 AM -0700 7/7/98, Geo. Bergeron wrote:
>	I've been re-assessing my inclination to paddle solo.
>
>	Even when paddling through the harbor in downtown Portland, Oregon
>--the
>Willamette is maybe 150 yards wide here with zillions of people on the
>shore-- there's not a lot of people paying attention to you out on the
>water. Short of shooting a signal flare over the head of a bystander, it's
>pretty hard to get help.
>
>	In the commercial areas of the river where the docks are lined with
>freighters there's REALLY no one paying attention to the kayak in the
>water. Out on the Columbia River where it's easy to get entirely away from
>populated shores you're entirely on your own.
>
>	So what happens if you have a heart attack? Or capsize and get knocked
>unconscious by the boat or paddle? Or lashed to god only knows while under
>water? Or the big fear I have . . . capsizing on an under water snag and
>getting pinned under water by the snag.
>
>	The dangerous elements in my inclination to paddle solo are that I
>like to
>paddle in remote areas and on open water. The more open the water and
>remote the area the less chance I have of getting help from someone else.
>Of late this awareness of the risk in solo paddling has been putting a
>damper on my outings. . .
>
>	Geo./Svenn
>
>______________________________
>George Bergeron, Secretary '99
>Oswego Heritage Council
>www.europa.com/~heritage/
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Nick Schade
Guillemot Kayaks
c/o Newfound Woodworks, RFD 2 Box 850, Bristol, NH 03222
(603) 744-6872

Schade_at_guillemot-kayaks.com
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/

>>>>"It's not just Art, It's a Craft!"<<<<


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