Re: [Paddlewise] bailer in a seakayak?

In a message dated 98-10-25 17:00:00 EST, pjunold_at_daimi.au.dk  writes:

<< <<  how come we're not all sailing around  with such a self-bailer? It
appears
 to me, that this is the perfect  way to empty a kayak. >> >>

As a sometime sea-kayaker I like the idea but having used a self-bailer
extensively in canoe racing here in the midwest, I have noticed a couple of
problems:  1) Their operation tends to get a bit rough from grit buildup.  So
rough that one must really lift a leg and nearly stomp on the darn things.
Something hard to do in a tight cockpit.  2)  If the bailer is in the down
(bailing) position and you hit a rock, log, whatever, it is very likely to
become damaged enough that it can not be retracted.  I have even seen bailers
pulled completely out of boats.

Now what holds true for a 30 lb kevlar racing canoe may not be the case for an
expedition-built kayak, but when I am sea-kayaking rather than canoeing 30 ft
from a riverbank I tend to like more fail-safe equipment.
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