Re: [Paddlewise] equipment caveats a variation

I want to add a reality check here.
I have spent many years and thousands of miles at sea in ships big and
small,
motorized and sail powered, even some fair amount of time human powered.

Going to sea is not safe and it cannot be made safe.
The only way to be sure to not die at sea is to never go to sea and also
stay far away from the sea.

You can increase your chance of survival and you comfort by using good
judgement,
developing and keeping good skills and using appropriate equipment, but
none of
these things changes the sea at all. They only change you.

The sea is utterly indifferent to our passage, she cares not if we float
or
sink. If we live or die our passing is no more than one more drop of
water.

I like the definition of seamanship; "Good seamanship is using superior
judgement to prevent the need to use superior skills."

Even though I might use good judgement, excellent equipment, and finely
honed
skills, when I go to sea I may well die there. I also may die well, there.
It is a choice and risk that I freely take because, for me, the reward is
very great.

tomckayak_at_aol.com wrote:

> A variation of the "equipment caveat" could be a fill in the blank question.
> "The Kayakers death could have been avoided if he had " ...
> 
> You fill in the blank.
> 
> Electric pump (Australia)
> Cockpit pod (New Zealand)
> Sponsions (Canada}
> Wet suit (Manhattan USA)
> VHF radio (Texas USA)
> Clarification (England & ACA )
> Nordcap (Great Lakes)
> a sit-on-top kayak (California)
> paddled in a large group (The mountaineers Seattle WA)
> not wet exited (Greenland)
> ?

Remained at home and taken up knitting  :-)))

michael
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