As for the lessons learned, I was really surprised at how hard it was to load the small flare canister onto the launcher. Once loaded, it took considerable dexterity to get the firing pin to snap onto the flare and launch it. I question my ability to launch a flare if I was in bouncing water and had limited hand function due to the cold. I also learned that these small harmless looking projectile flares need to be treated with great respect. You could do serious damage to someone if you hit them with a flare. ------------------- Thanx for making the point I was still trying to formulate in my mind. I had bought flares shortly after I got the kayak, read the directions, promptly forgot them, but have carried them faithfully ever since. I also bought some (green?) dye marker stuff from West Marine so I was well equipped to go bobbing off across the ocean, secure in the knowledge I had everything I needed to signal someone for a rescue during the next Perfect Storm. Yeah, right! Glad I read that SAR article. Another mis-guided feeling of security shot down. At least I/we have something new to think about. Having them isn't quite the same as deploying them. Either figure out how to use them properly in adverse conditions or leave them home since you might end up in more trouble than when you started to fiddle with them. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Fri Dec 18 1998 - 06:25:45 PST
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