In a message dated 12/4/98 6:09:13 PM EST, howesd_at_eustis.army.mil writes: << I can see where this thread is going and if I may offer some "international" flavour, albeit in waters which are generally warmer than that of far Northern America... >> 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) ? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
At 10:34 PM 12/8/98 EST, Tom 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. "The kayaker's death could have been avoided if he had had . . . sturdy "roll bars" above the cockpit. (A kayaker was killed by a belly-flopping sea lion several years ago in Alaska.) Cheers, Philip T. **************************************** Mountain Equipment Co-op 1655 West 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6J 1K1 Tel: 640-732-1989 Fax: 604-731-6483 email: pid_at_mec.ca Visit our website at: http://www.mec.ca ***************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 12/9/98 8:39:37 AM EST, MichaelN_at_cycat.com writes: << I want to add a reality check here. >> Really? I cannot argue with your statement. Judgment, Skill and Luck keep you alive People, including myself, break the rules and live. The "caveats a variation" tread is meant to poke fun at people who get up tight about equipment or dogma. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Tomckayak_at_aol.com wrote: > Judgment, Skill and Luck keep you alive As I look at the last three items, Luck, I am reminded of what Dr. Hannes Lindemann said in my interview with him a half dozen years ago. He indicated that one of thing he had going for him on his trans-Atlantic voyage in a Klepper was luck. Then he went on to talk about the origin of the word luck saying it came from the chaulking added to wooden boats, gluck in German. If a boat was well chaulked it was said to have good gluck. So then Lindemann added. "So you see...you make your own luck." ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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