At 04:49 PM 2/4/99 -0500, Neil Somos wrote: >I've sometimes thought it might be fun to tie a Helium-filled >aluminized mylar balloon to a kayak provided it wasn't too windy. > >neal_at_bellhow.com Last summer Ralph Diaz, Jack Gilman and I finished a swim support and gathered a few He balloons from the finish line and tied them to our boats. At even a slow paddle, the ballons trailed behind just barely above the water. It quickly became apparent that, once there was any differential speed between our boats and the air, the balloons would not add at all to our visibility. Back to the electronic drawing board.......... Bill Leonhardt *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
>> speed between our boats and the air, the balloons would not add at all to > our visibility. > > Back to the electronic drawing board.......... What would be cool is a low power artificial radar transmitter that could generate a single target. Something like the military uses to generate thousands of targets. It would have to be broad band since there is no way of telling what frequency the ship radar is working on. Since the level of reflected radar is such a tiny level, it probably wouldn't take much of a signal. The FCC might not like it...8^) Woody *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Robert Woodard wrote: > > What would be cool is a low power artificial radar transmitter that could > generate a single target. Something like the military uses to generate > thousands of targets. ...<snip>... Such a device exists. Pains Wessex makes an "active" radar reflector that transmits a pulse of radar energy whenever it senses another ship's radar. It makes your boat appear to have a radar cross section of 80 square meters(!), which should be adequate to create the desired level of "respect". It is reasonably small (a cylinder 20" x 2.25") and it weighs less than four pounds. The primary drawback is that it costs over $1000. Dan Hagen *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
> > Such a device exists. Pains Wessex makes an "active" radar reflector > that transmits a pulse of radar energy whenever it senses another ship's > radar. It makes your boat appear to have a radar cross section of 80 > square meters(!), which should be adequate to create the desired level > of "respect". It is reasonably small (a cylinder 20" x 2.25") and it > weighs less than four pounds. The primary drawback is that it costs over > $1000. Whoa! A little more expensive that I had in mind! Something that would generate about a 10 meter square target and about the size of a hand held GPS would be nice. Oh yeah, and while I'm wishing, how about only $50 retail? 8^) Woody *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Like many of you my biggest fear on the water is being run down by somebody's brother-in-law driving a power boat with one hand and holding a beer in the other. I do what I have to do to be visible and do everything I can to stay out of their way. It seems that those boats that would have the luxury of radar are probably moving slow enough for me to get out of the way. In my neck-of-the-woods a real danger are lobster fisherman who in the course of trying to make a buck, accelerate fast, turn for no apparant reason, pay attention to bait, bouys and do not as a rule scan the "horizon" for some guy in a tupperware boat. As you may have read some dogooder tried to pass legislation that would make flags on long poles (like the ones used on kids bikes) mandatory for kayakers in Maine waters.. Fortuantely it was not passed. Mostly I keep alert and try to stay out the way and out of the fog. Hal Wilton, NH Power your boat with carbohydrates, not hydrocarbons. http://www.jlc.net/~hlevin *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Bill Leonhardt wrote: > > At 04:49 PM 2/4/99 -0500, Neil Somos wrote: > >I've sometimes thought it might be fun to tie a Helium-filled > >aluminized mylar balloon to a kayak provided it wasn't too windy. > > > >neal_at_bellhow.com > > Last summer Ralph Diaz, Jack Gilman and I finished a swim support and > gathered a few He balloons from the finish line and tied them to our boats. > At even a slow paddle, the ballons trailed behind just barely above the > water. It quickly became apparent that, once there was any differential > speed between our boats and the air, the balloons would not add at all to > our visibility. > > Back to the electronic drawing board.......... > > Bill Leonhardt Yes, those ballons just sagged behind us. Moreover, every so often, their lines would tangle around our paddles as a gust of wind would move the balloon forward. If one had a rudder, the line would soon entangle around it. I still maintain that you can be readily seen from a power or sail boat if you are showing high visibility colors in your paddle, hat, PFD and deck color. If you have a dark deck, try placing on it some bright flourescent color cloth such as those vests worn by highway workers. If your paddles are black or some other fashionable color, paint it day-glo or use reflective strips. Get a bright hat. Wear only bright orange or bright yellow PFDs. Of course, no matter how well decked out you are, the first rule of traffic is to absolutely assume that you are not in the least visible and that the person at the wheel of that sailboat or motorboat is distracted in conversation or other activity. He or she is just generally looking for something big that might harm his or her boat in a collosion and not looking for something small. 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/ ***************************************************************************
rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com wrote: > > I still maintain that you can be readily seen from a power or sail boat > if you are showing high visibility colors in your paddle, hat, PFD and > deck color. [snip] > > Of course, no matter how well decked out you are, the first rule of > traffic is to absolutely assume that you are not in the least visible > and that the person at the wheel of that sailboat or motorboat is > distracted [snip] Agreed. In addition, the wheelhouse configuration of some power boats (especially older craft) makes it impossible for the skipper to see **anything at water level** dead ahead for some distance (up to 100 yards?) because the bow obscures that area. I've had to take "evasive action" to get out of that blind spot a couple times, and I paddle in waters which are sparsely populated with power craft. I can't even imagine paddling where Ralph does. But then, I probably could not *live* where Ralph does. He's more highly evolved when it comes to survival skills in the city, I suspect! <G> Hmmm ... that gives me an idea. Tune in to the next post. -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** 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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