Re: [Paddlewise] PaddleWise V1 #474

Although I have never met Ralph personally, I think he embodies the
definition of leadership that I learned while receiving my commission in the
Army.

"A good leader can tell people to go to hell and have them WANT to make the
trip." It's possible to lead by example and keep people safe. If someone
needs to turn back, either let them go with another experienced paddler, OR
announce that YOU will lead the  group back to assist this other paddler. We
are all safe when we're not in trouble, but the sea doesn't usually tell us
that you will have a problem in 30 minutes or so. There is safety in numbers
and when an experienced paddler is cold, wet, and tired, he/she is not
capable of all the things they can do when they are warm, dry, and well
rested.

Just my 2 cents

Steve Holtzman
> A couple of examples of when it works and when it doesn't work.
>
> A) Last year I happened to be launching in Manhattan on the Hudson into
> the harbor at the same time a group was going out.  I knew the leaders
> who really haven't done much of this and asked if I would take over.  I
> said sure.  They are friends.  Things weren't bad on the way out as it
> was early on a Saturday morning.  But by the time we headed back, we had
> lots of wind with us and a strong favorable current and we were crossing
> through tons of traffic.
>
> It was imperative that we not spread out, that we would be real visible
> and that we stayed together.  I decided to do the crossing in sections,
> stopping every so often to let traffic pass before crossing on to
> another section of the river.  Here is what I did:
>
> a) For greatest visibility for the group, I put paddlers in the
> brightest boats (yellow) with some experience at either end of our
> formation.
>
> b) Our formation was pretty close to a chorus line, i.e. the boats lined
> up in line with the river and not strung across.  Not actually fully a
> chorus line as some boats were nestled slightly behind in a close
> contact stagger with the chorus line.
>
> c) As we went across the first section of the river, I immediately
> spotted what boat was the slowest at that point.  It was an older fellow
> in a double with a woman in the front who wasn't doing much paddling; he
> had earlier been doing just fine but he was tiring.  I called to the
> closely knit group that we would key our speed and our position on him.
>
> d) This worked just fine.  I kept letting the group drift with the boats
> that were in least control of their tracking.  But we drifted as a group
> with the current and wind as we made progress across.  But then we hit a
> snag.
>
> e) As we neared the last quarter of our crossing, an oil barge and tug
> was coming along.  With a group of experienced paddlers with any kind of
> sprint speed, it would have been easy to get across in front of the slow
> moving barge and tug.  But I couldn't risk it with the unknown sprint
> speed of some of the paddlers.  So I wheeled the group around.
>
> f) Instead of being a chorus line with some boats trailing slightly
> behind us, we wheeled around to go as a single file (again with some
> staggered boats) along the same line of travel as the barge and tug.  We
> were still making progress but we were a small target as we allowed the
> barge and tug pass parallel to us.  When he passed, we wheeled around
> again to a chorus line and finished the crossing.
>
> I considered that a successful trip.  The ingredients contributing to
> this were:
>
> - --several of the paddlers were friends who would listen to my
> suggestions for the easiest and best way to proceed
>
> - --I did not micromanage except in places where it counted
>
> - --I got people to play a game in trying to keep the chorus line
> straight; they took it as fun; they particularly liked the wheeling
> around manuever...it looked smart and felt good to feel control of
> ourselves in the chaotic traffic situation
>
> - --the situation was froth with danger...lots of traffic; that was
> certain something to smarten people up without much yelling or screaming
>
> - --I set an obvious point for all to guage their speed, the slower guy
> and gal in the double
>
> - --I let the drift in tracking occur with just a minimum of corraling
> which meant no one tired or was overly frustrated; sure I can control my
> boat at every moment but I know others can't...I bow somewhat to them
> while getting them to make a bit of effort to go straight...it is a
> matter of proportions and balance
>
> B)  This also an example from last year, one that didn't work as I would
> hope in the very same waters.  It was in mid-week so there wasn't much
> pleasure boat traffic but still plenty of ferries especially at the end
> of the trip which coincided with the beginning of rush hour.
>
> The group was homogeneous in the sense that they were all from the same
> company, a publication for youngish professionals on enterntainment,
> sports, etc.  It didn't go as well as the pick-up one mentioned in
> example A above.  We were always scattered on the river even the
> crossings.  It was hard to get some of the individuals to listen.  Some
> would race off without looking back and showing signs of being totally
> unaware of their surroundings.  Some were real slow.  I had one other
> good person with me but it was a bitch of trip in terms of our exposure
> to potential problems.  I know it, my colleague escort person did too.
> But the group for the most part was oblivious.
>
> A couple of reasons, I guess:
>
> - --these were physically fit people with a go-go attitude
>
> - --they were relieved to be out of the office and got intoxicated with
> the quite stunning setting of the city skyline
>
> - --they were pretty unsavvy about a lot of things...for example didn't
> know what Ellis Island was, kinda young and self-centered
>
> - --they were showing off to each other, at least some were, and that
> manifested itself in those forays of taking off ahead of the group
>
> - --they were too young to appreciate the dangers and kind of feeling
> invincible...again a matter of age and the go-go slant of the
> publication
>
> - --their boss was along.  She tried to help but the group for the most
> part paid her little mind either
>
> After awhile I realized there was nothing I could do.  I sure could have
> used the superior leadership qualities of John Kortis who started this
> string on "Group Paddling-A warning."  I managed to just keep the group
> in a modicum of control when in the greatest areas of exposure (for
> example, crossing in front of where the ferries emerge blind from Ellis
> Island slips) but just barely.  However, I was real uncomfortable
> throughout the trip and was sure glad when it was over.
>
> So, you win some and you lose some.  If I ever am confronted with
> something like that again, I have some ideas I would try but not fully
> formulated...the exploding collar sure sounds like a good one.  :-)
>
> 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."
> - -----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> ------------------------------
>
> End of PaddleWise V1 #474
> *************************
>
> ***************************
> PaddleWise Digest
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>


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