Re: [Paddlewise] no bulkheads

Jackie Fenton wrote:
>  
> I've heard of situations where kayaks with bulkheads have taken on water
> in the hull in either the bow or stern area and couldn't be pumped out
> because.... the paddler couldn't get to the water to pump it out as it
> was sealed off by the water-tight bulkhead 8-}
> 
> Airbags would have been a big help in that case.

Back about 10 years ago, my wife and I were at an early Paddler's
Retreat at Delmarva's Camp Arrowhead.  I was off doing something else
while she was in a rescue clinic.  She was paddling a plastic kayak at
the time with bulkheads and no airbags, a rental from a NYC club.

Unbeknownst to us, the bulkheads had lost some of their adherence to the
hull and were leaking, probably the result of bad handling by various
renters of the boat.  Every time she attempted a paddle float self
rescue and would scramble on to the back deck, the boat would go under. 
The guys in charge of the informal class were fairly elite paddlers with
only knowledge of fiberglass boats.  They really didn't know much about
plastic boats and the now-known record of bulkhead failure in these; the
bulkheads in their Brit boats did not leak.  The guys couldn't figure
out why the boat was going under each time she attempted to climb on. 
They were really puzzled.  (I wasn't there but hearing of the episode
later I was reminded of an old Hagar The Horrible cartoon in which a
wagon and horse are in a repair shop.  The mechanics are looking all
over the wagon for why it would  not run, meanwhile the horse is
sprawled out on the floor full of arrows!!)  One guy finally decided to
open the hatch and discovered the stern compartment was filled almost to
the brim.  The boat started to do a Cleopatra's needle act and they had
a devil of a time emptying it.

This is a long way around of reminding anyone in a plastic boat with
bulkheads to get airbags and use them.  No matter what the manufacturers
say, the bulkheads are susceptible to failure period.  Also anyone who
paddles a folding kayak must have airbags and use them religiously.  I
know that after inflating the built-in sponsons, the last thing you want
to do is inflate something more...but do it.

An aside point about that incident that touches on hyperthermia,
something far from our minds in many parts of the world right now as
waters have warmed up.  These guys, one of whom was a well known expert
on hyperthermia, left my wife in the water while they spent a good half
hour working on the boat.  Despite the water temperature being in the
low 70s, she got quite blue-lipped.  Later, it took several hours of
sitting in front of roaring fireplace and wearing tons of fleece for her
to finally warm up.

So even 70s degree water can get to you.  If a rescue is going to take
more than a few minutes, get the victim out of the water; on to the back
decks of two rafted kayaks was a possibility because conditions were
calm.  Also your first consideration should be the victim not the boat.

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."
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