Ms. Bowstern gave me this column from the newsletter of Bay Area Sea Kayakers (http://www.bask.ogr) and asked me to pass it on to you, the denizens of Paddlewise. Barbara ------------------------------------------------------- Ms. B. recieved this query via email: Dear Ms. Bowstern, My question stems from an encounter our club president had in his sea kayak while exploring the estuarine reaches of the Fenholloway River in Florida: who has the right-of-way, a sea kayak or an alligator? Does it depend on the size of the alligator (in this case, approximately the size of the kayak)? What if the kayak is approaching from the alligator's right, or if the alligator is approaching from the kayaker's right? Newsletter Guy, Apalachee Canoe & Kayak Club Dear Newsletter Guy, The question of right of way has been splashing around in Ms. Bowsterns tub for awhile, and like a rubber ducky keeps bobbing to the surface. Ms. B.,busy with tours, speaking engagements, and Hollywood script deals, handed the question to her research intern slash kayak sherpa, Rex. (You didn’t thinks Ms. B. washes her own gear, did you?) However, Rex was engaged organizing an international conference for sea kayak etiquette columnists, and gave Ms. B. this telephone number which connects the caller to the US Coast Guard customer information line: 800-368-5647. The authoritative fellow who answered -- after a brief go ‘round with pound keys and the like, was no doubt a high-ranking officer in full dress uniform. He said calmly, “In California, the more maneuvable vessel gives right of way to the less maneuverable.” After some questioning Ms. Bowstern learned that the quality of maneuverability shifts from vessel to vessel, depanding on the situation. For example, a freighter in a shipping channel is less maneuverable than a Scupper Pro crossing the same channel. A kayak on the open bay is less maneuverable than a sailboat under sail. But if the sailboat is foundering, it has right of way. Ms. B. knows you can think of more examples. This approach to right of way seems appropriately civilized to Ms. B. because in the old days right of way was determined by number of guns, or ransom paid and such. Back to the alligator. Though highly maneuverable (alligators have a reliable off-side “hand” roll), more so than most kayaks, alligators as living beings fall under the rules of etiquette rather than navigational regulation. Ms. Bowstern says, “Enchante’ and after you, alligator.” Sea Kayak Italy http://www.seakayakitaly.com tel. 650-728-8720 fax 650-728-8753 bkossy_at_igc.org *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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