Thanks Ralph for mentioning bangers and Fosters. Just the thought makes me queasy. I agree with your comment on lifting the cockpit cover. I am working on a Mark II version. My first effort was a scramble to get something going. More thoughts on towing. A tow rope of around 25m is de rigeur in the NSWSKC, using cordage of a diameter around 4mm. The logic appears to be you can get cordage of ample strength in this size for the intended purpose, and you can efficiently stow such cordage in a small bag. One method is to attach this flat bag with a velcroed opening to the stern deck, with one end of the line running forward and attached by a carabiner alongside the cockpit. The other end fastened to the kayak[er] by a method which depends on personal preference and make of kayak. On the Klepper I have made up a cordage loop on the stern deck, the ends passing through the rudder line holes in the boomerang fitting and lashed around the rib below. This loop has a carabiner also, which clips on to the other [tower's] end of the line. This gives you a tow pivot point nearly half way up the boat which I like. The idea is to spread the shock and the load. And the idea of building in a metre or so of shock cord into the run of the tow line itself seems worthwhile for a more comfortable tow in a sea. This all seems to work OK but I question how many occasions suit a tow rope. We have mentioned the seasick scenario. I can also see a use for a tow rope say at the end of a long day when one paddler is below par and the group needs to make landfall. This is my experience: at the end of a long day's paddle a group splits up, just when tiredness/sickness/hypothermia/wrong decision making become factors. This of course is when good leadership comes in, but that is a whole new can of worms. I can see a tow rope being useful in this situation, if the 'slowcoach' has the humility to accept a helping tow. Our practice day indicated to myself and PeterO that towing a loaded kayak into any sort of sea unassisted [ ie, the towee either barely able or unable to help paddle] would be strictly a limited exercise. I am talking about paddling upwind into say 20 knots plus. Another factor is that on a group paddle the individual paddlers have tow systems which are compatible. This allows for two, even more towers to work together. And the big question is tangling the rudder. I cannot see how this possibility can be avoided with any delta rudder head arrangement. And the bigger the sea, the more the likelihood. Murphy's Law. Has any P/Wiser towed in a REAL rescue situation over any length of time who could offer insight? PeterR Wollongong Australia *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
-----Original Message----- From: PJ Rattenbury <ratten_at_uow.edu.au> > More thoughts on towing. A tow rope of around 25m is de rigeur in the >NSWSKC, using cordage of a diameter around 4mm. The logic appears to be >you can get cordage of ample strength in this size for the intended >purpose, and you can efficiently stow such cordage in a small bag. 5mm (3/16 inch) nylon may be better as it is less likely to get tangled and is still stretchy enough (even if only 10 feet long) to dispense with any added shock absorber. <SNIP> > And the big question is tangling the rudder. I cannot see how this >possibility can be avoided with any delta rudder head arrangement. And the >bigger the sea, the more the likelihood. Murphy's Law. Attaching the towline to a webbing loop you put over one shoulder and across your chest (or a PFD with towing attachment) will raise the towing point so the rudder is less likely to snag it. When it does usually as the stern bobs around in waves it releases it again and control of the towing kayak is regained until the next time the cord hangs up anyway. You can shed a large shoulder loop of webbing very quickly if need be. > Has any P/Wiser towed in a REAL rescue situation over any length of time >who could offer insight?> I know Doug Lloyd has (and you'll probably read about it in a future edition of Sea Kayaker magazine). I have towed a lot of people but usually in mild conditions when there was a need to hurry or the towees were exhausted. Once I was afraid I was going to have to tow a seasick paddler (while I was a little queasy myself) into 25 knot winds and 6+ foot seas with breaking crests during one moonless night(hard to see the horizon). I would try to find the horizon from the crest of each wave and that was enough that I stabilized at a slightly nauseous state and didn't get worse. I can tell you I wasn't looking forward to towing then but was prepared to try if necessary. Normally I don't mind towing at all. You can get a good workout without leaving everybody else behind. I feel lucky that I didn't have to tow that night. We did discover that if you are feeling seasick whatever you do don't stop and raft up as you will get a lot less sick if you can keep paddling. This took about 10 seconds to figure out when we stopped and rafted up because one paddler said she was too sick to paddle and needed to stop. With that as the alternative she made several miles paddling into these seas and reached our destination under her own power. I am very subject to motion sickness but this is the only time it has happened while kayaking and I blame the lack of an easy to see horizon. Matt Broze http://www.marinerkayaks.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Matt Broze wrote: > [snip] Once I was afraid I was going to > have to tow a seasick paddler (while I was a little queasy myself) into 25 > knot winds and 6+ foot seas with breaking crests during one moonless > night(hard to see the horizon). I would try to find the horizon from the > crest of each wave and that was enough that I stabilized at a slightly > nauseous state and didn't get worse. [snip] We did discover > that if you are feeling seasick whatever you do don't stop and raft up as > you will get a lot less sick if you can keep paddling. This took about 10 > seconds to figure out when we stopped and rafted up because one paddler said > she was too sick to paddle and needed to stop. With that as the alternative > she made several miles paddling into these seas and reached our destination > under her own power. I am very subject to motion sickness but this is the > only time it has happened while kayaking and I blame the lack of an easy to > see horizon. I'm curious about the experience of others re: seasickness. I'd like others to post their anecdotes. Here are mine. Unlike Matt, I am relatively immune to motion sickness, and have only been close to seasickness once. My event was on a day when there was a thin layer of fog (probably only a couple hundred feet thick) glued to the sea surface, and *almost no swell.* the thinness of the fog layer allowed enough sun to penetrate the fog that enormous amounts of light were returned from scattering off the fog. It was almost like the uniform illumination from a fluorescent light, if you were inside the light! I blame the total lack of a horizon for my queasiness that day. For comparison, my EX sometimes paddles with my crowd, and she gets queasy whenever there is any true swell (not just wind waves) -- the stuff of period longer than about 6-8 seconds. To avoid getting sick, she uses scope patches. She is very susceptible to motion sickness (more so than Matt, sounds like), and will get queasy when a low swell is running *even if there is a definite horizon.* -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Matt Wrote; (SNIP) > >Attaching the towline to a webbing loop you put over one shoulder and across >your chest (or a PFD with towing attachment) will raise the towing point so >the rudder is less likely to snag it. When it does usually as the stern bobs >around in waves it releases it again and control of the towing kayak is >regained until the next time the cord hangs up anyway. You can shed a large >shoulder loop of webbing very quickly if need be. This seemed like a sensible way to tow to me so I tried it once but in waves it jerked me around more than I liked. Mind, I am 6'3" so maybe that aggravated the problem by having the attachment too high for my strength. I have also towed that way on mild conditions and, as Matt mentions, it does work. My experience at towing, however, is limited. Cheers, John Winters Redwing Designs Web site address, http://home.ican.net/~735769 *************************************************************************** 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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