[Paddlewise] Jetskis and missiles

Jerry Hawkins wrote

>Here's a new topic - Jetskis.

Here is a very old topic .... I think .....;-)


Never had a problem with Jetskis, they are a very rare species in these parts,
tend to be limited to a kilometre of their associated BMW, and thus tend to occupy
a rather different habitat to my preferred paddling venues. When I have
encountered them, I've rather enjoyed surfing their wakes :-)

A bit horrified by the stories of harassment by thrown rocks etc. Again not really
an issue where I paddle ..... although I was once hit on the head by an egg while
helping out with so called 'canoe safety' for a local charity river raft race (NB
in these parts canoe = kayak, and also may = the rarer canadian variant). Came as
a complete surprise and luckily had on a helmet (forewarned is forearmed).
Amazingly pissed off nonetheless, both by the volume of the impact (eggy and
audible under the lid), and the clean up ..... tricky trying to explain the fact
that some of it was still in my hair a week later at the barbers :-). Almost makes
me feel sympathy for Bill Gates.

The boat clubs on the river in Aberdeeen occasionally have problems from kids
trying to lob rocks from bridges onto passing crews .... amazing how anyone would
be stupid enough to throw rocks at the fittest testosterone loaded 18 stone dudes
in town ... stops after the boaties throw one of the toe-rags over the bridge
after their rock.

There was a story, apocryphal or not I'm not sure, of some Cambridge students
replacing the large stone spheres on the parapet of one of the ancient bridges
over the Cam with painted polystyrene balls, then 'acting' the effort of pushing
them off into the path of a punt filled with Japanese tourists, armed to the
gunwales with nikons and camcorders (for the uninitiated, a punt is a flat water
river craft loosely resembling a low freeboard canoe or small gondola. It is
propelled, by a pole, along the Cam and the Thames by Pimms drinking students and
tourists)  ..... the story going that the happy oriental punters promptly
abandoned ship along with all photographic equipment.  Very funny I'm sure.

.... The only missiles that come my way while paddling are of avian origin, and
are a hazard I'm prepared to live with ...

Cheers

Colin Calder
57º19'N  2º10'W

***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not
to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
Website:         http://www.paddlewise.net/
***************************************************************************