RE: [Paddlewise] Rental Boats: floating death traps?

From: Robert Woodard <woodardr_at_tidalwave.net>
Date: Thu, 14 Oct 1999 17:55:20 -0400
> Second, never extra flotation even in kayaks with no bulkheads.  Since
> the boats being rented tend to be wider kayaks, the boats will probably
> sink out of sight in a capsize that kept getting water in to the cockpit
> in attempts to re-enter.

A friend of mine, a novice in all respects, rented a boat with blown out
bulkheads! As it turned out, he did capsize (<-in flatwater - we had gone
over self and assisted rescues before getting 50 feet from the ramp) and we
quickly got him back in the boat. After we pumped it out, he kept telling me
it felt unstable. I thought it was just him (and having just capsized I
thought he seemed pretty unstable to start with) but once we landed I found
the back hatch 1/4 full of water.

I don't think I could ever recommend a rental shop to a novice. Even as a
fairly experienced beginner myself I would never have thought to inspect the
bulkhead seals.

Woody


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Received on Thu Oct 14 1999 - 15:02:13 PDT

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