Doug wrote, "..., you could use a short towline, and tow backwards, keeping eye contact with the panicky person, so you remain close at hand if there is a problem and retaining the ability to offer encouragement." Wondering how the "contact tow" would work in a situation like this, Doug? Learned this at the Great Lakes symposium two summers back. In the terminology used there, the "contact tow" involves a piece of four mil line, about one meter long, and a stainless steel Wichart (or equivalent) protected clip at each end; the towing paddler comes up bow-on to the person needing assistance, slides up the side, and, with the towee (frequently exhausted, sick or injured --- or maybe just panicky) leaning over onto the bow of the towing boat, the hooks are connected at an easily reached foredeck fitting on the towing boat to a deck fitting on the foredeck of the panicky kayaker, and the towing kayaker can then paddle at a pretty good rate by reaching across the hull of the towee's kayak, while keeping good eye contact and providing encouragement to the towee. The towee has reasonable stability, maintaining a lower center of gravity and a "rafted" effect with the towing kayak. Might wo! ! rk well in this case. (And I wish I could draw on the computer!) Jack Martin *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Jan 26 2000 - 07:02:46 PST
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