RE: [Paddlewise] Nearly Fatal

Hi Alice and All,

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wildwater [mailto:wildoats_at_ionet.net]

> > Hmmm...  and what happens if your weather briefing is wrong?
> Personally I
> > would leave this one up to NOAA.  I would never want to be in a position
> > where I had told a client that I thought the weather forecast was
> > appropriate to make a particular crossing or trip.  In fact, I
> used to use
> > this as a screening device.  If someone said the weather
> forecast is such
> > and such do you think I would be ok going to xxx area?  I would
> usually say
> > I don't know what do you think?  If they had no means of deciding how a
> > particular forecast would affect a particular trip then they
> probably had no
> > business being there.
>
> Actually, I thought I would have an area set up where the
> customer could get the
> appropriate information from the NWS/NOAA and post water temps
> and conditions
> for the local area.

That sounds like a great idea and a really nice service to your customers.
A weather Kiosk.  My point was that often in the store people would ask "do
you think I can do xxx trip?"  I don't like answering that question because
what happens if I say "sure you can do it" and something awful happens.
What I like to do is describe the conditions that I have seen in a
particular area or talk about hazards that I know exist, and then let the
customer make their own call.  If I think someone is getting in way over
their heads I let them know that too.


> I see what you mean and who a float plan is filed with is up to
> them but they do
> have my equipment and if they haven't returned, I'm going to call
> whoever they
> filed with to see if perhaps it got late and they'll return the
> equip the next
> day or if they haven't returned, I'm going to be concerned that they are
> stranded somewhere.  I would want someone to do the same for me.
> You are right
> that the expectations need to be well defined and very clear.

I think you raise some good points and i would like to see where this goes.

I'm going to play devils advocate here.


Here is the scenario: it is Monday night and you have two boats that were
due in by close and as you count the till they still haven't come in.  The
customers have not taken any instruction from you but have taken a class
from another local company.  Lets say your company is big enough that you
have a couple of employees and these boats went out while you were out of
the shop running an errand.  They have filed a float plan with you and they
are paddling in a location that is aproximately five hours away from your
shops location.  The weather over the last couple of days has been
unseasonably blowy but no hurricanes.  What do you do?

 Cheers,

--
Rob Cookson
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety
deserve neither liberty nor safety"
Benjamin Franklin

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