RE: [Paddlewise] throw bag construction

> -----Original Message-----
> From: wanewman_at_uswest.net [mailto:wanewman_at_uswest.net]
> 
> Shock loading is the key and I am a strong proponant of 
> having a bungie cord on
> the end of tow line especially if you are going light on you 
> line diameter.  To
> answer the question do I want the tow line to snap while 
> towing my friend in
> rough conditions?  If  keeping the tow in place is going to 
> pull on my body or
> the rear deck ofmy kayak with hundreds of pounds of force I 
> would pray for the
> line to part before the back of my British heavy gets ripped open.

  While I agree with almost everything wanewman wrote, let's not forget the
importance of having a good quick-release in _any_ towing system.  There's
no way I would ever want my body ripped forcibly from my kayak (belt tow
system) because the strength of my tow line was too high ----- I want to
always be able to decide to abort the tow at any time because of perceived
danger (the relationship between real and perceived danger is another thread
in and of itself and has been flogged around several times in the list).  I
wouldn't want to rely on the fact that _the system_ would fail before the
tow-er was put into a dangerous or position.
  I think that we're really all in agreement on this issue, but I just
wanted to stress the quick release concept in case someone fairly new to the
sport or the idea of towing hooks into this thread.

Dave Seng
Juneau, Alaska
(heading for Anchorage and snow for a few days)
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