Re: [Paddlewise] Kayakers helping others

I had an interesting experience in the fog also.  I launched at the downtown 
marina which is protected from the bay by a long rock breakwater.  Visibility 
was only 10 to 20 yards.  I paddled right next to the concrete pier walls and 
then at the closest point to the breakwater (I could see it), I sprinted 
across and got right up against the rocks.  Powerboats and sailboats stay 
well away from the breakwater since it is shallow and the rocks have spread 
out underwater in a few spots.  I was just going to paddle back and forth 
down the mile of breakwater until the fog cleared or I got bored.   I reached 
the channel opening through the breakwater and stopped to get a drink of 
water.  As I was sitting there I heard voices. A few mintues later I could 
just barely make out a sailboat coming my way.  From the conversation it was 
clear that they were having trouble finding the exit to the bay. I heard a 
woman say something like "There's the bouy turn to the right." . The only 
problem was it was the wrong bouy and they were headed right for me.  I was 
safe since I was sitting on a wide flat in about 6 in of water just off the 
channel, but they were in danger of running aground pretty quickly.  I still 
could not actually see the people on board but clearly heard the continuing 
conversation concerning which direction to take.   So I yelled "Wrong bouy.  
Go to your left.  Go to your left".  There was this sudden silence.  I could 
just imagine them thinking "Who or what is out there?"  I yelled again and 
this time the woman's voice repeated my directions.  A couple of minutes 
later they passed by in mid-channel and I waved.  I think they were as happy 
to find out where the VOICE had come from as they were to find the exit to 
the bay.

Mark J. Arnold
MJAkayaker_at_aol.com
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