[Paddlewise] Is it just me ...?

On Saturday, Steve Young came back from his fourth or fifth trip in his new sea kayak, checked the web for kayaking lists in the greater Washington, DC area, found CPAKayaker, and posted a note about finding a derelict sea kayak and paddle in an eddy in the center of the Potomac River.  He was able to maneuver the boat into the shallows, get a throw bag from his kayak, empty the free-floater with his pump, and tow the kayak back to temporary safety at a boat house.  After a considerable time bouncing among government agencies, the Washington DC harbor police were declared the cognizant authority, and did, in fact, send a helicopter to the area to look over the situation.  As of Monday night, more than 50 hours later, there has not been a report of a missing boat from the owner, nor has there been the report of a missing kayaker from family or friends.  It's a long --- four day, for many --- weekend here in steamy Washington, and a lot of people are away or on the water or on t!
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heir own --- or in trouble.

Is it just me --- and I address this to PaddleWisers, in particular, and to Dr. Chuck Sutherland who may or may not be monitoring the other lists --- or is there something really strange about this situation?  Particularly now, this much later, and the owner of this kayak, a relatively new boat with personal gear aboard but no identification, has not reported it missing?  

The scenario: Steve, who is relatively new to kayaking, found the bulkheaded kayak adrift, cockpit full of water, wooden paddle floating nearby, circulating in an eddy where the Potomac is narrow, housed in a gorge.  Lots of turbulence.  No paddler in sight.  But the police, who see or recover many boats adrift, especially at this time of year, can do little with no other evidence.

What could be wrong?  Nothing, for one thing.  Carelessness or missed communications in police or DNR reporting of a lost boat?  Yes, it's possible.  Another scenario --- a lost paddler, out for the morning on the Potomac, an urban put-in where a car left for a night or two is not cause for concern.  No float plan --- for a morning paddle?  Nobody does that.  A four day weekend.  Nobody checks, or an answering machine takes calls.  No cause for alarm.  Yes, that's a possibility.

What do we do as paddlers to avoid this scenario?  Couldn't this happen to any of us who paddle by ourselves a lot?

This is information in process.  Steve is dogging the harbor police to see where they can or will take this matter.  Hopefully, it'll have a positive outcome.  We have to watch and wait.  And I don't like watching and waiting.  

Anyone else out there concerned?

Jack Martin
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