[Paddlewise] Sea Kayakers Behavior

I got this heads-up from a fellow PaddleWiser:

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Hey, Ralph -- did you see this?

http://www.paddling.net/sameboat/
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Basically it is an article made up of two parts.  The first part is of
boorish behavior by a bunch of kayakers who pull up on to a dock on a
private island in broad daylight and then proceed to defecate, pee,
crawl all over the place.  The second part has to do with the Commando
Camping section of the Camping section of my book in which I go through
the necessity of sometimes having to commando camp (I believe, BTW, that
I coined the phrase...not the practice as I know kayakers and long range
bicyclists have done this for just about forever) and suggesting ways of
doing so that are non-disruptive to the property and privacy of the
location.

The author of the article takes me to task for what I wrote.  While like
any good author she does pitch her quotes from my book to prove her
point, they are not out of context although parts are left out that have
more provisos than I guess she could get into her column.

My problem with her column is a question of balance.  While it makes for
a good column for her to put the two parts of the article together (the
guys trashing the island and my suggestions for non-obtrusive commando
camping when you need to camp on private property or not sleep that
night at all, I believe it lacks a perception of degrees and a sense of
balance.  One form of behavior is offensive and disrespectful, the other
not offensive and disrespectful.

Anyway, this may be a good place to discuss the parameters of behavior
of kayakers.  I would like your take on this in PaddleWise.

I think there are degrees of behavior.  My advice of the need of
commando camping was toward being unobtrusive and only when you have
little choice in a long-range paddling situation.

BTW, on the question of asking permission, I made a distinction in the
book between asking permission to camp of a property owner in a remote
area (my suggestion is always ask in such a situation) and in a
populated area (my suggestion is not ask).  I was thinking of vacation
home people mainly in the latter.  A farmer in a remote place will
almost aways say yes.  A vacation home owner is more resentfully
guarding of his property and will likely say no and call the sheriff or
make a citizen's arrest.

ralph diaz  

-- 
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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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