Mark Paxton wrote: > > Stranded boaters are commonplace at the only place around Monterey Bay where > they could possibly get stuck (aside from the occasional halibut fisherman > whose motor stalls just outside the break on a lee shore). Elkhorn slough > is a tidal estuary with deep (bottomless?) muck. On any given weekend, you > can count on finding some people floating on the black goo, waiting for the > tide to release them from their folly. > > Most are cautious enough not to get out of their boats. Those who do > quickly learn how deep this stuff is. It'll suck your shoes, maybe even > pants, off in a thrice! Worse, yet, a person can get so thoroughly stuck that when the water returns as teh tide rises, it is impossible to generate enough positive buoyancy *fast enough* to "re-float" yourself out of the muck! People have drowned from that ... caveat muckers! The word around here is that if you fall into deep, thigh-sucking mud, your best survival tactic is to wallow/swim/crawl your way to firmer ground. Joel Rogers has a hilarious description in one of his books of just such a self-extraction from Willapa Bay (WA) mud, Nikon and all! -- Dave Kruger Astoria, OR *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Sun Sep 24 2000 - 00:18:53 PDT
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