[Paddlewise] getting rid of water using a ???????

merijn wijnen wrote:

Hi all,

I was really amazed about the amount of reactions on my mail about
selfbailers (actually, I really new that word, but lost it somewhere in
the mess under my skull).

The most interesting thing about the reactions is, that most people
say it won't work on a kayak.
<snip>
-------

I already have a selfbailer...its me! Joking aside, I think the CG
requires a bailer on most small vessels, including kayaks. I wonder if
those selfbailers you highlighted qualify. I'd like one. Heck, another
hole in my kayak :-)

Regardless of what bailer you do use, make darn sure you practice with
it first in some reasonably choppy conditions. I've taught workshops
where folks got a real big surprise when it came to actually pumping
their boats out with hand pumps. They were exhausted before completion.
The short-stroke pump is a bit slower, but may be a little easier to use
and less likely to bend the shaft. Depth of cockpit can also be a factor
with pump length.

Back to the selfbailer again, I know paddlers who will not even have a
skeg box in a kayak (for fear of potential leakage), let alone one of
these devices. The best drain remains the cockpit -- kayak inverted and
lifted of course. A bulkhead close to the back seat certainly helps.

DL


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