[Paddlewise] Tradgedy Averted

Although Vancouver Island hasn't had many storms this winter, nor the
rainfall we so desperately needed, we have had a few intense systems
move through. I wasn't going to mention the following incident, but all
the recent talk about dangerous amounts of water and cockpit volume has
drawn me out.

Last week we had a squall blast through, but it was later in the
evening. Wild wind and rainfall was prodigious, but short lived. My
kayak's cockpit almost completely filled with water -- and I wasn't even
sea kayaking.

Actually, I had put the kayak away on the exterior kayak rack, high
alaong the fence line, after getting home late from some normal gale
paddling. I was tired, did not place the cockpit cover on, and did not
invert the kayak over onto the padded racks as I normally would have.
So, it filled with water and came crashing down in the night with a huge
thud. The extra reinforcing proved beneficial once again. And, oh yeah,
my heavy Nordkapp, even heavier with the added water, narrowly missed my
wife's budding Tulips below. It was a very close call indeed.

Doug Lloyd (who's trying to stay in his wife's good books)

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