Re: [Paddlewise] Jetski incident

At 10:30 PM 4/12/01 +0000, Wes Boyd wrote:

[lots of stuff snipped, a few comments in line]

>AAbout 11:30 AM local time on April 8, I was kayaking with two friends, Tom
>Macomber and Tim Berry, both of Fremont, IN.  As the ice went off the 
>lakes only
>a couple weeks before, the water temperature could not have been warmer
>than about 40 degrees and could have been less.

It probably was. The lake here doesn't freeze over and it was 38 degrees
last weekend.

>Macomber has about my level
>of experience, and we have frequently paddled together. Berry, though a
>practiced canoeist, is relatively inexperienced in kayaks, and was in his
>new boat for only the second time.

The sounds pretty risky for those conditions.



[harrowing encounter with jet skier snipped]

>-------------------------
>ADDENDUM: LESSONS LEARNED
>-------------------------
>
>The above statement was written at the request of the conservation officer,
>and has been slightly edited for length. The operator of the jetski was
>ticketed. We are considering civil action.

Ticketed?  He should have been arrested for attempted murder, or assault
at the very least.  I'd have a talk with the district attorney.



>Objectively, we were inadequately dressed for immersion, but were otherwise
>well balanced for the day. I was wearing polarfleece, with a lightweight
>paddling jacket, and it had been uncomfortably warm in the sun, even
>heading into the wind. Heading downwind on the way back across the Otter
>Lakes, in dry clothes -- again polarfleece with the same paddling jacket --
>I became quite warm in the nearly 80 degree temperatures.

It sounds like you were definitely underdressed and are lucky to come
out of the incident unscathed.


>We were too far from shore in the conditions. Even a hundred yards closer
>in might have meant many things could have gone differently. We were
>probably a little too far spread out, but in retrospect it would have just
>made it easier for the young punk, so that's six of one, half dozen of the
>other. Macomber has since commented that had we been close enough together
>to raft up we might have been able to avoid dumping.

That's a good point.  Even if two of you could have rafted up it would
have been a much more stable platform.  If the three of you rafted up
I doubt that he could have dumped anyone without actually running into
you.


>We have got to spend more time in getting proficient with rescue techniques
>and rolls. However, in this circumstance, I believe Berry and I were safer
>in the water while the young punk was still around. Once he left, in the
>circumstances we were in and considering our inadequate recovery skills, we
>were probably better off going to shore than trying any sort of midwater
>rescue.

I definitely agree that you should work on both solo and assisted rescue
techniques.  There are lots of different assisted rescues techniques that
can be practiced.  You might want to try using a rope stirrup to help
reentry.  I can describe a couple of different boat-over-boat techniques
back channel if you'd like.  I don't buy the idea that you were better off
in the water. If you had done an assisted rescue you would have ended up
in a rafted up position and been more stable.


>Berry, who is pretty close to my size, was paddling a fiberglass Perception
>Eclipse, which is a very snug fit on him. He had difficulty getting the
>spray skirt off and exiting the cockpit, swallowing some water, and in fact
>got an abrasion on his leg from his wet exit. The thigh braces on that boat
>have since had a date  with a dremel tool.

Sounds like he could use more practice doing wet exits in controlled 
conditions.  Even a very snug fitting boat shouldn't be that difficult
to wet exit.  My guess is that he probably panicked a bit and lots of
practice would definitely help there.  Exiting after an intentional
capsize until it becomes a slow, deliberate exercise will make it much
easier when an unintentional capsize occurs.  After a few unintentional
capsizes and wet exits he won't even think twice about it.


>I, on the other hand, could
>stand for better thigh braces in my Nimbus Telkwa, as there was a
>possibility that I could have managed roll back upright had I been able to
>stay in the boat.


Been there, done that.  In a class I was helping teach last year I was
showing someone how to do a hip snap off the bow of my boat and she
capsized and pulled my bow over sideways and didn't let go.  I braced
myself right out the cockpit.



>Clearing the swamped boat of water was difficult, even with a hand pump,
>which wouldn't pick up the last few gallons. The water remaining in the
>boat made handling difficult getting back to dry land. The boat will have
>an electric pump in the near future, if for no more reason than that is one
>less thing to have to deal with in a swamping and recovery situation with
>limited time and strength available. For the same reason, I plan to start
>carrying a solid paddle float when in cold water conditions.

I might also be a good idea to practice paddling your boat with the
cockpit partially flooded.  Wait until the water warms up.



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