Re: [Paddlewise] Rescue Practice Report

"Steve Holtzman" sh_at_actglobal.net wrote:
<SNIP>>>>>>>Cleopatra's needle is when a front or rear hatch is flooded and
the boat
floats vertically and looks like a needle sticking out of the ocean. I
believe the name was given by Derek Hutchinson. He also devised the "curl
rescue" to solve this difficult rescue situation.
For those who have been asking, a brief description of the "cuurl rescue" is
for the swimmer to reach across the rescuers boat and rest his forearms on
the deck. The rescuer in the boat than leans his boat rowards the capsized
boat while the swimmer grabs it with his hands. The rescuer then rights his
boat while at the same time, the swimmer is performing the same move one
does when "curling" weights, ie bend your arms up at the elbows while your
forearms stay on the deck of the rescue boat.<<<<<<<<<

While I first read of this rescue in a manuscript of what at the time was
tentatively titled "Manual of Sea Kayaking" by Derek (around 1985 I
think-his first U.S. published book-which has evolved into "Expedition
Kayaking"). I have serious doubts that Derek was the inventor of this rescue
because he described and pictured it so poorly. Hardly like someone might do
who had intimate knowledge of the procedure. Steve's explanation above is
much better than Derek's. Derek had the elbows pressing on the deck instead
of the forearms (as Steve correctly described above) I just checked the
fourth edition (1995--reprinted in 2000) of Derek's "The Complete Book of
Sea Kayaking" (and also "Expedition Kayaking" 4th ed. 1999) to see if he
improved the picture and description since then. Other than colorize the
pictures he hadn't. The text still reads: "His elbows must come to rest on
the foredeck, jammed tightly in place by the weight they are supporting" and
later "all the weight is taken by his elbows-he should not try to lift". He
did say in "Expedition Kayaking" that it wasn't meant to completely empty
the flooded kayak just to make it possible to perform one of the other
rescues. Here is part of an eight page letter I wrote him at the time I
first read it about in his manuscript way back then in the mid-80's.

The curl:  This was a new one on me and it looked like it
could solve many of the problems with the boat over boat rescues.
I tried it at the next pool session.  I couldn't make it work
even with an empty kayak with bulkheads.  I would lever my legs
up under the kayaks and I bruised my elbows but could not get
good leverage on the kayak.  If this works it is going to need a
better description  than was in the manuscript.  Maybe you only
meant it to dump some of the water out of a vertical kayak and in
my wishful thinking I wanted it to dump all the water out of a
swamped kayak quickly to avoid a long pump job.  If this is the
case the curl's limitations should be made clear.

At the next practice session I figured out that if you replaced "elbows"
with "forearms" as the part of ones anatomy contacting the deck this dumping
technique could work. In fact, it is about the only good way I know to
recover from the "Cleopatra's Needle" position (a position easily assumed by
any kayak that has lost or lacks flotation in one end). It's not quick and
easy but it is doable and well worth knowing and practicing. Despite my
doubts about its origins, I see in the 1984 third edition of "Sea Canoeing"
Derek claims credit for "devising" it "some years ago, after having the
problem thrust upon me in the middle of Lake Windermere".  (It is unclear to
me if this means it was during a real emergency rescue situation--or a
"problem" thrust on him during a BCU training session). Maybe he forgot just
how he did it when he was back in his study writing about it or possibly he
"devised" it and someone else took care of the execution. It is hard to see
why he keeps repeating the same "elbows" misinformation in each subsequent
edition.

Looking up all these references lead me to read Derek's (apparently off the
top of his head) history and description of the Paddle Float Rescue. Gads,
Derek just seems to have a penchant for not checking his facts and for
getting things wrong (even if he once knew the reality). He got a couple of
things right.

Matt Broze
http://www.marinerkayaks.com
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