[Paddlewise] Odds n' Ends

I apologized for the poor grammar of my last few posts - it has been one
of those kind of weeks.

I phoned around to see what kind of summer some of my friends had.

One paddler of 10 years, whose male counterpart and paddling partner had
a spot of trouble off the West Coast of the island here, had an
interestig tale. They were crossing from the Grassy Islands back to
Rugged Point (see Michael Blades book for details on this area). As
predicted, afternoon winds kicked up, though a little sooner than
expected. The crossing was going well, until the companion of my friend
"suddenly lost it." He became distraught with thoughts of his imminent
demise. He had no roll. I know it can get unusually bouncy out there due
to a number of factors, but his behavior was apparently out of
character, completely. My friend had to continually raft up, forcing his
partner to look him in the eyes and take deep breaths, while my friend
continually gave him words of encouragement. The two have paddled
extensively, and no explanation was offered regarding his companion,
other than the fellow who became unreasonably fearful generally is the
more cautious of the two and simply and suddenly figured he was out of
his element. It did sound like my acquaintance handled the panicking
paddler with grace and assertiveness, helping him to complete the
crossing safely. I remember Dave Kruger had a friend he'd take out
paddling where elements of fear needed to be ameliorated with ongoing
focus (if I remember correctly). I guess this kind of action would be
second nature to someone in the guiding industry.

The second story comes from the top of Vancouver Island, where a rental
outfitter transacted by phone with a mother (and her young daughter) to
take a double out camping and view Orca whales. The client had given
assurances over the phone that they were well seasoned and capable of
self sufficiency. When my friend arrived to meet the paddlers and drop
of the boat, presented before him was a rather heavy lady, out of shape,
contrasted with a 12-year old daughter who was below-average in size and
strength. Further inquiries revealed the two had no charts, minimal
gear, and barely the strength to move the double to the beach.
Skill-sets were minimal, but the double WAS a stable model. After some
soul-searching and a continual barrage of intended pacifiers by the
mother to allay fears, the outfitter released the double to the ka-ching
of a Visa card. Pickup was in two days.

Apparently, the two got caught up in some contraindicating tides
(normally an easy negotiation in a fast double) and were not able to
land at their destination. They floated by helplessly, but eventually
did manage to land their large craft of a rocky outcropping much later,
one with no other egress, just off shore near an open section of the
strait. It was a long, cold night on the rocks, with just enough room to
sit and tie the kayak off. The young girl showed a bit of ingenuity,
proving her gene pool still has hope, and raised a PFD on her paddle and
waved it at a passing seiner in the early morning light. They caught the
bright PFD, and came over quickly. The skipper deployed his skiff, came
over, and promptly asked them if they needed breakfast -- and a lift. He
was a quick study and a man of few words or derogatory inclination. He
transported the two, sans kayak and gear, eventually returning them to
the put in. When my friend eventually arrived for pick-up, the young
girl ran up, very excited about her story. It was a happy ending, and
apparently her and her mother had gotten real close. Yeah, I guess so.
My friend was happy too. No dead clients; no massive search; no
injuries; and not even a scratch on the newer double. Bonus. The
paddlers were from Washington State. The mother had been on a guided
trip once before to the area I believe, so thought she had things
figured out. The tides were not unusually strong -- they just could not
muster the energy to counter the currents, or know enough to use them to
advantage by planning around them.

As always, be prepared.

And as a great hero of 9/11 used to say:  "Lets roll!"    -- or at least
work on your roll if you frequent rougher waters and are in the
appropriate craft for it.

Doug Lloyd
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