I can't help weighing in and recommending a minimum volume cockpit, so the boat can be paddled while flooded, and a hands-free pump, notwithstanding that some list subscribers may immediately fall asleep at the mere mention. People usually prefer to have the same old problems, rather than cope with the change required for a new solution. "All I can figure is that few people ever practice pumping the kayak dry after reentering it." What do they do, paddle around in a cold bath after re-entry? "If more did practice this, there would be an even stronger argument for hands-free pumping systems. (Or dry boat re-entry techniques)" Exactly right, IMHO. I find it nothing short of amazing that Matt, having come up with a cutting edge hull shape, avoids bulkheads in preference for bags and sea socks. Bulkheads allow both minimizing the cockpit volume, and fixing a foot-pump on the forward bulkhead, or an electric on the rear. The stress riser argument against bulkheads doesn't hold if the bulkhead is relatively thin and slightly less than tight fit. Matt, have you ever had a boat with a good foot pump? All this clowning around with a fixed outrigger and hand pumping can be avoided. I should add that I usually take a paddlefloat, for the certainty of a paddlefloat re-enter and roll. But I'd try everything else before resorting to it. And hand pumping is a joke in rough conditions that have caused a capsize. Far better to paddle away while pumping. A good near-death experience from time to time might lead to a re-evaluation of the false comfort of carrying a paddlefloat and a hand-pump. Reading this over, it sounds a little strident, but so does Matt. Cheers, PT. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
"Just place the free blade under the cockpit thigh brace and hold it with your leg, while pumping." Rafael, doesn't this mean that the spray skirt is not attached? If so, there is a risk of taking a wave on board and flooding again as you pump. So perhaps this jam-under-the-thigh-brace outrigger is useful to get rid of a bit of water quickly, while stabilised with the outrigger, then paddle away and finish the job with a foot pump. I will try it next opportunity. "would love to use PeteŽs approach if I could get a hold of a foot pump or electric pump." I'm sure the ingredients would be available for both. Rule electric pumps originate in the U.S.A. They would probably be available from a mail order marine supplier. Get the 500 gpm model. The 2 to 4 amp hour gel cell batteries are used for security alarms and hospital equipment, and are available here from chain store electronic suppliers. Do you have Tandy Electronics in Mexico? A waterproof switch comes from the marine suipplier. Or if you want a really slick switch, the best I've seen, check out http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/, search for Issue 49 of the newsletter, and look under "recessed deck switches". Instructions for putting the pump together can be found at Laurie Ford's website, which doesn't seem to be working just now. My club, the Victorian Sea Kayak Club, now has a website, http://www.vskc.org.au/. I'll see if instructions for electric pump fitting can be included as soon as possible. Simple reliable foot pumps mounted on the front bulkhead can be made from converted cheap Taiwanese hand bilge pumps, see http://www.nswseakayaker.asn.au/, search for Norm Sanders and bilge pumps. You bolt it to the front bulkhead, cut off the lever a little, and bungy it under the deck. The input tube shown by Norm isn't vital, just take a plastic tube straight down to within a centimetre or so of the bilge. Or see Peter Carter's notes at http://www.canoesa.asn.au/ed/seakayak.html or http://users.senet.com.au/%7Epcarter/pumps.html for internal spring modified designs. BTW, the Performa II looks like a great boat. Send over a spare mould :-). Cheers, PT *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
At 08:03 a.m. 29/07/2003 +1000, Peter Treby wrote: >"Just place the free blade under the cockpit thigh brace and hold it with >your leg, while pumping." >Rafael, doesn't this mean that the spray skirt is not attached? If so, there >is a risk of taking a wave on board and flooding again as you pump. So >perhaps this jam-under-the-thigh-brace outrigger is useful to get rid of a >bit of water quickly, while stabilised with the outrigger, then paddle away >and finish the job with a foot pump. I will try it next opportunity. Now that you mention it and Matt Broze mentioned it as well, I donŽt see any difficulty in having the blade-under-the-thigh-brace outrigger in place with the sprayskirt on top. The reason being that the paddle shaft leaves on the mid cockpit to your right side and therefore the spray skirt may be pretty tight in front, left side and back side , and only leave a small space on the right side ( to mention one) where you can also slide the hand pump. Therefore, after the reentry and roll, you place the outrigger with the blade under the thigh brace, then place the sprayskirt, then pump out, then get the outrigger out and close the remaining piece of sprayskirt, remove the paddlefloat and continue paddling. For this reason I am doing the following: 1.- Tomorrow IŽll go to the lake with a friend and cameras and video and IŽll film the rescue procedure. IŽll load it on my webshots and give the reference to paddlewisers so that they can see the details of this rescue technique. Of course it will not be the same on big waves but can not get those right away neither a good photographer under rough conditions. 2.- I am calling this technique the MEXICAN RESCUE. 3.- The video will show the pumping out with the spray skirt on and the blade-thigh-brace-paddlefloat-outrigger on place. 4.- Finally, IŽll add to my kayaks a velcro type shaft holder on the right side, so that after placing the blade under the thigh braces, the shaft will be fixed to the boat and the kayaker will totally have both hands free to take pictures, eat, fish, pee, pump out or whatever. 5.- IŽll demo the "Mexican Rescue" technique under witnesses, instructors and public, in the Memorial Day Surffest in Corpus Christi. See details of Surffest at. <http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/kircus_trips/>http://www.angelfire.com/pa5/kircus_trips/ Finally if you were not joking and would like some molds of the Performa II we can talk about it off line. Thanks for your input, Best Regards, Rafael el cayucochief www.mayanseas.com pictures at http://community.webshots.com/user/cayucochief *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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