Hi all, Reviewing the archived thread on leashes got me thinking, and I'd like to hear other people's perspectives. I fear some things that are good ideas on a sailboat may not be appropriate in a kayak. I know each person must weight the risks they are willing to endure and act accordingly. To me, leashing to the boat on a windy day seems to make a lot of sense as without a boat you ain't goin' nowhere. If you have a boat you need a paddle, so I'd leash either my primary paddle or, perhaps better yet my spare paddle to the boat. Intending to hold onto my primary I can dispense with the paddle leash and it's attending issues, but the back-up would be available if I couldn't. Perhaps I could even paddle with the back-up to the floating primary and retrieve it too once I'm sorted out, but it could be hard to find. To minimize the entanglement threat, I'm going to borrow the tether from my storm harness from the sailboat. It's a six-foot length of webbing with a wire gate carabiner on one end and a snap shackle on the other. The biner goes to the boat, the snap shackle to the paddler - perhaps to a strong point on the PFD. The harness itself could even be worn if you were knowingly heading out into a blow. The snap shackle has three large red beads threaded onto a short line that is attached to the shackle pull. The beads prevent snagging and provide something to grab when pulling. By design the snap shackle can be easily released when under load, and it opens to such an angle that it releases whatever it was clipped around. I carry a small dive knife on the shoulder of my pfd, but rather than take the time to find the knife then find the thing to cut and try not to cut anything I don't want to cut (like myself) the snap shackle is always in the same place and once found and pulled the tether is loose. Of course if tangled up the knife is still available. Comments? Fair winds, Carey *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Cary wrote: - >Reviewing the archived thread on leashes got me thinking... G'Day Cary, Welcome to Paddlewise I do the following: - Carry essential safety gear in my lifejacket (learnt this recently from Trevor Gardner NSWSKC). Always tether my paddle to the kayak using a telephone cord style surfboard tether with triple marine velcro strap at the paddle end. This is less likely to tangle than a line but can be noisy if you're in a really quiet environment (Matt pointed this out and he's right). I then hold on to the paddle if knocked from the boat. Carry spare paddles on the back deck of the kayak, blade ends near the cockpit, each held down using a closed loop of bungie at the stern and an open length of bungie anchored to the deck and slipped over the paddle shaft and around a hook on the deck. They are solidly held in surf but can be picked up very easily with a push sideways to release the bungee loop when needed. This works well but is not the best arrangement IMO. Putting them back is difficult at sea. The cleverest idea, very popular in my club, is to fit a fabric sock of shade cloth on the deck of the boat, blade end near the cockpit, so you can easily take the paddle out AND put it back while at sea. Not sure but I think the original idea was Andrew Eddies of NSWSKC. Very occasionally carry another surf tether fitted to the boat for hooking to my self, if alone and in really rough conditions. I would NEVER use this when landing, especially not in surf. I hardly ever use this, not being a fan of such rough weather. The personal tether thread was inspired by the story of the death of Lone Madsen. Always carry a knife on my PFD. Never had to use it except for taking oysters from rocks, but glad its there. Audrey Sutherland is a very well known and experienced kayaker who routinely uses a tether. Really appreciated Michael Daly showing us the link to her recent interview, http://www.cbc.ca/roundup/interviews/index.html . Wish I knew how to save it on my computer. Or can you buy it I wonder? Doug Lloyd wrote a good comprehensive article "Staying connected - the case for tethers" in Sea Kayaker in February 2000. All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
On 2 Sep 2003 at 7:15, PeterO wrote: > Audrey Sutherland is a very well known and experienced kayaker who > routinely uses a tether. Really appreciated Michael Daly showing us > the link to her recent interview, > http://www.cbc.ca/roundup/interviews/index.html . Wish I knew how to > save it on my computer. Or can you buy it I wonder? I really appreciate our national radio network being so accessible that I can ask them for it and they put it on the their web site the next day! You can save it (this assuming Windows - Macs are another thing entirely) by right clicking the play link and selecting "Save target as..." from the pop-up menu. It will then download the file. Mike *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Peter O. contacted me offline and pointed out that my directions for downloading the Sutherland sound file don't work. My apologies to those that tried. I only tested it to the point that "something" was downloading, but I didn't look at what it was until Peter pointed out the problem. The file downloaded is only 68 bytes and contains an rstp:\\ url. This appears to be a Real Audio transfer protocol (or something similar). I made a little web page and put the rstp: link in and tried downloading that, but no luck. Obviously, there's something here that standard html/browsers don't understand using using the usual "a href" techniques. Anyone know a way around this? I've been looking via google and haven't found anything that doesn't involve $$$. Sorry again, Peter. Mike *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Mike wrote: - >directions for downloading the Sutherland sound file don't work G'day, No worries Mike though it is a bit of a challenge. I might try contacting the Radio Network and asking them if they sell copies. Two of the many reasons I wanted to save this interview were Audrey's comments on the irrelevance of age to kayaking, and the description of how to cope with bears, just in case I meet one on the beaches of Sydney Harbour:~). All the best, PeterO *************************************************************************** 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 06:03 AM 9/3/2003 +1000, PeterO wrote: >Mike wrote: - > >directions for downloading the Sutherland sound file don't work > >G'day, > >No worries Mike though it is a bit of a challenge. I might try contacting >the Radio Network and asking them if they sell copies. Two of the many >reasons I wanted to save this interview were Audrey's comments on the >irrelevance of age to kayaking, and the description of how to cope with >bears, just in case I meet one on the beaches of Sydney Harbour:~). Her story about the bear she encountered that was 5' away is even better when she accompanies it with her slide show. She shows a couple of pictures of the bear outside from the day before, then a picture of the door of the shelter where she was eating dinner. You can clearly see the outline of the bear through the faded plastic on the door that covers the opening where the glass was broken out. The next slide shows the same door with a gigantic bear head filling up the opening. After everyone in the audiences gasps she says, "that didn't really happen...I doctored that picture with my computer". *************************************************************************** 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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