[Paddlewise] dying at sea

I am not a "free climber"- one error and out!

I may die while paddling; I am sometimes out alone. I have a strong 
feeling that if I get in trouble, there won't be anyone coming to haul 
me safely out. I say that based on all the cases I have studied 
since Brian Insley died alone on Lake Winepesaukee in November 
1983, about two weeks after we paddled with him on Narragansett 
Bay, RI. I have several pictures of him, no PFD, from that trip. We 
didn't care about such things back then. He didn't have one on 
when he died in the wind storm, dressed in layers of fluffy crap as 
recommended by CANOE Magazine that fall. I still have a copy of 
that stupifying issue. Many boating agencies still recommend 
boaters dress in layers when going out on cold water. They refuse 
to say anything about wetsuits or drysuits even now in 2007.

I have said this before on this list, I may die out on big or a small 
trip, but I don't plan to die without a fight. I prepare and equip 
myself for that fight every time I go out.

It irritates me greatly when I go out with paddlers who are totally 
unprepared to fight- no pfd, dressed in heavy hiking boots, wearing 
layers of backcountry hiking clothes etc (thinking of a trip my wife 
and I took part in last fall). If they get in trouble, I will have to try to 
save them- no matter how difficult they have made the job. They 
brought 3 dogs, no spray skirts, one weak paddler in a (w)rec boat, 
unable to keep up. We terminated the trip when that paddler was 
too exhausted to continue and before we started out across an 
open section of Delaware Bay that certainly would have swamped 
both of their boats.

Chuck Sutherland
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