On Wednesday 23 May 2007 12:49, Jan Axelson wrote: Hej Jan! > I belong to a "Friends of..." group that is hosting an informal, > 2-hour paddle tour for the general public next month. The water we'll > be on is an easy paddle - a shallow, sluggish river and small lake - > and we'll be traveling slowly, but some of us are concerned about > liability if something goes wrong. I estimate 10-20 paddlecraft will > show up. Any kind of paddlecraft? In any kind of repair? All without sprayskirts? All ages? That's quite a bunch, the more the merrier maybe, but also harder to keep together! Questions, questions ... > I'm aware of these ways to reduce problems: > > Require wearing PFDs. > Assign members to monitor the group, including at least one person to > bring up the rear. > Require proof of wet-exit ability for kayakers. We won't require this > for this trip. > Cancel if windy or if storms threaten. I would like to have good communication, within the group and to shore: of appropriate types - if withing Coast Guard range, a VHF, otherwise cellular phones, in watertight boxes/bags, easy to reach. Also some communication means (there are lots of cheap walkie-talkies available) for communication between the leader(s) and 'tailend charlies' overseer, tha above assigned member(s). VHFs work well for intergroup comms, too! These evidently are people not used to roll, so extra care is needed - an accidental capsize should be planned for, as anyone unused to paddling can have a mishap, and so can experienced guys! It needs nothing more than a powerboat, or jetski, screaming past to upset the beginner, or the out-of-practice. Equally effective is a freak wave, or the wind suddenly veering, or ... So how do you plan for such an unlikely event? Ideally, a seaworthy RIB, or similar, with experienced crew on standby (or, better, tailing the group at a safe distance). A pair of Kruger canoes, joint in catamaran fashion, is also a possibility. But the crew must be well trained! A Klepper Ae II / XXL with outriggers could also be of much help! Use of tow-ropes need experienced, strong towers! In short, some way of keeping the group together, and some way of aiding/rescueing those that end up in the water! > And these ways to reduce liability: > > Signed release form specific to the event. I've seen examples ranging > from one paragraph to pages of legal disclaimers. > Insurance (not an option for our group at this point). > Incorporating the group. (Our state (WI) apparently offers some > protection for members of "unincorporated associations" as well.) The legal you'll have to ask someone else! Tord *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed May 23 2007 - 05:57:10 PDT
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