Re: [Paddlewise] Your rolling stories

   A number of years ago I did a trip to Anacapa Island, a small island 
about 12 miles off the coast of Southern California, with a couple of 
buddies. As it turned out, Ed Gilliet was taking some people over at the 
same time, so we just combined the two two groups and crossed together. 
About four hours later we all arrived at the landing cove, which 
requires each paddler to climb out of their boat, one at a time, and up 
a steel rung ladder to the top of the dock, perhaps ten or twelve feet 
above the water. Ropes were lowered and fastened to the ends of the 
kayak, and then the kayak was pulled up by two people to the top of the 
dock. It's a long, laborious process, but all part of the adventure.
   I had set up along the dock to help each paddler exit their boat, and 
then tie the ropes to the ends of the kayaks in preparation for the 
lift. This was all made more difficult by a constant surge washing 
through the landing cove raising and lowering the boats by five or six 
feet with each wave. At one point I suddenly felt my boat began to lean, 
and before I even knew what was happening I was under water! Apparently 
my rudder, which was up on the boat at the time, had been cocked to the 
side, and as a surge in the sea came in and lifted the boat, the rudder 
had gotten caught between the rungs of one of the steel ladders that 
extended down into the water from the top of the dock, and I was simply 
levered into a capsize.
   As I realized what had happened I tried to set up to roll, only to 
find that I kept hitting the hulls of the other boats crowded around me 
to the point that I could not even get my paddle out of the water. So I 
switched to roll up on the other side and did not have enough room 
between myself and the dock to get my paddle out. Refusing to come out 
of the boat I opened my eyes underwater to see what I could see, and lo 
and behold, right beside me was one of the docks ladders! So I dropped 
my paddle, and while still seated in my boat, I climbed hand over hand 
up the ladder until I was once again upright. I then looked over at Ed, 
who was sitting calmly in his boat only a couple of feet away grinning 
from ear to ear and he commented "nice job of scrapping." Gee, thanks Ed :-)

Scott
So.Cal.
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