Re: [Paddlewise] Bow Painters

 Since we'd been using them as examples lately, WW kayaks rarely have bow painters.  --Sometimes rear painters set up to be used as towlines.  Entanglements are a real risk not only for the paddler but for the boat.  I recollect an instance where a wayward rope caught on a submerged strainer and pulled the whole boat under water.  -- Nothing the paddler could do.  Nonetheless it could become a safety aid as something a swimmer can grab on to.  
     A few paddlers have used a short piece (about 24 inches) of 2 inch wide webbing attached to the rear grabhandle.  That's grabbable with cold hands but minimizes entanglement.  This could work on the bow as well.
     I also remember one who used a long piece of webbing that went much closer to the cockpit.  That was for something to grab on to in case of a vertical pin -- something unlikely to happen in deeper waters...
Joe P.

-----Original Message-----
>Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Bow Painters
>
>I wouldn't use any line that occasionally tangles in my paddle when I  
>try to roll.  When you really need a roll, something that tangles can  
>become a life or death decision.  I'd encourage you to consider why  
>you really need a bow line.  I've been paddling for several years  
>from conditions as benign as lakes to dynamic as the open ocean of  
>the Oregon coast and have never found the need for a bow line, (or  
>stern line!)
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