Re: [Paddlewise] Sea Kayaker - Feb

I'd love a power boater to not be on the lookout and head straight for me - 
as long as I was paddling in rock gardens. :-)

Having been involved is sea kayaking here in Victoria for just under 30 
years now I can allude to a number of anecdotal reports of power boaters who 
unfortunately had full visuals on various paddling acquaintances, whereby 
these paddlers either singularly or with a partner were circled closely, 
passed closely on purpose, or worse, harassed. Usually young, or youngish 
and drinking liquor, these were the boaters to be feared. One paddler/sailor 
I know got to the point where his next kayak and his wife's were ordered in 
Sea Green.

I ran a high-vis flag for many years until I started spending more of my 
time away from the well-traveled areas. Playing in current near boat traffic 
is also another place to think through your visibility. Canoes also are much 
easier to spot on the water all things being equal. Low slung craft like 
kayaks must be given some means of visibility and I think paddles are the 
best first option. Always, always on an open water trip or long crossings on 
fltter water, the paddlers are the first thing you see - even paddles not 
specifically modified for high-vis. I notice Freya ditched the black for her 
Aussie adventure.

One note: good retroreflective tape isn't cheap and is a bear to remove for 
restoration work.

As for groups of kayakers interacting with boaters in confined marinas and 
tight but navigable waterways, proper pre-launch discussions should be the 
norm. They rarely are in my experience with group paddle outings.

I can't preach to the choir on these issues as I take a dynamic shift from 
the typical prudence exhibited on Paddleswise. Ships, ferries, displacement 
hull craft under full throttle, as well as various hydrofoil vessels are all 
fodder for my personal kayak play. Fortunately, only a small percentage of 
paddlers like me consider GT and Deadweight Tonnage values as a measurement 
of their day's adrenaline fix. Although, there are a few safety writters out 
there for who unabashed wake-riding is nirvana.

Doug Lloyd


> On Tue, Jan 27, 2009 at 6:31 PM, Dave Kruger <kdruger_at_pacifier.com> wrote:
>
>>
>> That said, almost every single accident or near-accident involving kayaks
>> and power boaters I know of has involved blatant disregard (or 
>> ignorance --
>> the difference can be noted on your grave stone, I suppose) of the rules 
>> by
>> the power boater.  So, what "good" does it do you to know the rules if 
>> the
>> prime cause of a threat to you is somebody else's ignorance or 
>> incompetence?
>
>
> There is not much kayakers can do about the ignorance of the Rules by 
> other
> boaters except, as several have noted, to follow the "tonnage rule" (e.g.:
> stay out of the way of anything bigger). This is often difficult to do 
> when
> we (inevitably) cross channels. Mike Euritt's notes regarding the 
> visibility
> of colors is important to remember. We should start thinking of our 
> paddles
> as our primary attention-getting device and use some of that new
> retro-reflective tape on them so that, as we wave them around, the light
> reflected off them rises above the ambient noise of the water. Werner
> Paddles should take note... my new paddles from them are jet black and 
> it's
> going to take a heck of a lot of tape. Pam just paints hers with green
> luminescent paint.
>
> There are a lot more kayakers out there now and that means that boaters
> *should* be aware of the potential hazards. I still think the best defense
> is to stay in waters that power boats are afraid of (near shore and
> shallow), cross channels as quickly as possible, and be especially 
> cautious
> around marinas and public beaches.
>
>
>> I now own and use a power boat, and took the required Oregon safe boating
>> course, which illuminated the nature of the liability and hazards of 
>> using
>> such a craft.  And here is the caveat:  stuff can happen so fast in a 
>> power
>> boat you have to pay attention ... to a much greater degree than we do.
>> Transitioning from one mode to the other was a real eye-opener for me. 
>> We
>> won't discuss my docking skills. [grin]
>>
>> The speed at which *stuff* happens on a powerboat at 25 or 30 kts is 
>> simply
> breathtaking. On a kayak you can get lost in your thoughts for a few 
> minutes
> while you're paddling along and maybe cover a hundred yards. But if you 
> lose
> focus at the wheel of a powerboat moving at 30kts for 60 seconds you've
> covered half a mile! A lot of things can happen in half a mile.
>
> I know I'm preaching to the choir in this as we are all scared spitless by
> power boats (and if you're not, you should be), but if a power boat driver
> shifts attention to finding a chart (oh... wait... ok then, more ice for 
> his
> drink) from driving then you have a missile running around and it's just 
> us
> and the rocks that are the speed bumps.
>
> As for docking, believe it or not that is actually easier in a larger and
> heavier boat than it is in a lightweight and maneuverable bartender.
>
> Craig
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************