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From: James Farrelly <JFarrelly5_at_comcast.net> subject: [Paddlewise] rough double day Date: Sun, 3 May 2009 18:27:21 -0400 · This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:51 PDT

I took our baidarka double out with the boy off Tybee Island, Georgia  
USA through Jacks cut and around the front to finish at Alley 3. The  
sail was set after we fought our way out through the surf and a few  
minutes later struck when we couldnt get outside enough to avoid the  
rather large swells in front of Little Tybee. It got, um, interesting  
after awhile.

A link to a brief description of conditions that day. http:// 
savannahcanoeandkayak.blogspot.com/2009/05/5-star-surf-training-with- 
simon-hammond.html

We paddled the best line we could to keep our lumbering double safe.  
Its a great rough water boat but it isnt a fast boat. A rear  
quartering sea made the baidarka toboggan forward and gently fall  
back a bit with each swell. It was very controllable but the thought  
of a broach kept me uneasy. I didnt want to dump out there in those  
conditions. It would have been a long swim if self rescue had failed.

With a reasonable line visible and chosen we reset the sail and  
started towards the mouth of the river. I avoided an area to our  
right called the Zipper in the heart of the Triangle in order to  
preserve life limb and eye sight. The Zipper is where waves crash  
head on in an effect reminiscent of a zipper closing. On a bad day  
these waves can easily throw a sea kayak quite high with bad results  
on impact. Most days they are just plain fun to play in.

Eventually everything flattened out nicely and the campers on Little  
Tybee got a nice view of our sailing vessel as we silently passed  
them. We felt oh so cool until a rogue wave came over the deck from  
behind and stole one half of our spare paddle from us. "Strike the  
sail!" I cried and the boy quickly had it down. We back paddled to  
pick it up under the amused gaze of the campers nearby.

Dolphins seemed drawn by our silent approach and appeared in three  
distinct groups as we covered the last few hundred yards to the  
takeout. Kite boarders were drawn to our sail too. They rushed behind  
and over us at amazing speed giving us the thumbs up and  
hooting,"Cool boat dude!"

I hope to have a short video of the dolphins and sail on You Tube  
soon enough.

Jim et al
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