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From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:45:16 -0700
ve posted here several times about the visibility (or, more accurately, the
lack of visibility) of a kayak on the radar screens of ships and boats.This
morning I was reading an article by Ta mia Nelson over on Paddling.net (
www.paddling.net if you need the link) as part of their feature "In the Same
Boat" that addresses this issue (for the second time in a couple of months).
Mike Euritt, who also posts here on Paddlewise, is quoted in the essay and
he and I have shared thoughts on the issue back-channel several times.

I particularly liked Mike's pithy comments on the three main requirements
for being seen on radar: (1) Is the radar on?( 2) Does the operator have a
clue? and, (3) Is anyone looking at the display? You would be surprised at
how seldom all three of these conditions are met. And then you get into
issues of whether the radar is tuned properly, how far the target is, if
it's raining or there are wind waves, and so forth.

Mike also thinks that the newer digital radar systems might be better at
picking up kayakers but remains a skeptic. I think, by and large, skepticism
about being seen on radar is a good thing but I'll have a much better slant
on this after I install my Garmin 3006 GPS/Sounder/Radar system on the
Muthah-Ship. I bought everything but the radar scanner from a guy on
Craigslist for $700 but since the boat is in the water and 200 miles away I
haven't actually installed it (or bought the scanner) yet.

One of the more salient points of the article was a link to an actual test
done by the USCG and some kayakers on the east coast in which they tried to
find out how well kayaks show up on radar and whether reflectors help much.
That study can be found in .pdf form here:
http://www.maineseakayakguides.com/radar_report.pdf

Their results are pretty interesting and it's well worth a read. One of the
most surprising results is that one of the more effective radar reflectors
is just a tin-foil hat. So if you already wear one to keep the space-aliens
or the Government from reading your mind then you are ahead of the rest of
us. Rejoice! I'm about to install one myself as a liner to my paddling
helmet. Tin foil is, I'm pretty sure, water resistant.

Some of the results are just common sense. Kayaks show up better when
broadside than they do when end-on and show up better as a group than
singly. And any more than about 1/2 mile away from the radar unit means that
your "return" will be pretty faint. Still, highly recommended reading for
anyone who paddles where there might be vessels equipped with radar.


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
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From: Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:50:07 -0400
While I like the idea of being visible on radar, I have one question:  
How big a problem are collisions with kayaks?

I frequently hear powerboaters complain that kayaks are not visible,  
yet I don't hear cases of kayaks being hit due to lack of visibility.  
A google search does find a collision where the powerboater was not  
watching where he was going, but it had little to do with lack of  
visibility: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/kayaking/news/article.cfm?c_id=57&objectid=10433145

 From the perspective of a kayaker, I feel that it is very unlikely  
that a kayaker will be hit by a powerboat even if there is near zero  
visibility and no radar. Kayakers can hear other boats coming and can  
generally get out of the way even if a boat comes quite close. A  
typical powerboat is not more than one kayak length wide and all that  
really needs to happen is the kayak needs to move one kayak length out  
of the way.

The victim in the New Zealand incident had about 7 seconds to move as  
the powerboat going 16 knots powerboat covered 60 meters. If the  
kayaker had paddled 3 knots he would have moved 10 meters out of the  
way. Many paddlers would choose to paddle out of the way vs waving a  
paddle.

This of course ignores the fact that if the captain is not able to  
avoid a 17' floating object he is not operating his boat safely - for  
his own safety.

  I have yet to hear a compelling reason why kayakers should go to any  
added effort to make themselves more visible to radar. There does not  
seem to be a epidemic of collisions with kayakers. It seems to me that  
the main thing driving this discussion is powerboaters who are annoyed  
that they may have to pay attention and act responsibly while sharing  
the waters with other boaters. Maybe they just don't like the  
inconvenience of having to slow down when they eventually see a kayak.  
If a captain of powerboat maintains the minimum lookout and adjusts  
their speed to the prevailing conditions, there should never be a  
collision.

If as a powerboater you are concerned enough that you will invest in a  
slightly better radar to help avoid a collision with a kayaker, I  
applaud your courtesy and conscientiousness, but I suspect there are  
more pressing issues that could be addressed more easily.

Larger commercial vessels are another matter, but again, how many  
collisions have there been?
Nick


On Jun 12, 2009, at 8:45 AM, Craig Jungers wrote:
>
> I particularly liked Mike's pithy comments on the three main  
> requirements
> for being seen on radar: (1) Is the radar on?( 2) Does the operator  
> have a
> clue? and, (3) Is anyone looking at the display? You would be  
> surprised at
> how seldom all three of these conditions are met. And then you get  
> into
> issues of whether the radar is tuned properly, how far the target  
> is, if
> it's raining or there are wind waves, and so forth.

Nick Schade

Guillemot Kayaks
54 South Rd
Groton, CT 06340
USA
Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/
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From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:29:05 -0700
On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 2:50 PM, Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>wrote:

> While I like the idea of being visible on radar, I have one question: How
> big a problem are collisions with kayaks?
>
>
All it takes is a glance at Lake Union in Seattle after 5pm on a summer day
to see that some waterways are crowded with various types of vessels and
speed limits don't always work. Many people begin boating in kayaks and some
could have the impression that power boats have radar and can see and avoid
them.

I think that the thrust of the article and study was, "don't rely on someone
on a boat seeing you in your kayak on radar." Tacking a radar reflector or
wearing an aluminum hat is really not much use. The moral is, as you said,
be alert and be ready to dodge them. And if possible paddle where powerboats
fear to tread.


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
www.nwkayaking.net
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From: Bradford R. Crain <crainb_at_pdx.edu>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:15:43 -0700
   I would think carrying several RPG's would make you more visible
to those powerboaters.

Brad

Quoting Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>:

> On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 2:50 PM, Nick Schade   
> <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>wrote:
>
>> While I like the idea of being visible on radar, I have one question: How
>> big a problem are collisions with kayaks?
>>
>>
> All it takes is a glance at Lake Union in Seattle after 5pm on a summer day
> to see that some waterways are crowded with various types of vessels and
> speed limits don't always work. Many people begin boating in kayaks and some
> could have the impression that power boats have radar and can see and avoid
> them.
>
> I think that the thrust of the article and study was, "don't rely on someone
> on a boat seeing you in your kayak on radar." Tacking a radar reflector or
> wearing an aluminum hat is really not much use. The moral is, as you said,
> be alert and be ready to dodge them. And if possible paddle where powerboats
> fear to tread.
>
>
> Craig Jungers
> Moses Lake, WA
> www.nwkayaking.net
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From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:32:59 -0700
On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 8:15 PM, Bradford R. Crain <crainb_at_pdx.edu> wrote:

>  I would think carrying several RPG's would make you more visible
> to those powerboaters.
>
> You could use them as spare paddles, too.

Anonymous
no, really
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From: Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:00:26 -0400
On Jun 15, 2009, at 9:29 PM, Craig Jungers wrote:

> I think that the thrust of the article and study was, "don't rely on  
> someone
> on a boat seeing you in your kayak on radar."

I would go further:

  Don't rely on someone on a boat seeing you - period.

Paddle with the assumption that you are invisible at all times. This  
can even apply when you have hard evidence that the incoming boat sees  
you and is taking evasive maneuvers.

nick



Nick Schade

Guillemot Kayaks
54 South Rd
Groton, CT 06340
USA
Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/
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From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 09:14:20 -0700
On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 9:00 AM, Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>wrote:

>
> I would go further:
>
>  Don't rely on someone on a boat seeing you - period.
>
> Paddle with the assumption that you are invisible at all times. This can
> even apply when you have hard evidence that the incoming boat sees you and
> is taking evasive maneuvers.
>
>
Yeah... this really can't be stressed enough for new paddlers (or old ones,
for that matter). The level of incompetence of boat operators should never
be underestimated. Boater cards notwithstanding (although they might help).

And just as an aside, there are commercial operators (tugs, fishing boats,
sightseeing boats) who feel that because they earn a living out there they
have more of a "right" to the water than recreational boaters of any sort.
Combine this attitude with one too many beers at Joe's place down by the
docks and you really don't want to be where they go.

Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
www.nwkayaking.net
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From: Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 12:40:17 -0400
On Jun 16, 2009, at 12:14 PM, Craig Jungers wrote:
> And just as an aside, there are commercial operators (tugs, fishing  
> boats, sightseeing boats) who feel that because they earn a living  
> out there they have more of a "right" to the water than recreational  
> boaters of any sort. Combine this attitude with one too many beers  
> at Joe's place down by the docks and you really don't want to be  
> where they go.

The other group with an attitude are racers. I've several times been  
near sailboat races where the boats were not going to give way for  
anything. In one case a group of us was approached by a lone dinghy.  
As he got closer the sailor started yelling "I'm racing. I'M RACING."  
Well, I'm all for being courteous and will generally do what I can to  
keep clear of a race, but it is a courtesy. We were a group of  
kayakers out recreating, he was a lone sailor out recreating, I failed  
to see why his recreation should suddenly have priority over ours.

BTW, there were no other dinghies in the harbor at the time, so he was  
either way ahead or way behind, so the 0.1 seconds he might have lost  
by steering around us would not have made any significant difference,  
but he was racing so he felt he had the right to yell at us.

We got out of the way because it was easier than dealing with a  
collision.

Nick


Nick Schade

Guillemot Kayaks
54 South Rd
Groton, CT 06340
USA
Ph/Fx: (860) 659-8847
http://www.guillemot-kayaks.com/
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From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:33:22 -0700
On Tue, Jun 16, 2009 at 9:40 AM, Nick Schade <nick_at_guillemot-kayaks.com>wrote:

>
> The other group with an attitude are racers. I've several times been near
> sailboat races where the boats were not going to give way for anything.


Ah yes, racers. They have their own set of rules and begin to believe that
it applies to everyone else, too. I was once entering a marina (in Everett,
WA) when a racer just ahead and on my starboard bow suddenly made a 90-deg
turn to port. This put him on a collision course. I yelled, "what are your
intentions?" and he replied "to put my boat in my slip". I then yelled, "you
won't have a boat in ten seconds". He turned 180-deg to starboard.

It would have been an interesting collision as I could not have stopped nor
turned away. But he was ahead of me making me the "burdened" vessel.
Although in those days if you were being overtaken you had to maintain
course and speed until you had been passed. Nowadays no course or speed
change can make you the burdened vessel if you are being overtaken.

Staying away from sailboat racers is highly recommended.


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
www.nwkayaking.net
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From: Steve Cramer <cramersec_at_charter.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 14:45:09 -0400
Craig Jungers wrote:
> Staying away from sailboat racers is highly recommended.

Also wildwater/downriver racers. Some of the best in the world live and 
train around here. I got a rap on the head from a passing paddle once on 
the Chattahoochee River. If I'm out with a beginning group and I know 
they're on the river, I warn my group that those boats don't turn and 
those paddler's won't.

Steve
-- 
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA
http://www.savvypaddler.com
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From: Mike Euritt <mike.euritt_at_gmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Mon, 15 Jun 2009 15:32:35 -0700
I didn't see the edition that had my reply in it, so I don't know what may
have been edited in my reply to the original author. I would agree with you
Nick, there seems to be no real problem to be solved here. Even on busy SF
Bay there was not one mention of a large boat vs kayak in the three years I
was a member of BASK that comes to mind.

If anything, there is the usual beginner complaints about wakes from passing
boats.

As a sailboater with a 37' plodding 13T craft, I have been very interested
in how to go about seeing these small objects in the water. I am trying to
learn the radar, a 15 year old green screen relic, and will upgrade to the
latest technology, currently broadband radar before we go cruising. I've
noticed the flash of a reflector strip on a paddle long before I see
anything else. We have yet to have the radar well enough adjusted to see
more than the channel markers we must follow, and that may be the best we
can hope for.

What I find most interesting is the radar discussion on the trawler and
sailboat lists, which I paraphrased in my note. Here is an excellent report
on learning the old school technology
http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=105837

and, what is being promised with broadband
http://www.lowrance.com/en/Products/Marine/Broadband-Radar/

but, i still don't think it is of particular value as far as helping to see
us kayakers. That said, about 20 years ago a man I knew was killed on a
small commercial fishing boat by being run over by a tanker/freighter. IIRC,
it was heavy fog and just out the Golden Gate, had either one been
monitoring radar, or with current technology, the AIS, one could have
avoided the other. And of course there is the recent damage to SF Bay Bridge
by the Cosco Busan, presumably there were officers aboard who knew what they
were looking at on that little green screen.

Then we can wander off on the technology assisted groundings and collisions
that involve putting too much trust in GPS and other video games on the
dashboard. But that has gone on for the past two weeks on the Trawler list.
No substitute for seamanship, kayak or big or bigger boat.

Mike
San Rafael
budding surf zone kayaker.
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From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 07:53:01 -0700
On Mon, Jun 15, 2009 at 3:32 PM, Mike Euritt <mike.euritt_at_gmail.com> wrote:

>
> What I find most interesting is the radar discussion on the trawler and
> sailboat lists, which I paraphrased in my note. Here is an excellent report
> on learning the old school technology
> http://www.boatered.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=105837
>
> and, what is being promised with broadband
> http://www.lowrance.com/en/Products/Marine/Broadband-Radar/
>
> but, i still don't think it is of particular value as far as helping to see
> us kayakers.


If the guy who wrote the post in the first link (old school) can see two
seagulls flying past the stern of his boat underway then it might be
possible that they'll see kayakers. I, too, remain unconvinced. The least
likely tool that would be used to see a kayak is a radar set, in my opinion.


> That said, about 20 years ago a man I knew was killed on a
> small commercial fishing boat by being run over by a tanker/freighter.
> IIRC,
> it was heavy fog and just out the Golden Gate, had either one been
> monitoring radar, or with current technology, the AIS, one could have
> avoided the other.


The Exxon Valdez ran upon Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound with two radars
going, two people with merchant marine licenses (3rd mate and A/B - Exxon
had just fired their old A/B union and had hired all new deck crew straight
out of the merchant marine academies - they get a blue water A/B card with
their new 3rd mate's license) on the bridge, a buoy flashing red to
starboard (should be to port), and an island dead ahead.

You just can't legislate against stupidity.

Mike Euritt might find this link hady in his discourse on the trawler list:
http://books.google.com/books?id=nlIYDrgc1ncC&pg=PA221&lpg=PA221&dq=rules+of+the+road+radar+use&source=bl&ots=0cBcAyXP8I&sig=KHHSBB7kexIbF52rI3Q4EochXSU&hl=en&ei=ma43Sq70DZTAM_6n6IMN&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2#PPA225,M1

It's an excerpt from a book on Navigational Rules called "Farwell's Rules of
the Road" and is excellent.

I do think that broadband radar could make a difference but the problem
there is that it will take decades to filter down throughout the various
fleets. And even then they'll probably never be used on the boats I consider
the greatest threat: power boats on a plane doing 20kts or more. They will
be used in conjunction with very expensive plotters and cost US3k to US5k
which will be, in many cases, a significant percentage of the vessel's net
worth in the case of boats under 30 feet.

It is interesting that Australia requires nav lights on kayaks. These are
not required by the ColRegs to which Aus. is signatory.

The more pervasive the bureaucracy the more likely it is that it will enact
rules designed to make us safe. At least on paper. As kayaking's popularity
grows we can be assured that the Rules will change to keep us safe; and to
better ascribe blame.

There really is no simple answer for a paddler other than to keep alert,
stay away from places powered boats are likely to also go, use
retro-reflective (not just reflective) tape on paddles and gear, and hope
that the powerboat operator screaming down the waterway isn't stupid or
drunk; or both.

Not likely, in my experience.


Craig Jungers
Moses Lake, WA
www.nwkayaking.net
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From: rebyl_kayak <rebyl_kayak_at_energysustained.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Tue, 16 Jun 2009 21:57:53 +1000
Mike wrote
>I've noticed the flash of a reflector strip on a paddle long before I see
anything else.

G'day,

A moving paddle is the first thing I can see when looking at a distance of a
km or so for a kayaker in flat water. In even moderately rough water it can be
impossible to see a kayaker even when they are relatively close. Do you
remember the video someone showed a few months ago about a ferry rescuing a
kayaker who couldn't reenter. I think he had a paddlefloat but was too
exhausted. One of the first things I noticed in the first few seconds was how
hard it was to see the kayaker. I paddle Sydney Harbour, which can be full of
fast moving boats, and always assume I'm invisible to everyone - only been run
over once and that was when a motor boat went into reverse without checking.

Cheers, PeterO
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From: John Kirk-Anderson <jka_at_netaccess.co.nz>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Thu, 18 Jun 2009 13:54:58 +1200
> While I like the idea of being visible on radar, I have one question:  How 
> big a problem are collisions with kayaks?
>
> I frequently hear powerboaters complain that kayaks are not visible,  yet 
> I don't hear cases of kayaks being hit due to lack of visibility.  A 
> google search does find a collision where the powerboater was not 
> watching where he was going, but it had little to do with lack of 
> visibility: 
> http://www.nzherald.co.nz/kayaking/news/article.cfm?c_id=57&objectid=10433145
>

Hi all,

Maybe it is a problem restricted to Kiwi paddlers, but I can think of three 
kayak-versus-powerboat collisions, including this one. One resulted in a 
death and charges, and in the other the victim/target was a double. The 
front paddler leaned forward, the rear paddler leaned back, both got hit by 
the hull and the screw chopped through the deck between them! Good shooting 
if you ask me.

Poor visibilty/sun strike was put up as a defence in both these cases.

A while ago I stalked a stationary Coastguard vessel, as I knew the skipper. 
The sea was dead calm and after chatting with him I asked if I showed up on 
their radar. We played around for a while, with me doing circuits at 
different ranges and I was invisible to their radar, even in perfect 
conditions and them able to see me by looking up from their screen. Not 
really that surprising and it just confirmed that I should assume that, 
regardless of what rules say, I'm invisible, I'll always lose a resulting 
scrap, and I should behave accordingly.

We are also going through issues with local governments (Regional Councils) 
passing rules dictating that kayakers need to wear hi-vis clothing, 
reflective paddles, flags, etc. This follows complaints from other boatees 
about the difficulty of seeing kayaks.While a commendable idea in principal, 
our concern is that it shifts the onus on to the paddler to be seen, and 
away from the power-driven vessel's skipper to see. It could also offer a 
defence in the event of a collision, in that "The paddler wasn't wearing the 
correct clothing, how was I to see them?"

Personally, I'm fighting for a law change to enable kayakers to carry 
concealed weapons, a stainless-steel shotgun would look quite fancy on my 
buoyancy vest. :-)

As long as the vest is hi-vis that should be OK.

Cheers

JKA

John Kirk-Anderson
Banks Peninsula
New Zealand
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From: Greg Dunlap <blackey_at_sonic.net>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 05:05:06 -0700
I've kept a study I found of a group of Kayakers in Maine with the
cooperation of the U.S. Coast Guard on visibility using radar.  In this they
approached this with starting out looking at if any return was being
generated with just the lone kayaker and a group, (darn near next to
nothing) to using reflectors.  Now this was done in the summer of 2003 to
2004 so I don't believe that much advancement in the science of radar, etc,
has been developed since then.

I've placed it at http://366thspsk-9.com/radar.pdf  It's an Adobe PDF file,
8 pages long, 2.9 MB in size.

Greg Dunlap
Santa Rosa, CA
38.478156 N
122.754598 W
157 feet above sea level

blackey_at_sonic.net
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From: rebyl_kayak <rebyl_kayak_at_energysustained.com>
subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Sat, 20 Jun 2009 09:57:37 +1000
John wrote
>We played around for a while, with me doing circuits at
>different ranges and I was invisible to their radar, even in perfect
>conditions and them able to see me by looking up from their screen.

G'Day,

The first kayak I bought was a demo model olive drab Klepper Aerius, from a
military supply outfit who took some pride in showing me their advertising
brochure. It was a picture of two marines paddling a double Klepper in a
battle zone with a missile flying overhead and the virtue of the Klepper in
this instance was its invisibility on radar. I've often wondered how
significant the Klepper's wooden frame was and whether boats such as the
Feathercraft with its aluminium frame would show up more readily on a radar
screen.

Anyway the Klepper lived up to the brochure's promise and I never was hit by a
missile:~)

All the best, PeterO
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From: <saul_at_isomedia.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Radar, Kayaks and Visibility Study
Date: Tue, 23 Jun 2009 11:01:42 -0700 (PDT)
I have found that staying alert and out of the way as much as possible is
important, I usually scan the horizon and look at the boats that are on a
collision heading to detrmine my best path and determine if I can cross
before they get there. Sometimmes if theyt don't seem to be maintaining a
steady heading, I try my VHF so that we can discuss who should pass who,
sometimes I get an answer from them, other times I don't and have to
decide between wating in place, turning back or sprinting accross. I used
to be able to "escape" powerboats by getting to the edge of a rock garden,
but find that with the currrent GPS navigation systems in some powerboats,
that they have programmed in a route on a clear day that takes them just
off the rocks and can run full speed in a fog, which makes my shelters
more difficult to use ;-)

Saul

Saul Kinderis
saul_at_isomedia.com cell 206.313.0107

http://www.isomedia.com/homes/saul
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