RE: [Paddlewise] How long would you wait - (was Kayaks and Visibility)

Peter

In response to your 'a scenario and a question' - great exercise.
May I try it on our club leaders sometime ?

So I'm feeling stupidly brave and I'll risk a response - with the hope that
I'll be torn apart quite ruthlessly ;-)

Best Regards
Paul Hayward, Auckland, New Zealand


** How would you ensure you didn't lose a member of the group

I have done this sort of thing only 3 times at night, in rather smaller seas
and swell. You do want to have confidence in your group members and
confidence in the weather.

The easiest way not to lose a member would be to call it off - and that
should be the decision if the risk-mitigation doesn't stack up.

In NZ, if there was a chance of a NW wind, there would be some chance of a
WNW wind. I'd be very interested in how likely a W wind might be - from a
weather check before setting out. Any likelihood of an offshore 15+ knot
wind in the dark would have me saying "no thanks". I wouldn't attempt it
without my local leeward string of offshore islands as a Plan-Z destination.
We have a saying "Next stop, Chile'.

So, if we get over that hump, I'll hold you to that 'cloudless' - with
reliable forecasting bet.

Then, I am assuming some starshine - so you have visibility for perhaps 100m
if you are not being blinded by any on-board lights. If it were here in NZ,
we could douse any bright lights and attach low-output chem-lights to our
chin-strapped hats, PFDs or light/flag masts (if you have them) so that your
visible range (visible to each other) is extended. Best if they are on YOU
and not the boat - as you are more interested in the paddler.

I would expect that you all carry VHFs - as personal-safety kit, worn on you
- not the kayak. Our favoured ship-to-ship (ie: non-repeater) channel here
is Ch.6 - and I'd expect each group member to monitor that, in case any of
the group needs to make contact via radio - for whatever reason. I'd also do
a radio check every half hour.

In this sea-state, kayak stability would be an issue during VHF use.
Something like a Nordkapp would need more attention than a Sea Bear during a
VHF chat. One element in the risk-assessment... 

I'd also expect hand-held flares (flame not smoke) - again on YOU and not
just on/in the kayak. Also split paddles (each - or at least one for the
group) or paddle-leashes for those without a split-paddle.

This level of gear doesn't guarantee anything - but it's fair to say that
it's absence does indicate a worrying belief in invulnerability.

>From the start - ie: in the harbour - I'd form up the group into a
line-abreast pod formation - with the two night-experienced paddlers at each
end of the line. I'd get each of the five paddlers comfortable with both
recognising and keeping an eye on the guys/gals 'next door'. In those wind &
sea conditions, regular contact and even conversation is still going to be
possible.

I wouldn't tolerate any departure from this line-abreast formation going
upwind, Coming home (I assume we're going to come back home downwind ?) will
pose a greater challenge for the group to stay together as the surfing
opportunities differ across the row. It may be looser, but the same
formation should still be possible.

I'd have an agreed process for assisted rescue - with the three inner (and
somewhat weaker) paddlers having a plan for rescuing each other if their
roll fails. Self-recovery is good, assisted is faster and the pod should -
must - stay together through all recoveries. Responsibility for assistance
to the two 'end' paddlers (if they should need it) should also be made clear
to their neighbours. 

I'd also stress early reporting of any slippage in self-confidence or
queasiness or dizziness - any reduction of fitness level - whoever might be
experiencing this. Put it that it is a courtesy to the group to alert them
to a change in the group's health.

Then I'd number-off and repeat that number-off call pretty regularly during
the paddle. If someone's not responding - you stop, look & VHF. If you're
one down - then we've just failed question one...

** If you did lose a member of the group how much time
** would you spend searching before calling for help.
** What methods would you use for the search and for 
** the call?

The course of action I'd take here is pretty immediate - but that is based
on having run a tight ship up to this point. On a easier & looser trip,
there would be more scope for simply mislaying someone with no immediate
concern that they were in deep trouble.

So, I would first consider carefully the likelyhood of the member having
fallen behind or having shot ahead. I would be damn worried if I couldn't
make VHF contact - that would make me think they were likely in the water -
and behind. They might of course, be ahead with their radio off / wrong
channel / muted.

I'd determine when the last certain sighting of the missing member was and
where the group was right now - either by GPS or best guess.

Knowledge of the route's VHF/cellphone coverage - and likely SAR (Search &
Rescue) capabilities - would be a key determinant here. It sounds like I
would have that local knowledge in this scenario.

If I had Ch 16 contact with a SAR station, I'd have one member keep working
Ch 6 (calling the missing member) while I logged an incident on Ch 16 as a
Pan-Pan - with the information I'd just determined. I would also state that
I was commencing a 10 minute downwind search as a group of four. If no
success, I would upgrade that to a Mayday.

If I had no Ch 16 response (either direct or via another vessel), I would
try Ch 6 & 8 for other vessels (to use as possible repeaters) and then try
for cell-phone contact with a SAR station.

Failing that, but in the knowledge that there was a competent (several
vessel and/or chopper) SAR capability - I would head back for the harbour to
raise an alarm. 

If I knew that I was going to have no VHF cover and no cellphone cover - or
that the SAR capability was crap - I think I'd be at home. Should've said
that at the top...

If I were within 2.5 km of the beach - and if I knew that the beach offered
a reliable comms-link of some sort (phone, cell-coverage, VHF), I would
carry on there instead - I'd get an alert logged faster. 

But the harbour should be less than an hour away (downwind - even if I'm at
the beach) and an early SAR alert would appeal to me more than an extended
search effort from the height of a sea-kayak seat.

If heading for the harbour, I'd go slow and in a search pattern line-abreast
for the first 10 minutes - with head torches or bright lights now on to look
for reflective tape and to indicate to the missing member that the search
was on and a flare might be a good move... If heading on for the beach (see
above), I'd still do a 10-minute downwind search first. 

I would have to soul-search very hard before I would split the group.

** If it were daytime how much time would you spend searching
** before calling for help. What methods would you use?

Probably spend 5 minutes looking downwind first - covering a much larger
visual range than at night - by virtue of a several-times wider spacing
between the 4 searchers. Then a Pan-Pan, then 15 minutes more searching
before a Mayday. If no comms until land, pretty much the night-time thinking
& behaviour. 

OK ball's in your court - I'm going to bed.
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