On Mon, Oct 12, 2009 at 2:36 AM, rebyl_kayak < rebyl_kayak_at_energysustained.com> wrote: > > OTOH quite a few of us routinely carry sails when kayaking way out to sea. > Have we no shame! Are there no limits to our unabashed decadence! > > > I wonder if simply carrying sails will get you off the hook or would they have to be up and drawing or merely in place ready for deployment, etc. And why were "rowboats" specifically exempted? I wonder if there is a specific distinction between "oar" and "paddle". Certainly a canoe paddle would be difficult to describe as being different than an oar. Part of the problem is that the average person really does look at anything in a kayak that's not on a calm bit of water as something only a hooligan bent on endangering the precious lives of our wonderful lifeguards/coast guard/lifeboat personnel would do. This is apparently a world-wide perception. Some time back a kayaker died off New England and was excoriated in the blog version of the story (UnionLeader.com) as was anyone who tried to defend him. One sofa-driver wrote that he knew sudden 40-foot waves could rise up out of nowhere and kayakers had no business out there. The general impression was that he deserved to die. Although there was some feeling of sympathy for his family there were some who seemed to feel that they were probably better off without him, anyway. The paddler did die but no one knows what the direct cause was (you can, after all, die of heart failure in a kayak - or anything else). A USCG vessel had spoken with him while he was on his way back in and didn't seem to feel he was in any serious danger at that time. So this is what you'll be fighting. The people who watch the evening news and "I Survived" think we should be required to stay "safe" for our own protection and for the protection of the dear fellows who would endanger their own lives to go out and rescue us. They'll be bolstered by the evening videos of morons who paddle without a spray deck in 3-foot chop and get taken aboard a ferryboat. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Oct 12 2009 - 09:51:46 PDT
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