It doesn't have to be a lightweight kayak to blow away faster than you can swim. When the wind is strong most kayaks will blow away faster than you can swim. Some solo paddlers fasten themselves to the kayak with a long line when it gets windy. That was one function of our stern towline set-up that clipped to the bowline in front of the cockpit so there was plenty of slack if you clipped it to your PFD. With any line, you'd want to make sure you could release quickly from it and that it wouldn't be able to trap you in the cockpit. I teather my paddle to the kayak so it is easier to keep the kayak (or paddle) from getting away from you. All it takes is to release your hold on the kayak for an instant to find it blown out of your reach and moving away faster than your can swim. A pre-rigged sea anchor that could be easily deployed and retrieved might be better in breakers (where holding on to the kayak or being tied to it is very risky). However, most places there is surf, your kayak will probably get to shore before you do. It is when you are further from shore that not losing hold of your kayak is critical. Date: Tue, 7 Sep 2010 09:01:58 -0700 From: Craig Jungers <crjungers_at_gmail.com> Subject: Tue, Sep 7, 2010 at 8:03 AM, Martin, Jack <martin.jack_at_solute.us> wrote: > Kirk Olsen suggested: > > One option that I've come up with is to paddle next to the end of the boat, > and grab the rudder, or stern - but that sounds very difficult ( I would be > working from a 17.5", 45 cm, beam boat). Maybe put a paddle face against > one end of the tumbling boat and trying to rotate the tumbling boat to be > perpendicular to the waves instead of parallel. > > __________ > > Yes, that sounds very difficult: a slightly less dramatic option might be > to clip a sea anchor on a short tether to the errant boat's bow fitting or > line to bring the bow up into the wind and stop the window shade effect. > That said, how many of us carry a sea anchor readily accessible on deck? > (If I were doing that kind of paddling, I guess I might -- but I'm not -- > and I don't.) Would need a quick hand and a gutsy paddler. > "Quick" being the operative word here, I think. I've been pondering this question this morning and thinking that it's not just surf skis that could have the problem. A few months back Pam bought an Illusion from Sterling in Bellingham that only weighs about 30 lbs in his superlight layup option. And SOF boats commonly weigh in at under 30lbs. Combine this light weight with something that keeps the cockpit from flooding (like a sea sock) and you could experience this phenomenon in your decked kayak too. The problem with putting a paddle face against a tumbling boat is that Newton's 3rd law of motion is likely to come into play and create the same situation for the would-be rescuer. My imagination conjured up some sort of restraint you could toss over the tumbling kayak... something to create drag. But just a throw line wouldn't be enough... it would have to be something that would entangle itself on the smooth hull of the kayak. But Kirk doesn't even carry a throw line; let alone a throw "net". Absent some sort of "gear" the only other option would be to quickly - and very quickly - get downwind and just block the tumbling boat with all the risks that brings into the equation. Is this a common situation? Maybe some sort of bag that would fill with water in a capsize (but be easy to manually empty) to weigh the boat down a bit and add drag. 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 Wed Sep 15 2010 - 08:19:11 PDT
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