We've been sharing cautionary tales about the potential for accidental destruction with flares. Since I've never met anyone claiming to be one of the principles, I can't vouch for the truth of the following story, which has been circulating in Vancouver for the past several years, but don't you just want it to be true? So there's this kayaker paddling just off shore at Jericho Sailing Centre (a local small boat club). He's minding his own business when a yahoo riding a PWC (Pestilent Water Craft) starts spinning donuts around him, raising wake and wash, and "buzzing" very close. There was a incident in Canada not long ago where a Jet Skier, not realising you can't steer the damn things unless they are under power, crashed into a canoe, and killed some folks. So the kayaker is seriously scared. Shouts, whistles, imprecations, and threats do nothing to deter the assault, so eventually he fires a flare at his tormentor. By accident or design, the fireball lodges under the Jet Ski's seat, right atop the fuel tank. The stories diverge briefly here. In one version, the Jet Skier, scared out of his wits, hastily abandons ship of his own accord. In the second, more satisfying version, the gas tank explodes, sending the rider pinwheeling into the air. He is rapidly extinguished as he lands in the water, indignant but unhurt. The Coast Guard is called to investigate (the Jet Skier thinks it is unsporting when kayakers fight back!). The paddler is giving his account, which includes some phrase like "... so at this point, I was in fear for my life..." The Coastie's ears perk up and he asks the paddler to repeat the key phrase, which he notes down word for word. "Thank you, Sir, any action is obviously defensible when you have a justifiable fear for your life." No charges, case closed, smiles all round. Cheers, Philip T. **************************************** Mountain Equipment Co-op 1655 West 3rd Avenue, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6J 1K1 Tel: 640-732-1989 Fax: 604-731-6483 email: pid@mec.ca Visit our website at: http://www.mec.ca ***************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise@lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request@lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************