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Date:         Thu, 30 Mar 2000 11:05:31 -0500
Reply-To:     David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Beierl <dbeierl@IBM.NET>
Subject:      A word about kayaks, was: Re: Kayak Transport on a Westy
Comments: To: "Anthony L. Mourkas" <frankenstein@TELPLUS.NET>
In-Reply-To:  <200003301447.JAA30044@pop.midmaine.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 09:42 3/30/2000, Anthony L. Mourkas wrote: >with canoes but I must admit to being a totally ignorant first time kayak

Tony, *be careful* -- it's easy to get in over your head with kayaks. Also easy to get run down b/c they're very hard to see from another vessel. If possible have kayak in high-contrast color (pref white), white paddle, bright high-reflective clothing. And stay away from the mouth of the Kennebec until you seriously know what you're doing, it's treacherous water.

I was cruising past there in Scamp some years ago when two kayakers were overdue -- the man was found by helo that night, the woman died and was recovered a day or two later. We were likely within a mile of them at some point. The Maine Island Trail Association (URL below) has a kayak safety booklet that includes an analysis of that accident. I commend [the booklet] to you highly. But the two standout points were that they had unwittingly gone beyond their experience; and that drift analysis showed that the man (saved) and the woman (died) were only maybe a few hundred feet apart when he was recovered -- he had a white boat and maybe light clothing, she had a dark blue boat. Another standout as I recall was that kayakers who got in trouble and survived very typically thought everything was just fine until they were suddenly in dire straits.

It's a great sport, and a few people die every year...

http://www.mita.org/ http://www.destinationmaine.com/kayak/perils.htm

david

David Beierl - Providence, RI http://pws.prserv.net/synergy/Vanagon/ '84 Westy "Dutiful Passage" '85 GL "Poor Relation"


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