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The Details
Reivers Dustin
04/08/08 #4222
At the last kayak safety session there was a couple who brought a touring kayak into the Coast Guard station for show and tell. The idea was to show some of the work that the British Canoe Union (BCU) has done to raise the standard of safety for Kayaks (Canoes in England).
The level of attention to detail was impressive. There is a grab line running the full perimeter of the boat. There is a grab loop at each end. All hard points are recessed. The grab loops are engineered so that they minimize pinch-points or entrapment hazard. The rudder system is hidden so you don't hook a boot strap or PFD strap anywhere. The cockpit coaming is engineered so that there is minimum risk of catchment.
The couple talked about several incidents of unlikely straps getting caught on re-entry or exit. They also had a case where the boat loop at the front was grabbed, but as the boat rolled, the fingers did too.
This type of thing deserves some thought for our own individual set-up. I've done that trip out to Elize a few times and had the weather change amazingly. I guess you can figure out the rest - you are your gear. Set yourself up to survive.
RD
Re: The details….
Reivers Dustin
04/09/08 #4225
Now that you mention it, way far ahead. They influenced a lot of paddlers quite a few years ago. Jeeze, this is a little like remembering old rock bands. It can make you sad.
Speaking of old, some of my interest in equipment set up is from LRRP missions in RVN. We were crazy kids with the illusion of being important. When you are six guys in the jungle doing recon in a free-fire zone your gear must be very well organized. Every strap is taped down, there are no reflective surfaces, every piece of gear works every time and there is not a single thing you do not need. Any kind of extras or 'style' is bad.
I don't know what to tell people about where to attach their leashes. It's just a good idea to recognize the logic that the Broze brothers and the BCU apply: the boat, the paddle and you are likely to become wildly reconfigured somewhere in your travels together. Fingers, straps, strings and buttons will go where you never wanted them and resist your will to behave. Maybe even more important, any weakness in the serviceability of your equipment will make you suffer.
