JohnHuth Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 http://www.pressherald.com/2016/06/23/kayakers-who-perished-were-part-of-tour-group/ Report says 52 F degree temps, sudden squall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Allen Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 So saddened by this incident. While any critiques I might have are by definition ignorant armchair quarterbacking, so many of the details being reported make me think WTF? Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EEL Posted June 24, 2016 Share Posted June 24, 2016 Today John Connelly finished his trip of the combined Northern Canoe Trail and Maine Island Trail. 1,500 miles combined. He did the entire coast of Maine in 14 days and paddled in some rather nasty stuff along the way. To say the conditions today were trivial for him would be an understatement; and it was a hot, sunny day. Nevertheless, he was wearing a drysuit for the brief run into Portsmouth from Cutts. Must be a lesson there. Ed Lawson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spuglisi Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 Some of the comments at the end of this article are very frustrating to read.....people claiming that kayaks are not sea worthy ...."narrow kayaks" ( in the 21 - 23 inch width range that most of us paddle) are nearly guaranteed to capsize....that lack of flotation is at issue....etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnHuth Posted June 25, 2016 Author Share Posted June 25, 2016 1 hour ago, spuglisi said: Some of the comments at the end of this article are very frustrating to read. Comments on articles online *are* frustrating to read. I spoke with a journalist who cautioned me on comments on an article about a trek I took in the Marshall Islands, saying "people are just trying to show off...ignore them". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spuglisi Posted June 26, 2016 Share Posted June 26, 2016 Sounds like good advice John. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John STEVENS Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Very sad. My condolences to the two wives, their families and friends. Two things stand out to me: 1. With water temperature of 52 degrees F, wearing shorts and t-shirts is dressing for the air and not the water. On Seascape Kayak and Bike's website, they had recommendations recommending clients come wearing shorts and a t-shirt, bring a windbreaker, and only expect to get wet up to their ankles. This all suggests dressing for the air and not or the water. With water temperature of 52 degrees F, this is consideration we all face: do we dress for the air or for the water? 2. That the leader's vhf radio was protected in a dry bag: if it's attached to your pfd, it's going to be more accessible, especially if you get separated from your boat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfolster Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 John, don't know if your question #1 was rhetorical or not, but we should always dress for the water, although I feel that adjustment factors for weather, group skills, conditions, and trip plan can be made. In other words, if I am going out on a calm, sunny day with no chance of bad weather with a group of familiar and skilled paddlers who I can count on to help me out of the water quickly, then I might dress "lightly" (52 degrees is probably still drysuit water for me no mater what!). However, if I know that I will be leading a group into challenging waters on a potentially diverse weather day, then I will be dressed for prolonged immersion without question. As to your point #2, there are dry bags designed to mount a radio to your PFD, however I do not know if this was the case for this guide. What I find sobering is that he was an experienced kayaker and guide, not some rec-boat fair-weather-tourist type. The couple had actually padded with him on several previous trips to this area, and therefore must have had a level of trust in his skills. I fear that there may be some aspect of the situation which caused his death that we are not aware of, and unfortunately may never know. It is a very sad event. You can read an update here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leong Posted June 29, 2016 Share Posted June 29, 2016 (edited) On 6/25/2016 at 6:28 PM, spuglisi said: Some of the comments at the end of this article are very frustrating to read.....people claiming that kayaks are not sea worthy ...."narrow kayaks" ( in the 21 - 23 inch width range that most of us paddle) are nearly guaranteed to capsize....that lack of flotation is at issue....etc. On 6/25/2016 at 7:56 PM, JohnHuth said: Comments on articles online *are* frustrating to read. I spoke with a journalist who cautioned me on comments on an article about a trek I took in the Marshall Islands, saying "people are just trying to show off...ignore them". This annoys me too. I gave a presentation on sea kayaking to educate some folks on the safety of kayaking. Here’s a quote I used in the presentation: From Yachting Magazine, April 2001: A well-designed sea kayak paddled by a competent, prudent individual may be the most seaworthy craft afloat. I used Figure 3 from Sea Kayaking by Derek C. Hutchinson to help explain why narrow kayaks are more sea worthy than flat wide ones. Oops, I couldn't insert the picture from my PowerPoint presentation. Edited June 29, 2016 by leong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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