boat tether

[traction]

I carry a lenth of shock cord in my day hatch that i use to tether myself to the stern of my boat.

I have felt compelled to use it two or three times on very windy days while i was solo. I guess i'd rather take my chanches getting hit by the boat, as opposed to losing it, should i fall out and lose contact with it.

Does anyone think this is a bad idea? and if so why.

[bob budd]

Entanglement in the shock cord could make getting by the boat seem like a picnic.

[kate]

How about a quick-release on that tether, or at least a knife on the pfd.

kate

[Paul Sylvester]

If you are solo and pushing your limits you may want to rethink what you are doing unless you are very experienced. I would try tethering off to the bow for two reasons: you can see and grab the line easier and if you swim and tow the boat you want to pull from the bow. Less water will fill the cockpit.

[Bill Gwynn]

I think when you paddle solo as much as Brad does, you look at things a little differently. He has done more miles this year than most of us can only dream about (he has estimated over 2000 miles this year) and most of them were solo on multi day camping trips in Casco Bay. He always plans on the unexpected wet exit even though he has a very solid roll. I would guess in a 15-20 knot wind if you lost contact with your boat, you couldn't swim fast enough to catch it. He is a skilled and experienced paddler that carries all the necessary kit, even if he did lose contact with his boat he does have a VHF radio, flares, smoke and die. Even still, the thought of floating around without your boat would cause me to consider a tether, of course a PFD knife in case of entanglemnet goes without saying. We all know you should not let go of your boat in a wet exit, but sh%^ happens.

[John Leonard]

I believe Chris Duff is a big fan of tethers on his solo paddles. If I remember correctly he uses a white water type tow belt clipped in behind him.

I use a paddle leash on my surfski as it will float so high that it would be impossible to catch in wind and there is little to hold onto.

If I were paddling solo in iffy conditions I would probably use my existing tow belt and clip it to the deck lines behind me (not the bungie). Or use a light paddle leash. I use 2mm cord on my ski as I have broken two shock cord leashes.

John

[rick stoehrer]

...this is a topic a friend of mine and i have discussed more than a few times.

it's a whole different ball of wax, solo, eh?

if you're expeditioning and don't have mates along who can run down a wayward boat, then maintaining contact with it can be of paramount importance - it not only has almost all your food and water, it's your way to shore and home depending upon where you are...

and that's what i think it comes down to is; where you are....if the boat gets loose, what's the worst that could happen? if your solo 50 feet off the beach in nantasket, a wayward boat doesn't quite have the impact of a wayward boat in the middle of nantucket sound, does it?

the line could entangle you, or it could snap your neck or it could just tear up the soft tissue of your throat if it gets pulled or suddenly yanked across there....but is that risk greater or lesser than the danger of where you are, alone? if the boat leaves and you ain't in it....can you get to safety?

farther down the string here, someone references chris duff - he's a solo expeditioner and spends stretches alone along unprotected shores or in long crossings with little access to immediate aid and so what he does, he does for specific reasons that he understands and has weighed for himself and so has taken precautions that suit his needs and abilities and conditions. if you use a tether, do the same thing.

weight the risks - what's more likely to kill you? it's a personal judgement.

my 2 cents. good luck, happy thanksgiving!

[sings_evil_twin]

Brad,

As some one already said, tether to the front as that is where you are facing, even on a wet exit.

As to advisability, when you solo and have no one else to rely on except yourself, you quickly weight out what is more likely to kill you, the possibility of entanglement or the loss of the boat?

Personally, in rough conditions, I fear the loss of the boat follow by the paddle. Right now, in my surf boats, I have a seat belt that I attach each and every time before the skirt goes on. I also started to use a short paddle leash from loom to wrist. I am committed to staying with the boat no matter what. I will likely install a seat belt soon in my SOF as well. In big wave conditions, you can get sucked right out of the boat in an eyeblink.

sing

[Brian Nystrom]

The reasons for the tether to the stern are that you're much more likely to become entangled in a tether to the bow when rolling and it will constantly be in your way and/or getting fouled on other foredeck gear while paddling. It makes sense to keep it out or your way by having it behind you. Remember, this is a last-ditch piece of equipment that's used only in difficult conditions. Chris Duff doesn't use his tether all the time. He has a quick release on it and I would assume that he also carries some manner of cutting implement, just in case.

While I think that boat tethers are a bad idea in general due to entanglement concerns, solo paddling in rough water is one case where the benefits may outweigh the risks.

I would NOT use shock cord for this application, or any other where significant strength is a requirement. Shock cord is not very strong to begin with and it weakens rapdily and dramatically with age. A thin cord would be a better choice, IMO.

[sings_evil_twin]

Respectfully disagree. The tether has to be really long and loose to have a major entanglement of the paddle. I personally wouldn't clip a line all the way to bow but to a slightly foward cross deck line if my intention is just keep the boat with me. If you know the line is there and somehow manage to trip up your paddle, you simply move the paddle out of the way. Or learn a reverse sweep roll, won't even touch the line. Plus, if you really get a serious entanglement, it's much easier to cut in front of you than behind you.

I have some interesting situations with camera tethers and paddle leashes while taking pictures in the surf. Fact is if you don't panic, it doesn't take much to extricate and roll.

But, what the hey? Tether to the front, back or not at all. I go back to the individual making the best decision for him/herself based on what they can project, or have experienced. Brad is going to have to make the call. As with all who go out alone, you have no one but yourself and may well live or die by your decisions and actions.

sing

[Brian Nystrom]

Remember,the tether has to be long enough and/or loose enough that it won't interfere with a wet exit. With the line on the bow connected to your waist, it pulls tight when sliding back out of the cockpit, so you have to leave significant slack in it in order to get out easily. With a stern mounted line, you only need enough slack to be able to lean forward comfortably and move around in the cockpit. When you wet exit, the line goes slack and can't prevent you from exiting the boat. IIRC, Chris Duff did quite a bit of experimenting with tethers before settling on his rear mounted system.

Regarding camera tethers, I prefer to tether it to myself when I'm actively using it and it's resting in my lap, rather than tethering it to the boat. Again, it's an entanglement issue. While I'm not wild about having a camera rolling around with me, I can live with that easier than getting caught up in it and not being able to exit the boat.

If I'm not actively using the camera and it's secured on deck, I'll switch the tether to the deck lines. Again, this avoids entanglement.

Regardless, the important thing is to use a consistent system that works for you and that you know you can extricate yourself from if necessary.

[JohnHuth]

I had a long drive alone from Philadelphia to ponder this weighty question - but all the experts have probably tendered the best advice already here.

My $0.02 anyway: over the summer I played with rolls and wet exits in pretty high winds (up to 25 knots - but I was always close to shore etc etc). Even in 25 knot winds, when I did a wet exit (on purpose!), I was able to hold onto my kayak, and I did wonder about whether a tether would help or be a liability in a roll - I still don't know.

On the other hand, I recall a bone-headed mistake I made when I was a wee lad of 17 years old. I was doing whitewater canoeing in an aluminum canoe, and then went to the shore. There were huge swells off the Atlantic, and my girlfriend's father talked me into trying to surf the canoe. On the first shot, the thing broached, and I remember being thrashed around in the surf, very helpless, and thinking to myself that there was about a ton of water contained in a ballistic aluminum vessel tumbling around somewhere in my vicinity. Luckily, I escaped unharmed, and suitably chastened.

I guess you should be ready to unhook very quickly if you need to.

The other thought is that you could spool up the line under the deck rigging so that it can unwind when you tug on it, but won't get you tangled up.

I only tether my paddle - but that's me.

John H.