Any advice for transiting narrow, busy channels?

[pdp8]

I am a level 1 kayaker and went paddling on the Charles River basin last weekend. I rented a boat from Charles River Canoe and Kayak in Kendall Sq., paddled down to the Museum of Science dam and went through its lock (which is always open). The lock is about 45' wide, over 500' long, and has sheer 10'(?) walls on either side.

There were no other boats in the lock when I started, but soon after I entered, a duck boat entered from the other end. In spite of their size, they don't seem to produce much of a wake and I didn't have any problems with the duck boat.

Soon after the duck boat pasted me a motor boat entered the lock behind me, and eventually over took me. It had a non-trivial wake (even though it didn't seem to be going very fast). A little bit of water actually came into my cockpit and I was pushed into the lock's wall, not very hard, but it was difficult to get enough distance back so I could paddle again.

In retrospect, given my skill level it might not have been the right place to be, but I am wondering what I should/could do differently in the future:

• Try to take up more space so I wouldn't be passed?
• Paddle faster?
• Leave more of a margin between me and the wall?
• Somehow orient the boat to the wake better?

Thanks

[Paul Sylvester]

I am a level 1 kayaker and went paddling on the Charles River basin last weekend. I rented a boat from Charles River Canoe and Kayak in Kendall Sq., paddled down to the Museum of Science dam and went through its lock (which is always open). The lock is about 45' wide, over 500' long, and has sheer 10'(?) walls on either side.

There were no other boats in the lock when I started, but soon after I entered, a duck boat entered from the other end. In spite of their size, they don't seem to produce much of a wake and I didn't have any problems with the duck boat.

Soon after the duck boat pasted me a motor boat entered the lock behind me, and eventually over took me. It had a non-trivial wake (even though it didn't seem to be going very fast). A little bit of water actually came into my cockpit and I was pushed into the lock's wall, not very hard, but it was difficult to get enough distance back so I could paddle again.

In retrospect, given my skill level it might not have been the right place to be, but I am wondering what I should/could do differently in the future:

• Try to take up more space so I wouldn't be passed?

  No, we need to stay out of the way of larger powered boats. They don't understand us...

• Paddle faster?
• Leave more of a margin between me and the wall?
• Somehow orient the boat to the wake better?

  Yes to all three. The current can really move through there and I would assume many level 1 paddlers have been caught on the wrong side unable to make it against the 3 knots or so current.

Thanks

[tyson]

I am a level 1 kayaker and went paddling...

...but I am wondering what I should/could do differently in the future:

Do more paddling of course! And you will learn the most on the trips that result in threads that go on for at least 5 or6 pages and remain active for at least a week or so!

As Paul said, try to keep out of the way and keep moving. With more experience, those conditions won't be a concern.

Cheers!

Ty

[emilie]

A little bit of water actually came into my cockpit

That can be fixed with a spray skirt so you don't have to worry about a little splashing.

[prudenceb]

That can be fixed with a spray skirt so you don't have to worry about a little splashing.

But don't put on a spray skirt until you've had some experience - close to shore - in wet exiting!

[brambor]

do not use a spray skirt on a sit on top or a stand up paddling board... meow

[subaruguru]

Welcome, and congrats...you're now Level 2...once you get that skirt and learn to handle a wet exit or three.

[pdp8]

Welcome, and congrats...you're now Level 2...once you get that skirt and learn to handle a wet exit or three.

Yeah, thinking more about it given the practical physical limits on how fast a motor boat can go through the old lock if I had a skirt it is hard to image I could get in real trouble (especially if I kept out from the wall a bit more).

As for getting to the point of using a skirt, its high on my list for next season, October seems like the wrong time of year to start practicing wet exits. Need to find a good place to practice, don't really want to do it on the Charles. Thinking maybe Lower Mystic Lake. Is this the sort of thing that would be appropriate for a "Walden Wednesday"? The difficulty there is I am still renting so logistically it is a bit of a challenge.

My understanding that while people often find it intimidating, once you do it a wet exit with a skirt is pretty easy in practice.

[lhunt]

Hi, John,

I did my first wet exit on a cold spring day in a nice warm indoor swimming pool session, under the watchful eye of a very helpful NSPN'er. Hopefully there will be pool sessions this year as there were last year - watch the Calendar page for details. (Here is an example from last year.) Of course, not having a boat is still an issue. But this is a good time of year to pick up boats on sale...

Oh, yes, perfectly reasonable to do it in Walden Pond also, although as you say it's getting pretty cold for that.

Lisa