Reel Chaos

[leong]

More than a week ago my friend was trolling along the coast of Singer Island, FL, in his Seda Impulse near the Palm Beach inlet; tarpon, jacks and cobia were snapping at his lures. It was near sundown when he heading almost due west out of the ocean through an inlet into the setting sun. To avoid the powerboat traffic he stayed close to the south jetty rocks of the inlet. Just as he exited the inlet and entered the bay, he heard the sound of a motor behind him. He looked back and saw a large catamaran bearing down on him. Just before the inevitable crash he rolled over to avoid a collision between his upper body and one of the hulls of the catamaran. The catamaran’s portside hull collided with the bottom of his kayak, just aft of the cockpit. This happened at the instant that my friend was wet exiting (he felt the collision, but wasn’t hurt at all). Luckily, his sprayskirt self-released (possibly from the shock of the impact) before he even reached for the release loop. Once out of the cockpit, my friend dived down into the water as deep, and for as long, as he could (although it was difficult against the buoyant force of the PFD). Obviously, he was trying to stay far away from the moving hulls and spinning propellers. When he finally came to the surface he found himself in the tunnel between the two hulls of the catamaran that was passing over him (very big smile here!). The Impulse also came through the tunnel a few seconds later. There were four worried guys on the stern of the catamaran and the captain still on the bridge watching my friend as he reappeared behind the catamaran.

The captain climbed down from the bridge and apologized repeatedly. He said that he didn’t see the kayak because the sun was in his eyes when he turned south out of the inlet. He said he was greatly relieved; his greatest fear was to see a body facedown body in the water after such a loud noise at impact.

A towline was attached to the kayak while my friend climbed aboard the catamaran for discussions with the captain and phone notification to the harbor police. After completion of this, my friend went back into the water and did a re-entry and roll; he then followed the catamaran to a nearby marina (the Impulse had a slow but manageable leak in the rear hatch chamber). After the police report was written, the captain paid for the damaged Impulse (and various lost fishing equipment, hat, sunglasses, etc). Although the Impulse suffered multiple cracks, the Kevlar held and the Impulse didn’t lose it’s shape. The Impulse has since been repaired (about 4 pounds of additional Kevlar and epoxy) and is now back on the water almost every day. My friend was shaken, but suffered no physical injuries.

Some food for thought:

1. Assume that powerboats don’t see you unless they wave to you. There is additional risk when paddling into the sun with powerboats behind you. Powerboater’s appear to visually scan for other powerboats but don’t particularly notice kayaks. This advice applies to autos and bicycles too.

2. Rolling over just before impact and then wet exiting probably saved my friend’s life.

3. Although in this particular accident the PFD played a negative role (the buoyant force made it difficult to stay under water), my friend will continue to wear his PFD always. If he had hit his head or lost consciousness, the PFD might have made all the difference.

4. Maxwell’s demon (luck) played two crucial roles in this accident. a) the impact point was behind the cockpit and my friend randomly resurfaced far away from both props and hulls.

The pictures show the Impulse about an hour before the accident, the damaged hull after the accident and the catamaran (coincidentally, almost at the exact location of the accident) about two weeks later.

[Gcosloy]

Tell your friend I'm so relieved that he escaped such an experience without what could have been a much worse outcome. It's much safer kayaking here in New England in the winter: the sun is usually hazy if seen at all and most powerboats are snug in drydock wrapped in their plastic blankets for the season. Maybe your friend should take a break and come up here and paddle in safer waters while he recovers from the shock of too much Florida sunshine.

[bazzert]

Very glad your friend is okay! What an experience.

[rylevine]

Tell your friend I'm so relieved that he escaped such an experience without what could have been a much worse outcome. It's much safer kayaking here in New England in the winter: the sun is usually hazy if seen at all and most powerboats are snug in drydock wrapped in their plastic blankets for the season. Maybe your friend should take a break and come up here and paddle in safer waters while he recovers from the shock of too much Florida sunshine.

Ditto on this, especially the relief. Tuck's Point awaits.....

Bob

[prudenceb]

I remember reading an article in Sea Kayak mag some time ago about a man in a kayak being run over by a powerboat. Luckily, just before impact, he rolled over. That lesson has stayed with me (and hopefully will never need it!): Get upside down quick if you're about to be hit.

What a lucky story for your friend - and his boat.. (I don't think the kayak in the magazine article fared as well...)

prudence

[subaruguru]

Tell your friend I'm so relieved that he escaped such an experience without what could have been a much worse outcome. It's much safer kayaking here in New England in the winter: the sun is usually hazy if seen at all and most powerboats are snug in drydock wrapped in their plastic blankets for the season. Maybe your friend should take a break and come up here and paddle in safer waters while he recovers from the shock of too much Florida sunshine.

Or at the very least try to stay fit indoors like my friend did. Noticing his exercise ball was sagging a bit from the holiday pies, he perhaps overinflated it a bit, and when attempting a precarious back stretch, rolled across the room head first into a wall, crashing off onto his elbow and cracking a rib. If only he'd thought to put on his PFD! And maybe a helmet. At least (unlike the aforementioned Seda) he's hoping for a no-cost self-repair!

[Gcosloy]

Or at the very least try to stay fit indoors like my friend did. Noticing his exercise ball was sagging a bit from the holiday pies, he perhaps overinflated it a bit, and when attempting a precarious back stretch, rolled across the room head first into a wall, crashing off onto his elbow and cracking a rib. If only he'd thought to put on his PFD! And maybe a helmet. At least (unlike the aforementioned Seda) he's hoping for a no-cost self-repair!

I hate when that happens! Hope your friend recovers soon.

[rylevine]

Or at the very least try to stay fit indoors like my friend did. Noticing his exercise ball was sagging a bit from the holiday pies, he perhaps overinflated it a bit, and when attempting a precarious back stretch, rolled across the room head first into a wall, crashing off onto his elbow and cracking a rib. If only he'd thought to put on his PFD! And maybe a helmet. At least (unlike the aforementioned Seda) he's hoping for a no-cost self-repair!

Also hoping for a speedy recovery, and that all these friends survive the supposedly dormant winter months until the spring!

[lhunt]

...(unlike the aforementioned Seda) he's hoping for a no-cost self-repair!

Without the additional 4 lb.?