leong

I can't tighten the Thule metal straps to the cylindrical Yakima bars tight enough; the whole unit easily rotates in the vertical plane unless I over-tighten the bolts. Of course, with the kayak in the carrier there is no torque in the vertical plane so I guess it's not a problem. Any suggestions?

Please send some of that refreshing cool water to southeast Florida. It's about 86 F down here now. I have the opposite of a cold water gasp when I practice rolling.

Bet they're good at roll tacking.

Wouldn't it be nice if a cylindrical dry bag (or even a paddle float) could double as a blow-up roller?

Kate, I used to use blow-up rollers to pull my sailboat onto the beach. Something like these but they come in smaller sizes. -Leon

I included and/or another self rescue technique. My roll recently failed but I had a backup. I shouldn't have said or. But I agree qualified friends are better.

How about do you have a reliable roll and/or another self-rescue ability?

Don't do that. The CG has enough trouble. https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/Coast-Guard-Finds-Missing-Kayaker-Off-Gloucester-560365471.html

Don't jump on fisherman. It's a recreational kayak problem. I've been fishing from sea kayaks long before recreational fishing kayaks were invented. I use long skinny kayaks like my QCC 700X, Epic 18X, Seda Glider and Falcon 18. Take a look:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?reload=9&v=9jw6S8hfQEI

I thought Herr Hair drained the swamps and marshes.

Thanks, Mike.

Recommendations for repair requested. Composite Engineering is too busy.

Hmm, not a Chinese hoax? It really exists?

It seems to me that the perfect fail safe way to design a handheld VHF is: Upon pressing the "CH16" push button the VHF radio will switch to VHF CH 16 on full power, no matter whether channel lock is set or not. Not operating this way is akin to a DSC radio that doesn't send the distress message when the distress button is pushed whenever you have channel lock set. Or, for an airplane, if the autopilot doesn’t disengage when the pilot presses the takeover pushbutton. I often practice Eskimo rolls with my Icom M73 VHF and it keeps on working. I just wash it in fresh water when I get home.

John, From my point of view the problem is the following: If I want to quickly call, say channel 72, to check on a fellow paddler pressing the transmit button chooses a random channel from the scan set of channels. So, I have to press the channel up or down keys to get to 72. If, in the alternative, the radio is locked to channel 72 and one needs to make an immediate emergency call to the CG, the 16/C button (the emergency button to go to channel 16) doesn't work. So, one has to unlock the lock first. The latter is the heart of my complaint about handheld VHF radios in the associated thread (Unsafe VHF Design); i.e., the 16/C button should immediately override the lock. Given enough time, someone (especially one who needs to raise the CG ASAP and is, say, using a borrowed radio) will not be able to unlock the lock and a possible preventable catastrophe might occur. -Leon

Robert and Dan, thanks. I didn't say dualwatch is an unsafe design. I said the lock channel mode is unsafe because the emergency channel 16 button doesn't release it. My race training use of locking channel 72 is not for emergencies. You might say it’s to determine if there is an emergency or if there is a change of plans. For example, I paddle through some rough water in a cut between some rocks and when I exit, I don’t see my partner following me. So, I call to make sure everything is okay. If there is no response I back track to see if there is a problem. If there is a problem that I can’t handle, then and only then would I call the CG. And I'd like to be able to do that by pressing the channel 16 emergency button (without having to unlock first). I just tested dual watch. Yes, if channel 16 is quiet, pressing xmit does transmit on 72; however, if the receiver is in the middle of listening to a transmission on 16, pressing xmit transmits on 16. That's not as bad as I thought it was, at least for me, but not for the CG. It took a while to demonstrate this because there wasn't any traffic on 16 for over half an hour. I'd still prefer a design where I could lock 72 and the channel 16 emergency button would release the lock and switch to channel 16. It’s as simple as that. -Leon

Note: Posted here and elsewhere. Okay, would someone please answer my question: Say you're in dualwatch or tri-watch or scan mode with, say, channel 72 included in addition to 16 (and perhaps 09 and other channels). Now you want to contact the pod on channel 72. How do you get to channel 72 without using the channel up (or down key) to move to channel 72 before pressing the transmit button? I think there is no way to do it. If you just press the transmit button you might transmit on 16 or 09 or 72 (or what ever other channel in the scan set) with equal probability. And that's why you need to set the channel lock to 72. So, that's the heart of the matter; i.e. if you have the VHF locked on 72 the emergency channel 16 button is disabled. So, you're faced with the additional step of unlocking before calling Mayday. What a stupid way to design VHF handheld radios.

Okay, would someone please answer my question: Say you're in dualwatch or tri-watch or scan mode with, say, channel 72 included in addition to 16 (and perhaps 09 or other channels). Now you want to contact the pod on channel 72. How do you get to channel 72 without using the channel up (or down key) to move to channel 72 before pressing the transmit button? I think there is no way to do it. If you just press the transmit button you might transmit on 16 or 09 or 72 (or what ever other channel in the scan set) with equal probability. And that's why you need to set the channel lock to 72. So, that's the heart of the matter; i.e. if you have the VHF locked on 72 the emergency channel 16 button is disabled. So, you're face with the additional step of unlocking before calling Mayday. What a stupid way to design VHF handheld radio.

I'm sure you're more stabler and geniuser than he is.

Okay, suppose you're scanning 9, 16 and 72 and you want to call the group on 72 immediately. How do you get to 72 without stopping the scan and using the up arrow key to move to 72, unless, of course, 1/3 of the time the scan just happens to stop on 72? Am I missing something? Unless it's some kind of secret, I couldn't find any mention of SAMs on Goat Island. I worked on the Patriot anti-missile upgrade just prior to us entering the first gulf war. Prior to that Patriot was just designed to identify, track and shoot down aircraft targets. I waived to Barbara Bush once and the secret service pulled her into the house. I turned and sprinted away as fast as I could.

Sounds good to me. But is your receiver capable of surviving a roll or a wave over the deck?

Interesting. I usually keep my VHF off when I'm paddling with a group and voice communication is possible. But, sometimes in long-distance race-training (like, for instance, paddling the Cape Ann loop), we might get out of earshot and eyesight and we turn our radios on to channel 72. I don't bother with 16, unless I need help. I don't believe the rules for monitoring channel 16 apply to kayaks, canoes, inner-tubes or SUPs, although the rules don't specifically exclude them.

Just when you're paddling with a group or all of the time? Do you use a scan between the group channel and 16, dual watch or other?

Now isn't that special, Ed. I appreciate it. I trolled for tarpon for three hours and caught just one barracuda. Not very successful, but it was fun. Now that you got that off your chest, do you anything constructive to say on the topic?