Surfski Knowledge Base

Re: An excellent read on risk assessment
Reivers Dustin
11/04/15 #18235

(…..)

So this morning I got to Marine Park ready for a paddle with LB. Behold there was an ambulance and a fire truck in response to a canoe swamp. I spoke rashly before realizing that the soggy guy next to me was the swimmer. He replied, he's been crabbing from his open canoe there for five years with no problem. Thank goodness I took that opportunity to shut the hell up. I have kissed the beach with boundless love after seeing what the weather can do from the seat of my surfski. There's no free pass. Maybe Saint Peter will tell me, “thanks for playing - it was fun to watch” when I - er, if I show up at the Pearly Gates.

rd

canoe's on the bay
Reivers Dustin
11/05/15 #18236

This morning there was a canoe on the bay picking up crab pots. Looked like a powerboat was hovering nearby. Maybe the same canoe as yesterday with a friend on safety watch. These were two paddlers who came in just as I launched. We said our hellos. The bow paddler was saying how nice it was to not have to come through shore break. Maybe throwing down a little humor?

I was looking at those heavy crab pots sitting up there on the gunwales.

So just thought I would check my perception here. Is it actually possible that my thinking is wrong? Is an open canoe fairly seaworthy? Maybe these guys are major dudes who know their stuff?

Not my appetite to 'be right' or go fix anybody. Being wrong is fixable - er, prior to putting yourself in the situation.

rd

John Rybczyk
11/05/15 #18237

I have crabbed from a canoe on warm, calm, summer days, close to shore (Chuckanut Bay) and it was fun. I've tried to crab from a canoe on a warm, summer day when there were 1 - 2 foot seas. Not so fun. One wind wave can completely swamp the canoe (and did). One big problem , of course, is that when you're retrieving a trap, you can't really “hold your position” with regards to the waves. However, all that be said, there is very little that's more exciting than pulling a fully loaded ring trap up into a canoe and seeing 25 very fast and very angry crabs spill out onto the bottom of the boat when you're wearing flip flops or barefoot. If there are a few waves to throw into the mix, the experience is not to be missed.

johnr

Reivers Dustin

11/05/15 #18238

Thanks John. Anybody else have thoughts? How about when the Alaska Ferry or Whalewatch boats run out of the bay? Wouldn't a set of those rollers pretty much do the trick even on a glass day?

I should mention that the first responders (medics, etc.) at the scene were completely cool with the canoe paddler. They didn't act like he was accepting any special risk. One guy looked over my boat and asked what make it was. He recognized my name and asked how my shoulder was coming along. I felt like the Paris Hilton of paddling - a famous klutz.

rd

David Scherrer
11/05/15 #18240

Hey Guys,
I have a done fair amount of crabbing from a canoe in the past….Rule #1 Don't carry the pot on the gunwale or thwart, keep on or near bottom of canoe. #2 pull up pot while kneeling with line coming over gunwale.
If crabs came aboard…quickly kick them up the the bow paddler!

David