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stories:italian_downwinder_11_23_2006 [2020/03/16 16:21] preavley |
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| - | ==== Italian downwinder ==== | + | <<stories:big_wednesday|Previous Story^stories:bellingham_stories|Story List ^ stories:false_bay_rescue_12_08_2006|Next Story>> |
| + | |||
| + | ===== Italian Downwinder ===== | ||
| **Reivers Dustin** \\ | **Reivers Dustin** \\ | ||
| Line 6: | Line 8: | ||
| As in: swim with the fishes. | As in: swim with the fishes. | ||
| - | LG, Terry and I saw good waves out by Post Point buoy so we decided\\ | + | LG, Terry and I saw good waves out by Post Point buoy so we decided on a downwinder from Larrabee for today's nooner. Once we got to Larrabee it looked nuclear. Pretty much the same as last Sunday during the wind-storm. |
| - | on a downwinder from Larrabee for today's nooner. Once we got to\\ | + | |
| - | Larrabee it looked nuclear. Pretty much the same as last Sunday\\ | + | |
| - | during the wind-storm. | + | |
| - | Terry got knocked off and whadya know - his paddle leash broke. I\\ | + | Terry got knocked off and whadya know - his paddle leash broke. I jumped off of my boat and caught his. Terry swam towards me, but didn't make much headway. I had to hold by the front of both boats and swim them towards him while LG searched back for his paddle. Even with me in the water holding both boats, we were being pushed downwind faster than Terry could swim. He got tired. After LG got his paddle back we helped with re-entry. But you know how it is once you get cold and really tired. I pulled out my speed-dial to the CG and asked for a rescue. It was a booger trying to talk on the VHF w/one hand on the paddle in those seas. LG and I were in and out of the water quite a bit and lost our edge. Terry was exhausted. I saw his V-10 rolling it's way toward the mouth of the Nooksack. I hung out until LG showed up with Terry clinging behind. |
| - | jumped off of my boat and caught his. Terry swam towards me, but\\ | + | |
| - | didn't make much headway. I had to hold by the front of both boats\\ | + | |
| - | and swim them towards him while LG searched back for his paddle.\\ | + | |
| - | Even with me in the water holding both boats, we were being pushed\\ | + | |
| - | downwind faster than Terry could swim. He got tired. After LG got\\ | + | |
| - | his paddle back we helped with re-entry. But you know how it is once\\ | + | |
| - | you get cold and really tired. I pulled out my speed-dial to the CG\\ | + | |
| - | and asked for a rescue. It was a booger trying to talk on the VHF w/\\ | + | |
| - | one hand on the paddle in those seas. LG and I were in and out of\\ | + | |
| - | the water quite a bit and lost our edge. Terry was exhausted. I saw\\ | + | |
| - | his V-10 rolling it's way toward the mouth of the Nooksack. I hung\\ | + | |
| - | out until LG showed up with Terry clinging behind. | + | |
| - | The CG took Terry away, so I waited for LG heading home with him\\ | + | The CG took Terry away, so I waited for LG heading home with him Somehow Ilost track of him on the way in. I decided to give him five minutes to show up after I landed before calling the Coast Guard (CG). I was too wobbly to be much use to him and knew the CG was near. Sure enough he rolled in just behind me. |
| - | Somehow Ilost track of him on the way in. I decided to give him five\\ | + | |
| - | minutes to show up after I landed before calling the Coast Guard\\ | + | |
| - | (CG). I was too wobbly to be much use to him and knew the CG was\\ | + | |
| - | near. Sure enough he rolled in just behind me. | + | |
| - | I've kept this somewhat terse, so here are some items to add to your\\ | + | I've kept this somewhat terse, so here are some items to add to your impressions:\\ |
| - | impressions:\\ | + | -Aside from a missed re-entry, neither LG or I got wobbly until we got cold.\\ |
| - | -Aside from a missed re-entry, neither LG or I got wobbly until we\\ | + | |
| - | got cold.\\ | + | |
| -None of us called for a pre-trip discussion, or gear cross-check.\\ | -None of us called for a pre-trip discussion, or gear cross-check.\\ | ||
| - | -The water was as big as last Sunday. Even though the wind wasn't\\ | + | -The water was as big as last Sunday. Even though the wind wasn't probably as heavy. It was, weirdly, worse and better. There was some large cross pattern crap and an occasional roller that was a hella-ride.\\ |
| - | probably as heavy. It was, weirdly, worse and better. There was\\ | + | -My re-entries worked well (sidesaddle) even with those creaming rollers. I tried both upwind and downwind of the boat. There was pretty much no way to turn the boat head or tail to. I just went in broad-side to the wind & waves. Having my feet over the side was beautiful. |
| - | some large cross pattern crap and an occasional roller that was a\\ | + | |
| - | hella-ride.\\ | + | \\ |
| - | -My re-entries worked well (sidesaddle) even with those creaming\\ | + | -Get yourself a radio. The CG can get you when all your burly friends can only try.\\ |
| - | rollers. I tried both upwind and downwind of the boat. There was\\ | + | -The things we do to mitigate risk will not always work. I'm going anyway.\\ |
| - | pretty much no way to turn the boat head or tail to. I just went in\\ | + | |
| - | broad-side to the wind & waves. Having my feet over the side was\\ | + | |
| - | beautiful.\\ | + | |
| - | -Get yourself a radio. The CG can get you when all your burly\\ | + | |
| - | friends can only try.\\ | + | |
| - | -The things we do to mitigate risk will not always work. I'm going\\ | + | |
| - | anyway.\\ | + | |
| -Judge the situation for yourself.\\ | -Judge the situation for yourself.\\ | ||
| -I hear you out there. You're saying "wasn't he trying to be brief?" | -I hear you out there. You're saying "wasn't he trying to be brief?" | ||
| Line 70: | Line 44: | ||
| 11/23/06 #2109 | 11/23/06 #2109 | ||
| - | To add to this, both Reivers and I spent time in the water helping\\ | + | To add to this, both Reivers and I spent time in the water helping Terry to remount. He was pretty chilled and it showed. All three of us learned a few really valuable lessons from this:\\ |
| - | Terry to remount. He was pretty chilled and it showed. All three of\\ | + | |
| - | us learned a few really valuable lessons from this:\\ | + | |
| 1. Have a damn good leash and use it.\\ | 1. Have a damn good leash and use it.\\ | ||
| - | 2. Wear your pfd if things are rockin. Terry wore his and had his\\ | + | 2. Wear your pfd if things are rockin. Terry wore his and had his been on his boat, he would have had to wave good-bye to it.\\ |
| - | been on his boat, he would have had to wave good-bye to it.\\ | + | 3. Carry a radio. Without Reivers carrying his, this could have been a disaster.\\ |
| - | 3. Carry a radio. Without Reivers carrying his, this could have been\\ | + | 4. A pre-paddle meeting about conditions, course, abilities and gear could prevent a disaster.\\ |
| - | a disaster.\\ | + | 5. Expect the worse. Even though the wind never peaked over 39 mph, it was bigger and worse than last Sunday when the peaks were in the 50's and 60's. Some wave sets were over the 6'-7' range. Like Reivers said, it was also better than last week with some long rides and high speeds. I had hit 13.7 before we even got to Govenor's Point |
| - | 4. A pre-paddle meeting about conditions, course, abilities and gear\\ | + | |
| - | could prevent a disaster.\\ | + | 6. Dress for swimming. Neither Reivers or I (or Terry) had planned on spending anytime in the water, but we did. |
| - | 5. Expect the worse. Even though the wind never peaked over 39 mph,\\ | + | |
| - | it was bigger and worse than last Sunday when the peaks were in the\\ | + | |
| - | 50's and 60's. Some wave sets were over the 6'-7' range. Like Reivers\\ | + | |
| - | said, it was also better than last week with some long rides and high\\ | + | |
| - | speeds. I had hit 13.7 before we even got to Govenor's Point.\\ | + | |
| - | 6. Dress for swimming. Neither Reivers or I (or Terry) had planned on\\ | + | |
| - | spending anytime in the water, but we did. | + | |
| - | I consider this a valuable lesson without much tuition except for the\\ | + | I consider this a valuable lesson without much tuition except for the fact that Terry lost his boat and paddle.\\ |
| - | fact that Terry lost his boat and paddle.\\ | + | |
| Larry G | Larry G | ||
| Line 95: | Line 59: | ||
| 11/23/06 #2110 | 11/23/06 #2110 | ||
| - | Mike….I was able to easily find Terry's paddle because of the\\ | + | Mike….I was able to easily find Terry's paddle because of the Poagies on it. However, I could only paddle on one side while holding it because his feather was the opposite of mine. Reivers grabbed Terry's boat but he was unable to paddle with his hands full. In this case, the wind blew things above water much faster than they did in the water so we were accelerating away from Terry. We finally let go of Terry's paddle when his boat went rolling across the bay. Equipment is always replaceable. After the CG picked up Terry, Reivers and I both noticed that our chilly bones could not balance as well as they did 30 minutes earlier. This made the trip back difficult and I went in two more times while traversing back to Marine park. My hands were numb and I couldn't push them into my Poagies so my grip was not the best on the trip home.\\ |
| - | Poagies on it. However, I could only paddle on one side while holding\\ | + | |
| - | it because his feather was the opposite of mine. Reivers grabbed\\ | + | |
| - | Terry's boat but he was unable to paddle with his hands full. In this\\ | + | |
| - | case, the wind blew things above water much faster than they did in\\ | + | |
| - | the water so we were accelerating away from Terry. We finally let go\\ | + | |
| - | of Terry's paddle when his boat went rolling across the bay.\\ | + | |
| - | Equipment is always replaceable. After the CG picked up Terry,\\ | + | |
| - | Reivers and I both noticed that our chilly bones could not balance as\\ | + | |
| - | well as they did 30 minutes earlier. This made the trip back\\ | + | |
| - | difficult and I went in two more times while traversing back to\\ | + | |
| - | Marine park. My hands were numb and I couldn't push them into my\\ | + | |
| - | Poagies so my grip was not the best on the trip home.\\ | + | |
| LG | LG | ||
| Line 127: | Line 79: | ||
| I'm good with sharing, but easy does it on the preaching. | I'm good with sharing, but easy does it on the preaching. | ||
| - | I know that you have been there. I also recognize high regard and\\ | + | I know that you have been there. I also recognize high regard and care for other water sport enthusiasts. (I'm a parent of three. Sometime during each day I am siezed with panic that something terrible has happened to one or all. That is not the way to good parenting.) |
| - | care for other water sport enthusiasts. (I'm a parent of three.\\ | + | |
| - | Sometime during each day I am siezed with panic that something\\ | + | |
| - | terrible has happened to one or all. That is not the way to good\\ | + | |
| - | parenting.) | + | |
| - | All three of us were dressed for immersion: neoprene pants, cold\\ | + | All three of us were dressed for immersion: neoprene pants, cold weather headgear, poly-tops with wind-breakers, plus the life-jackets. I was in the water 15 - 20 minutes (hard to be accurate), but didn't get cold until I was sitting in wind being inactive. |
| - | weather headgear, poly-tops with wind-breakers, plus the life-\\ | + | |
| - | jackets. I was in the water 15 - 20 minutes (hard to be accurate),\\ | + | |
| - | but didn't get cold until I was sitting in wind being inactive. | + | |
| - | Our paddling community is a little fragmented already because several\\ | + | Our paddling community is a little fragmented already because several strong paddlers know that they invoke liabilities just by being near a less seasoned paddler. |
| - | strong paddlers know that they invoke liabilities just by being near\\ | + | |
| - | a less seasoned paddler. | + | |
| - | The tone I'm trying for here is to hold everyone "able". Safety\\ | + | The tone I'm trying for here is to hold everyone "able". Safety Nazi's save lives by excluding life. |
| - | Nazi's save lives by excluding life. | + | |
| - | Here comes a joke. It's just a little fun at the expense of those\\ | + | Here comes a joke. It's just a little fun at the expense of those who place their lives in hostage to death. |
| - | who place their lives in hostage to death. | + | |
| Drive reckless, it's careful out there. | Drive reckless, it's careful out there. | ||
| Line 173: | Line 114: | ||
| 11/24/06 #2117 | 11/24/06 #2117 | ||
| - | Man-o-man. Sure is fun to chew over the excitment. Thanks for\\ | + | Man-o-man. Sure is fun to chew over the excitment. Thanks for supportive comments, and you can all worship me and LG as lesser gods. Actually we are both fish-eating, grey headed whatever else Dave said\\ |
| - | supportive comments, and you can all worship me and LG as lesser gods.\\ | + | |
| - | Actually we are both fish-eating, grey headed whatever else Dave said\\ | + | |
| critters. | critters. | ||
| - | I was surprized at how stable it was to sit side-saddle in the slop.\\ | + | I was surprized at how stable it was to sit side-saddle in the slop. Getting on wasn't so bad either (once I got the hang of it). It was tricky getting my feet back in and getting underway. The CG kept wanting to talk to me. It felt like a 911 deal where they keep you on the line. I had to drop the radio after a bit, because it was tiring to balance w/o both hands on the paddle. Also, they asked for coordinates. I didn't have me GPS, but couldn't imagine strolling though the menus to a coordinate display. |
| - | Getting on wasn't so bad either (once I got the hang of it). It was\\ | + | |
| - | tricky getting my feet back in and getting underway. The CG kept\\ | + | |
| - | wanting to talk to me. It felt like a 911 deal where they keep you on\\ | + | |
| - | the line. I had to drop the radio after a bit, because it was tiring\\ | + | |
| - | to balance w/o both hands on the paddle. Also, they asked for\\ | + | |
| - | coordinates. I didn't have me GPS, but couldn't imagine strolling\\ | + | |
| - | though the menus to a coordinate display. | + | |
| - | Here's a wierd thing that happened: I had caught a beautiful ride and\\ | + | Here's a wierd thing that happened: I had caught a beautiful ride and a little cross wave developed on my right hand side. This wave climbed over the right side of my boat into the cockpit. Due to the speed, the water climbed under my right thigh and hydro-staticted under my butt. So the water jacked me out of my seat! I was able to stay centered and came back down in-place. It never happened again so maybe this is rare. That's fine with me, I didn't like it much. |
| - | a little cross wave developed on my right hand side. This wave climbed\\ | + | |
| - | over the right side of my boat into the cockpit. Due to the speed, the\\ | + | |
| - | water climbed under my right thigh and hydro-staticted under my butt.\\ | + | |
| - | So the water jacked me out of my seat! I was able to stay centered and\\ | + | |
| - | came back down in-place. It never happened again so maybe this is\\ | + | |
| - | rare. That's fine with me, I didn't like it much. | + | |
| - | Anyway, it's not so much of a deal to help a guy in trouble. Just pass\\ | + | Anyway, it's not so much of a deal to help a guy in trouble. Just pass it on when you can. We have a pretty cool thing going on with our little paddling group. |
| - | it on when you can. We have a pretty cool thing going on with our\\ | + | |
| - | little paddling group. | + | |
| rd | rd | ||
| \\ | \\ | ||
| - | **Re: Leashes? and don't forget rudders too....\\ | + | **Re: Leashes? and don't forget rudders too….\\ |
| Larry Goolsby** \\ | Larry Goolsby** \\ | ||
| - | 11/25/06 #2128 | + | 11/25/06 #2128 |
| - | Erik....Funny thing, I just ordered a boat to body leash because I\\ | + | Erik….Funny thing, I just ordered a boat to body leash because I have seen too many light weight paddle leashes break in a high wind or surf.I may try both for a bit or maybe leash my paddle to my pfd instead of to the boat. My paddle leash held just fine in those conditions but it's the 'what if' that bothers me. Another necessary item that I needed on Thursday was a big ass rudder. I had taken off my Huki 9" surfing rudder and replaced it with a wimpier 9" weedless rudder. A Big difference from my previous stormy paddle. The larger rudder didn't hesitate in turning the boat in high winds while the weedless version would sometimes not allow me to turn at all. I actually had to race downwind and pull a fast turn in a chasm in order to turn back upwind to assist Terry. On a handful of occasions, I could not turn upwind when I was paddling parallel to the wives and perpendicular to the wind. That was not an issue with the surfing rudder so it's going back on for the big stuff.\\ |
| - | have seen too many light weight paddle leashes break in a high wind\\ | + | |
| - | or surf.I may try both for a bit or maybe leash my paddle to my pfd\\ | + | |
| - | instead of to the boat. My paddle leash held just fine in those\\ | + | |
| - | conditions but it's the 'what if' that bothers me. Another necessary\\ | + | |
| - | item that I needed on Thursday was a big ass rudder. I had taken off\\ | + | |
| - | my Huki 9" surfing rudder and replaced it with a wimpier 9" weedless\\ | + | |
| - | rudder. A Big difference from my previous stormy paddle. The larger\\ | + | |
| - | rudder didn't hesitate in turning the boat in high winds while the\\ | + | |
| - | weedless version would sometimes not allow me to turn at all. I\\ | + | |
| - | actually had to race downwind and pull a fast turn in a chasm in\\ | + | |
| - | order to turn back upwind to assist Terry. On a handful of occasions,\\ | + | |
| - | I could not turn upwind when I was paddling parallel to the wives and\\ | + | |
| - | perpendicular to the wind. That was not an issue with the surfing\\ | + | |
| - | rudder so it's going back on for the big stuff.\\ | + | |
| Larry G | Larry G | ||
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