Article about Coast Guard outreach
http://www.auxadept.org/navigator/current_issue.pdf
Get your popcorn!
Get your popcorn and a comfortable chair! After reading the first paragraph I can see it coming!
I think it’s
– Last Updated: Dec-21-07 8:55 AM EST –
an oustanding thing that the Aux and ACA have teamed up to provide classes to folks. The Auxies do a hell of a great job. They do things like this on their own time and are not paid for it.
They work for the Coast Guard, so there's no surprise there, about the life jacket saftey angle. Auxies rock!
OT Check out Coast Guard in California
This is a practice run …and yes the boat goes over 90 degrees in high surf out of Morro Bay…
http://www.pbase.com/roberthouse/cg2007
gotcha!
So, what’s up with the fella shooting pencil flares at the off-screen Navy Rescue Helo? What did he do with his day/night distress flares? I wanna see smoke for the windline! I’m sure as heck not jumping in for him…he’s likely to point that durned shooter my way! ;>
And, BTW, I don’t think the Coast Guard Aux needs to qualify me for any sort of rescue. Been there, done that. My qual card is all filled up.
Old Goat
This is a good thing.
Thanks for posting.
47 MLB
How did they get connected?
– Last Updated: Dec-21-07 4:41 PM EST –
"boating and paddling accidents, of which 49 were not wearing a life jacket".
This comment fails to distinguish the difference between power and paddle boats. These two are totally different and regulated under different laws yet the death rates are combined. It should be power boat deaths in one category and paddle boat deaths in another. I even seen swimming deaths thrown into the mix of drowning deaths by not wearing a PFD.
Is it combined for the purpose of making kayakers wear PFD while most of the deaths are from power boats?
But in paddling deaths
Of overall boating deaths, paddling deaths are in the minority. As are paddlers compared to those who want to let a gasoline engine do the work.
However, of paddling deaths, each time they are calculated a very high percentage are associated with no PFD. A not inconsiderable number are associated with rental situations with canoes and rec boats, catching the more careless user who also is more likely to forego a PFD. But that association requires a bit more digging to get.
I don’t recall the percent and am not going to spend time between now and Christmas looking it up, but I suspect the ACA has some links to these stats. If you care to look.
Thanks!
Cursory examination indicates
inflatables may have the worst per capita death rate.
interesting
the chart for fatalities by vessel indicates that more kayak paddlers drowned while wearing a pfd vs the number who drowned without wearing a pfd.
Maybe I should rethink always wearing a pfd.
We always wear ours. its just another layer of clothing and we actually feel ‘nekid’ without a pfd.
Pushing the envelope?
I may have to break off from Christmas stuff and look - now I am curious about whether the kayakers were more likely to be pushing the envelope than the other craft.
Is the CG Auxiliary more present?
Seems to me that we’ve had more sightings of what were CG auxiliary this season, both in Maine and locally inland, than I recall from before. Maybe I’ve not realized who they were before - or are they more present?
puzzled me
at first–then after reflection the answer is obvious—the chart does not break down deaths of sea and general recreation kayakers v. white water paddlers—if you spend your time paddling in heavy white water—class IV and above, then you are much more likely to get caught in a keeper hole or strainer or someother significant river hazard where the force of the hydrolic keeps you under the water no matter what you are wearing for a pfd.
Doesn’t mean you shouldn’t wear one–in fact, although I have seen plenty of general recreational kayakers and some sea kayakers(but not many) not wearing pfds, I have never seen a WWkayaker not wearing one–and always they seem to be wearing their helmets too. What it means is that that side of the sport is much more risky than the other areas of paddling. Goes with the territory.
The CG has been expanded
thanks to homeland security and drugs.
yep
in fact if you are a Registered Maine Sea Kayak Guide you would have received a mailing from the Coast Guard asking you to report any suspicious activity you observe along the coast—I’ve been looking but haven’t seen any so far—in fact the only activity that I would note is between some guy in a power boat and a good looking blonde–they were beached on an island near Castine Harbor–I suspect I interrupted something but I didn’t stick around long enough to find out.
WW? NM
Kayaks are of particular interest
to Homeland Security… Times are a changin.