Who's Turtled?

[Kiko]

Not quite a turtle but on a float down the UP in my OK 13' Prowler, I had just passed a very mild rapid (Class .5) and was in the V. I heard a fish jump so I cast sideways and back. In a nano second, I was off balance and could feel the boat leaving my behind so I quickly slipped out of the boat and went in the water. The boat stayed upright and I lost no gear. I looked around to see if anyone saw me and sure enough, a buddy watched the whole thing. Once he knew I was OK....he just laughed. I got back on the yak easy enough as I've had a lesson from Capt. Tap Tap.

Ernie

[archeryrob]

Bryan and I are stil laughing ! That's the same day Sami turtled her kayak on the Antietam.

I have turtled once in my commander while trying to stand on the Conococheague and once on my Ride 135 on a river clean up on the Antietam.

I'm starting to see a pattern here on the Antietam Rob !

I see a pattern, with you standing!!!

Maybe it's the ghosts of Antietam pushing you over....

Nah, Greg just can't stand up with water around. Good thing he was Air Force and not Navy!

[snapper]

Yes I turtled once on the potomac trying to take a leak but it was 3 feet of water so nothing lost. Also once on backwater creek on Chesapeake I think I leaned back to heave a long cast and just rolled. Was near some rocks and snapped a rod but it was also shallow.

[J.A. Veil]

I have never overturned in my kayak. The closest I have come to overturning was when I was paddling in shallow water and one end of the kayak runs over a submerged log. For an instant, the weight is no longer fully supported by the water along the entire length of the hull, and the kayak becomes unstable. Fortunately, I have always maintained balance and backed off of the log. To me, that sensation is more disconcerting that facing a large wake or waves.

[Mark]

When I first got my kayak my second trip was to Downs Park in Pasadena.

Some of you may be familiar with the rock pile near the fishing pier. I was still learning command of the boat and I got too close to those rocks. The tide was receding and the rocks were just becoming visible. The wind was rather high and the waves pushed me right on top of the rocks. I was teetering there getting slammed by the waves and hearing the rocks and barnacles scraping my new boat. It was not a good feeling on many counts. I had to get out of the boat and push myself against the wind and waves off of the rocks.

I didn't turtle but I learned a valuable lesson about the power of the wind and water and knowing how close I can get to potential hazards.

[john from md]

I was turtled by a boat wake. I was at Woolchurch Cove, just up river from David Tayor. My FF was acting up so I stopped at the mouth of the cove with my back to the Severn. I opened the Mod Pod, got on my knees and reached in to jiggle the transducer. About this time a boat comes by and the next thing I know, I am in the water.

It was in early March and I had checked the water temp and time in water that morning before going out. The temp was 60 degrees and I remembered the chart said 2 hours before hyperthermia starts to set in. Since the Mod Pod was open, the yak partially filled with water and I could not right it. I started to swim for shore trying to pull the yak along but, doing the back stroke, this wasn't working too well.

I decided to swim in and leave the yak. The wind was from the West and I swam with it to the shore. I googled it when I got home and it was about 200 yards. I waited for about 45 minutes until the wind blew the yak in close enough for me to walk out and drag it in. Now, I never planned for water to enter the hull so guess what, I didn't have a pump! I only had a sponge and I found a discarded cup on shore and it took about 30 minutes to bail out the yak.

BTW, when I was in the water, I tried waving and whistling to several boats for help but none of them saw me or the upturned yak. Today I carry a VHF radio and four flares in my PFD and a hand pump inside the yak. I have even been looking at some bilge pump installations and may install a bilge pump.

The important part of this event was that I was prepared for the weather and water temp and knew what my limitations were. I also felt pretty good afterward as I was 62 years old with arthritis and I didn't feel stressed at all swimming backwards with my PFD on.

BTW, I have since swam with a traditional yak type PFD and a inflatable PFD. For my money, the traditional PFD was easier to swim and move around with.

FWIW,

John

[jhoss]

A sailboat quick release is a good idea to have on your anchor trolley ,just pull the cord and anchor is free, hopefully you have a float on your anchor cord.

I'd love to know more about the quick release you mentioned...got any photos of one rigged up? I'm realizing this is what I need just haven't seen it anywhere

[monocacykayak]

Will take some photos and post soon

[Yak Fish]

I was turtled by a boat wake. I was at Woolchurch Cove, just up river from David Tayor. My FF was acting up so I stopped at the mouth of the cove with my back to the Severn. I opened the Mod Pod, got on my knees and reached in to jiggle the transducer. About this time a boat comes by and the next thing I know, I am in the water.

It was in early March and I had checked the water temp and time in water that morning before going out. The temp was 60 degrees and I remembered the chart said 2 hours before hyperthermia starts to set in. Since the Mod Pod was open, the yak partially filled with water and I could not right it. I started to swim for shore trying to pull the yak along but, doing the back stroke, this wasn't working too well.

I decided to swim in and leave the yak. The wind was from the West and I swam with it to the shore. I googled it when I got home and it was about 200 yards. I waited for about 45 minutes until the wind blew the yak in close enough for me to walk out and drag it in. Now, I never planned for water to enter the hull so guess what, I didn't have a pump! I only had a sponge and I found a discarded cup on shore and it took about 30 minutes to bail out the yak.

BTW, when I was in the water, I tried waving and whistling to several boats for help but none of them saw me or the upturned yak. Today I carry a VHF radio and four flares in my PFD and a hand pump inside the yak. I have even been looking at some bilge pump installations and may install a bilge pump.

The important part of this event was that I was prepared for the weather and water temp and knew what my limitations were. I also felt pretty good afterward as I was 62 years old with arthritis and I didn't feel stressed at all swimming backwards with my PFD on.

BTW, I have since swam with a traditional yak type PFD and a inflatable PFD. For my money, the traditional PFD was easier to swim and move around with.

FWIW,

John

Wow, that's a scary day. That water could have been much colder that time of year. Fortunately it was not. Early march are often in the 40's

[Bulldog]

I've gone over twice, once in Lehigh River, after hitting a boulder wrong, and second time on rain swollen Jordan creek, hit a tree limb. I had practiced before and getting in the yak in the Lehigh was second nature, the Jordan was narrow and moving quick, just went to nearest bank. Both locations near Allentown, Pa......jack

[DonV]

I was turtled by a boat wake. I was at Woolchurch Cove, just up river from David Tayor. My FF was acting up so I stopped at the mouth of the cove with my back to the Severn. I opened the Mod Pod, got on my knees and reached in to jiggle the transducer. About this time a boat comes by and the next thing I know, I am in the water.

It was in early March and I had checked the water temp and time in water that morning before going out. The temp was 60 degrees and I remembered the chart said 2 hours before hyperthermia starts to set in. Since the Mod Pod was open, the yak partially filled with water and I could not right it. I started to swim for shore trying to pull the yak along but, doing the back stroke, this wasn't working too well.

I decided to swim in and leave the yak. The wind was from the West and I swam with it to the shore. I googled it when I got home and it was about 200 yards. I waited for about 45 minutes until the wind blew the yak in close enough for me to walk out and drag it in. Now, I never planned for water to enter the hull so guess what, I didn't have a pump! I only had a sponge and I found a discarded cup on shore and it took about 30 minutes to bail out the yak.

BTW, when I was in the water, I tried waving and whistling to several boats for help but none of them saw me or the upturned yak. Today I carry a VHF radio and four flares in my PFD and a hand pump inside the yak. I have even been looking at some bilge pump installations and may install a bilge pump.

The important part of this event was that I was prepared for the weather and water temp and knew what my limitations were. I also felt pretty good afterward as I was 62 years old with arthritis and I didn't feel stressed at all swimming backwards with my PFD on.

BTW, I have since swam with a traditional yak type PFD and a inflatable PFD. For my money, the traditional PFD was easier to swim and move around with.

FWIW,

John

What type of flares do you carry in the PFD? I like the idea of that but would like to know a little more about the logistics. Just handheld or shooting? Size etc.?

[john from md]

My PFD ( I forget the name) has an area behind the pocket that I can slide stuff into. I carry four of the Skyblazer aerial flares. They are only about 4 or 5 inches long when closed. To deploy them, you pull the handle out and unscrew the lanyard cap, aim over your head and pull the lanyard. We practiced with them some years ago off of Cape May and they will get a boats attention in an area where there are boats around. Fishing in the Severn and around the Bay Bridge there are always boats in the area. I also have my VHF radio which is compact and I keep my cell phone in a waterproof holder attached to the PFD also.

I don't notice the stuff when I am paddling or fishing and it gives me piece of mind.

John

[DonV]

My PFD ( I forget the name) has an area behind the pocket that I can slide stuff into. I carry four of the Skyblazer aerial flares. They are only about 4 or 5 inches long when closed. To deploy them, you pull the handle out and unscrew the lanyard cap, aim over your head and pull the lanyard. We practiced with them some years ago off of Cape May and they will get a boats attention in an area where there are boats around. Fishing in the Severn and around the Bay Bridge there are always boats in the area. I also have my VHF radio which is compact and I keep my cell phone in a waterproof holder attached to the PFD also.

I don't notice the stuff when I am paddling or fishing and it gives me piece of mind.

John

Thanks John.

[moken12]

Compton Rapids on the Shenandoah River in a moken 12. Heard that two Coosas turtled there earlier in the year!

[Gregtokoolman]

Shenandoah River class 2 rapids... floated down half a mile before my yak stopped on an island. Pax over loaded my yak with 100lbs of gear. Simple wave Pushed me over. Lost nothing though