Friday 1 May 2015

Getting Wet

Since coming back from my Kayaking trip in March I have joined a local club, Integrate Paddling, in order to gain more experience. As part of their assurance process, Integrate runs a 6 week long coaching course to bring new members up to a standard where it is suitable for them to go on club trips. So for the last few weeks I have been meeting other newbies at Stonehaven harbour between 6 and 8:30. Coaching has been provided by Ed Lawson and Andy Thorburn.

Rather annoyingly I seem to be the least stable member on the water and have now fallen in on every session. So at least this week’s session was helpful as it was rescues with everyone playing the part of rescuer and rescued. We were learning the Hook/Heel Method of rescue

As Rescuer Key Points are:

1. Confirm rescued is not panicking and get them to hold front of your boat

2. Put both yours an theirs paddles out of the way under deck lines.

3. Manoeuvre their boat to bring its bow 90 degrees to yours and onto your deck

4. Pull it in and tip out the water

5. Put boats side by side with their bow at your stern but with cockpits together

6. Get rescuee to move along outside of their boat and put near leg in to cockpit and hook under coaming.

7. Rescuee now reaches across to hold deck lines for both boats and rolls onto the back deck of theirs (and yours if required) keeping the body c ofg as low as possible. Its now a simple process to place the remaining foot in the cockpit and continue the roll to get back in the cockpit.

8. To finish, make sure the rescuee’s spray deck is on and ready to continue before separating

 

 

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