Bad accident at Pacfic City

 A young surfer had his arm severed by a dory in the surf at Pacific City. This is one of my favorite spots to launch as its relatively protected and there are good reefs along the point and out to the Haystack.

Dory landings are pretty dramatic. The area they launch and land in is well marked and they blow their horn a few times, then continuously as they run like hell from a 1/4 mile out through the surf and onto the beach. The Oregonian says the guy who did it feels like shit and I'm sure he does as they seem to be pretty decent guys. In the few conversations I've had with dorymen on the beach and at PC Sporting Goods, they seem to be a conscientious lot and have been really nice as a group towards me. I've often been offered a lift in their fat tired trucks off the sand and back up to the parking lot with my kayak and gear, and good directions to area's that I have caught fish. There is usually plenty of room on the beach and I give them a wide berth. This is really ugly and you can't let this happen to you.

http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/121557570329710.xml&coll=7

I've often thought about getting a blaze orange safety flag and gooping it into a scupper plug, then using it in the boat when I'm in an area with a lot of power boats.  Seems like an especially good idea in a place like Pacific City.

When I am on a lake with powerboats I have started using my Seattle Sports light and the bright orange extension pole mounted on a broom stick inserted into one of the rod holder spots on my crate.  The extension tube itself is only 18" tall- hardly enough to stand out in the heavy chop.  I am going to replace the broomstick with a pvc tube here in the next few weeks (for a better fit that doesn't move around so much) or use some closed-cell piping insulation on the broomstick at the top and bottom.

If you just want a flag KFS has one: http://kayakfishingstuff.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=FAC-sflag&Category_Code=si

Something that sticks up a way is a good idea!  I went out last nite in my Revolution at Point Robinson, a 40-foot stern-picker (commercial gillnetter) came around the point at about 25 knots, the guy was headed straight for me and was on his cell fone, watching girls on the beach.  I waved my arms and fishing rod, he never swerved.  I paddled as hard as I could and got about 50 feet outof his path---he never saw me, the 6-foot breaking wake washed over the deck but did no other damage.   Maybe a flare gun....

This was a really tragic occurrence.  But, it's surprising that it hasn't happened before.  As I understand, the swell went from 3' to 8' in less than an hour.  The dory boats were all caught by surprise and were making a mad dash for the shore.  Meanwhile, the surfers were forced to move north (into the runway) to avoid the north to south current and the dredging closeouts. That's the recipe for disaster!
I've seen lots of confrontations between the dory operators and the surfers there over the years.  The dorymen get riled because they absolutely don't want to hit anyone.  The surfers get riled because some of the dorymen harass them both in and out of the water.

Both perspectives are available in the groups' respective forums:

Surfer's Perspective:
http://www.oregonsurf.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11462
http://www.oregonsurf.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11461

Dory Operator's Perspective:
http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?p=2081132#post2081132

For the most part, on the days that any sane kayak fisher would launch, visibility is not a problem.  It's only on the occasion that the swell takes a huge jump that you'd be at risk of not being seen.  As I've said in other threads, if you're going to be in the salt, make sure that you check the offshore buoys for rapid swell increases.   Generally the outside buoys give you about 12 hrs of warning.  If the swell period is exceptionally long, drop that time to 10 hrs.  I've seen the surf jump from 6 feet and fun to 20 feet and litterally life or death in under an hour.

Maybe a flare gun....

Yep... pointed right at the boat!

Z

Tragic, indeed! I hope the kid recovers the use of his arm.

I'm making a flag and putting a white running light on top before I start trolling for salmon out of my Ultimate 12.  I nearly got run over last Fall at dawn in a light river fog on the Willapa by a boat roaring around a bend, approaching from behind me. The wake nearly swamped my old Sportspal canoe...putting a few gallons of water in it. Wasn't the other boats "fault," as visibility sucked and I had no light. Bad way to start the day, though.

I love that early morning river fog!

Maybe a flare gun....

Yep... pointed right at the boat!

Z

Yeh...fire one at the wheelhouse to get his attention, and then another into his net spool and melt down some mono!

Maybe a flare gun....

Yep... pointed right at the boat!

Z

Yeh...fire one at the wheelhouse to get his attention, and then another into his net spool and melt down some mono!

Really, this is so important when you're in waters where you have to share 'em with big boats. Most salmon fishermen, like bass fishermen scream across the water to their next spot. They don't understand what boat wake can do to us and I think generally don't care (especially when we have a 30# Chinook in the tankwell... ) so being on the defensive is really important. I rode a motorcycle for 5 years and think of it the same way. Always do what you can to stick out and get peoples attention. So on your yak, whether that's a flag or light, be seen in difficult or low-light conditions. Maybe grab a mini airhorn form the local marine store and stick it in your PFD. But always be ready for that knucklehead to do the absolute worst thing and have your escape route already mapped out. And don't forget to get that lic. number and report it to the nearest harbormaster or CG if they're really belligerent.

Z

A friend in marine ops at the Bodega Marine Lab gave me one of these as a going away present.. a "safety blaster horn" and it is loud... 120 dB..  Much louder than a whistle.   There are no electronic parts or compressed CO2 cartridges involved (no corrosion issues), rather you blow in a small hole on the side and it vibrates a cellophane diaphragm that resonates in the tube like chamber.  If the diaphragm ever breaks it can be replaced with something like a piece of a potato chip bag.  It's about 1.5" in diameter and 9" long. 

Maybe a flare gun....

Yep... pointed right at the boat!

Z

Maybe a shot gun?  I kid! I kid, and I don't want to start a shootin war with stinkpots.
Spot is spot on in that you need to be as aware of conditions as possible, but having some extra visibility and noise is never a bad idea.
The last time I was out in the ocean in PC with Wannabe and ?, they would alternately disappear above and below me in the swell and it was really not that big.
 I bought a bike flag for the marsh in FL as its really easy to disappear in those canals in the sea of 4' tall grass. I really want that knucklehead who's flying around the bend on plane to wonder what that silly flag is before he wonders what that little speed bump he ran over was. The flag does not sound like such a bad idea here either espcially in high traffic zones and lumpy conditions.
The other thing is noise. I found this nifty mouth horn that is extraordinarily loud without having to blow very hard. You can't hear much over an engine at speed, so louder is better.
All of this assumes that you see him (her) first, which brings you back to being aware of conditions. I hate to second guess it, but I'd bet that boy would have been able to do something to lessen the impact if he had a clue that the dory was coming. Even if the dory was blowing his horn, surf is loud. I'm certainly not trying to blame the victim, but you take responsibility for your azz as soon as you get into the water whether its fishes, waves, boats, or that piddling little leak that you (I) ignored.

Besides,we'd lose as they have more room for ammunition.


bsteves: That's the horn

Great horn B. Will have to grab one of those.

speaking of visibility Hook1 has a great product. It's essentially a hi-vis flag w/ velcro that you wrap on your rods when in the rod holders. I think most of us have multiple rods on any trip we take so just wrapping it on the unused rod seems like an easy way to stay extra visible. I think I'll be the cheapie and make on though... 

http://www.kayakfishinggear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=211



Z

I think I'll be the cheapie and make on though... 

http://www.kayakfishinggear.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=211



Z

Make me one too!  My sewing skills suck.