B2 Crash Test Dummy

To be honest with y'all, the ocean scares the hell out of me.  So does fast water, heights and speed.  I think that's why I'm drawn to these things. 

Don't get me wrong though, I have kids to take care of and a lot more life that I look forward to living.  I just like the adrenaline rush, the feeling of matching myself against power and the days long high you get from meeting a formidable challenge.

So, when kykfshr's schedule forced him to skip a different but equally difficult challenge I scrambled for a replacement venue.  Thus was born a solo attempt at Coho fishing Buoy 2.  Psst: Don't tell bsteves wife or I'm sure she won't let him fish with me any more. 

Let me break the challenge down for you:
Buoy 2 has some of the best Coho fishing in the world.  It lies approximately 5 miles off the coast, beyond the entrance to the Columbia River.  There is a strong North to South current, accelerated by the outflow from the Mighty Columbia.  Winds are often harsh and swells are a constant.

Dangers:
- Large Predatory Sea Life
- Unpredictable Current Breaks
- Ship eating shoals and standing waves
- Distance from Shore
- Boat Traffic
- Fast Moving Fog Banks
- And as I learned.... Lightning

Rewards:
- Coho
- Chinook
- Adventure
- A days long endorphine high

Cost of catastrophic failure:
- A very long swim
- Loosing all my gear
- A very expensive helicopter ride
- Dropping several rungs down the food chain
- That which shall not be named 

List of Safety Equipment (in no particular order)
- Wetsuit              - PFD
- Redundant GPS    - Cell Phone
- Float Plan           - Extra Floatation
- Extra Paddle        - Whistle
- Water                - Energy Bars
- Waterproof VHF   - Safety Flag

As ocean conditions dictated my decision to launch, wind and waves weren't much of an issue.  Seas were forecast to be tiny and winds were forecast to work in my favor.  I would however have to keep an eye out for the double and tripple-up breakers that form near the river mouth around maximum ebb.

My biggest concern was Catastrophic Hull Failure.  No body wants to tread water for up to 5 miles.  To mitigate this danger, I chose a path that took me roughly paralell to the South Jetty, within a swimmable distance.  If I did for some reason loose my ride on the way out or back, I could swim to the Jetty and either scramble my way back or use my VHF to hail the CG for a rescue. 
Once beyond the relative safety of the jetty, I could count on the presence of lots of fishing boats.  In this area, I had the option of hailing any nearby craft on VHF 16.
   
As for hungry sharks and angry sea lions, there's not a whole lot one can do to avoid these wild cards.  If they happen, they happen but the probability is very low.

To reduce my risk of being hit by a boat in the hide-and-seek swells, I flew a safety flag and paddled my bright yellow Trident 13.  I had also planned on hailing the CG for a radio check once on the fishing grounds so my neighbors would all know that there was some crazy kayaker in their midsts.

I was planning on using the current breaks to my advantage once I made it out.  Fish tend to congregate around the current breaks and there are generally areas of slow moving water to one side of them.  Once found, I'd use my GPS to keep track of how far drifted so I could paddle back up before being flushed out of the area. 

I also planned to use my plotted "trail" on the GPS if I was unable to exit before a fog bank drifted in.  I remained extremely vigilant for fog during my journey.  A heavy fog not only would make navigation difficult, it would also increase the possibility that I could be run over by a passing boat.  And if that's not bad enough, a heavy fog could seriously impede a rescue or assist if something were to happen to me or my yak.
 
Future Safety Purchases:- Flares             - Bilge Pump
- Dye Packets

I have to say that wouldn't recommend this trip to any but a very few.  But, I do plan to attempt it again should conditions and my schedule allow.

Nice write up Spot. I've never been to buoy 2 but man it sounds like a full on type of place. Just my kinda joint.

Z

You, my friend, have some stones! Either that or you are! (stoned)

My biggest concern was Catastrophic Hull Failure. ,,,,,,,,,,

Future Safety Purchases:            - Bilge Pump

Future purchase?


(and don't be callin me no Floridian! I'm just down here fishin for a while)

Spot, you are a madman!

But I mean it in the most respectful sense of the word.

True

Mark,
The next time you attempt this, I'll be with you....in spirit. 

Where's the 'we're not worthy' icon anyway?

  Sounds like a great adventure.

I've gotta ask though, what made catastrophic hull failure come into mind?  I could see it on a kevlar, glass, or composite yak but not on the tupperware we paddle.  Polyethylene embrittlement is unlikely to occur on our kayaks unless they have been irradiated (you would have to have a fairly decent gamma source directed towards your yak to see effect, more than the sun), subjected to sustained or cycled heat (temps < 238*F), or you are paddling in a vat of acetone when you slam onto a rock to see this happen.  Recycled HDPE is more susceptible to these (heat and UV will have greater effect even in restabilized HDPE) which is the primary reason I wouldn't purchase a recycled yak (since I store it outside year-round).  For the sake of argument I am assuming that the useful life of the yak is 8yrs and anything greater is subject [however slight] to failure.

Love to hear about your adventures Spot!  Awesome write up on these posts!  Your a living legend!

I'm w/ FFTW.. GET THAT BILGE PUMP NOW!!!!!

Z

Sounds like a great adventure.

I've gotta ask though, what made catastrophic hull failure come into mind?  I could see it on a kevlar, glass, or composite yak but not on the tupperware we paddle.  Polyethylene embrittlement is unlikely to occur on our kayaks unless they have been irradiated (you would have to have a fairly decent gamma source directed towards your yak to see effect, more than the sun), subjected to sustained or cycled heat (temps < 238*F), or you are paddling in a vat of acetone when you slam onto a rock to see this happen.  Recycled HDPE is more susceptible to these (heat and UV will have greater effect even in restabilized HDPE) which is the primary reason I wouldn't purchase a recycled yak (since I store it outside year-round).  For the sake of argument I am assuming that the useful life of the yak is 8yrs and anything greater is subject [however slight] to failure.

It's a fair question but I think you're misconstrueing my definition of catastrophic.  I wouldn't expect the whole hull to just collapse.  Catastrophic could be a small crack formed in one of her many scrapes that, given the constant pounding a 3MPH ocean troll will create, could stretch or distort.  
Also, I've already had a factory flush mount rod holder pull completely out under less than extreme circumstances.  This lead to a 1+ mile deep water paddle thru wind chop with a gaping hole in my hull, just inches from the water line. A couple of cross chops could easily have turned this into a catastrophic failure.  Since then, the idea of a catastrophic hull failure has never been far from my mind.....

-----

I left out some important information from the original post.  So, let me offer this addendum:
- I have fished Buoy 2 from charters and friends power boats before.
- I've surfed and fished the jetty area for years and have a reasonable idea of how the currents move.
and finally,
- I spent a lot of time on Google earth checking distances and headings before committing.  

"Death smiles at us all. All a man can do is smile back." And buy a friggin Bilge Pump!  Thanks guys!  Yes, you are right!

I think this is the catastrophic Spot was talking about.


All the reports of people taking on water this year @ NCKA (about 5 I believe) the largest hole was the malfunctioning drain plug. It really doesn't take much to get a few gallons in the hull. And once you're there it loses stability and you're overboard.

I do appreciate the scenarios Yar. I'm sure there's some lakes out there that are like paddling in acetone. Just an interesting note. I have a few friends who spend a lot of time in Mex etc. kayak fishing and have come across very fragile yaks. Seems a few years out in the tropical sun and they start cracking and crumbling.

Z

I think this is the catastrophic Spot was talking about.

Seems a few years out in the tropical sun and they start cracking and crumbling.
Z

Do you all use formula 303?


I hope to extend the life of my kayak, pfd, paddles, and dry suit with it!

Seems a few years out in the tropical sun and they start cracking and crumbling.
Z

Do you all use formula 303?


I hope to extend the life of my kayak, pfd, paddles, and dry suit with it!

I see what y'all are saying.  That crack is what I was considering a catastrophic failure (in a brittle fracture type of way)- not the entire boat giving up.  The guys closer to the equator make sense to see failure before we do up here.  Your potential situation sounds pretty much like a real-world charpy test.  I also was thinking more or less about a virgin yak, not one already well "loved."  I think OK only rates our boats' life at 8yrs of UV exposure.

Enough of the technobabble... get a bilge pump, some j-b weld (or equivalent) and have fun out there.  If we worried about this stuff too much we'd never be on the water.

I use the 303, but I think I started using it too late (my yak already started to fade a bit) 

What would the potential benefits of 303 be? My yak gets the typical scrapes and scratches while paddling but it is stored indoors.

It's literally like SPF 40 sunscreen for your stuff, it will keep them lasting far longer by preventing cracking, warping, fading, ect.  It's pretty awesome stuff, I highly recommend it, kinda spendy but worth it!