Separation from my boat, what if?

I'm quite comfortable in my big boat in pretty rough seas.  The big what if I think about is losing my boat in rough wind.  I've thought of leashes etc.  Of course I never plan to be out in big wind, but sometimes....well it's weather right....and the ocean right?  Any thoughts on this topic?  What about righting your boat in howling wind conditions?  This is the only real unforeseen situation I don't have a plan for.  Any advice would be welcome.

My solution to wind was buy a kayak that is 10 feet wide and has a roller furling sail 

Personal Locator Beacons, carried in a waterproof bag on your body, are one solution for initiating rescue if for some reason you were separated from your boat.  VHF radio distance can be quite limited if few boats are around and you are at water level. 

One key reason not to go alone...

I have debated trailing a line off my stern for such an emergency. Even though I'm much less likely to Huli my TI I can imagine dancing around between the hull and trampolines while anchored up on the Columbia or Willy and doing a Greg Louganis into chilly water with a 3-5 knot current. At that point if I were alone I'd probably drift downstream until I hit the I-205 or Ross Island bridge!

Anyone have suggestions on how to use a throw bag for self rescue?

Anyone have suggestions on how to use a throw bag for self rescue?

Throw it accurately.  

Anyone have suggestions on how to use a throw bag for self rescue?

Throw it accurately.

Umm, who are you throwing it at? Aren't you alone in the water separated from the boat?

My plan is to radio and generally fish with a buddy.

Anyone have suggestions on how to use a throw bag for self rescue?

Throw it accurately.

Umm, who are you throwing it at? Aren't you alone in the water separated from the boat?

My plan is to radio and generally fish with a buddy.

That is why the throw needs to be so accurate.  You need to snag something on your boat.

Anyone have suggestions on how to use a throw bag for self rescue?

Throw it accurately.

Umm, who are you throwing it at? Aren't you alone in the water separated from the boat?

My plan is to radio and generally fish with a buddy.

That is why the throw needs to be so accurate.  You need to snag something on your boat.

I guess this assumes you some how got hold of your throw bag before falling off?   

I'm not entirely sure what a throw bag is but I'm thinking this to be a weak plan at best, what about a surf leash?  I realize you might get drug a bit I've been drug around without a pfd while surfing and think with one it wouldn't be quite so bad.  So either transfering my paddle leash to myself in the event of big wind, or carrying an extra, guess losing the paddle would be bad too, seems like the best plan for self rescue in this situation. 

Fishing with a buddy is not always an option, Aside from topwater there aren't to many locals as serious about this stuff as me.

Halibut is really the only time I'm way off shore but I've thought of attempting fall coho which are typically even further off shore.

Any harm in using an extra long surf leash?  I've surfed on 9'-6" boards which aren't much smaller than a kayak. 

IMO this is a false problem.  Barring paddling in a Hurricane you just won't see your kayak skittering away like a trash bag on a windy day.  I've jumped off out in the ocean on a windy day and my yak at best ended up 10 feet away from me.  I solved this and other related problems (surf separation) by leashing my paddle to the bow carry handle with a STRONG bungee style leash.  If you fall in don't let go of the paddle.  If you do end up letting go the paddle drags in the water and acts like a sea anchor turning your yak into the wind/swell. Then you just swim with the wind till you hit the paddle and pull the yak to you.

Falling off and drifting away while anchored in a river is a different story. Assistance from a paddling partner or a PB seem to be the only viable option, no tether for me.  If you want an eye opener try a re-entry drill while anchored in decent current like the Columbia.

 This is one of the big questions that I still haven't found a satisfactory answer. First, remember that this is a water sport, much more so than conventional boating and if just falling overboard is an emergency, you really might want to take up golf. In terms of getting separated from the boat, for me the most logical answer is tethering.

In big water sailing, you wear a harness and tether. Mention a tether in whitewater circles and they'll look at you like you have three heads. But we are not in whitewater (well, most of the time).  Yes, the risk of entanglement is greater, but under most circumstances we don't need to be separated from the boat immediately. In the pretty much all of the conditions that we fish in (save whitewater and surf) there is usually  not much chance of the boat causing you to be pinned and trapped. That said, you must have a readily available quick release AND a good knife (line cutter) at hand.

Perhaps rescue vests with quick release tow rings may be a good idea. They come with the caveat "you must be trained to use this vest" and some places won't even sell you one unless you pull out your swift water rescue cert, or you ACA L3 instructor card (got mine!)   But your not planning to use them "correctly" anyway.*The problem with rescue vests is the attachment ring is on the back and self-rescue with the line coming out of your back can be a bit of a challenge.

http://www.nrsweb.com/Safety_Tips/rescuevestsCharlie.asp

 Another alternative are inflatable sailing harnesses. These are actually designed to be towed (dragged) through the water, although it still does not sound like a pleasant experience.

 http://offshore.ussailing.org/Assets/Offshore/SAS/PDF/1999+Harness+and+Tether+Study.pdf

The argument against inflatables is that they offer no floatation if your knocked unconscious.  I use an inflatable.
Again, most of the time we are not in swift water per se. Although you may be in moving water, the risk of getting separated from your boat is much greater than the boat causing you to be trapped and pinned.   

Barring paddling in a Hurricane you just won't see your kayak skittering away like a trash bag on a windy day.

I got to disagree with you big time on this one dog. My boat got loose from me at Timothy Lake and it was damn near out of reach in no time.  I just don't swim as fast as Mark Spitz (ahh, Micheal Phelps) (I'm old) especially encumbered with a pfd, dry suit, or waders. The wind was blowing pretty good (15 to 20), but not enuf to keep me off the water.  A leashed paddle would provide some drag to slow it down, but a kayak presents a pretty good sail.

You mentioned being anchored in the Columbia and dumping. IMHO you need to be self-sufficient. My boat seats one person and that's the only rescue I can count on. In that scenario without a tether, the best you could do is float on down stream, make it to the bank, and admire that new channel marker you created.

All of that said, I still have never tied myself to a kayak.... yet.

p.s. a throw bag does not sound like such a good idea. 







*Using Rescue vests improperly: I can already hear "use the proper tool for the proper situation, used properly", but if we'd paid attention to that, the only place you'd find SOT's is in Caribbean Hotel tourist lagoon's!

I see where you are coming from FFTW.  I came from the perspective of being able to swim 15-20ft fairly quickly . If this is outside a paddlers comfort zone or physical abilities than they need to plan accordingly.

My point was that if you fall off your yak and immediately bob to the surface you're not going to see your  kayak sitting 100ft away.  Most likely it will be less than a kayak length away.  If that's to far to swim then that might be an fairly important safety concern to plan for .

A question which comes up periodically and like many others I've not come to a satisfactory decision.  In the interim I am not using a tether.  I think we are NOT discussing rivers unless we are classifying a body of water like Grays Harbor a river.   And we are not discussing tethering in whitewater.  So if you lose your boat in the remaining river conditions then swim to shore. 

Those of us with pedal boats should be carrying paddles, but we do not generally travel with our paddles in our hands, so they are unlikely to act as a sea anchor nor grab line. 

I think we are discussing survival after losing your boat in the salt a long ways from shore.  The mention of a rescue vest by FFT is interesting in that it raises a possibility I've not thought of - tethering the back of my PFD to the boat.  This would keep the tether out of my way when fishing, still be easy to reach in an emergency, and still be easy to cut in another sort of  emergency.  I'm liking it.  I can imagine running a thin line through both under the seat scuppers, coiling 25-30' of line with a rubber band just behind my seat, and snapping it to my PFD from the rear D-ring.  I can even imagine attaching the line coil to the back of the seat in some way even a dollop of Goop.

Seems the greatest danger will be embarrassment when I inevitably forget to release myself before walking away from the boat.

Human leash. Problem solved.



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