[Zed]

In a first person account:
http://forum.kayak4fish.com/viewtopic.php?t=7819

It's a pretty good story in that everyone was fine in the end, but it brings to light how you must be prepared for things to start circling the drain, quickly.

If admin doesn't like cross-posts, I apologize. You may axe it at your will. Jim S of LJKF is a standup guy and experienced guide, so sharing this with as many as possible is beneficial.

Setting:
Central CA coast.
Cold water. Big Pacific swells. Seal colonies/white sharks.

Z

 

[justcrusin]

Interesting read, waterproof VHF would surely be a blessing if your going out wide in a yak.
From the read it sounded to me like he was a the back of the breakers or reasonable close to them. Wondering why he didn't just swim for the beach, or at least the half hour they waited for the chopper they didn't paddle slowly in the other kayaks and then just swim in.
Oh and gald i bought a P13, don't like the sound of leaking yaks. Better get my positive floatation project moving.

A bit of a story for anyone going out.
I was in a volunteer marine rescue in northern Sydney for 15 years and about 3 years ago got a call from a fisho about 3nm east of lion island that he had found a canoe drifting, gear on board but no person. (turns out there was never anyone on board)

But thinking the worst the fisho didn't want to give us his name and gave us the coordinates and left. In the 1/2 and hour it took us to get out thier with around a 20knt westerly blowing of course the canoe had drifted away.

We started searching a pattern and we tryed to calculate the wind and current dirrection to work out the most appropriate area. To cut a long story short:

Canoes or kayaks are hard enough to find in a river out to sea they are next to impossible, people in pfd's no matter how bright even harder. We found the canoe after we completed the search had given up and were returning to base, sheer luck saw us nearly drive over the top off it and that is the only way they will find you out thier. From more than half a mile away even a v sheet is barely visable.

If i can suggest anything to carry it's smoke flares they will make you visable from a few miles away and a radio communication is everything.
Or the mirror suggested in another thread.

Anyway turns out the canoe was paddled to an island up the river and not tied up properly, the out going tide and the westerly pushed it out to sea.

Stay safe
Cheers Dave

 

[Scott]

Scary thing. It says a lot for ensuring your kayak doesn't even leak even a small amount as that guy's Hobie did and filling all excess space with positive flotation such as pool noodles. As justcruising said, imagine those guys not having a marine radio. it would have been a fatal end to that trip.

Catch ya Scott

 

[JB]

some lessions in that one,
I always have 2 means of communication in waterproof designed bags (handhled vhf and cellphone) - one point to note is that having the coastguard number as a speeddial saves alot of number punching in cold conditions, plus a mini flare pack in my pdf. Also goes to point out that opening a hatch on the water can be disaster - thus I never open a hatch on the water and I'm always suspect of leaking yaks, no matter how unimportant a litre or two seems

I also never fish alone

these fullas were lucky and matched up with some preparation (vhf and not paddling alone) seemed to save there lives.

 

[JD]

Northside Marine Brisbane have Cobra handheld VHF radios for $160.00.
This unit uses 6 x double A batteries and does not come with rechargeable batteries. You could sort this yourself. These days I prefer to use non-rechargeable batteries in most of my gear. I find the rechargeable batteries always seem to have a short rechargeable life.

Most of my toys, gps, vhf, digi camera all use the same batteries. This makes it easy to keep spares.

Also the vhf is waterproof.

While on the subject, I know you need a licence for vhf but can someone tell me about the three channel maps listed on the radio. I think it has a selection of I or u or something else. What do we use in Oz?

 

[Jake]

JD,
If its a VHF then "I" should mean International, which is what we use here. There is also an American system apparently and is an option on some radios.
If in doubt Channel 16 will always work anywhere as it is the international distress and calling channel. You can call anybody on this channel but if it is a non-distress situation (as I hope it is) then you quickly agree upon another channel to change to.

Ch 16 is pretty good in Australia but in a lot of Asian waters this channel is abused and is subject to lots of stupid chatter all day and night. Very frustrating. Lots of "Phillipino Monkey!!!!" and other racial abuse....

There may also be a setting called "low" or "low power". This has an intentinally reduced range and is meant for use on working channels. Some channels like 15 are compulsorily low power, so that you cannot select high power on it. This allows different parties within normal VHF range to be using the same low powered working channel without disturbing each other, providing they are not too close of course.

Cheers,
Jake

 

[justcrusin]

Gday JD,
The volunteer marine radio networks monitor channel 16 and 73 compulory and most bases will monitor 67 as well.
Cheers Dave

 

[Dodge]

JD on VHF on the GC we just scanned 16, 72 and whatever repeater channel was applicable to the local coastguard base usually one of 21, 22, 81 or 82

Radio frequencies applicable to Qld are in the official Tide Book put out by Maritime Safety Qld from Qld Transport, ships chandlers, good sports and tackle stores and about $8 a copy and with tide predictions for all standard ports.

Beats all the cheapy ones available for enclosed boating info

 

[JD]

Thanks all for the info.
John