Completely agreed. I guess I forgot to mention that I have both bow and stern bulkheads, and my stock Pygmy hatch covers seal quite well. I'm not sure I could drain my Coho using the bow-lift even while standing on shore, if it were filled with water with no bulkheads or float bags.

C

: ... but if you're in conditions which are rough enough to cause a capsize,
: you're in for a really tough time emptying a swamped boat, whether you
: have assistance or not. Yes, the paddle float helps, but if the boat has
: no bulkheads (or only a rear bulkhead) and no floatation bags, there will
: be hundreds of pounds of water in it and you will not be able to lift it.
: Unless conditions are dead calm, so you can slowly roll the boat, you're
: in big trouble. I've tried doing an assisted rescue of a fully swamped
: boat with no bulkheads and as far as I can see, it's not possible. I ended
: up towing the paddler and his boat to shore and emptying it there.

: If you don't want bulkheads in your boat, fine. However, the bottom line is
: that it simply doesn't make sense not to use floatation bags in a boat
: without bulkheads, unless you stay close enough to shore to swim the boat
: in. To do so is to invite disaster and possibly death. I don't see how
: anyone can justify that kind of risk.