: Um..... I'd take the information that you read from the guy who thinks that
: every form of self rescue except sponsons is too dangerous & difficult
: with a grain of salt. If you're referring to the person I think you are,
: his agenda seems to be to discredit every method except for the one that
: he manufactures and sells... he has posted quite frequently to the
: newsgroup rec.boats.paddle -- where the majority of folks have filtered
: him out with their newsreaders so they don't see his posts (and where
: people who *do* respond to him there are flamed-- so if you want to check
: things out (both what he says and how people respond to him) I'd suggest
: that you do so by reading only, because responding will undoubtedly cause
: you to be flamed).

: I, too, would caution against relying on the "paddle to shore in a
: swamped boat" as a first resort for self-rescue... unless you plan to
: stay within a stone's throw of the beach. A day at the lake doing some
: experimenting in safe conditions is a good thing.

: Julie Kanarr

Thanks Julie for you comments. I may worry about boat safty more then most. I use to extend my catamaran sailing season into a cold Nov. by wearing a wet suit and life jacket when I had the lake all to my self. I turned white one day when it "dah" dawned on me that the two rudders were so stiff that if I fell into the water the cat would sail across the lake rather then turning into the wind and stopping, along with the fact that I also had both sails cleated many times. I liked to sail in high winds and white caps and the trampoline was wet and slippery. Had I fallen into the cold water far out in the lake it would have been a stupid death because I didn't think things through.

John