Re: Odd Water Hazzard

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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board

Re: Odd Water Hazzard

Posted By: jamie
Date: Tuesday, 20 May 2003, at 3:44 p.m.

In Response To: Odd Water Hazzard (Robert N Pruden)

: I was out on the river yesterday. I encountered the wierdest water hazzard I
: have yet to see. A submerged log was bobbing up and down near the river
: bank. It was abviously caught on something below the surface so that it
: wasn't floating downstream but the current was such that it would sink
: then bob up to the surface before being sucked down by the current again.
: Just a few meters before I encountered this hazzard I was following the
: shore closely, enjoying the sights ashore and not really watching where I
: was going. The bobbing hazzard occurred under a fallen tree trunk, one I
: generally paddle underneath as I follow the bank. I can't imagine what
: would have happened had I paddled overtop the bobbing log just as it
: resurfaced. It was popping up with a fair amount of force. I probably
: avoided, by chance, getting a good sized hole in my hull. Has anyone ever
: encountered anything like this before?
: Robert N Pruded
Hi Robert,...Yes I saw a 'deadhead' just last summer in the Narrows of St. John's harbour. This 10 inch wide, 15 foot trunk must have broken away from a pier that was being worked on. I studied it for a while and realized that half was water logged and the other bit dry ( I can imagine other ways a log would end up it this condition). It was coming straight out of the water and then under again, dangerous yes, but then I realized that it was bobbing as any boat does to the wave action, coming to the surface every few moments and its position hadn't changed much. I relaxed a bit when I concluded that I'm always scanning for things on the water before me and for waves approaching, so, If I'm always scouting for small sea birds or seal's heads bobbing in the water, chances are very good I'll spot this log a good aways away, and steer well clear of it. Keep an eye out for such hazzards, but don't lose any sleep over it, you'll most likley see it well before you're to close to it. Jamie.