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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Re: Unsafe perimeter lines
Posted By: Jed In Response To: Re: Unsafe perimeter lines (Tim Mattson)
Date: Monday, 4 March 2002, at 7:04 p.m.
: Note: I distinguish between perimeter lines and deck bungeies. I have those
: to hold my spare paddle and to hold a chart. By perimeter line, I refer
: specifically to the line going around the permiter of the deck.Agreed, we're talking about the same things. I would add that perimeter lines are most often strung with static line, slightly eleveated so there is minimal give and no slack to get hung-up on anything.
: Most of the uses given for a permieter line would be covered by my deck
: bungies. Yes, I concede that it would be easier for a swimmer to grab a
: perimeter line -- but if I were towing a swimmer for any distance, I'd
: want them up on my deck to they wouldn't get so cold. If that wouldn't
: work, they can grab my deck bungie without too much extra effort.I would worry about someone using my deck bungies for this purpose, I use my bungies to hold things that I don't want to lose to my deck. If someone where to try to hold onto my boat via the deck bungies something I need might float away. I've also tried to hold on to another boat via it's deck bungies and been disappointed with the security. I agree with you on the issue of a swimmer tow, but I was really talking about a swimmer during his rescue not relative to their being towed. During rescues the swimmer often needs to move around their boat. The most secure way I can think of them doing this is by holding onto perimeter lines. I've seen lot's of frantic people lose hold of their boat in cold/interesting water because they did not have an easy way to grab their boat. In high winds this could become a more serious issue.
: In terms of stabilizing a boat, I stabilize boats by leaning on the boat and
: grabing something solid like the coaming. I wouldn't recommend doing so by
: grabing a flexible permiter line. I specifically teach students to leave
: the perimeter lines alone during a T-rescue since I'm trying to get them
: to make more solid contact with the rescuee's kayak.I do my T rescues the same way, holding onto the coaming and only the coaming but I've had occasion during two+ man rescues to need to stabilize a boat without being able to use the coaming for whatever reason. During those times the perimeter lines were very valuable. Granted these times are rare but the training we do is based on being prepared for that one-in-a-million accident.
As I said above the perimeter lines that we use are strung with static line so they are quite solid. I would not consider a bungie strung around the perimter of the boat a legit perimeter line. At least not one that I would want to count on in an emergency.
: As for towing, I wouldn't use a perimeter line to attach to a boat for
: towing. I'd connect to a more solid connection --- the bow loop (or
: whatever the carry handle near the bow is called).Maybe we can agree to disagree here. I consider a static perimeter line the second most solid anchor point on a boat (after the cockpit), much more so than the carry toggles. I string mine very tight (some would say too tight) so when Someone grabs my perimeter line they have a solid grip on my boat.
: My boats are: * Seda Glider: Doesn't come with perimeter lines.
: * Seda Tango: As with the Glider, it doesn't include perimeter lines
: * Necky Looksha Sport: A hard-core coastal exploration machine. I don't
: want anything on the deck that could tangle up in anything.
: It didn't come with perimeter lines and if it did, I'd remove them.
: * Feathercraft Khatsalano: Came with perimieter lines. I've never
: used them, but I've left them there anyway.
: * Wavesport Z: White water boat. See comments on Looksha sport
: * Wilderness System Picalo: Didn't come with perimeter lines. This
: is the boat I use with my kids.: As I said before, I don't see enough benefit for perimeter lines to bother
: adding them. I've never used the lines on my khatsalano and I've never
: felt the need for the lines on my other boats.More power to you. I wish I had not found such a need for perimeter lines, I much prefer the look of a bare deck. Please note that I am not trying to convince you that you cannot paddle safely without perimeter lines, I was just responding to your query about their purpose. FWIW, none of my WW boats are strung with perimeter lines either, but all of my seakayaks are. I do not equate specific equipment use with safety or lack thereof, it's the paddler that completes the equation not the gear.
Stay safe, I'm still looking to paddle with you one of these years!
Jed
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