Message-Id: <199701061057.VAA17765@dfst.CSIRO.AU>
From: "Andrew Eddy" <edd011@srcmain.dfst.csiro.au>
To: baidarka@lists.intelenet.net
Date: Mon, 6 Jan 1997 22:00:48 +10
Subject: Re: Air bags for Baidarkas
> > Airbags are primarily useful for paddling your boat empty. When
> > you are paddling with gear, your gear bags will have to supply the
> > floatation. You can't really fit gear and airbags at the same
> > time.
Airbags can be inflated around your gear bags, filling up some of the
remaining space. I used airbags to fill in another 40 or so litres of
space around two weeks of gear on a trip last June in Prince William
Sound. That's 40 less litres to pump out ...
> > You can make your own sea sock or buy one from Superior Kayaks.
> > There might be other sources as well, but is probably a hard to
> > get item since most commercial boats now have bulkheads, at least
> > the fiberglass models do.
>
> Hmmm. How would this work with storing gear? I assume this sea sock
> is easily removable for gear storing, but not easily removed in the
> event of a wet exit?
My sea sock is difficult to remove, so tight that I must treat the
boat the same as a podded fibreglass boat. Once gear is packed and
the sea sock is fitted, there is no access to gear until I land
again. This just means that I must think in advance "What might I
need to have handy today?" and have it on deck , or between my legs.
> Also, how would the use of a sea sock differ
> wrt gear accessibility while paddling? I.e. access to snacks, water
> bottles, sun screen, stuff like that. Would this now have to be
> stored on the deck while the main gear (sleeping bags, cooking gear,
> fishing gear, whatever) is stored beyond the sock?
>
> As will be immediately obvious :-) I'm not familar with the sea
> sock. But can you roll the boat upright with the sock outside the
> hull and then stuff it back in, and so avoid most of the pumping
> out? (Like when you pull out the liner of a mitten to brush all the
> snow out then push the liner back into the shell. It stays attached
> to the wrist area, as I would expect the sea sock to remain attached
> to the coaming.)
In the first few minutes of self rescue practice with a sea sock, I
found that this is not possible. In order to be watertight, the sea
sock is also airtight, so if you try to pull the sea sock out of the
boat to dump water, you try to pull an enormous vacuum on the
interior of the boat. It can't be done. Also, if you try to pull the
sea sock out you have to lift up to 80 litres of water ... that's 176
lbs! Treat the boat with a sea sock in the same way as you would
treat a podded rigid boat. In an assisted rescue, your rescuer and
you will turn the boat over, with the bow held high. ALL the water
drains out, then you can reenter over the stern deck. In a solo
reentry, you will have to pump the sea sock out.
Sea socks should be used in addition to airbags. The consequences of
the failure of the sea sock without airbags are the same as any other
form of swamping. Also, if the hull is holed, a sea sock won't help
on its own! It will only keep your feet dry! I prefer to use both,
_especially_ in cold water, like you have at this time of year
>
> Bill B.
>
Andrew Eddy
Sydney Laboratories
CSIRO Division of Food Science and Technology
Australia
Phone +61 2 9887 8333; Fax +61 2 9887 8586