"Michael Daly" wrote in message . cable.rogers.com...
On 15-Oct-2003, (Carl Buehler) wrote:

But what about entry and exit in deeper water from a dock and lower landing.

If the dock is only up to about your armpit when sitting in the kayak, pull
alongside and put your arm on the dock. Lift yourself carefully up, balancing
with your arm, and get your backside onto the dock. The key is to keep as much
of your weight as possible on the dock and keep the weight in the kayak on the
centerline.

If it's higher than that, you do the same thing, it just gets a lot harder
if you can't get your arm on the top of the dock. I've entered a kayak from
a dock that was about five feet above the water once - water covered with
an inch of ice. It was tricky balancing - I held onto a piling for balance.

If there's a load of gear in the kayak, it will be more stable than if empty.
If there's more than one paddler, the first one in can hold the kayak for the
next.

Also loading and unloading gear from the kayak from the chickee platform?

If it's low, just tie the kayak alongside and reach down. Otherwise, consider
lifting the kayak onto the dock. Just grab the bow toggle and lift it up
to the platform. Sliding the hull on the edge of the platform may cause
damage. A wood platform shouldn't be a problem but concrete will scratch a
plastic kayak a bit and a composite, a lot. You can put a pad of some kind
on the edge - old piece of carpet, for example, if you're concerned.

Mike

We get in and out of boats from kayaks , seems like the same group of
issues.
It seems to come down to ballance and some upper body strength. If the
boat or platform is a little higher than you can easily reach it may
be an idea to tie a painter or loop your tow rope through the bow
toggle. When you are on the wharf, platform or boat the rope can be
used to lift your kayak aboard and unload it on the deck.

This is one of those things you are going to have to do and practice.
Explaining it would be tedious , just ballance and hang on.
That bow line thought may make life a little easier. It has helped me
a lot.