"Bill McKee" wrote in message
m...

"Edgar" wrote in message
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"Jeff" wrote in message
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I'd be curious to see the numbers. Canoe deaths were 80 last year, over
10% of the total; while kayak deaths were 34, or 5%. However, Kayak
sales
are about 4 times canoes, so there is a discrepancy. The two together
have been selling about half a million a year recently, though falling
off
last year. So its quite possible that the number of "paddle boats" out
there are equal to the number of small open power boats (or at least a
significant percentage of them) which were involved in 350 deaths last
year.

So I could believe that canoes are responsible for a disproportional
number of deaths, but not kayaks. My hunch is that most kayakers wear
PFDs, but many canoe users are actually fishing and don't think they are
at risk.

Although I often wear a PFD while kayaking, I have trouble convincing my
wife to do so, because we almost always kayak in very protecting
fla****er, often only a few feet deep.

I would expect a number of any deaths reported from canoes and kayaks are
due to them being run down by fast power boats in the hands of idiots.




Actually it is the paddler that is most often the idiot. I almost ran
over a shell in a light fog in San Francisco Bay a couple years ago. Guy
is in a white shell, wearing a white shirt, and is in the middle of the
channel area. Luckily it was me, going maybe 20 mph and not the ferryboat
doing 35 knots. You could hardly see the idiot at 30'. Is why my next
yak is going to be a bright color. And I wear a bright red PFD when
paddling. Sort of the same mentality as a lot of sailboaters. I am in a
sailboat, I have the right of way. My wife got hit by a sailboat in
Mission Bay, SD. while in a yak. Could not get completely out of the
way. He is in the back, f'n around with something and the tiller is
locked and he is doing 10-12 and is not looking at all where he is headed.
I did not have the VHF with me at the time or he would be explaining the
hit-run to the police and lifeguards. Could not get his numbers and the
other witness didn't either. I have had sailboats with the motor running
turn directly in front of me with a 90 degree term. And other sailboaters
say, maybe he was not under power and only charging battery. BS. Motor
running, is a power boat. Same as I heard a sailboater claim he had the
right of way over a large tanker entering SF Bay. He will be both dead,
and wrong.

Technically, the engine needs to be engaged for it to be under power, but I
agree with you. If I turn on my engine, even if it's in neutral, I consider
myself a powerboat. I figure that the other guy is going to see the raw
water coming out, and that might be enough to fool him. Why take a
chance....

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com