http://www.uscg.mil/D13/publicaffairs/av/default.htm

once at the page, select the Bellingham Bay Kayak Resuce video to get a
"chopper's eye" view of a rescue swimmer rescuing a couple of kayakers

check out the cool "auto-pilot" feature of the rescue copter in the
following paragraphs-


(Press release follows):

PORT ANGELES, Wash. - Two kayakers were rescued from eight-foot swells
and 50-60 knot winds in Bellingham Bay near Bellingham, Wash., today.

An HH-65 helicopter crew from Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles was
investigating a grounded vessel in Bellingham Bay when they received an
emergency call from one of the kayakers at approximately 1:37 p.m.
After locating the man, who had made the call with a handheld radio,
the helicopter crew lifted him from the water and learned that three of
his friends were still kayaking in the area. With the aid of the
civilian motor vessel, Fate Hunter, and the tugboat, Lindsey Foss, the
helicopter crew then rescued a second kayaker who had been spotted by
the crew of the Lindsey Foss. The remaining two kayakers managed to
paddle safely to shore.

"The handheld radio these kayakers had was a huge factor in finding
them quickly and rescuing them from the water," said Lt. Steven Mahany,
Port Angeles Group Public Affairs Officer. "The caller was able to
vector our helicopter right to his location."

The rescued kayakers were transported to Bellingham Airport and
received by emergency medical personnel.

The mission of Coast Guard Air Station Port Angeles is to efficiently
and effectively employ people and resources to promote maritime safety,
enforce federal laws, regulations and treaties, protect the environment
and defend the United States.

The HH-65C Dolphin is a medevac-capable short-range recovery helicopter
operated by several agencies in the United States, including the Coast
Guard.

The HH-65C has been in use by Air Station Port Angeles since June and
is known for its autopilot capabilities, which can complete an unaided
approach to the water and bring the aircraft into a stable 50' hover,
or automatically fly search patterns which allows the crew to engage in
other tasks.

"Chuck Gould" wrote in message
ps.com...
http://www.uscg.mil/D13/publicaffairs/av/default.htm

once at the page, select the Bellingham Bay Kayak Resuce video to get a
"chopper's eye" view of a rescue swimmer rescuing a couple of kayakers


Enough is enough. I know where you work. I'm spending some of my xmas bonus
to fly out there and deal with you. I am sick and phuquing tired of these
boat related posts, Gould.

Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 11 Dec 2006 23:27:54 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

once at the page, select the Bellingham Bay Kayak Resuce video to get a
"chopper's eye" view of a rescue swimmer rescuing a couple of kayakers

Should have just left them out there.

Kayakers are a PITA.

Hate 'em.

Oh, ok, glad their safe, but I still hate kayakers...

It can be tough not to form a prejudice. A lot of kayakers are
wonderful folks and its a joy to share the water with them. I have to
agree that some are truly holier-than-thou-cause-I-paddle-and-you-don't
PITA's. I am absolutely certain that some of the same folks who
"bicycle" on our city streets by ignoring street lights and stop signs,
alternating between the sidewalk and the street (often within the same
block), weave back and forth across the middle of a two-lane road (so
nobody can safely pass) while struggling to climb a steep hill at 3-4
mph, etc, go kayaking on the weekends. While ignoring every single
traffic law, they will adamantly insist they have the "same rights" as
a car.

That said, there are boaters who seem to resent extending the same
common courtesies to kayakers that they willing extend to fishermen and
others in small craft. I witnessed a large, twin screw powerboat pick
its way ever so gingerly through a fleet of trailer boats working a
school of salmon, and then less than a mile later the same boater's
remendous wake almost swamped a cluster of kayaks. It wouldn't have
been any tougher to slow down for the kayaks than it was for the
fishermen.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On 12 Dec 2006 08:20:57 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:


Short Wave Sportfishing wrote:
On 11 Dec 2006 23:27:54 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

once at the page, select the Bellingham Bay Kayak Resuce video to get a
"chopper's eye" view of a rescue swimmer rescuing a couple of kayakers

Should have just left them out there.

Kayakers are a PITA.

Hate 'em.

Oh, ok, glad their safe, but I still hate kayakers...

It can be tough not to form a prejudice. A lot of kayakers are
wonderful folks and its a joy to share the water with them. I have to
agree that some are truly holier-than-thou-cause-I-paddle-and-you-don't
PITA's. I am absolutely certain that some of the same folks who
"bicycle" on our city streets by ignoring street lights and stop signs,
alternating between the sidewalk and the street (often within the same
block), weave back and forth across the middle of a two-lane road (so
nobody can safely pass) while struggling to climb a steep hill at 3-4
mph, etc, go kayaking on the weekends. While ignoring every single
traffic law, they will adamantly insist they have the "same rights" as
a car.

That said, there are boaters who seem to resent extending the same
common courtesies to kayakers that they willing extend to fishermen and
others in small craft. I witnessed a large, twin screw powerboat pick
its way ever so gingerly through a fleet of trailer boats working a
school of salmon, and then less than a mile later the same boater's
remendous wake almost swamped a cluster of kayaks. It wouldn't have
been any tougher to slow down for the kayaks than it was for the
fishermen.

For me, it's a question of safety - as in kayakers need to understand
that crossing the bow of an oncoming boat to go "see something" can
get them killed and there is little anybody can do to stop it.



I think the problem is nothing more than the same one other boaters have,
but magnified: They've never read the rules. What percentage of boaters do
you think have read ALL the rules? What percentage of kayakers? I'll guess
30% and 2%, respectively. If you could post just one rule at popular launch
points, it would be the one about yielding to larger vessels.

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:13:01 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

They are a PITA and I don't care how much experience they have in the
things.

They don't belong in the deep water channel, that's for sure. I had a
guy in a rowing shell do the same thing to me out at Nantucket a few
years ago. He needed about 6 inches of water and I needed 3 1/2 feet,
wouldn't let me go by.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 13:17:23 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:13:01 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

They are a PITA and I don't care how much experience they have in the
things.

They don't belong in the deep water channel, that's for sure. I had a
guy in a rowing shell do the same thing to me out at Nantucket a few
years ago. He needed about 6 inches of water and I needed 3 1/2 feet,
wouldn't let me go by.

Oh boy, could we talk about scullers.

Next to kayakers, the dumbest bunch of boaters on the water.

Go to Cohasset harbor to observe both.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:20:27 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
wrote:

I think the problem is nothing more than the same one other boaters have,
but magnified: They've never read the rules. What percentage of boaters do
you think have read ALL the rules? What percentage of kayakers? I'll guess
30% and 2%, respectively. If you could post just one rule at popular
launch
points, it would be the one about yielding to larger vessels.

The "thing" of it is - they do post the rules which include wearing
PFDs in ocean waters (not required on lakes and river which is
interesting) and none of them wear PFDs along the ocean side.

They just don't pay attention to them.

And the rental places - fuggitaboutit.

If the rules are posted as they are in NY, they're on cheap paper, with
water soluble ink, in direct sunlight, with a plastic sheet that collects
moisture behind it, and the writing's in 8 point type along with stuff like
"It is a violation of state law to detonate nuclear weapons within 500 yards
of a body of water".

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 22:26:17 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

Oh boy, could we talk about scullers.

Oh yes, and the darn things are about 30 feet wide counting the oars.

Kayaks are small by comparison.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On 11 Dec 2006 23:27:54 -0800, "Chuck Gould"
wrote:

once at the page, select the Bellingham Bay Kayak Resuce video to get a
"chopper's eye" view of a rescue swimmer rescuing a couple of kayakers

Should have just left them out there.

Kayakers are a PITA.

Hate 'em.

Oh, ok, glad their safe, but I still hate kayakers...

That is because you are old and decrepit. It's the F'n blowboaters. Last
September kayaking Mission Bay, San Diego. Guy is f'n with his lines and
not watching where he is going. We paddle as fast as possible out of the
way when we see he is coming straight at us. We are near shore in the
shallows and he is in small sailboat with 2 other people. wife almost makes
it out of the way when he sideswipes the kayak. Asshole does not even stop
after I am yelling at him. Did not get his CF numbers, but if I had, the
harbor patrol would have been visiting him. Did not have my handheld VHF
with me. But that said, a lot of the kayakers sux bigtime. There is a
kayak rental at Pillar Point Harbor. They like to gather around the entance
at the break water. Have called the harbor patrol on boats that are doing
less than 5 mph speed limit for coming close to them. Harbor patrol should
give tickets to the guide for blocking the entrance and endangering the
renters.

"Short Wave Sportfishing" wrote in message
...
On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 13:17:23 -0500, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:13:01 GMT, Short Wave Sportfishing
wrote:

They are a PITA and I don't care how much experience they have in the
things.

They don't belong in the deep water channel, that's for sure. I had a
guy in a rowing shell do the same thing to me out at Nantucket a few
years ago. He needed about 6 inches of water and I needed 3 1/2 feet,
wouldn't let me go by.

Oh boy, could we talk about scullers.

Next to kayakers, the dumbest bunch of boaters on the water.

Couple of years ago, I almost T-boned one. I am going slow through a white,
hazy fog, the idiot is sculling in a white shell, while wearing white in the
area that all the fishing boats are traversing.