Newf
Crew Member
Reaching for a can of “Lucky”.So what happened? As in, what were you doing at the time that caused the close call?


Reaching for a can of “Lucky”.So what happened? As in, what were you doing at the time that caused the close call?
I've never felt even close to falling out of mine.I don’t know about @Tinny ’s boat, but I have almost fallen in farting too aggressively in mine. Not hard to do when you have 8” of freeboard and walking around the console puts you at the same level as the gunwales, and about 1’ away from them.
My cooler lives under the bow hatch. Imagine loading a fish in there in a chop lol.I've never felt even close to falling out of mine.
lol compared to mine yours might as well look like thatHere's a picture of what everyone thinks mine looks like. Only full of blood, tears and $100 bills.View attachment 101576
Pretty stupid thing actually. I had new down riggers and hadn't yet got around to installing the weight retrieving line. It was a flat calm day, but I had to lean out a little bit every once in a while to retrieve and reset the riggers. I was always focused on having three points of contacts, but it was wet and my foot slipped. Lost my balance and almost went in. Only thing that saved me was my left hand instinctively swung for the downrigger and luckily I was able to grab onto the boom. Being left handed helped in this situation. Would have been a really stupid way to leave this world. I actually avoid thinking about it and not something I shared with my family, but this thread about life jackets and being out there solo in the winter prompted me to share. Not taking precautions and little mistakes can go really bad quickly.So what happened? As in, what were you doing at the time that caused the close call?
I think about that same situation every time I'm out alone and using downriggers. Now rather than reach way out to grab the clip from the rigger, I swing the boom around to the boat first. It takes a few extra moments, but then I'm not leaning overboard so much.Pretty stupid thing actually. I had new down riggers and hadn't yet got around to installing the weight retrieving line. It was a flat calm day, but I had to lean out a little bit every once in a while to retrieve and reset the riggers. I was always focused on having three points of contacts, but it was wet and my foot slipped. Lost my balance and almost went in. Only thing that saved me was my left hand instinctively swung for the downrigger and luckily I was able to grab onto the boom. Being left handed helped in this situation. Would have been a really stupid way to leave this world. I actually avoid thinking about it and not something I shared with my family, but this thread about life jackets and being out there solo in the winter prompted me to share. Not taking precautions and little mistakes can go really bad quickly.
The old timers on here taught me a trick using the rod tip to scoop the clip out of the water. Then you lift the rod up which allows the clip to slide right down to you. It's fun to practice and get good at. Looks pro.I think about that same situation every time I'm out alone and using downriggers. Now rather than reach way out to grab the clip from the rigger, I swing the boom around to the boat first. It takes a few extra moments, but then I'm not leaning overboard so much.
The old timers on here taught me a trick using the rod tip to scoop the clip out of the water. Then you lift the rod up which allows the clip to slide right down to you. It's fun to practice and get good at. Looks pro.
Works like a hot damnAh, that is the only way I have ever done, dunk rod tip under a few eyes deep, roll rod so drapped held by an eye and flip to my free hand, clip and rod back down.
I should get clips with longer lines. All mine are 18", which in hindsight is dumb when the boom is extendable up to 60".Works like a hot damn
Just make them longer with 150 # test mono or something similarI should get clips with longer lines. All mine are 18", which in hindsight is dumb when the boom is extendable up to 60".
3 dead kayakers within the past couple weeks...very sad. In January, there was the story up at Port Hardy where the fishing boat was caught in bad weather, got windows blown out from waves, boat sank...and the whole crew was rescued. Amazingly they survived 45min in the water. I'd imagine they would've been found much faster if they had something like the unit you shared Sailfish25.The sad kayaker story in Victoria last few days finally provoked me to order a PLB.
Went with this one:
![]()
ACR ResQLink AIS Personal Locator Beacon – GPS Central
This compact high-tech Personal Locator Beacon is the world’s first PLB to include both AIS (Automatic Identification System) and NFC (Near Field Communication) in addition to standard satellite notification through the Cospas Sarsat rescue system.www.gpscentral.ca
It folds right into the auto inflating PFD and automatically activates once PFD is inflated. A bit of a procedure to nest it inside the PFD correctly, but no big deal:
Not cheap, came out to C$805 after tax and shipping. Arrives tomorrow so looking forward to installing it.
Sends AIS signal to local boats in the area. Transmits a satellite signal like an EPIRB, has a visible strobe light, and an infra-red strobe light for the Coast Guard’s FLIR camera to pick up.
The utility of a handheld VHF depends where you are, how far away the nearest receiver is. They have a short range, could be as short as 3-4km when you're in the water, depending on wave height, obstructions like islands etc. Having a VHF is WAY better than not having one, but you may be able to see a boat but not reach them with a 6w VHF.3 dead kayakers within the past couple weeks...very sad. In January, there was the story up at Port Hardy where the fishing boat was caught in bad weather, got windows blown out from waves, boat sank...and the whole crew was rescued. Amazingly they survived 45min in the water. I'd imagine they would've been found much faster if they had something like the unit you shared Sailfish25.
I've been carrying a portable 6W radio on my person while on the water (kayak, paddle board or fishing boat), which has the DSC automated distress call feature. Not as good as the PLB, but better than nothing?
Just curious why you say minutes and you are dead? In cold water environments such as West coast and North Sea you have approx. 40-50 minutes before hypothermia sets in. I have had to take many cold water survival courses and they actually did studies with individuals monitoring internal body temp and overall well being. If you do not have a life jacket on you usually get cold water shock which tenses up your muscles and causes you to gasp for air which in turn you inhale water, that is the usual cause of death drowning.It does not matter what PFD you are wearing, if you fall in and can't get back into the boat within a few minutes, you are dead. The PFD just makes it easy to find the body so insurance will pay out. Stay dry.![]()