Small craft safety

[zfish]

Bit of an incident of a large aluminum boat running over a kayak at second rock this morning. Kayaker ended up in the water. No injuries. Only loss was a rod and reel. If anyone snags a short trolling rod and silver Islander MR3 reel, mooching set up, please pm me, I would like to get it back. Thanks in advance. Pic attached.

 

[Tips Up]

Bit of an incident of a large aluminum boat running over a kayak at second rock this morning. Kayaker ended up in the water. No injuries. Only loss was a rod and reel. If anyone snags a short trolling rod and silver Islander MR3 reel, mooching set up, please pm me, I would like to get it back. Thanks in advance. Pic attached.

Damn. Hope you are OK. That must have been traumatic! With a blue kayak in a busy fishing area I hope you are flying an orange flag and wearing bright jacket. Could have been much worse. Glad to hear no injuries.

 

[islandboy]

When you're in a small boat, even BRIGHT YELLOW with a flag: TRUST NO-ONE!
Ask me how I know.

 

[Hookedup]

Bit of an incident of a large aluminum boat running over a kayak at second rock this morning. Kayaker ended up in the water. No injuries. Only loss was a rod and reel. If anyone snags a short trolling rod and silver Islander MR3 reel, mooching set up, please pm me, I would like to get it back. Thanks in advance. Pic attached.

I've always said these small boats should have large flags like they do what driving ATVs in the dunes. I've had a close call myself with a small boat coming out from behind a boat. High traffic areas out there. Make sure you're visible.

 

[islandboy]

I've always said these small boats should have large flags like they do what driving ATVs in the dunes. I've had a close call myself with a small boat coming out from behind a boat. High traffic areas out there. Make sure you're visible.

Sadly, that's not going to help when solo fishers are focused on their gear/motors. Nor will autopilot notice.
As a small boat operator, I am responsible for my safety. "Never FEEL safe" was my cycling mantra. It worked then and does on the water.

 

[zfish]

Damn. Hope you are OK. That must have been traumatic! With a blue kayak in a busy fishing area I hope you are flying an orange flag and wearing bright jacket. Could have been much worse. Glad to hear no injuries.

Red life jacket, yellow dry bag. Flag is impractical ffs. Not busy today. Breeze and current played a factor. Luckily he only caught the stern as I attempted to escape. Normally I would have heard it coming....5 sets of eyes on the aluminum boat!

 

[profisher]

I was there and saw the aftermath after the kayak was upside down. I thought he flipped it himself at first but learned what happened as I passed them. It looked like he was offered a rod and reel but turned it down. With all the small fish to deal with constantly it is easy to get busy and not notice the wind is pushing you off course or that a boat is running you down.

 

[MikeyL]

I was there and saw the aftermath after the kayak was upside down. I thought he flipped it himself at first but learned what happened as I passed them. It looked like he was offered a rod and reel but turned it down. With all the small fish to deal with constantly it is easy to get busy and not notice the wind is pushing you off course or that a boat is running you down.

Red life jacket, yellow dry bag. Flag is impractical ffs. Not busy today. Breeze and current played a factor. Luckily he only caught the stern as I attempted to escape. Normally I would have heard it coming....5 sets of eyes on the aluminum boat!

Actually, I think a flag is a great idea. It might not be practical for you to have a colorful flag hanging off your kayak but as a boat operator myself. It helps with identifying objects in the water. Next time, it might not be a lucky situation. Everyone on the water should take safety first, fishing comes second.

 

[Hookedup]

Sadly, that's not going to help when solo fishers are focused on their gear/motors. Nor will autopilot notice.
As a small boat operator, I am responsible for my safety. "Never FEEL safe" was my cycling mantra. It worked then and does on the water.

Unfortunately I disagree because this can easily happen when travelling as they can blend in with the water fairly easily and they're not just fair weather fishers in these things. Not only are you as a captain responsible but so are they if they want to captain their tiny vessel among the big boys.

 

[Eden Island]

Actually, I think a flag is a great idea. It might not be practical for you to have a colorful flag hanging off your kayak but as a boat operator myself. It helps with identifying objects in the water. Next time, it might not be a lucky situation. Everyone on the water should take safety first, fishing comes second.

A guy in a red life jacket is sticking up about 3' from the water - almost as high as a guy in a 12 or 14' cartopper. His kayak sticks up maybe 8". "Hanging a flag off the kayak" would put the flag below his waist. Its not practical to start trying to mount a flagpole on a kayak. Nor do we expect cartoppers to have flag poles.

I think we need to hear more about why 5 sets of eyes didn't pick up a guy with a red jacket sticking up 3' above the water.

 

[Hookedup]

A guy in a red life jacket is sticking up about 3' from the water - almost as high as a guy in a 12 or 14' cartopper. His kayak sticks up maybe 8". "Hanging a flag off the kayak" would put the flag below his waist. Its not practical to start trying to mount a flagpole on a kayak. Nor do we expect cartoppers to have flag poles.

I think we need to hear more about why 5 sets of eyes didn't pick up a guy with a red jacket sticking up 3' above the water.

If I was fishing in a kayak, I would most definitely want to be as visible as possible. Forget the red life jacket. I'd have a flag pole with some high vis reflective tape on it. Then and only then would I have said I could do everything i can to remain as visible as possible during peak fishing season among 20ft+ boats trolling and travelling at speeds. No matet the 1ft chop or any conditions that flag would remain above the gunnels of most boats at a 200ft distance away. No excuses. Sure blame the guys that hit him, especially if they were drinking, but as a kayaker take some responsibility yourself for your own well being as you are the one putting yourself amongst all kinds of different types of people you don't know during the busiest time of the year.

 

[Tsquared]

This is my rig when I’m kayak fishing. I feel comfortable with the 15 ft mast sticking up. I know Zev (the kayaker who got dumped today) is very experienced and has been fishing Otter for years. When possible, I try and stay inside most of the power boaters as I troll at a slower speed and don’t want to be a pita.

 

[islandboy]

Most folks comment that they see my flag (6'). It mounts on a scotty holder on the bow.

99% of boats see it and avoid running me down. Still I've had to dodge one every now and then.

 

[Stizzla]

If the aluminum boat operator hit a dude in a kayak I wonder him many times he’d hung up on prawn/ crab traps or slammed into deadheads.
When you’re driving a boat you only have one job. Literally your only job is to not hit anything. No excuses.

Kayaker is 0% at fault and I happen to know in this case he is also strong and handsome.

Glad you’re okay buddy!

 

[PEETZcanada]

I have had the opportunity angle quite a bit from my 19 foot sea touring kayak, I had a pair of duplicate boats, very stable. We have been in all type of water including stormy oceans that not a single recreational power boat would venture out in. Comfortable sea fairing, enjoyable. The original boat I used was blue and my son used the bright yellow one, mostly because I cared more about his safety than mine. We always wore bright flotation and never seemed to have any issues or close calls with other boaters. I only have the yellow one now, sold the other last summer. I digress, I am really glad to know that the fellow in the kayak is safe.

As a power boater we should always be vigilant in spotting obstructions, logs, reefs, kelp, ropes, anchored boats, buoys, paddle boards, canoes, row boats, other watercraft, blah...yes, and Speed Bumps (kayaks). All joking aside it truely is our own resposibility as power boat opporators to see these potentential hazards, its not only our lives but the lifes and safety of others.

More and more small craft are joining the waters to access fishing especially as an affordable option, please just be more aware in your surroundings, we all want to keep living and enjoying the passion we all love. We all want to have an opportunity to keep on going.

Cheers.

 

[zfish]

I was there and saw the aftermath after the kayak was upside down. I thought he flipped it himself at first but learned what happened as I passed them. It looked like he was offered a rod and reel but turned it down. With all the small fish to deal with constantly it is easy to get busy and not notice the wind is pushing you off course or that a boat is running you down.

I lost an Islander MR3 and a shortish trolling rod that works with my paddle reach, I was offered a spinning set up.
Also I might add that I was quite tight in, fishing in the shallower water, out of the main trolling area where Rollie passed by, but I was already on the aluminum by that time.
My attention was focused to windward, and on getting my gear back in the water. It was a challenging morning. I looked over my shoulder to see the bow of a 27 footer right there, everything went from slow to fast in a blink of an eye, made two paddle strokes my stern and rudder hung up on the aluminum's bow, then I was in the water.

 

[Stizzla]

I lost an Islander MR3 and a shortish trolling rod that works with my paddle reach, I was offered a spinning set up.
Also I might add that I was quite tight in, fishing in the shallower water, out of the main trolling area where Rollie passed by, but I was already on the aluminum by that time.
My attention was focused to windward, and on getting my gear back in the water. It was a challenging morning. I looked over my shoulder to see the bow of a 27 footer right there, everything went from slow to fast in a blink of an eye, made two paddle strokes my stern and rudder hung up on the aluminum's bow, then I was in the water.

Was it foggy out?

 

[zfish]

Was it foggy out?

no fog factor.

 

[profisher]

I lost an Islander MR3 and a shortish trolling rod that works with my paddle reach, I was offered a spinning set up.
Also I might add that I was quite tight in, fishing in the shallower water, out of the main trolling area where Rollie passed by, but I was already on the aluminum by that time.
My attention was focused to windward, and on getting my gear back in the water. It was a challenging morning. I looked over my shoulder to see the bow of a 27 footer right there, everything went from slow to fast in a blink of an eye, made two paddle strokes my stern and rudder hung up on the aluminum's bow, then I was in the water.

I lost an Islander MR3 and a shortish trolling rod that works with my paddle reach, I was offered a spinning set up.
Also I might add that I was quite tight in, fishing in the shallower water, out of the main trolling area where Rollie passed by, but I was already on the aluminum by that time.
My attention was focused to windward, and on getting my gear back in the water. It was a challenging morning. I looked over my shoulder to see the bow of a 27 footer right there, everything went from slow to fast in a blink of an eye, made two paddle strokes my stern and rudder hung up on the aluminum's bow, then I was in the water.

Just as I told my clients… both of you were likely pre-occupied with gear and or fish and by tge time one of you realized how close you were it was to late…. **** happens.

 

[the force]

I lost an Islander MR3 and a shortish trolling rod that works with my paddle reach, I was offered a spinning set up.
Also I might add that I was quite tight in, fishing in the shallower water, out of the main trolling area where Rollie passed by, but I was already on the aluminum by that time.
My attention was focused to windward, and on getting my gear back in the water. It was a challenging morning. I looked over my shoulder to see the bow of a 27 footer right there, everything went from slow to fast in a blink of an eye, made two paddle strokes my stern and rudder hung up on the aluminum's bow, then I was in the water.

Sorry to hear this man, it sucks. Doesn’t matter the vessel size, anyone who wants to fish and put in the effort to get out there should be empowered to do it without fear of being being run down (obviously being vigilant is part of that and not going cross grain to a 30 boat tac). A big boat shouldn’t be mandatory for enjoying the water.

As said above, operators need to be paying attention and you can’t tell me you wouldn’t notice a kayak well before you are on top of them at trolling speed and be a little extra vigilant if your in the same area (unless it is thick fog). We fished around a green kayak on Tuesday and gave a wide birth simply for the reason that he put a hell of a lot more effort then we did to get out to the head and it is very easy for us to fish other waters in a matter of minutes. Last thing I want to do is get distracted with a low vis watercraft around.