CAPSIZED

Saturday August 20, 2005

My kayak was already strapped to my car roof when I awoke this morning. By 6:00 a.m. I had driven 40 km and was waiting in the parking lot at the Division Street McDonalds in Kingston, Ontario. Leif Erickson arrived on time with Morris Buckner and their two fibreglass sea kayaks mounted on the roof. After a celebratory pre-kayaking breakfast of Egg McMuffins we drove to Point Traverse South West of Picton to our start point.

Our plan was to paddle from there to the Main Duck Islands about a 16.5 km open water trip, camp overnight and return the next day. The three of us were all experienced kayakers. Morris was a frequent kayaker in the St. Lawrence River system while Leif was a racing enthusiast who competed regularly. I had been kayaking since 1980 enjoying all forms including whitewater.

By 8:53 a.m. we were on the water. An encouraging forecast had been received earlier via the internet. A few minutes into our trip, both Leif and I thought that Morris used his cell phone to check again and was rewarded with a favourable report. However, we later learned that Morris had actually been checking the barometer reading on his Casio Pathfinder watch and we had misinterpreted.

Our route took us between two islands, False Duck Island on the right (west) and Timber Island on the left (east). We passed three shoals on our right and a fourth southeast of Main Duck Island. These probably contributed to the wave height. Although the lake was choppy and windy, all three of us were enjoying the steady motion of the waves. The area we were entering is well known for the loss of numerous ships, often being described as part of the Great Lakes Triangle and more specifically known as the Marysburg Vortex. The existence of magnetic anomalies have also been reported near the island itself.

An hour or so into our journey we passed the two islands. The wind picked up a little more but nothing to alarm us. The Main Ducks were just barely visible at this point. For a brief time, we had a very slight drizzle and then our destination point disappeared in a fog bank but re-appeared again within 15 minutes. The waves were becoming slightly larger and at one point, Leif remarked, "the waves have far exceeded my expectations". I jokingly replied, "I wonder how high the waves would have to get before our kayaks would be unable to handle them." The three of us were side by side separated by about thirty feet or so. The waves were coming at us from the west side. I was in the centre and found that over time my two friends were completely disappearing in the troughs.

Upon reaching the halfway point between False Duck and Main Duck Islands, conditions started to worsen. It was too late to turn back. I wondered briefly if I should detach my removable skeg. I have done a fair amount of white water kayaking and am very aware that a skeg would only be a hindrance in those conditions. However, in this situation I was unsure which would be better, but decided it was a mute point as I certainly could not remove it from my position and I wasn't going to endanger anyone else by having them try it. Plus, if I were wrong, it would be extremely difficult to put it back on.

Leif had dropped behind a fair distance. I was finding it increasingly harder to spot him and wanted to make sure he was still upright. It was becoming progressively more dangerous for me to turn my head to look back. When I did, most times he was hidden in a trough so I found I had to perform this difficult manoeuvre several times in order to spot him. The waves had now turned into 9-10' swells complete with whitecaps and a strong wind, which I later learned to be at 28 km/hour. There had been a shift and the waves were now coming from behind although the sea was also choppy, so they were attacking us from all angles. We could not see them coming but we could definitely hear the roar of the larger ones just before they washed over us. Morris was about 100' ahead of my position. A gigantic wave broke over me and pushed my kayak into surfing mode. I shot past Morris completely out of control moving at least 7 mph faster than he was. I came very close to hitting him. My kayak tracks well up to a point, but when it surpasses a certain speed, it begins to curve as it did this time. I arched back onto the wave and nearly went over. Communication was becoming difficult with the noise of the surf and wind. I yelled to Morris that we should try and slow down so that Leif could catch up. Whether Morris heard me or not, I don't know but he appeared to lose speed. However, I found it difficult to slow my craft and was staying well ahead of Morris. We were now approximately one mile from our destination. I remember thinking, "It's just possible we might make it", and that was when I heard a triple blast from Morris's whistle. He had gone over. This was about 11:30 am.

I made a difficult and dangerous turn and headed back into the waves. Morris was holding on to the side of his kayak while being buffeted by the storm. I asked if he was all right and Morris, in good spirits, replied that he was. Leif came up from the rear and we hovered around Morris thinking about our options. Again, communication between the three of us was extremely difficult. One of us yelled to Morris if he could re-enter his boat. He was unable to. Leif suggested towing Morris's kayak. I felt that would be very dangerous but there weren't any other options available. I told Morris that he could hold on to the back of my kayak and I would tow him. Leif thought it would be better to have Morris hang on to his own kayak. I agreed that was a much wiser choice for several reasons. One, it would put Morris in control of his kayak, conceivably stopping it from being thrown onto Leif, and two, it would leave my kayak free in case anything happened.

Morris had a rope handy and was able to clip it to both kayaks, leaving about 20 feet between the two. Leif began paddling with Morris hanging on to the back of his own craft. The rope was snapping taut as one or the other of my two friends were thrown and tossed by the swells. Leif made a valiant effort but after fifteen minutes there did not seem to be much, if any progress made. We were no closer to the island. Leif was still paddling furiously when suddenly a rogue wave caught him by surprise and then he was over as well. Now both were in serious trouble. They were quite close together hanging on to their boats and being bashed from all sides. After a few minutes, using Morris's kayak for leverage, Leif was able to right himself. I breathed a sigh of relief and gave him the thumbs up. My relief was short-lived however as within seconds, another gigantic wave overturned him again. I have been in several other dangerous water-related situations and know how exhausting even a few minutes of treading water can be. In this situation it was compounded by the huge swells completely washing over them along with the beating they were taking from the kayaks. I felt that Leif's being able to right himself was a one-shot deal.

I thought about trying to help right both of them but realized the futility due to the size of the waves. I believe both Leif and Morris realized it as well, as it was never mentioned. In a last ditch effort, Morris was able to remove his cell phone from its waterproof pouch. He tried calling 911 but there was no reception and within a minute, a wave broke over him rendering it useless. The only option the three of us came up with was for me to try and make it to shore and get help. I did not want to leave my friends, but couldn't come up with an alternative. At the time, I did not know that the cell phone had been incapacitated so I thought about trying to get it from Morris. I decided against it, as the conditions were so extreme I felt if I removed my hand from the paddle and tried to open my skirt, I would be in severe danger of going over as well. At this point I was resigned to the fact that I was their last hope of being rescued. I felt that their lives now depended on my every move. Leif said he thought the wind direction would eventually take them right to the island. Personally, I felt they would both be blown right by into the open water towards United States but didn't think they needed to hear that.

I wanted to be sure it was a unanimous decision so I asked again if they were sure they felt I should leave and both agreed. We decided I should try and get around the far side of the island where there was a government dock. None of us could come up with any further ideas. When I left, I did not think I would be seeing either one of them again. The chances of getting help on a deserted island were slim to none. At the same time, they probably had little faith that my little plastic tube would make it to shore as well. Previously, both had been in good spirits and although difficult, we had been talking back and forth. After ten minutes of constant rough treatment, their good spirits were replaced by silent struggling. My last view was of a giant wave totally immersing both swimmers. Leif came up for air in time to be hit in the head by his kayak. There was not a lot of time for goodbyes or thinking things through. It was a time for action. I left.

Now, I found that my muscles were tensed to the max. I knew that if I made a wrong move, I was going over and all three of us would perish. Staying upright was my main concern. The wind and waves were still coming from behind and pushing me towards the island. It was a battle all the way. Fifteen minutes into my paddle I heard a huge roaring behind me and I was thrust forward like before. I was surfing at full speed on another rogue wave. I tried my best to keep my craft going straight but it finally hit the threshold and began to curve sideways and back up the wave where I teetered from side to side as I went over the crest. It was an extremely close call. I discarded our idea to make it around the island. I decided my best bet was to make the closest shore. There was what looked like a colossal boulder at the closest point. The closer I got, I finally realized that it was a two-story house. I made for it, hoping that someone would be there. I did not have the luxury to think of a plan once or if I arrived but was using all my energy in just trying to stay upright. I do remember slowly seeing the island getting bigger and trying to judge how far a swim it would be if I went over. I knew the rules about staying with your boat, but if I went over, I was planning to ditch my kayak if I could not re-enter. My kayak colour was clear to white so it would be nearly impossible to spot in the whitecaps and would only hinder me. Because Morris and Leif were relying on me, my focus was on getting to the island any way I could. I had severe doubts that I was going to make it. Waves were breaking completely over me and I was taking on water despite having my skirt securely in place. It is a canvass type and I had waterproofed it several nights before in preparation for this trip. I should mention that my kayak is a 1980 R5 River Runner. It is a good all purpose ABS plastic kayak, which I've used for white water, flat water, any and all conditions including camping. However, it has its limitations such as no sealed hatches, a fixed skeg, little in the way of flotation, a less than adequate skirt and is extremely difficult to Eskimo roll. In these conditions, I knew if I went over, the skirt would pop off and the hatch would fill instantly with water.

I can't say how long my trek took but my guess is 45 minutes. The last fifteen minutes were the worst as my entire upper body was cramping from the strain of not only hard paddling but of continuously being tense. The waves pounded me into an area that was all rocky ledges. I came close to going over several more times near shore. I beached the kayak and pulled it up and over a pebbled ditch. I slipped out of my skirt and ran to the house. Unfortunately, it was soon apparent that it was completely in disrepair and abandoned. There was a trail next to it which I was quite confident led to the government docks. My mind was racing, yet it was going in slow motion at the same time…a very strange experience. I remember telling myself to "go slow…pace yourself". I began walking. That didn't feel right with my friends in peril so I started to jog. I have bad knees that eventually lock up under certain conditions such as running, so I slowed to a jog again. I was afraid of disabling myself. Eventually I found a semi-balance and walk-jogged the trail. I had never been there before but I had examined a map of the island and the trail seemed to be going in the right direction. It turned out to be about a twenty-five minute trek. Along the way, I was finally able to concentrate on making a plan. Part one was to find someone docked at the far side of the island. The wind was still blowing strong and to the south. The plan I came up with, if no one was there, was to set the south half of the island on fire in hopes of attracting someone's attention. I thought of this at the halfway point of the trail and then realized that I had left my survival kit with matches, back in my boat. This was another conundrum for me. Keep going, or go back.. I elected to push on and hope for the best. A few minutes later I realized that I had matches after all. When kayaking, I always carry a waterproof vial around my neck containing matches, whistle and a small knife. It was such a natural part of my equipment that I had completely forgotten I had it. I also had a waterproof bag around my neck, which contained my camera inside a Pelican waterproof case and my wallet.

Arriving at the government docks which were located in a small bay, I quickly surmised that no one was there. On the point of land at the entrance to the bay, was an abandoned cottage with the windows broken and no door. I saw that and revised my plan.

I entered the building. It had one large room with a cot and mattress, a kitchen, bathroom and a large fireplace. All the windows were either smashed out or missing as was the door. I pulled out the hurricane matches from my waterproof vial to discover that I had neglected to put a striker inside. I didn't want to waste valuable time finding something to strike the matches on so I had a quick look around and was lucky enough to find a book of matches on a shelf. Everything seemed to be a matter of time and balance. I didn't want to waste time preparing the perfect fire so I quickly gathered a few sticks together and put them near the least windy wall. My first three attempts were unsuccessful. I knew I would have to take a more care so I broke up my sticks a little finer and unsuccessfully tried again. At that point I spied the mattress again. I had read reports about the loss of one's house being caused by mattress fires due to smoking in bed. I decided to test the theory. I tried lighting the mattress directly - no luck. The wind was too strong. I found a large roll of foam so I put it around the entire end of the bed to make a windbreak and tried again. Still no luck. I pulled out my knife and slit the bed and pulled out some stuffing. It caught instantly and just as quickly went out. I tried this several times then gave up. Frustrated, I went out on the porch and found one of the floorboards missing with some dried grass underneath. I took some of the mattress stuffing and shoved it under the floorboards and lit it. As per before, it went up instantly but then went out. This time, I saw a small coal so I blew on it until it began to smoke. I had some good coals going but along with blowing out, I also had to inhale the smoke. I was getting very close and didn't want to stop but I was also starting to cough quite heavily. Finally it took and I was rewarded with a small flame. I began cautiously feeding it with small twigs moving slowly up to larger pieces. Eventually it was going quite nicely. I found a large square of plywood, which I put directly on the fire and leaned against the porch wall to enlarge the burn area. I re-entered the cabin to find more wood and discovered that in my absence, the mattress had caught fire. So it does work!

I stepped outside for some fresh air and to have a look to see if I could spot any boats. When I turned back around, the whole cabin was in flames. The heat was intense. I stood out on the point hoping someone would come along. There was no land to be seen or activity of any kind. Off in the distance I spotted what I thought was the sail from a sailboat. It was just out of reach of my vision but I finally determined that it was just a marker buoy. I think this was the worst part of the day for me. All I could do was stand helplessly by and wait. I knew I had to stay right where I was. If any help were coming, this would be the place it would arrive. I had no watch, but after about an hour, the flames started to peter out. I spotted an old foundation nearby. Inside were about 30 car tires. I knew they would provide plumes of black smoke. I climbed into the foundation and lifted the first tire and threw it over the wall. Unbeknownst to me, it had a wasp's nest inside. The wasps swarmed around me but I was not stung. I steered clear of that tire and tossed a few more out. The heat was so intense from the building that I could only get within 50 feet of it. I ran towards the cabin with the first tire until I couldn't take the heat, then I tossed and gave the tire a final kick as it rolled towards its destination. I could almost feel the skin cracking on my forehead. I did this continually until only the wasp nest tire was remaining. I didn't want to waste it, so I scooped it up as well and threw it in. Miraculously, each and every tire rolled perfectly into the centre of the fire. I searched inside the foundation and found 4 tire inner tubes. I decided I should put them to good use as well. The first one I tossed over the wall contained a large snake that went flying along with the insert. I threw all 4 inner tubes into the flames. By now I had a good pyre of black smoke blowing south to the United States. I hoped someone might spot it. I was also hoping that Leif and Morris would be able to see it and give them some hope that I'd made it to shore and was trying to get help.

As I waited, I formulated my next plan. I decided that if my first fire didn't attract any attention then I would wait until dusk then set off for the north end of the island where the abandoned house lay. I figured with the dwelling being on the Picton/Kingston side, it might stand more of a chance of being seen if I set it on fire - especially at dusk.

Waiting was the hardest part. It was now about 3:00. I was getting very antsy, pacing back and forth. I didn't want to leave but I couldn't stand around doing nothing any longer. Finally, I decided to head back to my kayak and possibly go out and search for Leif and Morris if the waves had lessened once I arrived. I was definitely not relishing the thought of heading back out into the storm. Actually, I had absolutely no intention of venturing back out in my kayak - at least that's what I told myself. But in the back of my mind, I knew that was what I would eventually end up doing. I took the trail which goes inland but then decided it would be more prudent to try and follow the shoreline in case I could spot my friends trying to come in. There was no trail along the shore so I made my way through waist high grass. The area was teeming with thick, short snakes.

As I rounded the first bay I spotted a sailboat following the shoreline. I immediately began waving my arms and giving the emergency signal of 3 short blasts on my whistle. Although there was never any acknowledgement from the sailboat, I was sure that they could see and hear me. They could not put in where I was as it was steep cliffs and rocky shoreline. I followed their progress back to the bay whistling and waving my arms all the way. It seemed to take them forever to get there. Then they had to anchor and I watched the captain lower a small rowboat and make his way to where I was. Time seemed to stand still.

As he neared, I waded out in the water and explained my predicament as briefly as possible. Captain Hugh Brown was quick to react and told me to hop aboard. Back on his ship, The Atreides he tried unsuccessfully to reach the coast guard or any other emergency vessel. We learned later that a line was down in Prescott, which prevented this. He had a crew of four including his daughter, Charli and two friends, Cynthia and Greg. The anchor was quickly pulled up and under motor power, we headed out of the bay. Captain Brown asked when my friends capsized and since it was now 3:30 we figured they had been drifting for 4 hours. He asked me to estimate how fast I thought they would be moving and I guessed 1-2 mph. He figured in that time they could have drifted as far as 8 miles away. This made sense to me although something was niggling at the back of my mind telling me they should be closer. However, after 4 hours of my mind racing and trying to come up with options, I was glad to turn the responsibility over to someone else. Once we left the shelter of the bay, we returned to the severity of the storm. Communication was difficult once again. The times I did listen to his radio, I did not understand a word that was said.

Captain Brown instigated a search pattern following the wave patterns to the east all the while calling for a "Pan, pan, pan" on the emergency radio. Greg offered me some water (my first drink since the capsize) while Cynthia gave me a pair of binoculars. I headed to the bow and scanned ahead. Shortly into our search I thought I saw something orange and was sure I had them but it disappeared and I never relocated it. I think it was just wishful thinking. The 40' (?) sailboat was taking a beating as well. We were thrown about. Pots and pans were being strewn about downstairs. The craft was going straight up the waves and then plummeting back down. Water was cascading right over us. Charli offered me a spare raincoat. I was almost as fearful on the sailboat as in the kayak. About an hour later, Captain Brown was able to briefly raise the U.S. Coast Guard. It was not a good line, however, and they only gathered that there were two kayaks missing. They said they would put out a notice to have ships keep a lookout. We were unable to re-contact them to explain the severity of the situation or that the kayaks in question had capsized.

At the eight mile mark, we turned to the north for a quarter mile then headed back on a parallel course. No matter where you looked, the only land you could see was the Main Duck Islands. I was beginning to realize the futility of finding my friends. Shortly after this turn, we were able to make contact with the U.S. Coast Guard again. This time we had a better line. They contacted the Canadian Coast Guard who in turn called Search and Rescue. It seemed that within minutes a Coast Guard vessel came up behind us. I assumed it was the U.S. Coast Guard but as it gained on us and then passed, I saw the red and white colours and then when the word "Canada" stencilled on the side came into view, this had a very calming effect on me. It was a very good feeling. The waves appeared to pose no problem at all to them and they passed us by as if we were standing still.

Within minutes, a Hercules Search and Rescue airplane appeared followed by a Cormorant Search and Rescue helicopter. We kept on our course and about 30 minutes later, the helicopter began hovering in one position. My hopes soared. Then we received a transmission from the Coast Guard asking if there were supposed to be one or two people missing. I didn't feel this was a good sign. I was thinking that they only located one person and obviously that person was not able to tell them anything because he was either unconscious or worse. I was thinking the worst. Captain Brown told them "two" and that was the last transmission we received. This was about 4:00 pm.

I could see a bright light, which I originally thought was the island on fire from my previous attempts. However, it turned out to be a strobe and smoke flare dropped by the chopper as a marker. We were still quite a distance from all the action so could not see what was happening.

We continued our line and came directly to both kayaks, which were tethered together. So on a good note, had the Search & Rescue not found Leif and Morris, Captain Brown would have. They had drifted probably less than a mile from the capsize point. We stopped and snagged Morris's kayak and began to tow the two of them. Leif's kayak was nearly full of water and the extra weight broke the line. I suggested trying again, knowing that Leif would be very angry with me if I left his boat. Captain Brown decided it was unsalvageable and set it free. We managed to keep Morris's boat. We also picked up one paddle and a pump that were floating nearby. We continued in and dropped anchor in the sheltered bay at Main Duck Island.

While we waited, Captain Brown's daughter, Charli, dove into the bay and pumped the water out of Morris's kayak. Cynthia and Greg offered me two cups of soup. Captain Brown offered me accommodation for the night along with a DVD movie and supper. I graciously accepted.

At 5:43 the Coast Guard vessel, Cape Hearne, pulled up alongside us and to my relief, informed us that both kayakers had been airlifted to the Emergency Department at Kingston General Hospital. They told us that one person was nearly unconscious and would not have lasted much longer. I asked which of the two it was and they responded that they were both about the same size and didn't know who was who.

Captain Brown explained how I would be staying the night on board his ship. The coast guard Commanding Officer Ray Throop, vetoed that saying "No…he's coming with us. We came out to rescue 3 people and 3 people are going back". Although it was the last thing I wanted to do, I asked if I could hike across the island and paddle my kayak out to their vessel to get a ride back. The C.O. looked lost in thought and replied, "No…we've had enough rescue attempts for the day." I could see his point. Captain Brown stepped in and said that he would be sailing to Kingston in the morning and they would pick up my kayak and drop it at the Coast Guard site. That was more than acceptable to me.

I helped the crew load Morris's kayak onto the Coast Guard vessel. Surprisingly, they had previously picked Leif's kayak up and all the floating gear they could find. I thought that was above and beyond their normal duties and was quite impressed. Later, on inventory, the only missing piece of equipment was one of Leif's sandals.

The trip back by Coast Guard took only 45 minutes as compared to the drive to Traverse Point, which took about twice the time. The crew were very professional yet compassionate as well. Commanding Officer Throop asked if I would tell him about the events which I did while he arranged for one of the men to loan me his spare coat. Seaman Kevin LeDrew offered me a bottle of water while Engineer Jeff Launderville got me settled in a chair with a great view. I asked if I could take a few photos and Seaman Richard Beaudoin said I was welcome to, and could also take some below in the cabin.

The sea had calmed quite a bit and the vessel cut right through as if we were on glass. Upon docking at the Coast Guard's base at the Portsmouth Harbour in Kingston, one of the lines became fouled in the rudder. One of the crew members volunteered to disentangle it while the rest of us offloaded the two kayaks. Morris's kayak briefly became wedged between the dock and the vessel but did not suffer much damage.

Seaman LeDrew kindly offered to drive me to the Emergency Centre at KGH. He was going to come in as well, but parking was a problem so I suggested he leave and I would call him in the morning with an update of my friends' conditions.

After speaking with the guard, I was admitted into the confines of the emergency area and re-united with my two friends. Morris had been discharged and was keeping watch over Leif who was still hooked up to several machines. Within minutes, Leif was discharged as well. A doctor dropped in and asked if I was the person who burnt the cottage down. When I admitted I was, he clutched his stomach and left laughing, saying, "that was a good one". Apparently my deed had preceded me.

I invited Leif and Morris to stay at my house and called Karen to see if she would be willing to drive us out. Despite the fact that Karen had already planned her weekend and was expecting guests the following day, she invited us all to her house instead. Her, Scott, Lindsey all arrived within ten minutes to pick us up. Karen made us all supper and fixed up a room for Morris and Leif. Karen commented that I was very hot tonight. I didn't understand why she sounded so surprised, until I found out she meant my temperature. The following morning Morris and Leif both mentioned how hot they had been as well. Karen drove us back to Traverse Point for our cars. All of us were quite stiff and sore. I continued to be extremely hot for about a month (temperature-wise again). I could actually feel the heat coming off my body. It seemed to come internally and would increase if I was thinking about the kayaking mishap. I took it to be a reaction to prolonged adrenaline and possibly post-traumatic stress.

The following morning and throughout the whole day at 30 minute intervals, our story was told on the local radio station and the internet news. At one point radio station 105.7 as a joke, announced that Vicky Keith was in the water for days and didn't have to get rescued ,so why were we?

Leif has suggested we attempt to get to the island again next summer. My response was that I don't really need to as I've already been there, done some exploration, had a nice hike and a cosy fire as well…but we'll see.

Kingston Whig Standard - From My 3 Minute Phone Interview

Kingston Whig Standard - From An Interview With Leif Erickson

Brockville Recorder & Times - From An Interview With Leif Erickson

Letter Excerps From Bruce Brown - Captain of the Atreides

Thanks for your e-mail. Greg paddled your kayak around the island just before dark on the Saturday when things were a lot more quiet. He said the sunset on the rock cliffs was simply spectacular. I have some pictures of transferring to the CG vessel and lifting your boat on board our boat-slinging from a halyard.

We came into Portsmouth just before all the CORK traffic on Sunday and dropped your boat at the gas dock. After the next four days in the islands, we sailed back to Main Duck from Kingston the following weekend and spent two very quiet days, exploring and some watercolour painting at the lighthouse. Yesterday was my first day back after three weeks of cruising.

Obviously, we are pleased that the universe unfolded so as to keep up on a path to Main Duck for the weekend after a 24 hour delay- nobody else was going to be making that passage in a smaller vessel- and pleased that we were able to provide assistance.

There are some very valuable lessons to be learned from all this and I will probably do an article in GAM our Ontario based sailing magazine. Its editor, Karen Larson, was the person instrumental in cajoling the Feds into buying the island from a private owner.

I guess a hand held waterproof VHF radio as I used might be high on your Christmas wish list- a very good idea if you plan to explore remote areas, since anything can happen. They can be used for personal communication between boats on certain channels as well as getting hourly weather updates, making ship to shore telephone calls (for a cost) and emergency communication.

I was appalled that the upbound commercial vessel did not respond to a PAN-PAN on channel 16- they are supposed to maintain a radio watch, andshould have responded. Since they are high up and passed within a half mile of the two in the water, they should have responded and should have at the least advised location, saving valuable time. I think Coast Guard should make routine radio contact "inspections" to ensure there are radio watches on commercial vessels- with Sat navigation we never know if there is even anyone on the bridge!

From my own copy of Willard Bascomb's Waves and Beaches, which was always in our onboard library and from talking to Coast Guard I learned that an immersed body, or waterlogged vessel is not carried far by even severe wave action, since the water takes a circular path and does not really advance downwind. With hindsight, we should have started our search almost at the point of incident rather than 2.5 miles downwind. The assumption of a 2 knot drift was simply wrong! Good news is that our return upwind path to Main Duck would have directly intersected the pick up point and we would have retrieved the others even if there had been no Coast Guard intervention. So the worst that would have happened would have been hot showers onboard Atreides and three extra guests for roast leg of lamb.

Weather radio reports on wind and wave conditions are interesting, since we often find conditions at variance from reports and predictions. Last year, we approached Main Duck from the west in Atreides and surfed beyond hull speed on 10' plus waves directly downwind as we approached the islands. Weather radio said fair weather and waves less than 1 metre.

On our second trip to main Duck, Sunday prognosis was wind 15 from SW, while by 8 AM we experienced gusts to 25 and by 9 AM waves built to 6 feet. Rather than slog head on into the building waves, which can fetch all the way from Niagara under those conditions, for the 12 hours to Cobourg, we turned and rounded Cressy Point and went inside into Belleville. Even the winds gusting up Aldolphus Reach and Picton Bay would have been a challenge for a kayak that day, but at least in those waters you are never too far from shore.

With respect to the kayaks,. I am surprised that there are no strong fore and aft eyes for lifting- such as a moulded in hand hold for carrying or towing, or an eye/ring with a strong backing plate. I would think they would be good for tying the craft off or tying down for car top transport. I think they should have a two strong eyes- so that they could be taken in tow, even if waterlogged. We should have been able to take both other vessels back to the island. I notice pictures of kayaks under tow and the person usually just holds onto the rope. To lift yours, I simply made a bridle with bowlines in opposite ends of a line and winched from the mid-point, but not so easy to do in waves.

Kayaking Main Duck? - a great idea, since its truly remote and beautiful, one of my very favourite places- perhaps next time take half a dozen kayaks along on a larger vessel and establish your base camp for paddling. Of course the day you do that, the water will be like oil all the way to Kingston!

I will e-mail you some of our pictures when the dust settles here after being away from my practice for a full three weeks.

Fair winds,

Bruce Brown, Toronto

Photos

Photos taken before and after the event

Photos taken by Bruce Brown showing the burnt cottage

Some Related Links

A Kayaking Forum where our event was discussed with some responses by Leif Erickson

A Leif Erickson receives the Rescue Award of Merit in 2007 From the Life Saving Society in Markham, Ontario (Fourth Person on the list)

Leif and I collaborated on a story which was published in the U.S. based SeaKayaker Magazine. Click on the link below to read it.

seakayak.pdf

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Main Duck Islands - Great Lakes Triangle and shipwrecks

Main Duck Islands - Information Page & Photos