NYCkayaker Weight and Rescues: Was ferry sinking

[Erik Baard]

Ocean Kayak told me that the Malibu 2 XL was designed with 5 years  
worth of girth growth factored in because the company was having  
trouble keeping up with America's obesity problem. Fortunately, some  
studies say we've leveled off. I'm doing my share -- dropped 25 pounds  
from my peak of 240 to 215, but hey -- I'm 6'4.5".

Seriously, I have done some rescues on obese people and they've been  
fine -- in calm water conditions. But are there techniques for this  
circumstance?

My own solutions have been:

1) A third boat for rafting up, stabilizing the primary rescuer's craft.
2) Once actually getting out of my own boat and holding both sterns  
behind the person being rescued, placing one foot in my boat, and using  
the other leg to boost the person back into their boat.

This second method requires that I exit my boat. That's fine in ideal  
conditions (I do solo reentries pretty well), but not in chop or  
traffic.

Any other ideas? I'd hate to exclude people based on weight.

Best regards,

Erik


On Jul 26, 2006, at 5:32 PM, mike pidel wrote:

> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/25/ 
> AR2006072501257.html
> Overloading Cited By NTSB in Fatal Tour Boat Sinking
>  
> By Michelle García
> Washington Post Staff Writer
> Wednesday, July 26, 2006; Page A04
>  
> NEW YORK, July 25 -- A cruise boat on a foliage tour on Lake George  
> last year was overloaded and should have been carrying far fewer  
> passengers when it capsized and 20 elderly people died, according to a  
> report issued by federal investigators Tuesday.
>  
> The National Transportation Safety Board found that the tour boat, the  
> Ethan Allen, had 48 people on board when it overturned on a calm day  
> on the lake in the Adirondacks. The vessel was certified by the U.S.  
> Coast Guard to carry 48 passengers and two crew members, but the  
> guidelines were drafted when the average American weighed 140 pounds,  
> about 35 pounds less than the average now.
>  
> What's more, the Ethan Allen, operated by Shoreline Cruises, underwent  
> a modification after its certification that made the boat suitable for  
> only 14 people, investigators found.
>  
> best
> mike
>  
> http://galvoguy.blogspot.com/
>  
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