Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 03:28:36 AM

Login with username, password and session length

Recent Topics

[March 27, 2024, 11:13:05 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 10:53:01 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 08:00:55 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:25:42 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 07:05:39 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 04:18:57 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 12:35:34 PM]

[March 27, 2024, 11:18:23 AM]

[March 26, 2024, 07:45:07 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 06:19:03 PM]

[March 26, 2024, 05:47:06 PM]

[March 25, 2024, 07:10:08 PM]

[March 25, 2024, 03:17:35 PM]

Support NCKA

Support the site by making a donation.

Topic: Your Weekly Safety Reminder  (Read 4615 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Der_Huntsman

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Santa Rosa, CA.
  • Date Registered: Mar 2017
  • Posts: 298
Warning: May Contain Bad Language

So, just to address any questions before they start getting asked, that was me who sank outside of Stillwater Cove Saturday morning.

Now that that is taken care of, I figured I would address the community because I'm a little embarrassed to sink and need to be rescued the first time out rock fishing. So I thought it would be best to just let everyone know what happened so that way people can learn from my mistakes. 

I was a Boy Scout, Scout in the Army, Volunteer Firefighter, and I am the Environmental Health and Safety Manager (OSHA Dick) for the company I work for. I take safety extremely seriously, and have most of my life. I have plans for many different emergency situations, and can't be bullshitted into unsafe situations. Last night while I was getting everything ready I triple checked that I had everything and that my gear was in good order, including checking the hull of my yak. I got to Stillwater this morning at about 6:15 and met Gabe from Napa, I didn't catch his NCKA Name. After bullshitting and talking to him for a little I launched and headed  North a little and fished around the point.

 At about 9:30 or 10, I realized I was sitting a little low in the water and the yak didn't feel right. I opened the hatch to look in the hull and shit myself. The water was nearly to the top! I started paddling like fuck back to the beach, but I had about 3/4 a mile to go. I asked a nearby fishing buddy if he had a pump, no. I asked another guy I passed if he or his buddies had a pump, no. I radio'd on 69 if anybody in the area had a pump, no. I radio'd on 9 if anybody had a pump, no. Shit started getting serious. I have a Nalgene bottle that holds about a quart of water and I started bailing like a mofo, but the damage was done, I was swamped. What really sucks or is fortunate depending on your outlook, is because I take safety so seriously, I have almost every damn thing on the list and lists pinned at the top of this forum topic. But I didn't have a pump, and nobody else did either. Now, I don't think I was in a life or death situation ( I had a wetsuit, PFD, radio, and wasn't too far from shore), but I was definitely in a serious one and I haven't been as scared as when I had to call the Coast Guard on 16 in a long time.

To shorten this already long story, Joe with the State Parks, jet skid to my rescue and even went back and towed my swamped yak back to the beach. I ended up only losing my gaf, fish grips, my paddle, about $75 worth of lures and jigs, and I'm not sure if my FF is toasted or not yet. But, I didn't lose my life. So yea, pretty shitty opener for me, and I didn't even catch anything. Shout out to Beachmaster for talking me through where to park and launch and what not, and to Gabe for giving me a nice Ling as a condolence gift.

Oh! So after I got home and cleaned up my yard sale, I filled my yak, an OK Trident 13 up with water to try and figure out where the water was coming from. I have a home made PVC beach cart that goes through the scupper holes . Well, I'm not sure how, but a hole about the size of my thumb got punched INSIDE of one of the scuppers! Any tips on repairing? Also, I used the mist function on my hose to rinse my reels well and added a mist of gun oil. Any tips to keep the saltwater from fucking them up since they were submerged?
« Last Edit: April 15, 2017, 02:54:48 PM by MF »
Formerly known as "MF"

@Der_Huntsman


  • Fishing is the perpetual series occasion of hope.
  • View Profile
  • Location: San Francisco
  • Date Registered: May 2009
  • Posts: 6252
Thats some scare you got there. I dont have a pump no considering one. Glad it all ends well and any lost gears are replaceable. Lesson learned for sure.
Live today for tomorrow's sake.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.


Der_Huntsman

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Santa Rosa, CA.
  • Date Registered: Mar 2017
  • Posts: 298
Thats some scare you got there. I dont have a pump no considering one. Glad it all ends well and any lost gears are replaceable. Lesson learned for sure.

I already ordered one. Homie don't play that anymore.
Formerly known as "MF"

@Der_Huntsman


ljparton

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Sacramento
  • Date Registered: Feb 2015
  • Posts: 239
Glad to hear it wasn't worse.

Scuppers are very difficult to fix from what I've heard.

I know some on here have made successful repairs, though.

The main reason I don't use scupper carts


VK

  • Guest
Oh man ..sounds like my first trip to Lake Sonoma ! I dropped my yak loading it and put a hairline Fx inside the scupper that ran vertical .Never even noticed.

I used Alumaweld (marine grade) to repair it and never had issues , hole on the other hand ..Ouch...

Post some photos.Someone will know what to do ..

Dont beat yourself up too bad , identify, adapt and overcome.Your story might just teach someone else down the line.


Beachmaster90

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Date Registered: Sep 2014
  • Posts: 209
Damn, now I am even more disappointed that I didn't come down today. That is all shitty to hear, but I am glad you're safe. I would have felt real bad if something more major happened to you out there.

When you were asking people if they had a pump, did they realize you were sinking? I feel like if someone asked me for a bilge pump I would offer to help them out and stick around. If they just thought you had a little water inside your kayak, I guess i could see leaving you, but otherwise that would have been so out of line. Hopefully this was not only a lesson for you and maybe for the other kayakers around that didn't help. It sounds like a situation that could have been easily resolved without calling on 16.

Unfortunately I haven't had to do any repairs on my kayak so I can't help you much there. I do know now to look out for damaged caused by my own DIY kayak cart, so thanks for that info.

If it makes you feel any better, it was torture driving up and down the coast for work and seeing how much less windy it was than it was supposed to be. It looked beautiful out there. The weather for tomorrow has flopped and is now looking more shitty, which means I probably won't get out this weekend at all. I will probably drive down to look tomorrow just in case, but I am assuming it'll be a dud.

Thanks for sharing your learning experience with us. It's hard to share those types of experiences, but we ALL learn from mistakes. Good thing you were smart and had a VHF, PFD, and other safety gear.

Seriously, any time you want a buddy out there to fish, let me know. I live in Mendocino so when it opens north of point arena on May 1 I will be out all the time. As of now, I am hoping to be down at stillwater next weekend if the weather is good. I have an extra kayak that is both stable and doesn't leak. If yours isn't fixed I could definitely bring it down.


KPD

  • Sea Lion
  • ****
  • View Profile
  • Location: San Mateo
  • Date Registered: Jul 2014
  • Posts: 1659
Sorry to hear about your misadventures, but thanks for sharing. Buy some of these and goop them inside your hull so you can just leave the pump inside the kayak: http://topkayaker.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=32 One less thing to remember, unpack, rinse, etc.
Wanted to buy: Stealth ProFisha 575 or 525


Der_Huntsman

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Santa Rosa, CA.
  • Date Registered: Mar 2017
  • Posts: 298

I used Alumaweld (marine grade) to repair it and never had issues , hole on the other hand ..Ouch...

Post some photos.Someone will know what to do ..


Yea, it sucks. My phone got wet too, so there goes my easy phone to internet camera. I already put an insurance claim in on it so I should have one Monday. Not sure if pics would work though, the hole is hard to get too and the only thing you can see when looking in the scupper is yellow on yellow. I know someone will come through with an idea, otherwise I'll over engineer the shit out of it and use every damn marine grade chemical goop known to man haha. I'll be sure to test it on a little pond too. Looking at it again, the hole isn't that big, not as big as my thumb anyways, maybe my pinkie tip. I can't believe that much water got in there that fast, crazy.
Formerly known as "MF"

@Der_Huntsman


  • Cabeza de Martillo
  • View Profile
  • Location: Costa de Oro, BCS
  • Date Registered: Jan 2011
  • Posts: 7707
Glad you are OK.

Those scupper holes cracks can easily be missed. Glad I have Wheeleez you might want to go that route.

Invest in some pool noodles. Got 29 of them in my trident 15 and sinking isn't something I worry about.

Maybe AbKing can post up his vid where he swamps his noodle filled kayak.

Thanks for the safety tip.

Pronounced in Spanish  ka·be·za de mar·t·yo
Translates to Hammerhead in English for my Gringo amigos.
....and yes that's me with a 6ft. green moray in the avatar.

"Spearos before Hos" - Silent Hunter

"Give your son a fish and you'll feed him for a day.
Teach him how to spearfish and he'll feed you for a lifetime" - Cabeza de Martillo

Proud Papa of ...........
2018 JAOTY Lucas aka Baja Ninja
2018 JDOTY Noah aka Silent Hunter


Der_Huntsman

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Santa Rosa, CA.
  • Date Registered: Mar 2017
  • Posts: 298
No worries Beachmaster! Shit happens, I'm not really sure what you could have done anyways, I noticed WAY too late. The people I asked I told I was sinking, one guy offered me a beer can to bale with haha. Ont he radio I said if someone doesn't have a pump I'll have to call 16. I don't begrudge anybody though, beside let me sit there and float next to them, there wasn't anything for anyone to do. The weather was really nice, and I'm still glad I went out. I'll be happy to go fishing with you sometime, I have your number.

Pool noodles are the other thing that is happening, but how high out of the water do they actually keep you if your hull is filled?
Formerly known as "MF"

@Der_Huntsman


VK

  • Guest
Glad you are OK.

Those scupper holes cracks can easily be missed. Glad I have Wheeleez you might want to go that route.

Invest in some pool noodles. Got 29 of them in my trident 15 and sinking isn't something I worry about.

Maybe AbKing can post up his vid where he swamps his noodle filled kayak.

Thanks for the safety tip.

This too +1


Der_Huntsman

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Santa Rosa, CA.
  • Date Registered: Mar 2017
  • Posts: 298
You know, I'm kind of actually glad it happened on the coast on the opener. There were so many people out there and the VHF worked. IF I was on Berryessa for example, I'm pretty sure I would have been in the water a LOT longer and probably would have lost all of my stuff.
Formerly known as "MF"

@Der_Huntsman


RSA Peter

  • Sand Dab
  • **
  • View Profile
  • Location: South Bay Area
  • Date Registered: Aug 2016
  • Posts: 55
Glad everything turned out ok. That could have gone way more south!
White/Black OK Trident 11


  • Napa Fisherman
  • View Profile
  • Location: Napa, California
  • Date Registered: Sep 2015
  • Posts: 532
Im Gabe. Im glad you had all your safety gear and you made it back without losing too much stuff. Ill definitely carry a pump in my hull from now on


Der_Huntsman

  • Salmon
  • ***
  • View Profile
  • Location: Santa Rosa, CA.
  • Date Registered: Mar 2017
  • Posts: 298
Im Gabe. Im glad you had all your safety gear and you made it back without losing too much stuff. Ill definitely carry a pump in my hull from now on

Yea man, thanks for that Ling! at least I get my tacos!
Formerly known as "MF"

@Der_Huntsman