Tragedy off Cape Elizabeth, Maine

[Jim_ME]

I listened to the reporting of these events http://www.pressherald.com/news/searchers-hunt-for-2-kayakers-on-casco-bay_2010-05-17.html
on public radio today. A sad reminder of how unforgiving the ocean can be.

[Oldrig]

A tragedy indeed.

The warm, sunny weather came early this year, enticing people out onto the cold, cold waters, where hypothermia is always dangerous.

This was just too early for kayaking off Maine, IMHO.

--Joe

[Jim_ME]

Joe, That's true, these recent days it has felt like summer, and many may not be aware of how the water temperature lags behind, and how dangerously cold it is.

A follow up article reports that the nearby weather buoy recorded North winds at 22 mph, and there was an ebb tide at the time.

http://www.pressherald.com/news/young-women-die-in-very-cold-bay_2010-05-18.html#addPhotos
(This article reports that they were friends at college in Pensacola, and have summered in Maine with their families)

The trip to Ram Island (which they did reach) was downwind and with the tide, but the return would have been against them. These are the outermost islands in that area of Casco Bay, so there are no others to head downwind for if you cannot make progress into the wind and tide.

In 40-50 degree water, exhaustion/unconsciousness occurs in 30-60 minutes, and survival time is 1-3 hours. [http://www.ussartf.org/cold_water_survival.htm]

In the first article it is mentioned that wet suits would help with the hypothermia, but when the air temp is 70 degrees and one is paddling and exerting oneself, it seems like the wetsuit could get uncomfortably hot. 

I've been wondering about the lessons to learn from this, even though kayaks are quite different from sailboats... Know your own limitations and those of your boat, how dangerous the cold water is, how quickly weather and conditions can change, and the need for a backup plan if in distress.

I'm not that familiar with the practices of ocean kayaking, but perhaps a hand-held vhf radio (or cell phone in a waterproof container) and GPS that could be used to report and update one's position as the situation becomes difficult, so that if assistance is needed you can be located quickly? Also having some way of signaling after dark...an LED flashlight or strobe light on the PFD. On our larger boats, we would have distress flares to signal searchers.

[tomwatt]

Jim, these ladies were not equipped properly by the school of thought I'm familiar with for sea kayaking. Wetsuit (or at least shorty wetsuit), full safety gear including lights, beacon, handheld VHF, deck compass, etc. are the norm. My PFD has my beacon clipped to the back of my neck, a whistle, and pockets to hold things like my SS sheepsfoot knife, the VHF, and a signal mirror.
And the kind of boat matters... the news doesn't mention what they were in, but all too many 'day touring' boats are marketed that are not really designed to go out to sea in... Old Town makes a slightly thicker, better insulated kayak than many (I have a pair of them... perfect for New England waters), but the boater has to be prepared for everything. Aside from the perils of being in a small boat, kayaks are pretty okay as sea-going vessels. Not that I'd take mine offshore... but they are pretty capable boats with quite a cargo capacity.
I think this is just another case of people taking the ocean too lightly.

edit: reread the account. 12 foot kayaks! One of my boats is a 16+ foot long kayak, and is considered slightly small for going out on the ocean. The other, at 14 feet long is a nice day touring kayak for river paddling. No way would I ever take that out where they went. Not suitable at all. Like trying to sail to the Azores in a MacGregor daysailer.

[AdriftAtSea]

There was a recent death near Plymouth, Mass, where a canoe or kayak was tipped over, supposedly by whales, and one of the two died.  Neither was wearing a PDF or any sort of protective clothing.   In colder waters, a wetsuit or a drysuit are really a necessity.

[Oldrig]

Dan,

Actually, it was right off Provincetown. These guys were out in Cape Cod (or is it Mass. Bay at that point?) in a CANOE, and they were either trying to get close to whales (their fault), or the whale suddenly surfaced near/under them (not their fault).

Either way, the water there was cold, the canoe was, well, a canoe, and they were not properly dressed.

A tragedy for certain.

--Joe