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JayDV · 09-29-2007, 12:23 PM

Share and Practice.

As we are doing here, sharing allows others to expand, improve and correct in order to have a mental plan in place. And it helps when it is a great topic!

The human mind tends to be fragile at times and emergency situations often break that mental focus. That means that practicing procedures and dry walk-thru's (like our good old school safety fire-drill runs - or for those who remember the air raid drills in school?). In this case just pretend the boat is full of water though.

My friend and I did have a harrowing situation back in '62 that taught me several of what I pointed out in my above solution. Our boat had taken on so much water that as we tried to bail some out we caused it to heel over so much the rest of the boat filled up. We weren't old enough then to know those 4 letter words that when yelled give you intelligence and strength so we just slid into the water. We were pretty lucky that day on many levels. We weren't too far from the island shore and our flotation seats were handy, but OMGosh! the boat!?!

Ok enough of the stage setting theatrics, it was a 16 ft canvas and wood canoe and they don't sink. What we did was turn it over and pushed it towards one of those mean ol underwater prop breakers, and raised it enough to clear the water and righted it sans water, hopped back in and continued home. But at 10 yrs old, it was serious for a few minutes.

Don't get me wrong here, I have done so many crazy things in my life and learned afterwards and in this arm-chair environment where I can pause, get a coffee and ponder more, it is easy to bring my boat back safely. Lessons like that is how I learned to think what-ifs like this and the self training to act as planned only comes from practice. Another one is brakes on ice. I can honestly say brakes ARE the last thing I apply on an icy road where a reaction is needed.

09-29-2007, 12:23 PM	#273
JayDV Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Fairfield, CT & island vacation Posts: 97 Thanks: 8 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	knowledge is only half of it Share and Practice. As we are doing here, sharing allows others to expand, improve and correct in order to have a mental plan in place. And it helps when it is a great topic! The human mind tends to be fragile at times and emergency situations often break that mental focus. That means that practicing procedures and dry walk-thru's (like our good old school safety fire-drill runs - or for those who remember the air raid drills in school?). In this case just pretend the boat is full of water though. My friend and I did have a harrowing situation back in '62 that taught me several of what I pointed out in my above solution. Our boat had taken on so much water that as we tried to bail some out we caused it to heel over so much the rest of the boat filled up. We weren't old enough then to know those 4 letter words that when yelled give you intelligence and strength so we just slid into the water. We were pretty lucky that day on many levels. We weren't too far from the island shore and our flotation seats were handy, but OMGosh! the boat!?! Ok enough of the stage setting theatrics, it was a 16 ft canvas and wood canoe and they don't sink. What we did was turn it over and pushed it towards one of those mean ol underwater prop breakers, and raised it enough to clear the water and righted it sans water, hopped back in and continued home. But at 10 yrs old, it was serious for a few minutes. Don't get me wrong here, I have done so many crazy things in my life and learned afterwards and in this arm-chair environment where I can pause, get a coffee and ponder more, it is easy to bring my boat back safely. Lessons like that is how I learned to think what-ifs like this and the self training to act as planned only comes from practice. Another one is brakes on ice. I can honestly say brakes ARE the last thing I apply on an icy road where a reaction is needed.