On June 19 2021, I departed from Tobermory on my expedition SUP and paddled out to Halfmoon Island.
A few km out from Tobermory, I had a sailboat travelling directly toward my tail. I slugged on hoping they could see me, and change course.
They didn’t.
The sailboat reached me at an arrival distance of less than 6ft on the downwind side. “You ok?” They shouted. “Great!” I replied. That is, I was. I was now getting run over by a sailboat.
They were responding to a May Day call. Someone had called me in, and the Coast Guard had sent them to respond as good samaritans.
They notified the Coast Guard that I was ok. They also reported that I wasn’t too happy with the call. They failed to report, however, that they came very close to running me over, and forced me to rely on my skill sets to avoid getting slugged.
As a paddler holding course against a broadside wind, our position, stability and progress is maintained through our labour by sustained paddling on the downwind side. As the sailboat collided into my position from the downwind side, I could no longer paddle on that side–they closed the gap between us–and stopping meant that I would be at the mercy of the wind and waves, thrusting me into them. Furthermore, they slowed down directly at my side, causing a side wake that collided with the oncoming waves that resulted in a wave peak directly under my board and a trough between us that wanted to pull me beneath them. They seemed totally unaware of the endangerment they put me in.
I did let them know, that was the most dangerous thing I experienced that morning, and also thanked them for responding to the May Day call–something else they didn’t report.
In fact, that unsolicited ‘rescue’ was by far the most dangerous occurrence that I had experienced over the 55km circuit to Halfmoon and back.
Paddling is a science of wind and waves, and how to rely on them for navigation and travel.
Sailing used to be as well. Most sailors today rely on outboards and instruments as their guides, and only get out on the water on the glory weekends.
As a paddler, I carry my own VHS radio. In case I loose my spare paddle, break a leash, or get slugged by a sailboat.
I’m not here to call these guys out, and won’t mention their names. I’m honestly sure these good samaritans meant well.
Speaking with the Coast Guard post trip, they reported they had a high call volume that day, hence why they couldn’t be the first to respond. This highlights how important it is to know for certain what we are calling in when we are addressing someone else’s situation. They also said, 95% of paddlers aren’t as prepared as me, and this is what spurred me to write this.
Most paddlers are in fact quite prepared and aware of their limitations and conditions they travel in. Locally however, we allow renting out fleets of boats and boards to tourists and toss them out onto some of the most exposed waters of Lake Huron. These folks aren’t paddlers. We create this problem, and it is false to assume that most paddlers are unprepared. The Coast Guard also reported that locally, sailboats most often present significant problems when involved with May Day calls.
Our May Day systems are not perfect. But they do serve a valuable function when warranted, provided boaters responding know how to handle the situation.
So sailors. If and when you find yourself responding to a May Day to assist a paddler and arrive on scene to find someone paddling, wearing a lifejacket, etc, approach the scene from at least 25 feet of distance. There is a lot of open space out there on the Fathom Five. You can assess and communicate and target in, if your help is needed, and avoid slugging into them. Don’t ever attempt to raft up, in rough water. Throw them a line from a safe distance.
Be aware of how your wake can cause disruption and inadvertently cause a capsize and put the paddler in danger.
We should all understand as well how much unnecessary strain we place on our local rescue services, when we call in for an unwarranted rescue.
Scott Parent
