Getting separated

[PeterG]

The current hot topic, 'St David's rescue', highlights the dilemma faced by us once a party is split up. Either fully separated or so spread out that the front doesn't know what the back is doing. This wasn't really covered in my 4 star training or assessment, apart from ideas to keep the group together. Years on the sea in small and large groups has given me experience of just how easy it is for groups to get separated despite the strong desire and planning to prevent this. You would think it almost impossible for people trying to keep together and paddling at around 3kt to loose each other, but it happens all too often. Once it happens, despite agreeing on VHF working channels and mobile phone protocol, it is often hard to regain contact. I've started this thread to try to learn from other people's experience.

Here is one for starters; paddling with just one companion in Scotland on a 3 week expedition we became separated when he managed to launch 15 minutes before me as the tide rose to reach the laden boats on the rocky shore. We had landed for lunch behind rocks out of the swell, so I hadn't seen him for 15 minutes when I managed to paddle out. He was no where to be seen. The sea had been rough but was easing off with a large rounded swell, comfortable paddling, but very tricky for landing. It turned out that he had started fishing with a handline whilst waiting for me and had drifted off. Not very far but far enough in the swell to take him out of sight. I tried a radio call with no response, it turned out his radio was not readily to hand and turned off. I paddled on, following our general plan, but failed to meet up with him. After a couple of hours I was able to land again and climbing the cliff got a mobile signal, no response from him. So I phoned the CG and explained the situation. The CG had heard me calling my companion at 15 minute intervals on the VHF and was pleased that I had called in. I could get both mobile and VHF on my cliff top so it was decided that I should wait there and if we heard nothing for another couple of hours the CG would review the situation before it got dark. A dive boat came on the VHF saying that they had a high speed RIB in the water and could reach anywhere in our area in 15 minutes if needed. After half an hour my companion called the CG on the radio to report my absence, he had managed to land on an island and climb the hill to get reception. The CG checked that we had each received our respective positions so we could be reunited in the gloaming.

Just for the record I think Taran did just right in calling the CG.

[TechnoEngineer]

Agreeing on a radio channel to use, and doing a radio check with each other, before getting on the water (and also before splitting up if necessary) is a drill I now religiously do (on the back of a situation where I was separated from a group and called them on the radio but got no response - was my radio working?). What often happens, though, is that the agreed channel is used for the radio check (e.g. 69), and then people switch back to 14, 16, or whatever the local port/CG is operating on.

Something I also learnt recently was that if there is the possibility of people being on one of two channels, make sure that someone else is near to me who also has a radio, and that we're tuned in on the different channels.

All obvious, common-sense stuff, that's easily overlooked.

[Douglas Wilcox]

Very good post Peter, thank you for sharing.

Techno that is a very important point about VHFchannels:

I recently mentioned this similar VHF learning experience elsewhere.

Recently going down Ayrshire's Atlantic Coast David decided to cross the bar into the mouth of the river Stinchar while Phil carried on down the coast. Jim stayed out watching Phil, I went in watching David. Jim and I were both in sight of each other. I called to Phil on channel 16 but he was listening on 6. Jim heard on 16 and realised Phil hadn't so Jim called Phil on 6. We learned that day to have all the VHFs on dual watch 6 and 16 (16 is generally a quiet channel for intragroup comms on west of Scotland)..

Douglas

[Kayaks'N'Beer]

One of my least favourite separations was actually one that I called. I regretted it within a couple of minutes of making it but I'm sure to this day I did the right thing. There were four of us in the group, two experienced and two novice/intermediates paddling into the kind of swell that we wouldn't have thought much of if it hadn't been for the novices eyes going all wide. One of them fell in and my mate moved in to rescue, meanwhile I looked at the other one and he was looking like he was about ready for a swim too but mainly because he'd stopped paddling.

I could see two options, raft up with the non-swimming noob (in which case we'd have been getting smacked off the rocks within 20 or 30 secs max) or keep him paddling into the swell and beyond what I thought at the time was a localised constriction so I told my partner (who had the swimmer back in the boat by this time) this was my intention and he confirmed that he didn't have any better ideas and off we went.

It turned out that the swell beyond the constriction wasn't much better so I led my novice into a sheltered area, under a cliff, less than half a K further south. We waited there for what seemed like ages, while, unbeknown to us, my mate had to fish the swimmer out the water another 2 or three times, each time he did, of course, he was pushed a couple of hundred yards back to where he came from. He eventually turned up, huffing and puffing and complaining about being knackered but it was not a pleasant wait for us, especially when we saw an orange rhib, in the distance, pootling about the rock we'd just left them at (turned out it was just some fishermen but your mind does all sorts of RNLI-looking for a body type things)

There were a lot of lessons learned that day but the main one for me was one noob between two. One each severely limits your options and had, in fact, put us in a position where the only call I could think to make was splitting the group.

[TechnoEngineer]

one noob between two.

Makes a lot of sense - particularly if the noob is rafted up with a more experienced paddler and the pair need towing out...

[Jim]

Very good post Peter, thank you for sharing.

Techno that is a very important point about VHFchannels:

I recently mentioned this similar VHF learning experience elsewhere.

Recently going down Ayrshire's Atlantic Coast David decided to cross the bar into the mouth of the river Stinchar while Phil carried on down the coast. Jim stayed out watching Phil, I went in watching David. Jim and I were both in sight of each other. I called to Phil on channel 16 but he was listening on 6. Jim heard on 16 and realised Phil hadn't so Jim called Phil on 6. We learned that day to have all the VHFs on dual watch 6 and 16 (16 is generally a quiet channel for intragroup comms on west of Scotland)..

Douglas

Actually I didn't call Phil, I relayed the message verbally - when Douglas called Phil had already worked out what was happening and was approaching the 'break' over the bar so I was waving my camera in his direction. Only reason I didn't call Douglas back was because I figured we would be in sight in less time than I would need to make the call :-)

To make best use of the radio you need to get to know some of it's more advanced functions. I use mine on Tri-watch all the time, but it took a while to work out what the 3 channels being monitored are. On my Icom I have a dedicated button for channel 16, if I hold it for a couple of seconds it goes to a calling channel which I can program (in protocol 16 is known as the calling channel so this gets a bit confusing!). Dual watch monitors the current channel + 16, Tri-watch monitors the current channel + 16 + the 'calling' channel.

So, assuming we use 6 for our working channel (note you are supposed to choose from the 4 or 5 channels reserved for ship to ship traffic) I pre-program 6 as the calling channel, then I can get to it at any time by holding the '16' button down for a few seconds. The current channel is generally whichever channel I last had a weather information broadcast from the CG on and at the start of a trip may be something completely irrelevant, but by selecting tri-watch and then locking the keypad, I can paddle along in relative comfort knowing my radio will pick up any traffic on 16, 6, or the current channel so I will hear general broadcasts, I will hear my group (and any vessels using 6 during the day) and I will hear the forecasts, subfacts and whatever the CG broadcast in a given area.

This is great, I am informed, BUT, it is important to remember that my radio is tuned to one of the local coastguards working channels at any one time, if I hear a call from the group I can't just pick it up and press transmit, I first have to press unlock, and then hold 16 for a couple of seconds until the display changes to 6, otherwise I will probably transmit to the coastguard, or possibly no-one at all. It is relatively simple and easy in calm conditions, when we turned back on the Lleyn peninsula the other day it was tricky enough that I didn't join the conversation (call was not originally to me anyway) on the VHF directly, but put my point of view to the guy who had been called for him to relay. He had his lad to raft up with if need be, I was a bit further away, but I think most of the group don't use multiple watch modes and just have their radios on 6 all the time so he just needed to transmit where I needed to push other buttons and read the display to ensure I had the correct channel before I could press transmit. I could have achieved all that in the conditions and called back, but since I was pretty close to the guy who was called I chose to avoid the challenge and paddled closer to him instead.

So, don't just buy a radio, understand how it works. Even if you choose not to use dual or tri-watch you may be able to set your working channel to a dedicated button so you can get back to it quickly if you change to the forecast or something. The multiple functions per button depending on how long you hold it is an important concept to grasp if your radio does it!

[MikeB]

From personal experience, there's the little issue of whether you actually want to stop paddling to take the vhf out of its ba pouch / from under the decklines / wherever when conditions are a "little challenging". I've noticed that the Palm ba's shoulder strap fitting allows you to clip the set on your shoulder strap - useful. I echo the use of a dedicated group channel, and radio check. Dual / tri watch is also worth using. But the answer is in keeping the group together in the first place, if at all possible - - - . Mike.

[nickcrowhurst]

But the answer is in keeping the group together in the first place, if at all possible - - - . Mike.

Absolutely. I choose to paddle either solo, or with one or two trusted companions, for just that reason. In three weks time I, with one trusted and trained companion, am doing a four day trip involving open crossings on each day, weather permitting. On each crossing we will decide on the speed we will aim to maintain on our Etrex GPSs, and paddle closely side by side at that speed, intending to be able to see each other 100% of the time. This is tricky in downwind surfing, of course, but the predominant aim is to detect a capsize by a buddy immediately it occurs, rather than to turn round and realize with horror that your companion is nowhere to be seen.
I realize that this highly structured system will be unacceptable to many, for perfectly good reasons. We love the freedom of our beautiful craft, and it's hard to stick to a rigid system. It's also not going to work for larger groups with paddlers of differing strengths, desire and priorities. That's why I won't paddle in such groups.
Nick.

[Owen]

. But the answer is in keeping the group together in the first place, if at all possible - - - . Mike.

Good idea Mike, it might help if you looked back at the rest of the group once in a while.

[Jim]

Another dead simple concept if you have one person obviously slower than the rest, is to get everyone else to stay behind or level with that person.

It can be tiring for the others if one of the group is so slow that the rest are unable to keep any momentum in their boats by effectively having to stop and restart every few hundred metres (or less) but sometimes it has to be done. I sometimes cheat and paddle round a big circle to keep the momentum up and get further behind, kind of depends on conditions.

[TechnoEngineer]

Raft up and take photos! There's nothing more soul destroying than being at the back of the group, paddling hard, getting tired, struggling to catch up, to then see the others all stopped, you catch up with them, have the expectation that you'll be able to take a breather, and as soon as you get there, they all set off again!

[nickcrowhurst]

Spot on, Techno. We discussed this "mock waiting" in detail here, nearly five years ago:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=30539&hilit=mock+waiting
Nick.

[janet brown]

I've paddled several times at the back of the group (both flatwater and sea), and agree that it is not a pleasant place to be.
As described above, you catch up hoping for a rest, and everyone sprints off, leaving you at the back again.

If I am leading a group on the Adur, I will always make sure the hares don't disappear as soon as the tortoise arrives. Another trick is to put the tortoise at the front when the group restart. Admittedly this is not a sea trip, but just a club recreational paddle. I've found myself that psychologically the paddling gets easier if you're at the front of the group, and your motivation to stay there makes it so much better than trailing along at the back.

Janet

[Daker]

whether you actually want to stop paddling to take the vhf out of its ba pouch / from under the decklines / wherever when conditions are a "little challenging". I've noticed that the Palm ba's shoulder strap fitting allows you to clip the set on your shoulder strap - useful.

My BA didnt have anywhere at shoulder height to mount my VHF which hadnt occurred to me at point of purchase as I dont think I had the radio at the time.

So easily solved, I got some off-cuts of 50mm webbing, sewed these to my shoulder strap across the way only stitching at the sides. This leaves a nice slot for the belt clip of the VHF to slip into.I can easily remove it or use it in situ when required and of course I can hear other transmissions easily. Its also attached by a lanyard obviously.

Regarding working channels, I usually agree this at the start but often monitor (for example) local ship movements channel which, because I only have dual watch, means I may not always be available on the agreed channel. As such its worth reiterating to less experienced users that if they get no reply on the pre-agreed channel, its perfectly acceptable to make a contact call on Ch16 before going back to an agreed channel.

[immunogirl]

We had a similar situation this past weekend... group trip, overnight. 11 paddlers. At least 6 strong paddlers that were known. 2 paddlers who had never paddled in fully loaded boats before (first camping trip for both of them). Another 2 paddlers that were weaker/bore watching. 1 paddler in an oc-1. 1st day we paddled about 12 miles with the wind in basically foggy white out conditions. We put one person under tow when they couldn't paddle straight with the wind to keep the group together, because you didn't have to go very far to not be able to see each other. We were navigating by gps/charts because we mostly couldn't see land/landmarks. We had one person on point navigating, one person on sweep, the trip leader kind of paddling in between, and basically the sweep would call out on the radio anytime the group was splitting apart because visibility was so bad.

2nd day, we had to go at least 12 miles up against a 20 knot headwind (I haven't checked my gps, I usually do that as a straight line paddle out in the bay, while we were following closer to land that day). The paddler that was under tow the previous day basically dropped under 1 mph once we got out into the wind, so we put a tow on her almost immediately to keep the group together, which basically meant for about 7 hours, we were rotating the strongest paddlers towing her and tiring them out in a headwind, and still keeping an eye on the other 3 paddlers that we weren't sure how they were going to do. While crossing one of the first bays, we ended up splitting the group just because the person towing couldn't make much progress against the wind, so it was 5 people in each group. We grouped back up at the far side of the bay, ate/rested, and transferred the tow to a fresher paddler that managed to keep up with the group. We had good visibility, so we were letting the group split out a bit more, and pretty much had "buddies" assigned to each new/iffy paddler to keep an eye on them and keep them with the group.

At some point, the OC-1 took a turn at tow (which in retrospect was a pretty stupid idea), and the rudder cable snapped under the pressure of it. So then we have one paddler under tow, an oc-1 which needs to be repaired or towed and probably at least 7 miles to go. While in shallow water, it was basically low marsh with little dry land and no real shelter from the winds. We ended up leaving 2 strong paddlers with the oc-1 to figure out a tow or a jury rig, and then had 8 people in the other group: 3 iffy paddlers who were tired and not going that fast against the wind, 1 paddler under tow, and 4 strong paddlers - one of which we knew was tiring out, another who was towing. I switched to sweep after we split the group and kept debating the wisdom of putting the person I was pacing under tow to speed things up, because I knew the stronger paddlers were finding it somewhat excruciating to be paddling that slow against the wind (I was) - but didn't really think we had the paddler reserves to be rotating tow on a 2nd person as a split group unless it was absolutely necessary . Luckily, noone else "needed" a tow. We managed to land just before sunset.

The other group eventually managed to jury rig something to fix the rudder, and ended up back at the take out quicker than we did, as they didn't have any of the slower paddlers and could just go all out at a speed they could all sustain.

There wasn't actually any real danger, it just gave me a lot of time to ponder group dynamics. Probably ordinarily we wouldn't have had such a high ratio of experienced to inexperienced paddlers on such an outing (it's an easy paddle if not for the wind & three newer paddlers had cancelled in the last day or so before the trip). Land in that area was pretty low lying, so we did mostly manage to stay in radio communication with the other group and between ourselves.

I took a ton of pics all weekend to slow myself down and used my greenland paddle instead of a wing as well. I chatted away with whoever I was "buddies" with so they wouldn't feel like they were being babysat or hurried.