Received: from zonker-fddi.hpl.hp.com by opus.hpl.hp.com with SMTP (1.37.109.8/15.5+ECS 3.3+HPL1.1) id AA04578; Thu, 16 Jun 1994 18:28:12 -0700 Return-Path: <poulton@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis> Received: by zonker.hpl.hp.com (1.37.109.8/15.5+ECS 3.3+HPL1.1) id AA25356; Thu, 16 Jun 1994 18:28:05 -0700 Date: Thu, 16 Jun 1994 18:28:05 -0700 From: Ken Poulton <poulton@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis> Message-Id: <9406170128.AA25356@zonker.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis> To: wind_talk@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis Subject: Re: Urgent:Crissy Field Access restriciton!
> Currently
> under consideration is a proposal to require that all sailors purchase a
> "Special Use Permit" in order to launch from Crissy. The rationale for such
> a proposal is that many of the problems at Crissy come not from "regulars",
> but from new sailors, and tourists who want to "try Crissy" without having
> the necessary windsurfing or self-rescue skills. The fee would be nominal,
> but would allow for more self-policing: If you did not have a permit and the
> reuired "rescue-pak", you would not be allowed to sail. Enforcement is an
> issue, but presumably we "regulars" would try to "inform" newcomers of the
> requirement.
I'm not violently opposed to this idea, but I wonder if it will really
help. Are the current rescues people who could have gotten in by
themselves if they had a rescue kit? Are most of the rescues really for
newbies? My guess is that there are several classes of people being
rescued:
Equipment failure, could have repaired. Things like a broken fin,
boom, etc. With help from other sailors (possibly carrying out
replacements) these could be rescued without the CG.
Equipment failure, can't repair. Things like a broken mast, finbox
removed from board. When far offshore, these folks do need the
Coast Guard.
Ran out of wind or got too much wind to sail. Education *might*
help here, but it's not easy to teach people to use good judgement.
I don't think a permit helps *reduce* rescues in the first two classes.
Mostly, a rescue kit would permit them to call for help more quickly.
Maybe a permit helps the third category, if just by forcing people to
make contact somewhere to get the permit. (If we are proposing regulations,
I would put wearing a full-length, seam-sealed wetsuit above any other
requirements.)
I think that a compilation of the reasons for rescues and the *number*
of occurrences for each one should be the first step in deciding what to
do. Until that happens, we're just adding regulations with no idea of
whether it will help.
I suspect that the only way to really reduce rescues may be to come up
with some other towing solution - a boat or jetski or something that
doesn't require the CG to be involved in non-life-threatening situations.
Ken Poulton
poulton@opus.hpl.hp.com-DeleteThis
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."
-- Henry VI, Part 2
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