Maui Canoe Club
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Canoe Swamping Experience
Posted on April 10th, 2009 16 commentsThe canoe I took out during the ashes ceremony on Wednesday swamped in the surf zone. I wanted to describe this experience and make it available for general discussion and comment. Prior to Wednesday I had never had a huli or a swamping as a captain of Maui Canoe Club (I have had them in the past with a previous club). My record is no longer unblemished and I would like everyone to learn from this experience. I attempted to be as objective as possible. I have documented my opinion of what went wrong and what went right here. You may agree or disagree. All comments and feedback are encouraged and appreciated. Let’s all learn from each other.
During the Canoe Blessing and Memorial Service this past Wednesday we experienced our first small swell of the season. All seven canoes were lined up on the south beach prepared to launch and head to Wilson for the ashes ceremony. As captain of Naia Kolohe with my crew of Meryl and Bruce Cohen, Jan Gayle, Al Bayless and Paul Bonanno my plan was to head south towards the fishpond wall and then out to sea trying to go around the impact zone. After I launched heading south I found the rollers breaking against the right side of the canoe so I changed my plan to head straight out. Let me be clear. That was where I made my mistake. I should have stuck to my original plan. The rest of what happened was a direct result of this mistake.
As we headed out watching the waves coming at us I kept the ama at roughly a 45 degree angle facing the wave. All paddlers were paddling on the left. We were hit by wave after wave. Meryl in seat one had to quit paddling and duck as each wave hit. As we went over each wave it lifted the ama and Bruce in seat four had the presence of mind to immediately lean out on the iako keeping us from a huli. David Williams had drilled this point in to each of the students during the recent captain’s training course—do what you can to keep the ama from coming up. Each wave filled the canoe with more and more water until we were submerged enough that the next wave knocked most of us out of the canoe, including me. We did not huli that morning.
Once we were all in the water near the now-submerged canoe I communicated with each crew member asking if he or she was OK. We gathered all the paddles and other items, i.e., water bottles, caps, cameras, seat cushions, etc. I then had a decision to make. Should we turn the boat upright or leave it submerged and bring it to shore. We were still in the surf zone and the waves continued to roll in over us. It was low tide and shallow enough for Paul and I to touch the bottom. I decided that turning the boat over with the waves continuing to roll in was not the right option due to where we were still inside the surf zone, the waves would just continue to keep us submerged. With Bruce on the ama and Al sitting in the canoe paddling we slowly and deliberately walked the boat into shore where we emptied it and pushed it up on to the beach. People on shore pointed us left and right to help us avoid walking the canoe into the large submerged rocks. The crew returned safely with no injuries and no damage occurred to the canoe.
Lessons learned in no particular order:
1. From the south beach with swells 1-2 ft or more head south towards the fishpond and go around the waves, avoid heading directly into the impact zone.
2. If the canoe becomes swamped inside the impact zone with waves continuing to roll in, your best course of action may be to bring (paddle or walk) the canoe back to the beach rather than try to empty it.
3. Wear reef shoes. Some were barefoot and found it difficult to walk over the rocks on the bottom on the way back to shore. I had no trouble at all.
4. When heading in to a wave do whatever you can to keep the ama down at all times.
5. Those in seats one and two need to duck and cover to avoid being hit by the full impact of the wave.
6. Keeping the ama at a 45 degree angle was the right approach but we just had too many waves one after another to get all the way through the surf zone safely.
7. If you decide to paddle or walk a submerged canoe back to shore be sure to place someone on the ama. The canoe at that point is like a large log and can roll over easily unless someone is hanging on the ama to keep it down.
All comments and feedback are encouraged and appreciated. Let’s all learn from each other.
Mahalo
Mike
16 responses to “Canoe Swamping Experience”
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Bruce & Meryl April 10th, 2009 at 13:00
Bruce here…I thought Mike approached the waves properly at the 45 deg. angle as we were taught in the recent captains course I completed.
However, it may be that when the surf break is as frequent and large as what we experienced, an alternate course may be to approach the surf break with the canoe perpendicular to the break to lessen the amount of surf that spills over the gunnel and to get past the break more quickly as it is a more direct line out. While seat 1 and others may experience greater slam on the down side, is it the better option in the end?
Thanks Mike for getting us all back safely!
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Bonnie Kos April 10th, 2009 at 15:30
Thanks for the debrief; its very helpful.
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Thanks for sharing your experience. All information shared will make each of us better paddlers.
So I can better picture the episode (!) About these waves? Were they coming directly on shore?
What did the other canoes do differently in their approach to the high surf to arrive safely on the other side? -
Shel here…I sort of followed you South a bit out to get past the shore rocks. I don’t like heavy surf directly on opposite ama side so I turned toward the North. I went through the surf just to the North of you striking an angle more towrd the perpendicular say at 60 degrees. I never take waves at a 45 degree angle . I think Bruce is correct and a little less angle might be better. I travelled out and saw your ama straight up in air and then back down again. I had the minister in seat 5 and I had a young man sitting on the floor in front of him. i decided I couln’t help and had better save my canoe. We made it through and I looked back and saw your grew getting back to the beach.
Thanks for being candide with your analysis and it reminded me of my huli in nearly the same place. The canoe did a huli … but a few waves later the waves flipped the ama bac! It nearly hit one of my crew!
I like you suggestion of some one on the iako even in a upright but submerged condition . This may apply even to a flipped condition until the nose can be pointed out to sea and ama people ready to push up rather tha hold down.
All in all; nobody hurt and a great learning situation for all. Shel
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Mike,
I agree with your lessons learned. I also have not had a huli with the exception of two practice hulis to become a captain. I did swamp a canoe a Kam II last year landing the canoe. What I learned was breaking waves will not support a canoe and must be avoided. I consider myself lucky Wednesday. I was the first to launch and listened to advice on how to avoid the surf. We took on some water but not enough to cause any problem. We did a little bailing and proceeded with our paddle.
Hang in there,
Skip -
Al Bayless April 10th, 2009 at 20:54
Seat 3 here. I too had to duck and cover as the waves rolled over us from the front. Even ducked, I almost got washed off my seat several times. There was just enough time between waves to sit up and take 2 or 3 strokes before the next wave hit. The only thing I can think of that maybe we should have done, was to sit outside the breaker zone for several minutes until the set subsided. Immediately leaving the shore several waves slopped a little water over the side, but then there was a relatively quiet zone until we reached the breakers. We could have hung out there a bit to wait for the set to pass. But good call on getting us back into shore, Mike!
Al Bayless -
I re-read my comments and would like to clarify. Lets talk about the angle from the wave face, rather than a litle more or less angle. My approach is 60 gegrees to the wave face.
anyway a great lesson learned. We will be there again.
Shel
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Aloha all: Mike’s huli brought back MANY fond memories of my numerous huli’s and swampings and me falling out of the canoe (I figured I might as well bring it up before Shel did). I am mightily imipressed with so many who have only hulied in practice or never. I must be doing something wrong !!
I agree with Shel on the wave enterance–I rarely take a 45 degree angle, but closer to 60 as he suggests. I have faced both the dilemas Mike did–going north or south to avoid the waves and empty it out or paddle it in full of water. I have done both and agree that if you’re outside the surf zone, try to bail or turn it over and empty it, but if inside and the waves continuing–it’ll be virtually impossible to empty it and you might as well limp in the best you can.
But, Mike…each huli/swamping makes you a better captain. Nothing to be ashamed of whatsoever (easy for me to say !!) -
John Salse April 11th, 2009 at 08:40
Aloha
Isn’t paddling great! The more you paddle the more you learn. Maybe canoe skirts are in order when conditions are adverse or paddling between islands? -
Pamela Miller April 11th, 2009 at 12:07
Hi Mike:
You apparently have forgotten or don’t count the huli we had in the canoe you were instructing, which went over during our “ball game”. You probably weren’t at the helm, but in seat 5 most likely. We all were too absorbed in the game to see who was sitting where.
Of course, you gathered all our paddles, inquired as to our well-being, then gave instructions for us to right the canoe, and paddle it back to shore, hauling Milton in on the ama.
Pamela
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Bravo Mike for your commentary! I’m sure we all have learned something just by reading it!! It reminds of the time I was out surfing and got caught inside with a HUGE set moving in. Each time I came up for a much needed breath, another wave hit and I just gulped more water. I thought surely I was going to drown that day! A guy that I finally reached after releasing my board leash, had huge fingernail gouges in his wetsuit!
I too, have never been in a huli (or swamp) sitation, but I sure wish I could have been there that day!!I feel a big loss in that I was not able to attend our canoe blessing. I know it must have been awesome! -
Jonica April 11th, 2009 at 20:34
Hey Mike,
Agree with Bruce…his response was well thought out. Also might add that when facing a breaking wave, you don’t put your ama to it. Protect your ama! Either punch through it head-on or give a little angle on the NON-ama side.
Quartering waves certainly has it place, but my experience is that a for-real braking wave needs to be approached much differently than wind generated waves outside of the break zone…whole different animal.
As for waiting outside of the break zone…sometimes works, sometimes does not. Often, there isn’t a real break in the break, as it were. Just look for a spot where the break is a little more predicatable (often, the ‘shoulder’ if there’s one to be found). But, waiting it out CAN be an option, coupled with patience and attention. I might add that a total opt-out is also an option if you’re not truly comfortable with the conditions.Also might add that I have, on one occassion, chosen not to approach our beach because of these dangerous conditions, and chose to land at KCC’s beach instead and bring the boat back at a safer time. You ALWAYS have that option.
Glad you all got back safe. Kudos.
Pono.
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Al Bayless April 12th, 2009 at 07:02
Jonica,
In the strokers training on Friday, the instructor said to always have the ama toward the wave when approaching a breaking wave. This seemed strange to me, as I would think this would make the canoe more prone to a huli. But his reasoning was that if you approach the break with the right side to the wave, you could huli towards the ama possibly snapping the i’ako. This he said would be a very dangerous situation from the splintered wood.
Al
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Michael Roberts April 13th, 2009 at 12:14
Aloha Mike,
About a year ago I was in a boat that swamped while attempting to go straight out. The waves didn’t appear that large, but after two of them hit the bow we were paddling in a basically submerged boat. The decision was to roll it over, get back in and scoop the excess water out. The plan worked out just fine with no injuries and was a good learning experience. -
Margie April 13th, 2009 at 20:41
Mahalo for sharing the full experience and being willing to encourage feedback!
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joe and agnes mcinnis April 14th, 2009 at 17:34
Hi Mike
The swamping was identical to Agnes’ accident resulting in major leg fractures.We learned
on launching have crew focussed and looking ahead. you need to see the wave so you can brace.
Ensure there is another boat which can be available for rescuebthis seems to rarely happen with the club.
If you see a wave that could break over the boatbest to paddle backward to reduce the full impact .
If swamped, and you are in the boat try to paddle forward till the set settles.
once the sea has settled huli the boat, you will never bail a swamped boat
overall Mike things went reasonably,that kind of a situation can result in serious injury, Agnes knows, she had her head down when it hit and did not brace, The rescued boat was key, waiting for the set to pass before coming to assist, cannot put too much emphases on this.Cheers
Joe and Agnes
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