CANOE COVERS AND KAYAK COVERS FROM

THE BAG LADY OF

Water Works Canoe Company

Mansfield Center, CT 06250

The Bag Lady -nobody does it better!

Phone 860-456-4906 email: baglady@charter.net

The season is upon us. Call now with your orders so you will have it for your first event.WELCOME TO 2013- OUR 35TH YEAR MAKING BAGS- AND WITH MANY MORE TO COME!! THANK YOU

Great things happening in the Quiet Corner of Connecticut

Check out the Quinebaug/ Shetucket Watershed at

http://thelastgreenvalley.org

Hypothermia Kills- Cold Water Boating Hints and Warnings

Winter boating and early spring boating can lead to dangerous conditions that can be life threatening. Use your head and read the following to give you some tips.

Warnings:

-Hypothermia can occur in water as warm as 70 degrees. Below 50-degrees, it takes only minutes to lose manual dexterity and become unable to rescue yourself. Trust me, you are not that good.

- Cold shock causes a gasp reflex (feels like you have been hit by a refrigerator), the sudden and involuntary intake of breath that occurs when you unexpectedly fall into cold water with no protection. (Bad even with protection!) If your face is under water during that reflex, you will drown instantly.

-Wind chill, dampness, and fatigue can cause long-onset hypothermia. Watch for shivering, a blue tinge in the lips, and loss of dexterity in the fingers. All signs that you need help, NOW.

HINTS:

-Dress for the cold with a wicking layer next to the skin, insulating layer(s) fleece is great, and a protective layer like a wet or dry suit, with head and neck protection. Avoid cotton, which absorbs and holds cold water next to the skin. Proper clothing will prevent cold shock and delay hypothermia.

-Wear a lifejacket. It floats, you don't. Wear it properly. It is a requirement for children younger than 12 year round and must be on all canoeists from Oct. 1-May 30. My feeling is if you think you are worth saving, you will wear it.

-Boat with a buddy. Self-rescue is tough enough and in cold water is very difficult very quickly.

-Stay with the boat. Get out of the water if at all possible.

-Learn the HELP and HUDDLE positions to conserve body heat when you are immersed in cold water waiting for a rescue.

For more info on boating safety, contact the DEP Boating division at 860-434-6043

*****************************

and an insert sent by Eric Thomas of the Willimantic River Alliance, one more thing to think about.

Sue's note: water was high that weekend, and very inviting for those seeking a thrill. However, it could have been a grave error.

Boaters Escape Harm In Mishap
Three Cling To Tree, Another Capsized Vessel Down River

By CLAIRE BESSETTE
Day Staff Writer, Norwich
Published on 4/25/2004

Plainfield — An afternoon boat ride on the Quinebaug River turned into a dangerous adventure for four friends when their boat struck a tree hanging over the bank and flipped over, sending all four into the cold water.

Three of the men grabbed the tree and struggled against a strong current to climb to shore, while the fourth, Rich Hall, 24, of Danielson, disappeared downstream. The three called for help, launching a search that lasted over an hour before Hall called his girlfriend from a gas station about two miles downriver in Plainfield. He had ridden the overturned boat until an unidentified man helped him to shore near the Route 12 Plainfield Mobil gas station.

“I feel great,” Hall said later, sitting in the car of his girlfriend, Nicole Wise, at the gas station.

Hall said when the boat, which he owned, overturned he saw the tackle box that contained all their wallets and cell phones sink in the river. Despite having his broken left wrist in a cast, he dove for the tackle box and retrieved it. He then swam to catch up to the boat and managed to climb onto the flat bottom, still clutching the tackle box.

When the boat overturned, Mark Masztal, Eric Corriveau and Brett Huber grabbed tree limbs, fighting the cold water and strong current.

Huber, 24, of Dayville, was the first to climb to shore. He said his legs were numb by the time he made it off the tree. He gave a helping hand to Masztal, 24, of Brooklyn, and Corriveau, 27, of Rogers. The three estimated it took them 10 to 15 minutes to get out of the river. They briefly looked downstream for Hall, and then called for help when they didn't see him.

After his friends reported Hall missing, Wise was standing on the Route 205 bridge over the Quinebaug River, near where the boat had struck the tree. She was watching as the Plainfield Dive Team launched two boats to search for Hall.

“I was scared,” she said.

Then her cell phone rang. It was Hall.

“A guy helped me pull the boat on shore, somewhere down there,” Hall said, waving toward the river. “The guy brought me here.”

Hall refused medical treatment at the scene.

In addition to the dive team, firefighters from the Atwood Hose, Central Village, Oneco and Canterbury volunteer fire departments responded to the call at 3:15 p.m., said Atwood Hose Fire Chief Charles Colli. Three officers from the state Department of Environmental Protection Law Enforcement Division also were called from their routine patrols in the region to join the search. Colli said he was about to call for search helicopters when Wise got the phone call from Hall.

Sgt. Michael Enright of the DEP said none of the men had a life jacket. State and federal laws require a boat to have enough personal life preservers for each occupant. Enright said citations for violations of boating regulations are pending against the four men.

The four boaters were not fishing, and don't venture into the river often, they said. It was their first outing of the spring — and for Huber probably his last.

Gear Readiness-

General Maintenance:

Check out your boat for some needed updating and make your adjustments before you get to the water. Scratches are a way of life with a Royalex, Crosslink or Polylink, and even a fiberglass canoe or kayak. Scratches just say that you are using your boat. Although they might be unsightly, they are not a problem unless they are very deep or through the hull. Then you can use repair putty, or a gelcoat filler or resin. More on that type of repair another time.

If you want to keep the boat looking good and to minimize the surface scratches, try washing with a regular household cleaner that is NON-abrasive. My favorite is Murphy’s Oil Soap and water. This will leave a nice sheen on the hull (great for cars too!). For added gloss and extra UV protection, try a product like 303 Aerosol Protectant. This is a sunscreen for your canoe and kayak and is a must in the preseason to assure you the protection you need. Like you, boats don't do well in the sun. You can use that several times a season if you are out often, and once before putting it away for the year. This will help the canoe/ kayak to maintain its luster and avoid the damage from prolonged UV damage..

REMEMBER, LIFE JACKETS FLOAT, YOU DON'T- WEAR YOUR JACKET

Nobody does it better than the BAG LADY.

OVER 30 YEARS OF MAKING BAGS!!!!