"Oh my gosh!" I gasped and my heart froze as I looked past my friend Des out the passenger window to see my 10 foot kayak hanging half way off the car while driving down the freeway! I quickly looked to see which cars were close enough to be hit by my kayak should it fall off completely. I had split second visions of collisions and disaster. Not happy thoughts!
Lucky for us there was a close exit that we cautiously and decidedly took.
Upon inspection we could see that the front Yakima J cradle holding the fallen kayak had come loose enough that the weight of the kayak bent the fitting allowing the kayak to fall off the top of the car!
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| It's hard to tell but the bottom part of the L shaped fitting should be at a 90* angle to the screw. |
I was a little shaken by the thought of what could have happened had the screw not held it together. As a newbie-independent kayaker this didn't help my confidence at all!
Des and I unstrapped the kayak and got it off the car, but we had to get the J cradle off so we could strap the kayak onto my roof racks and be on our way towards an afternoon of kayaking. We tried to pry the fitting from the screw to get the J cradle off. No way. It was not moving. I needed hands of steel to pull it apart. Or a screwdriver. Or some kind of tool. I had nothing. (Note to self: add tool box to my list of things to bring kayaking!)
Again, lucky for us a truck had pulled up behind us on the pullout. Two Good Samaritans (with tools!) worked on getting that screw loose and we finally could free the J cradle from the top of my car. Yahoo! I jumped and shouted for joy and showered appreciation on our two Good Samaritans. We would actually make it to the lake that afternoon! I even asked them to pose for a pic. They so kindly strapped the kayak on top and secured it for us ( I think they weren't entirely confident in our ability to do it!)
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| Our new friend that saved the day! |
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| Good Samaritans, me, and my good friend Des celebrating with a wefie. |
Dear Good Samaritans, wherever you are, THANK YOU AGAIN!
Des and I tried to figure out what we did wrong when we attached the J cradles back in my driveway as we packed up to go. I still am unsure. All the other fittings on the 2nd kayak held just fine. I still need to look into that. But believe me, I won't be using them again until I have it fugured out. Scary!
In final parting for this post, I will leave some lessons learned and my new list of "what to take with you kayaking" :
Lessons Learned...
- Lesson #1: Check and double check the gear holding your kayak to your vehicle!
- Lesson #2: People are awesome! The two gentlemen who helped us out took time on a hot afternoon to lend a hand and were determined to help us until the problem was solved. I felt so grateful.
- Lesson #3: Bring a simple tool kit that includes a screwdriver and pliers.
- Lesson #4: I'm going to strap my kayak on to the racks of my car rather than using the J cradle when possible. It is so secure. (I had special sport racks installed to my Jetta that run left to right on the front and back of car, not the factory installed side rail racks that some cars come with that run from front to back along each side.)
- Lesson #5: Even when it looks like things aren't going to work out, there is always a solution! Keep a positive attitude and keep trying. For us this day it meant that we actually made it to the lake after persistence and (lots) of help.
- Lesson #6: I MUCH prefer having a friend with me when I have an emergency on the freeway and am at the kind mercy of Good Samaritans. Thanks for being there, Des!
My New List of "What to take with you kayaking"...
- a tool kit :)
- work gloves (I DID think of bringing these and I was so grateful I did!)
- extra straps to tie down the kayaks if needed
- a life jacket (of course!) I prefer one that has pockets that fishermen use - later post on this.
- my phone (to call if need help, to take pictures, and to use all the gret apps one in the wilderness can use - see future posts on this)
- my SHEP phone holder to keep me from losing my phone in the lake (future post on this too!)
- extra water bottles (I guzzled down my entire water bottle after working in the sun to free the J cradle and restrap the kayak!)
- a whistle (haven't needed this one yet, thank goodness!)
- water shoes
- Kayak trolley to help me get my kayak from the car to the shore if I have a long distance to go.
- a secure stepping stool
- sunglasses and possibly a hat if I can find a great one I like :)
This is a list in progress. I bet I'll find more things to add as I continue this great kayaking adventure.
Once the kayak was safely strapped down Des and I headed back on the freeway towards Payson Lakes. I'll write about that amazing afternoon in my next post and show you what you could expect to see kayaking Payson Lakes in the autumn. Here's a sneak peak. Incredible!
Have you ever had someone stop to help you in a crisis? What are some lessons you learned from a "close to catastrophe" moment?
If you enjoy what you find here, I'd love for you to fill in your email list above my profile pic. That way you will be notified of my new posts. I'd also love any kind comments you have. It's so fun to meet you and connect with you. So leave a comment or two if you'd like.
Keep paddling!
LaRayne
Posted with Blogsy
Whew! So glad all turned out great, with no catastrophes!
ReplyDeleteYeah me too! Thanks for reading and leaving a comment, Sherrie! I appreciate your friendship and sweet support. You always make me feel like a million bucks!
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ReplyDeleteWell I'm just reading your blog for the first time today (Nov. 5th) & LOVING it, I might add! I don't know if I'm enjoying the reading more or getting to see pictures of you...BOTH!!! And I've always loved your writing - just like being in person and talking. I guess the jury's in: I JUST LOVE YOU TO PIECES!!!
ReplyDeleteTo answer your query has anyone ever stopped to help me, I did have a very special occurrence. It was not my 1st solo road trip after Dan died, but traveling alone was still new for me. I was coming back to Dallas & was on the interstate with 5 lanes of fairly heavy traffic. I was on the far inside lane (as that was the "no truck" lane) when I experienced a blowout on my right back tire. Thankfully, I've always been pretty good in the midst of a problem (so I can break down later if I choose), so I quickly began to slow down & look for my opportunity to slide all the way over to the outside shoulder. I'm not really fully aware of this, but I think people around me saw my situation & began to slow as well to allow me to pull over. As I got to the shoulder I realized that there really wasn't any shoulder. There was a lane of freeway traffic, about 3 feet of asphalt, and then a sloping, grassy dropoff that was pretty soggy from the rain we'd had all day. Since I had no choice, I had to pull all the way off the road which positioned my car at quite a precarious angle. I had no solid surface for my jack. It was cold & still rainy, though not torrential. I had on nice clothes & my only coat was a WHITE jacket. But at least it had a hood, so I tied it close around my head as the wind was an issue. I cautiously got out of my car because I was still dangerously close to the road (remember that 3 feet of asphalt). My trunk was full as it always is for every road trip. As a side note, I've learned that I feel most at home when I'm in my car on a trip. Since I have no home of my own, I guess! Anyway, I had to basically unload my trunk into my car to be able to access my spare tire & tools. Fast forward to me laying prone on the wet ground at the side of my car attempting to line up my jack to lift it up. I, of course, was oblivious to how dangerous my course of action was. But just before I would have likely killed myself trying to change my tire, my angel came to the rescue. He was tall & very imposing including his BIG truck. I knew he was a sheriff, but I didn't know til later that they have those guys out on the roads for that very purpose to help stranded drivers. He, at first, didn't know what was happening with me for 2 reasons: 1) he hadn't yet gotten out of his truck cause I'm sure he was running my plates or whatever they do before they approach & 2) he couldn't see me very well & what he could see was lying prone on the ground (I chuckle just thinking what he must have thought). Well he called out to me from the truck with his speaker & I managed to get up off the ground to face him. Now remember I had my coat on, zipped up, & hood pulled tight around my face. So all he could see was my eyes, nose & mouth. But I think I must have checked out & since he could see I didn't have a gun in my hand :) he proceeded to get out of his truck & walk toward me. I still didn't know that he intended to help me with the tire. But he quickly told me to get in my car & drive it back up onto the highway. He would provide the barrier from behind with his BIG BLACK TRUCK with police lightbar flashing. Then he told me to stay in my car while he changed the tire with his heavy-duty tools. It seemed like the car lifted up & settled back down in just a few minutes. After he put my blown tire & all my tools back in the trunk and closed it, he came around to the passenger side window to let me know I could go on my way.
He also told me that I was in a very dangerous position to try to change my tire & should that ever happen again I should keep driving til I get to a safer place. DULY NOTED!!! So I had a chance to tell him that I knew he was my angel & I would never forget him. He smiled at me & it filled up his face quite like his imposing figure filled up my window. What I didn't say to him was what my Heavenly Father taught me in that moment of waiting for my tire to be changed. And that is that I am NEVER ALONE! I believe that I've never been alone in my entire life, but in that moment knowledge replaced belief. And I am forever grateful!!!
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm grateful to you, my sweet friend, for asking the question which compelled my to answer & WRITE!!! Gratitude abounds!!! Love, Gloria
Dear Friend! Your story made me laugh right out loud at times and ended with tears in my eyes and having been changed by your experience and your soulful way of telling it. THANK YOU for taking the time to read my ramblings and leave such a thoughtful comment. I think you need to create your own blog! You have so much goodness to share. BUT, if you do your own blog, please keep visiting me here and leaving your jewels for us. I feel so blessed to call you my friend!
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