I had an "adjustable" SnapDragon spray skirt (stretch cord that you "knot" in the back). Try as I might, I could not get the spray skirt to stay on the cockpit. I tightened it to the point that it was too small to go around the cockpit. I thought I finally had it, and was paddling through the Montlake Cut (part of The Ship Canal in Seattle--a very narrow area with straight walls, lots of traffic, waves, wakes, reflection waves--a WILD ride!). About half way through a breaking wave(?) dumped on top and kablewie! My spray skirt wound up in my lap!

I was heading out to the Pacific Ocean for a "Rough Water and Surf" class with Nigel Foster and knew I had to figure something out. I thought about getting my soldering iron out and "roughing up" the cockpit, but figured it would damage the resale value (I was already planning on a glass boat!). I wasn't sure if the shoe goo would work, but I thought I could remove it at a later date, if necessary. Anyway, I made it to the class and did not have one problem! Okay, only one...I was surfing in from our circumnavigation of James Island when I caught a 12' wave! I was off and running!

But (oops!), I was heading directly toward a rock jetty (I guessed it ran the opposite direction from the buoy!). I edged to the other side, switched my stern rudder and saw a wall of white water coming at me (I was now surfing the opposite way the wave was breaking!). When I hit the white water, it grabbed the boat and pulled the opposite way I was headed. Up in the air I went in one direction and the boat in another!

It was too dangerous to perform an assisted rescue, with the rock jetty and the waves breaking on it (a minor storm was in progress). I swam around the jetty with my paddle, and by timing the waves, drug my boat off the rock jetty. I don't think any spray skirt would have stayed on! To make a long story short (er!), the spray skirt stayed on during dozens of flips (hey, it takes awhile to get the hang of "broaching"!).

My "Narpa" buddy kept having problems with his spray skirt. Once we got back to Seattle, he did the shoe goo thing. He has not had a problem since and has stayed with his Narpa. He was close to selling it and getting a glass boat because of the spray skirt problem but, once the problem was solved, he kept the boat.

We have been surfing several times since, and he has not had any problem!

Happy Paddling!

Patrick Eggers