Hey, Robert, with your cold water gear, I'd recommend you go somewhere safe (close to shore, waist deep water, on-shore breeze,) and go test your immersion. Go out, get in the water, and flail around alot, and see how well the dry top to dry pant junction will be. Then, while you're at it, test your self rescue a few times. You'll be better able to handle the situation should it come up on your trip, and if you get wet and cold, you'll have a dry warm place to go afterwards.

I decided to try this after reading someone's article in Sea Kayaker Magazine. I had thought that a farmer john wetsuit, dry top and neo sprayskirt would be adequate for my paddling. So I went out and tested, and found that after maybe 10 minutes, water started to infiltrate up into the dry top, especially swimming around. So, for my purposes, yes, it was adequate, and I could do a pretty quick self rescue and not have to worry, but if I had to spend time floating for some reason, I'd be wet and cold fairly quickly.

Noting your plan to put nylon webbing on the aft deck for paddle float rescues, I'd recommend some fastex quick release buckles. It will make the system adjustable, and easy to recover the paddle when you're done. You've probably thought of this already... I just had another idea... I wonder if it would make sense to connect the two ends of the strap together with some thinner bungie cord? This way, there would be plenty of slack to insert the paddle, but when you clip the fastex buckles, a paddle would be very secure. Then, when you unclip the paddle, the bungie would keep the ends close together so that you could re-clip them more easily, and keep less junk flapping around on the deck. Hah, I've probably over-thought this...

Here's something else I just over-thought: If you are a person who needs a stirrup strap to get back in the boat, you know, about 6 feet of nylon webbing to put around the cockpit coaming, end hanging down into the water for a foot to step up on... I've seen it be sort of messy to store somewhere, and put around the coaming, before you can get in the boat. (I could swim up onto my boat in the same amount of time it takes to deploy a stirrup strap.) So, what about a slightly more permanent mount for the stirrup, something like a loop attached to the deck just in front of and behind the cockpit, that would allow the strap to pull through to either side, but make it easier to catch on the cockpit coaming? And then maybe a small nylon bag just aft of the coaming to one side, attached to the deck, with a velcro closure, that the strap could lie in? Then, in the water, pull the strap out of the bag, pull to the side you're on, have the strap lay against the opposite side of the coaming, and then reenter. Yeah, I thought so... Too complicated maybe. But, I guess if you need a stirrup, and you're taking a rough water trip...

Well, have a good trip!

Brian

: ...she has scars...so many scars. I sanded her hull down, did some
: spot repairs with epoxy, recoated the HBN protective layer on
: the botton and have repainted the hull graphics. I guess the
: years have not been easy for her but she is still as strong as
: ever. She still has a broken hip brace but that is no
: biggie...it's been like that for 4 years without problems. I can
: remember each scratch and dent on the hull, how it got there and
: where. The new varnish sure makes her look better though. The
: new brass stem band on the stern keel looks good, installed
: strongly and should keep the keel in perfect shape for years to
: come. I think I added an extra pound or two by adding that strip
: but the extra weight is well worth the added keel strength.

: I think I will add a couple of webbing straps to support my paddle
: in case I have to self-rescue...might as well make life easier
: for myself. The waters of Hudson Bay are damned cold, about 2 C
: or lower, I won't have much time to self-rescue if it comes to
: that. I will be wearing a new dry top and dry pants with my
: ankle length booties while paddling the Bay. Under all that will
: be duoble-lined socks, thermal tights and a decent thermal
: long-sleeved shirt for cold weather days. I also bought a
: neo-skull cap in case of cold weather. It will fit under my hat
: and keep my head warm in case of immersion. I thought about
: buying a one-piece drysuit but at $1000, I did better by
: purchasing the dry top plus pants at $500. Neo gloves will
: compliment the outfit at all times...fingerless gloves for the
: river section of the trip.

: This leg of the trip is the final leg of this section of the
: cross-Canada paddle. Once done, I won't do such a trip again
: until I am finished writing the book. That done, I am seriously
: thinking of the next section of this trip, the circumnavigation
: of Hudson Bay, with the idea of taking it all the way around
: northern Quebec, Labrador and then on to Newfoundland at the
: easternmost tip of Canada. If I decide to paddle on, it promises
: to be a wild ride.

: Robert N Pruden