During Molokai Hoe 2010, Kaua‘i native Luke Evslin was seriously injured when the propeller of the escort boat hit him
Paddlers in the water
at the back. Luke Evslin is a seasoned paddler with more than 20 Molokai crossings. He is also one of the best OC1 and V-1 paddlers, and one of the founders of the Kamanu Composites.
Although a lot of fun and thrill, the open ocean long distance outrigger canoe races can present some dangers. Especially the crew changes are the riskiest part of the long distance races. Specifically the first crew change is the worse, because all the teams and the escort boats are still close together and there is not much room to maneuver. Every crew member in the canoe, coaches
Escort boat in full speed
and team members on the escort boat, and the captain of the escort boats needs to be alert and watching for each other the entire time. It is very important to have a well understood and rehearsed protocol. Nevertheless, sometimes with the best preparations and most experienced crews, there will be conditions which might still put the crew in harms way.
Recently Ocean Paddler TV had an interview with Luke Evslin. You can listen to the full story from Luke’s own words. He talks about how the accident happened, how he was taken to the hospital and treated, the dangers of open ocean races and some of the precautions that we can take such as using propeller guards and having a good protocol.
Find the whole story at Ocean Paddler TV. You may need to choose Episode 33 from the list.
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