Can't say too much as the party involved may (or may not) want me to go into greater detail...

Apparently the akas - the folding metal crossbars that connect the amas (the outrigger floats) to the hull - were damaged slightly when
the kayak was bounced by a wave in the surf.

They were patched up "in the field" and deemed strong enough to attempt the return trip to Port Welshpool, but when on the water
(and under sail) the repairs failed and one of the amas detached and the boat capsized.

Conditions weren't overly rough and the kayaker is experienced and not a gung-ho risk-taker.

It was a combination of back luck and a bit of a bad judgement-call on his part (in his own words).

However, his preparedness (despite some gear being in the up-turned hull) meant that he was able to contact the emergency
services promptly and calmly. If it had been a less experienced yakker, the outcome would've been much, much worse.

In response to some previous comments - if you have a waterproof marine VHF (an essential, if you ask me), make sure
you attach it to your PFD via a lanyard, in addition to the clip. Many of these clips have 'quick-release' mechanisms
that are all too easy to trip - which is what happened to this chap's VHF radio.

Cheers,

Mike.

A topic on the hobie forum re "hardening up" islands to hopefully reduce risk of amas breaking away for anyone interested
http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopi ... 2&start=15