While I sat eating lunch at a picnic table at Gould’s Landing last Sunday, Chuck Veeder of Orono drove past, did a double take, backed up, hopped out of his car, and strolled over for a chat. He’s been a faithful reader for a long time, and being gregarious he isn’t shy about pulling my chain when it needs to be pulled. And he’s always ready with a story for me.

Here’s his most recent one.

Veeder has a friend who lives on Hemlock Point next to Gould’s Landing and the two visit frequently. On one such visit in celebration of income tax filing day (CPAs celebrate, you and I slink off to the post office), Veeder recounted, a soaking wet and very cold kayaker showed up at the door. He and his buddy had been paddling on the lake near Dollar Island, and the wet one had capsized.

Unable to get back into his kayak, he grabbed hold of his friend’s kayak and was towed back to Hemlock Point, Veeder told me. It’s 3,000 feet between the island and the point. No one knows just where the capsize took place, but it was far enough away for the wet paddler to have been close to being in serious stages of hypothermia. Veeder’s friend has enough medical savvy to know just how close the young man came to death.

But it wasn’t until the other paddler announced that he was going to paddle back out and retrieve the overturned kayak that Veeder realized just how poorly the two men were dressed for being on cold water. He was wearing jeans and a cotton shirt, Veeder said in disbelief.

And even more incredulously, not one life jacket was visible.

Veeder was shaking his head as he related his story, saying I needed to do more to get the message out to people using our waterways to wear their life jackets – and to dress appropriately for the water temperature and conditions.

Well, Chuck, I’m going to say it again -if you’re on the water, wear your PFD. Kayaks and canoes overturn easily and in cold water your chances of survival are greater if you are wearing something to keep you afloat. It will also help you maintain your core temperature longer and give you a margin of time in which you or someone else can assist in your rescue.

It helps if you know something about self-rescue techniques and have practiced until these become skills. It also helps to be paddling with a partner. I know there’s a couple of very lucky believers in this advice. Veeder said the two were seen the next weekend wearing life jackets. Heaven knows whether they got the memo on not wearing cotton.

Which leads me to your penultimate reminder on the fifth annual Paddle Smart from the Start safety symposium from 1 to 5 p.m., May 14, at the YWCA on Second Street in Bangor. Several friends of mine have spent a lot of their own time organizing this year’s free event hoping that you’ll attend and take home some useful hints about safety on the water.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t quote Al Johnson, recreational boating safety specialist with the U.S. Coast Guard’s First District in Boston. “Of the 56 recreational boating and paddling fatalities that occurred in Maine during the past seven years, 82 percent were not wearing life jackets. Non-motorized boats, including canoes and kayaks, alone accounted for 56 percent of boating and paddling fatalities. Our goal is to provide boaters and paddlers with information that allows safe and confident on-water experiences. Most safety problems on the water can be prevented by planning ahead and paddling smart. Remember, you are in command.”

The mission of Paddle Smart is to “provide paddle sport safety education and information to our community and region, sharing our knowledge through demonstration and instruction while promoting stewardship of our waterways.”

Note that this year we’re holding the event on Saturday afternoon as opposed to Friday nights as in the past four years. And this year’s venue, the YWCA, will be good because it has two pools. One will be used for canoe and kayak rescue demonstrations and to show you what to look for when you’re shopping for a boat. The other pool will have various kayaks available to try out on the water. If you’re in the market for a boat, be sure to take the opportunity to try them out. You should never buy a boat without trying it out on the water.

You don’t have to be planning a sea kayak expedition to think about attending. We’ll bring you some very practical information that may save your, or someone in your family’s, life. There should be something for everyone in this year’s offerings.

When the doors open at 1 p.m., you can sign in and socialize as well as visit display booths in the gym. A welcome and introduction ceremony is scheduled to begin at 1:15 p.m. in the Aloupis Pool where Bangor Mayor Frank Farrington will help open the seminar and kick off Safe Boating Week being celebrated nationally.

There will be displays in the gymnasium by such groups as the Maine Association of Sea Kayak Guides and Instructors, the Maine Island Trail, Friends of Maine Seabird Islands, the U.S. Coast Guard, the Marine Patrol, Maine Outdoor Adventure Club, Penobscot Paddle and Chowder Club, the Forest Society of Maine, and more.

Also in the gym there will be mini-demonstrations on proper clothing for paddling, essential equipment you should have on the water, how to pack your kayak, and how to transport it on your car.

In the Aloupis Pool, Karen Francoeur of Castine Kayak Adventures will demonstrate the different characteristics of various kayaks in “Sink or Float, Depends on the Boat.” She will demonstrate various rescue skills for canoeists and kayakers as well.

Throughout the afternoon in the Means Pool, Epic Sports will have a fleet of different boats to try out. Staff from the store will show you what to look for when purchasing boats and life jackets.

At 2,3, and 4 p.m. there will be seminars on tides, GPS, communication from your boat, trip planning, and essential equipment for paddlers. We’ll also talk about what you can do to be a good neighbor on the water.

I’ve been asked to talk about the tides and assessing the risks involved in planning an outing on the water.

Randy McEwen, owner of Central Maine Navigation and a Registered Maine Guide, will brief you on what you can learn about global positioning satellites and how the GPS can help you navigate.

Dave Mention of MITA will talk about low impact travel and Leave No Trace ethics endorsed by MITA members. There will be a seminar with Coast Guard representatives to talk about VHF radios, cell phones, flares, and other signaling devices. Check it out to see what they recommend, what works, what doesn’t, and why. Find out what they recommend for you to wear so you can be seen on the water.

Paul Travis, the immediate past president of MASKGI, will present a talk on essential equipment and packing your kayak for a trip.

The Y swim team will be operating the snack concession.

As always, we will endeavor to answer your questions, so don’t be shy.

To end the day’s fun, we’ll pick raffle winners and give away the door prizes beginning at 4:45 p.m.

And here’s some good news for fans who’ve attended past Paddle Smart Safety Symposia – we’ve just received word that the National Safe Boating Council has awarded us a grant of $1,000 to help in our effort to spread the safety message. It will pretty much guarantee a sixth edition of our symposium, too.

Jeff Strout can be reached at 990-8202 or by e-mail at jstrout@bangordailynews.net.