Additional Factors Methodology:

Decision support can be aided by other visually informative maps. The additional factors of approximate VHF marine radio catchment and estimated response time are helpful in deciding where might be the best places to ensure safety. Where are the areas that are low or high on the Environmental Kayak Risk Index Model (EKRIM), and are those zones within VHF radio distance? How far do I want to be from a US Coast Guard Detachment if I am in or out of radio range? These are questions that can be drawn from general observations in the visual presentation.

In order to attain the VHF radio maps, I first digitized the location of all US Coast Guard stations that are on the water. Then I did a Buffer operation on the points, corresponding to the understanding that a VHF marine radio has a range of around 40 nautical miles.

To get the maps on response time, I performed a Multiple Ring Buffer on the Coast Guard Stations based on an estimated average boat speed of 25 kilometers an hour (Canadian Coast Guard).

Now that the methodology has been explained, we can move onto the spatial analysis.