U2 can Bono Rock in the Sound of Luing, if you have a sea kayak! But you had better look for it 750m to the NE of where the chart says it is!

Managing Inexperienced Paddlers on the Water

In 2006 I led a Sea Kayaking trip in the Apostle Islands on Lake Superior. To say that I led the trip is a stretch. I will say it was a great experience to learn how to lead a trip.

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Myself and Jim Svensson took two more inexperienced paddlers to paddle through the islands in July of 2005. I won’t give a blow by blow of the account. But I will offer some advice for other sea kayakers who are thinking of taking less experienced paddlers on a trip.

Jim Svensson and I are both BCU 4 Star Paddlers with thousands of miles under our hulls. We have done many trips together on Lake Superior, we have both paddled Pukaskwa National Park in Canada, we also did the Silver Islet to Rossport trip together. I have many many hours surf kayaking on Lake Michigan and even a couple of trips to the Pacific to surf. I’ve done a lot of the islands on Lake Michigan and Huron. However each of these trips was done with paddlers of at least equal paddling skill, if not higher than our own skill level. This was our first trip with beginners.

I want to start with some things about the trip to give an idea of the plan, because believe it or not I did have a plan.

We wanted to do a loop from Sand Beach back to Bayfield. We had an outfitter drop us off at Sand Beach and we would paddle back to Bayfield. We wanted to hit Sand Island with all of the caves and cliffs, and especially Devil’s Island, we also wanted to circle out and see Outer Island. Maybe even circumnavigate Outer before heading back.

Planning and Preparation for the Sea Kayaking Trip

In the early part of the spring, I paddled with the two more inexperienced paddlers (a married couple) many times. Though one of them had a lot of obligations and was not able to do the training trips as often as what would be necessary.

I made a point of taking them out and doing rescues. We performed t-rescues, eskimo rescues, all-in rescues, and even a hand of god or two for fun. I wanted to get them comfortable with the idea that maybe not everything would go as planned. Also I wanted them to not freak out if someone swam, which I was predicting might happen if there were any clapotis waves near cliffs or caves. I also worked with one of them on developing a roll, directional strokes and some surfing.

I also took one of them out to Ludington to the WMCKA spring gathering. We paddled into 25 knot winds on Sunday afternoon and then surfed back to shore. Great fun, but also an eye opener in watching how little progress our duckling made.

They key thing is that one of our paddlers was really taking the trip quite seriously, and the other did not prepare.

The couple did however take my warnings about cold water, and possible cold weather seriously and bought a ton of gear before the trip. One bought a Goretex Meridian Drysuit, the other bought a really nice IR Drytop and a farmer jane wet suit. I felt that they were at least prepared from an equipment standpoint.

As the days wound down to the trip, our other paddler still engaged in work duties had not been out to paddle very much. I made a conscientious effort to talk with her about the challenges of the trip and to make sure she understood them.

This is really where I failed her. She could not understand the challenges of the trip, because she had no frame of reference for how strong the wind might be, how big the waves would be, or how unrelenting Lake Superior could be. And because I wanted everyone to have a good trip. I allowed her to go. When really I should have just been a good friend and told her we would modify the trip plan to be less ambitious, or that she could not go.

I asked Doug Van Doren about leadership on the water. His take is that the strongest paddler will often naturally end up leading the other paddlers through an emergency, whether or not this person is designated as the leader or not.

With that in mind, I was committed whether I knew it or not.

Crossings into the Wind

Our troubles really began on the leg between Devil’s Island and South Twin. There is a long leg far from shore where there is no protection. One also has to go around Rock Island. The weather for most of the day around Devil’s Island had been ideal. It was very calm with no huge waves. I snaked my foster silhouette into every cave I could fit into. Once finished we ended up on the south east corner of the island looking at the crossing. The wind was getting up and we had to make a break for it.

Part of the problem with the Apostles is the designated campsites. Every paddling group must designate which campsite they will be staying at on what night. Under ideal conditions this is fine, but it unfortunately influences decisions with some of the more OCD folks. I am more of a free spirit in this regard. I feel that as long as it’s safe, and that I am low impact I am willing to bend a few rules. But others tend to take this quite literally to the point of jeopardizing safety, which I am OCD about. In this instance I should have been more vocal about making sure we were safe, rather than jeopardizing the groups safety in a crossing that one of us wasn’t read for.

About thirty minutes into the crossing the wind picked up to about 15 knots. To Jim and I this was a good thing, we despise flat conditions and would rather have a little texture to remind us of why we drove 14 hours to paddle. To our inexperienced paddlers it was an insurmountable obstacle. Our least prepared paddler began to waver, then fade, and finally to become unstable. I remember looking at the conditions and seeing how slowly she was moving, and I had clipped my tow carabiner to my life jacket prior to starting the crossing.

Jim and I began using the GPS as a gauge of how slowly we were going we started at three miles per hour, then two, then one.

I saw the first accidental dip of a vertical paddle and a quick low brace to recover. After she almost went into the drink, I made an instantaneous decision to tow her without asking her. I glided up to her bow and told her, “We’re going to do a little towing to get around the tip of Rock Island.” She looked almost relieved.

I began to haul ass for the northern tip of Rock Island right away. Pretty soon we were halfway, then three quarters of the way, and then Jim thankfully offered to take over for a bit. Our other inexperienced paddler seemed to be struggling, but making progress. Jim also really hauled it and pretty soon, we were discussing linked towing. So I clipped in on the lead to Jim’s Explorer’s bow and began to lead again. Once we did this we were really making good progress. Ironically once I had made it to the tip of Rock Island I had to pee like you wouldn’t believe. I can still remember two years later how bad I had to go. We were now with the wind, but I unclipped to pee on Rock Island. Jim led the tow the remaining half mile to South Twin.

In that 30 seconds I believe we corrected a very bad situation. The wind continued to grow the sky grew gray and the wind built eventually to about 25 knots. So quick and decisive decisions on the water tend to make for better feelings off the water, rather than worrying about someone’s feelings. I remember that look on her face when I clipped in to this day. Her face just said, “I surrender”. Also I can remember that feeling of relief for my own part as Rock Island quickly came into view. I got some serious satisfaction while I was towing to hear Jim report our speed from his deck GPS. I could barely hear him through the increasing howl in the wind, “3 miles per hour, four, four point five”.

We tried to quickly cover the distance before the weather built ahead of us. We might have had to consider turning and going with the wind, back to Devil’s Island. A quartering sea and that small slip on the south end would have been hard to hit dead on with the wind. The consequences for missing would have been catastrophic, because there is no land fall between Devil’s Island and Minnesota.

Lesson’s Learned from Tow #1

1. Quick Decision to tow based on decreasing speed and stability of the weaker paddler was a good decision.
2. Linked towing exerted far less energy than towing solo.
3. A Camelback full of gatorade does hydrate a paddler very well, but also makes them have to pee every 20 minutes.

Tow #2 From Cat Island to Outer Island

The next day we wound down around Ironwood Island and the southern tip of Cat Island for lunch.
The wind had begun to build again as we ate lunch. It was however a beautiful bright skied day. We started to head out to Outer Island with the intent of maybe seeing the light house on the north end.

Again I should stress that trip plans should have been changed by me to perhaps camp where we were, or to run with the wind until we were in the lee of the islands and then camp somewhere else. With the wind already beginning to make some beautiful blue green waves and foamy whitecaps, it would be tough going for our less experienced paddlers, but a fun day playing in the wind for Jim and myself.

However the first day turned out fine even with the towing, so I made a decision to go for it. We quickly ran into problems as the wind out of the north east was beginning to really build some nice swells. This made things very difficult for our least experienced paddler. She quickly slowed to around one mile an hour. She also became unsteady. I then quickly made another decision to clip in and tow her. Jim then clipped in and led the tow for about twenty minutes. It was tough going. We swapped spots on the lead twice. Finally the wind had begun to how around the southern tip of Outer Island, which is a sand spit. It offered no protection. We knew the camp site was on the other side. So we struggled valiantly around the tip of the island for at least another twenty minutes.

I remember the white caps really beginning to pile over the deck of my kayak, digging my carbon fiber superior Greenland paddle into the water and torquing my torso with every once of strength I possessed. I don’t know how much strength I had left, but I remember thinking, wow! I really wish I could turn and sprint to catch that wave. (I think it is really I kind of mental illness to be thinking of surfing under those circumstances).

We were defeated as we rounded the sand spit. We started to wash onto the beach. Which was steep and cobbled. We began having the time honored catastrophic problem of using ropes in dangerous situations. The stronger paddler was being out paced by a side surfing sea kayak victim. I watched our weaker paddler side surf into the beach under tow, and Jim and I frantically trying to make a decision on what evil thing to do next. Either un-clip and let her go, or try to pull her back out to sea. I made the decision for myself. I quickly released my tow from the victim, as Jim was in the lead, but Jim did not. This led to some tangles and serious crashing on the beach with our two boats lined together. It was an ugly landing. Jim and I managed to bring the kayaks up the beach above the water line.

Tow #2 Lessons Learned

1. Linked towing when a landing is imminent has its limitations.
2. Communication between the two towing paddlers is crucial
3. Ropes and surf landings are always problematic.

In retrospect once we had rounded the tip of the island we should have dropped to a single tow so that one paddler could make a quick decision about when to drop the tow and just wait to pick up the pieces from the landing.

We managed to get everyone on dry land on Outer Island safely. So there were some good things about the day.

The next day we did an evaluation of the weather. It looked like the next day would have a twenty knot wind from the north east. And then would start to veer to due east. With all of the islands we had left to do, and the prospect of possibly more towing. We decided to make a break for it and run with the wind to get as close to Bayfield as we could with the twenty knot tail wind.

As I remember the outside of Stockton Island was quite beautiful. There were many sea stacks. As it turned out with the tail wind at 20 knots all day, we covered 21 miles in relatively short order. We decided to run all the way in to Bayfield that night. We had finally altered the trip to meet the group which was probably the best thing we did from a leadership perspective. Our two inexperienced paddlers were pretty toasted. But very happy to be on dry land.

I’ve included some of the gory details but not all. I think the main lessons to be learned from all of this is the following:

• Know the limitations of the paddling group and adjust the trip accordingly
• Be flexible and prepared to change the trip midstream to meet the needs of the weakest member
• Be prepared to tell someone they can’t come if the trip is not flexible.
• Be prepared to tow if the group begins to slow when performing an open crossing
• Watch the weather and know what the back-out plans were
• Be ready to make decisions quickly and to worry about hurt feelings later

Thankfully there have been no hurt feelings from this trip. But I still have some very serious nagging guilt for not being prepared to adjust course or say no when the trip preparation and training didn’t come together as I would’ve liked. In truth if our other inexperienced paddler had swum, needed a tow, or gotten sea sick, we could have been really hosed.

As with just about everything I do, I think there is a certain element of risk involved. The benefits certainly outweighed the risks for this trip. I wouldn’t advise someone not to do a trip based purely out of fear of the unknown. But having had a lot of practice in wind and waves, my BCU training, and being physically fit shape that perspective. I would really encourage folks with only one or two of these elements to seek out the training, and also to head out to play in conditions as much as they can within a margin of safety.

tags: ACA   BCU   Open Water Crossing   sea kayak leadership   sea kayaking   sea kayaking the apostles   Towing a sea kayak  

Head to Steamboat Springs, Colo., Memorial Day (Monday, May 26) for the third annual Paddling Life Pro Invitational-capping off the Yampa River Festival--to watch some of the best men and women kayakers in the world compete in a two-event competition for more than $3,500 in cash and prizes.

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It started out this past Friday night when we discovered that the video rental card was missing. I had to replace it but it cost me $2.50. That was ok said the guy at the video store because if I found the old one later, they would buy the replacement card back. Things were looking good.

Saturday morning things didn't look so good anymore when I discovered mid morning that my Suunto Vector watch was missing from my wrist. I never go anywhere without it as you never know when you might need

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I just returned from a kayak trip along the north shore of the Georgian Bay. Scenery and sunsets capture my fancy. The stark rock, scoured smooth with the retreat of glaciers during the last ice age approximately ten thousand years ago, have removed most of the soil, leaving white pine trees to dig their roots in what appears to be impenetrable crevices. The landscape is raw, stark and enduring.


I experienced a wind day in French River Provincial Park, but donned my Kokatat cagoule for comfort.


The only other kayaker I met up with was Mark. We decided to paddle for a stretch together. What a FUN paddling partner.


Smooth granite makes for gentle landings with the aid of a pool noodle to roll up the kayak, but the rock beneath the water's surface is very slippery, covered in algae, and sloping gently. I read the 1:50000 (2 cm= 1 km) topographic map to verify location. Ice cover had melted away less than two weeks prior to my journey. The water felt icy cold!


Numerous low lying archipelagoes dot the shoreline, including the Chickens and the Fingers. With lower water levels since the creation of the topo maps, often what one "sees" does NOT correlate to what is on the map! Mark's Seaward Vision was filled with everything including the kitchen sink!!


Navigation of the intricate shoreline with its myriad of islands and low lying topography requires concentrated map reading and sound navigational skills. I continue to prefer navigating by using topographic maps and compass. Mark did mark numerous way points in his GPS.


Vivid lichen grows on this granitic islet. This burst of colour complemented my mango coloured Current Designs Solstice GTS.


I have always paddled the north shore of the Georgian Bay from east to west even though prevailing winds are westerly. But I choose to paddle in this direction so I can approach the most spectacular scenery in all of Ontario as the grand finale, with the white La Cloche Mountains in Killarney Provincial Park capturing my imagination. These mountains have been eroded to rounded rocks that resemble snow from a distance. They are a mere relic of their towering heights billions of years ago.


This is the view from Bald Head, on the south shore of Philip Edward Island.


One of the most beautiful paddles I have ever made is along the north shore of the Georgian Bay, a large bay part of Lake Huron in Ontario. Measuring 200 km by 80 km, it is a large body of water riddled by islands and stark Canadian Shield topography. It is a magical place that never ceases to penetrate my soul. This is the view from a campsite at a place not labeled on the 1:50000 topographic maps but which I called "Bald Head". Much of the north shore is either crown land (free camping to Canadians but a small fee is charged for foreigners to camp on Canadian crown land), Native Reserves or Provincial Park with designated campsites. Other than Mark, I did not encounter another paddler and only saw a handful of motorized boats.


The smoothly scoured granite at Bald Head provided a great kitchen counter for cooking a hearty bowl of oat meal mixed with peanut butter, honey and raisins. French pressed coffee accompanied breakfast. That's the wonderful thing about kayak camping, as kayaks can carry all kinds of luxury items, including the handy one liter sized tetra-packs of Cabernet-Sauvignon red wine which accompanied dinner.

I senaste numret av Outside är två kajaknördar med och testar kajaker tillsammans med Outsides representanter. 16 snabba havskajaker säger rubriken och puffen på framsidan! Men när vi paddlade dem gick de inte alls snabbt!? Kan “motorn “oxå spela roll? Det var lite blandade kajaker, dels såna som benämns snabba men en del andra oxå. Kul [...]

Sunday was Vogalonga Day and all of Venice was turned upside down for a day.

The Vogalonga is a celebration of Venice and its rowing traditions, and in part also a protest against the invasion of the city by motorised vessels. The waves made by motorboats and ferries are very harmful to both city and lagoon.

There must have been close to 1600 boats this year, a bit more than last year. The highest number I saw was 1566. On top of the registered boats there are all those who just come along—like my friend Marco who has done it so many times he doesn’t care about the diploma anymore—so the total number of participating boats could be anything from 1600 to 2000. The number of persons participating must be many times higher, as a lot of boats had a crew of more than one.

Most of the locals row traditional boats. Many are from the various rowing associations, but there are a lot of private boats too. There were many gondolas, of course, but I think the most popular type must be the sandalo, and the smaller sandalino. The sandalo is a very elegant boat, long and slender with much less rocker than a gondola. Besides these I saw Mascherete, Topi, Tope and a huge Peata.

Personally I must have been one of the slowest of the many participants. I came in just minutes before the closed the finishing line down.

We started from the Camping San Nicolò on the Lido. I was up at 6.30 to get everything ready, so we could be in St. Mark’s Basin at 8.30. It’s only a 30 minutes paddle, but there are always things to do, and we had a group of some 12-14 persons to get on the water. Our launching conditions at the camping aren’t finished yet, and the very low tide caused a bit of problems, but we found various corners and ramps to launch from.

We paddled to St. Mark’s Basin in a loose group and soon got separated in the confusion. I followed Marco in the hope of getting to meet some of his Italian paddling friends, and we did meet up with Giorgio Sartori who is organising the Bibione Kayak Symposium in these days, some 70km north of Venice. Giorgio was in good company, with Nigel Foster, Kerstin Nelson and Jen Kleck.

I quickly lost track of where Marco went, and instead I paddled with Giorgio, Nigel, Kerstin and Jen for most of the first half of the Vogalonga. We paddled with the main group, and it was quite a spectacle with a plethora of different boats.

A beautiful blu-white Topa which had been built by hand by the crew themselves.

A vintage sandalino, made in 1968, rowed “alla valesiana” with two oars crossed.

A Peata, an old type of cargo boat.

This is by far the most beautiful boat I saw all day. A beautiful sandalo with a beautiful crew in beautiful clothes, they did draw both attention and camera lenses.

Burano is a fascinating place, so we stopped there to have a look at the city with all the coloured houses, and there suddenly, Marco showed up again, with a couple of girls, naturally. To show off I guess, he started crawling around on the kayaks. The water in that canal is absolutely disgusting, so I had my camera ready should he end in the water, but alas, nothing happened.

We had a nice break there for a bit of sightseeing and a coffee. We continued, now way behind the main group of boats. I chatted with Marco for a while, and lost contact with Jen, Nigel and Kristin there. I tried to catch up with them on the stretch from Mazzorba to Murano, but only managed to work up a sweat. When I got to Canal Grande in Murano they were nowhere to be seen.

There were very few boats out in the lagoon at this point, so I knew I was quite a bit behind the majority of the boats, so it was quite a surprise to find the Cannaregio canal totally and utterly crowded. I had seen on the description of the route that the Ponte Tre Archi was a known congestion point, but didn’t really expect any congestion being so late.

Most of the trafic jam was caused by backwards rowers, English style rowing they call it here. There was quite a bit of current in the canal, so when the long boats tried to negotiate the narrow bridge arch they easily got turned sideways blocking the bridge. I moved forward to the bridge just as two backwards boats tried to do the same, and got squeezed between the oars of the two. It was a bit like being stuck between two giant combs with moving teeth. I got out of the problem by pulling myself close to one of the boats under their oars, so the other could get through first, then I followed before the second backwards boat.

Just behind the Point Tre Archi I found Jen Kleck, clinging on to a parked motorboat, looking like a lost puppy. In the mess before the bridge she had gotten separated from Nigel and Kristin, and didn’t know whether they were ahead or behind. We paddled together down the Cannaregio to the Canal Grande towards the finishing line.

As we neared the finishing line, Jen wanted to see a bit of the smaller canals, so we made a short detour down the Rio della Toletta, Rio del Malpaga, Rio del’Avogario to the Squero Tramontin and along the Rio dei Ognisanti to the Rio di San Trovaso and back to the Canal Grande.

It was a pretty detour, but we lost more time, and as we finally came back to the St. Mark’s basin the loudspeakers went “and thanks to all our sponsors for their support …”, and I was quite sure we’d managed to be too late my a split second, but as we passed the finishing line we got out little diploma and medal.

We ran into Marco again there, sitting in his kayak behind a couple of wooden poles, chatting to somebody on his mobile phone. Jen was quickly reacquiring her lost puppy look, so Marco rang Giorgio to find out where the others were. They were already at the car near the barrier, and after a bit of discussion of routes and canals, it was decided that Marco and I would escort Jen back there through the city.

Once Jen was back in safety, we paddled back to the Lido north of the city, to avoid all the confusion and have a bit of quiet around us for a change. At least I was rather tired. The approximately 30km of the Vogalonga had turned into 40-45km in all, and I really wanted to stand up and stretch my legs.

Just as we were about getting the kayaks up, meeting the others, and I started to think about showers and sleeping bags, Marco threw another bomb. It was suddenly his birthday too, so we all had to go out and eat together. Bye bye sleeping bag. Nevertheless, we had a nice evening at the pizzeria “Alla Botte” in Gran Viale on the Lido, but I was practically sleep walking back to the camping afterwards.

More Vogalonga photos on Flickr.

  So are we ready to give the SPOT personal GPS tracker the “Gadget of the Year” award yet?  Well, they probably have Niels Vinther’s vote.  I’m frankly quite amazed how many  news stories have been appearing that share  "SPOT" as the common denominator, and so far with happy endings.

Sea Kayaker Magazine is wrapping up their Reader’s Choice Survey on Thursday so if you want to be heard you should jump over to http://www.seakayakermag.com/2008/08e-newsletters/March/got-a-favorite.htm .  Everyone loves a good Survey Monkey!

went to the animal fair All the birds and the beasts were there The big baboon by the light of the moon Was combing his auburn hair. You should have seen the monk He sat on the elephant’s trunk. . . Good Morning one and all! I’m sure you can imagine how difficult it can be to sit down each day [...]

En un libro que estoy leyendo y ya cité a proposito de la Cobra Expedition, hay una frase al principio del capítulo correspondiente que dice algo así como: "No le pongas recauchutados a tu Porsche". Y estoy de acuerdo. Sin perder de vista que el que gana los partidos es el tenista y no la raqueta (dentro de un cierto nivel de raquetas y mismo nivel de tenistas), sí que tengo que decir que vale

El chaleco es el tercer pétalo del trebol. Tan imprescindible como el kayak y la pala. En la bici el casco y en el kayak el chaleco. No consideres no llevarlo porque no es una opción. Chaleco. Sí. Siempre. De nuevo, el metodo Manuel Luque: busca, compara, etc. A mí, personalmente me gustan los que reúnen la flotabilidad entre el ombligo y los pezones, por delante y por detrás. Más abajo

Photo Copyright Greg Stamer (Olympus SW 720. Click on image to view enlargement) Yes, it's hard to believe that Columbus and crew mistook the Manatee for a mermaid, but, well, it was a very long voyage.... :-? Manatees are beautiful creatures in their own right, of ...

Greg Stamer and Freya Hoffmeister among Icebergs in Newfoundland, 2007. Photograph by Neil Burgess (click on image to view enlargement) As a bit of a teaser for my upcoming Newfoundland trip I have created a photo album of my trip around the Avalon peninsula in 2007. This trip was undertaken after ...

The grey whales of Siberia may be on cetacean version of the Atkins diet. (Photo credit) This is one hypothesis put forward by News Scientist, which is reporting (subscription only) possible reasons why Grey Whales of Siberia are stinking. Read more about the phenomenon in National Geographic News, posted last summer. Lee Cooper at the University of Maryland Centre for Environmental Science in

I have just realized that its been nearly 2 months since i last wrote anything on here. Sorry to all those of you who come back regularly for a look.

Part of the problem is having to resize pictures for here, takes a bit of time, but thats my job for this evening.

Voilà le cinquième article co-écrit d’une série dans laquelle nous essayons de recenser les différents éléments qui entrent dans le choix d’un kayak de mer.

1. Le programme
2. Le prix - Marché de l’occasion
3. Ponté ou Sit On Top
4. Simple ou double
5. Vitesse - Maniabilité - Stabilité
6. Transport et rangement
7. Matériaux - Entretien - Réparations

Vitesse - Maniabilité - Stabilité

Vitesse
La plupart des kayaks de mer de randonnée avancent à peu près à la même vitesse, aux alentours de quatre nœuds de moyenne. A moins que votre but soit de faire des performances, la vitesse potentielle n’est pas vraiment un facteur décisif pour le choix d’un kayak.
La vitesse, outre la puissance du pagayeur dépend de plusieurs facteurs :

• La longueur à la flottaison : Les lois de l’hydrodynamique nous disent que plus un kayak est long, plus sa vitesse critique est importante. Attention la longueur totale n’est pas la longueur à la flottaison. Plus l’étrave et la poupe sont inclinés et plus la différence longueur totale / à la flottaison est importante
• La largeur : qui intervient sur la surface mouillée, plus elle est importante et plus il y a de frottements, et donc moins il y a de vitesse
• La forme : Les kayaks formes gironnées (bananées) passent mieux dans la vague et gardent une meilleure vitesse en mer formée
• Le poids : Un kayak lourd est plus difficile à lancer mais gardera une meilleure vitesse grâce à son inertie en mer formée
• La rigidité : Un kayak rigide, fabriqué en carbone par exemple transmettra mieux les efforts du pagayeur et ira plus vite
• La glisse : Les kayaks en polyéthylène on une glisse excellente quand ils sont neufs mais ils ont tendance à se rayer facilement. Un kayak en fibre ou recouvert de fibre gardera une meilleure glisse et donc une plus grande vitesse avec le temps

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So the saga continues. Dear Simon Willis, Thank you for contacting Garmin International. IPX7 designation means that the unit is not 100% waterprrof rather it is water resistant. We do not offer any units that are 100% waterproof. Water damage is not covered by warranty. My reply: "I'm honestly not being a nag or an awkward git about this, I'm just trying to understand how to use the product

I was recently asked whether I ever dropped my camera. Well, the truth is yes, I've dropped it many times. However, thankfully the camera I use on the boat most of time is one of these, a Pentax Optio W20. Now reviews have not always been kind about this camera, however, when you are using it in harsh conditions and want something you don't have to take much care of then this is the camera for

Quand on est kayakiste, on a un rapport particulier avec les algues. Que ce soit quand on longe l’estran avec ses rochers coloriés de rouge, de brun ou de vert ou quand on stationne dans un contre courant à l’abri d’un rocher pour déguster quelques laminaires en guise de quatre heures, les algues font partie de notre univers.

Voilà quelques infos relatives aux algues :

• Le Centre de découverte des algues de Roscoff (Finistère), vient de mettre en ligne son nouveau site: www.algopole, programme d’activités très complet
• C’est aussi le mois de l’algue. A voir sur Photo légende, photographies de Bretagne.
• Des recettes à découvrir sur www.cuisineauxalgues.com de Pierrick Leroux, professeur de cuisine dans un lycée Brestois et auteur de livres de cuisine aux algues.
• L’influence des algues sur le climat côtier chez Techno-science où l’on apprend leur rôle essentiel.

The back of my Garmin GPSmap76CSx tells a sorry tale. Removing the waterproof plug for the UBS connector, to transfer a track to the computer, I noticed a green corrosion. Removing the larger external aerial plug, which I don't use, there was even more green corrosion. This was registered on 7 May 2008. I look after my kit, keeping it in an Aquapack dry bag when just tracking a route and only

En snabbis innan vi fortsätter vår resa hem till Värmdö. Vi har övernattat i Snowdonia i en liten by som heter Betws-y-Coed. En gata. Minst fem outdooraffärer. I dag ska vi göra något så brittiskt som att göra en “hill walk” och “scrambla” oss uppför en liten kulle innan vi går på flyget i Manchester. Här kommer i allafall några bilder från dagarna i tidvattenrejsen. Det kommer nog fler.

Emellanåt blev det lite trångt. Sören klarade sej den här gången, men dagen innan fick Johan från Escape en Greenlander i stäven. Silvertejpen åkte fram för att provisoriskt laga ett mer än tennisbollstort hål.

Vi träffade Mattias, som bosatt sej i London och startat paddelklubb. En till duktig paddlare att inspireras av. Under vår 4 star examen fick han och Sara från Escape i uppgift att ställa till så mycket trubbel som möjligt för att hårdtesta oss. Det gjorde båda två med stor entusiasm, och de såg till att kapsejsa på alla möjliga och omöjliga ställen och gärna båda två samtidigt.

Foto: Mattias Altin

Vi fick några timmar i rejsen, men det går fort att inse att det krävs oändligt många fler för att känna att man har kontroll och kan utnyttja krafter och teknik på ett bättre sätt för mer kul. Vi har träffat så många duktiga paddlare och inte nog med det - vi har träffat många fantasktiska och generösa personer, för alla delar med sej av sin kunskap och alla vill precis samma sak: Ha en fin dag på vattnet.

Nu ser vi fram emot att få komma hem och tillbaka till Norråva. I veckan blir det en resa ner till Göteborg för att hämta upp ett gäng Nigel Dennis kajaker som är hett efterlängtade. Själv fick jag med en alldeles förtjusande Explorer LV, en modell som jag blev upp över öronen förälskad i under symposiet. Jag tror att vi får en fin säsong tillsammans.

 

 

Thanks for all the constructive comments on my first post about the corroding terminals on the back of this unit. I've had a reply from Garmin. Thank you for contacting Garmin International. The unit is not waterproof, rather it is water resistant. We will honor a warranty repair this time however any future water damage will not be covered under warranty. Not waterproof? Garmin's own website

A sure sign of spring, pussy willows!


These buds resembled pompoms. I am always amazed at the intricacy and detail in the natural environment. A visitor just needs to take the time to open one's senses to all the microscopic details and to recognize theses minute details in such a vast space.


Buds contrast dramatically with the lichen splotched granite of the Canadian Shield.


The Pre-Cambrian shield hosts hardy plants that take root literally in the most inhospitable crevices. These white pines create the dramatic scenery that has been immortalized by the Group of Seven artists.


Lichens paint the granitic and gneissic rocks of the Georgian Bay's Canadian Shield. They vary considerably in colour, from greys to greens to vivid oranges. Their ability to chemically react with the rock slowly erodes the rock to create small places for plants to take root in the most unimaginable crevices.


On a wind bound day in French River Provincial Park I enjoyed the beauty and patterns of white pine needles. All coniferous needles are able to be steeped to make tea I learned from the Mathers at White Squall, experts on edible plants of the wild.


Lush beds of moss carpet the Pre-Cambrian rock, some of the oldest rock on this planet, estimated at 3.5 billion years of age, scoured smooth and flat.

On the first weekend in May, I enjoyed the Georgian Bay Kayak and Canoe Festival hosted by White Squall just north of Parry Sound on Cole Lake. Of course the weather was as wet as possible but the highlight of the weekend was the Saturday evening concert featuring The Arrogant Worms, a group from Kingston, Ontario, which creates uproariously hilarious songs about Canada. I haven't laughed so hard since I can remember when! Thanks to Tim and Kathy Dyer for hosting a successful event. It is ALWAYS a pleasure to visit White Squall and meet up with passionate paddlers.

Above: The set-up for the rafted-bulldog tow. Top left, the main tower. Bottom center, the secondary rescuer and victim form a raft due to injury, seasickness, etc. (Note that the towline is anchored to the victim's deckline after being run beneath the secondary rescuer's deckline. Top right, the bulldog whose first job is to give the go-ahead to the tower to begin tower once the raft is formed.

Above: EMS's John Leonard shows off his towbelt, similar to the one worn by most paddlers on the US east coast when they paddle in groups. Note John's drysuit, neoprene hood and sprayskirt as he prepares on a winter day to paddle the frigid waters of outer Boston Harbor. Without a towbelt, the rafted bulldog tow is impossible, as are many other group rescues. Also note the towbelt carabiner

With a bit more free time, I've put in some stitches on the SOF. The bow section is skinned, just need to deal with the point. I hope to finish the stern this weekend, quite a bit is done already. Cockpit could be sewn in weekend after next. I'm thinking hard about the paint finish, and hope that doesn't have me agonizing for too long. Building this kayak has already taken too many years. I had

Now it is officially spring. I have my Milwaukee County launch sticker (senior citizen rates, no less...but I digress) and will soon get one for the state parks (same deal). There is, after all, lots to look forward to (he said, ending with a preposition).Everything is blooming around here in anticipation of warmer weather. Even the Rutabaga civil defense squad is out drilling:If you are one of those seasonal paddlers who doesn't go out in the winter cold, it is time to get your equipment out of the garage, make sure all is in working order and get ready to paddle. Come on out and, I guarantee, you will have fun (he said, ending in a proposition).

Paddle safe...
DS

x

Navigation and Safety gear :
PFDs: Extrasport (c) Pro creeker (Extrasport)
Paddle float
Towing system
Satellite Phone (Iridum)
PLB
VHF
Rifle
Various Cord / Rope
Multi Tool and repair kit
GPS x 2
Deck compass x2
hand held compass x2
barometer
Maps with water proof cases
Survival Kit and First aid

Photographic equipment:
D-SLR camera: Cannon EOS 400D with 18-200mm OS lenses
Digital Water proof small camera (Pentax optio 6)
Video Camera (Panasonic)
Spares batteries
Extra memory card, Back up Memory stick and Data copier
Solar Panels

Clothing and Camping gear
Tent: K2 eureka 4 season, geodesic dome tent (Eureka!)
sleeping bags
sleeping mats (thermarest)
Gore-Tex Dry suit (Kokatat)
Fleece and Thermal Underwear and tops
Gloves and poggies
Shoes and water proof socks
Warm hats
Sunglasses
Personal stuff
Dry bags
Cooking equipment
Fuel (95% Alcohol)
Fishing Gear

Anybody been reading this long enough to remember when I posted this unusual view of the Statue of Liberty? I'm not sure whether I'm flattered or concerned if that's the case & you aren't someone I've paddled with - but wow, thanks.

For the rest of you, it was on a glorious early Spring day in 2006 when some friends and I paddled out to the Robbin's Reef Light, with a lunch break in Port Liberte (known to the Rustbucket crew as "Venice on the Hudson"). Coming back, we took the small channel that the 150 yard security zones around the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island leave between the two landmarks.

I can't remember exactly why we took that that day. I was going to say that it was probably because I wanted to take this picture, but I think we were facing one of those massive Spring ebbs (not spring tide, spring ebb, when the snowmelt from the Hudson Valley watershed turns the mighty Muhheakunuk - the River that Flows Both Ways - into a one-way rocket ride with a barely discernable slowdown where the flood is strongest) and to back to the south of the Statue was going to mean another mile busting straight into the full current when we were already pretty tired.

The other time that that channel comes in very handy for kayakers traversing the Statue's vicinity is on a perfect summer day, when the area in front of the Statue is a perfect scrum of bigger boats, all of whom are looking at the Statue, not the tiny little kayaks who are squeezing along as close to the security zone marker buoys as they can without getting squeezed right into the zone and a significant fine. For local paddlers who have plenty of chances to see the Statue when there's less competition, it's not worth the risk & stress on the busiest days - instead, we take the back way - that keeps us almost entirely out from underfoot.

Now, however, the security zones throughout the harbor are under review for possible revision.

Many of the proposals sound sensible, but the one that's drawn the attention of many of the area's recreational boaters - human and wind powered alike - is the proposal concerning the zones around the Statue and Ellis Islands. The US Park Police would like to see that zone expanded from the current 150 yards to 400 yards.

This would eliminate that channel between the two landmarks; the scrum among the harbor cruises would be intensified (when I worked on a local passenger schooner, our skippers would frequently choose to stay outside the melee on the busiest days - the passengers would be a little disappointed, but the view is still pretty marvelous at 200 yards - at 400, I suspect the customer disappointment when the boat fails to shave the buoys is going to be much higher); and the number of tugs, barges & other working vessels that cut through that mass of sightseers is going to rise as the tourist crowd is pushed farther out into the Anchorage Channel (the main channel from the Verranzano Narrows Bridge to the Hudson).

On top of that - the difference between 150 and 400 yards is literally a split-second to a powerful motorboat. Even less to a small plane.

I'd finally had time to work my way through the notice tonight & was mulling the issue over this evening. It is a conundrum - absolutely, there's a need for security around such important icons of our nation's history - but at the same time, I think that the proposed expansion of the zones would significantly decrease both the safety and enjoyment of the thousands of people who visit the Statue each year on boats other than the official Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island ferries, while providing only a marginal increase in safety from terrorist attacks.

It is a tough call - but I believe that I may have come up with a solution - and it's quite in tune with the history of the Statue.

Remember the stories of how when France first presented us with this magnificent gift, somehow there wasn't enough money to be found for a pedestal - until the freedom-loving schoolchildren of this country began sending in their pennies, and the shamed adults followed suit?

Well, just think today of all the freedom-loving bikers, hikers, college students, kayakers, rafters, campers, etc. who find themselves in possession of Nalgene bottles they're afraid to use -

What if they all sent those bottles to the US Parks Service to be remade to a new purpose - a magnificent, sparkling dome of recycled Lexan, under which our beloved symbol of freedom can be safely preserved for generations to come?
*****************************

I leave interpretion of Freedom under glass to the artistic. A lowly cog and number-cruncher, I...


....O
;D/>
.O
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But seriously, folks - I can only keep tongue in cheek for so long on something like this. If you are a New York City boater, and you are familiar with the motor vessel gridlock that sets in around the Statue on a nice summer day - just think about what it would be like if you push that whole mess 250 yards further out into the channel, and close off some of the few sheltered areas that the current zones do leave open to smaller craft. If you think I have a point - please, go read the full proposal (thanks again to the NYCKayaker folks for posting & discussing!) - then, on or before July 7th:

"...submit comments identified by Coast Guard docket number USCG-2007-0074 to the Docket Management Facility at the U.S. Department of Transportation. To avoid duplication, please use only one of the following methods:
(1) Online: http://www.regulations.gov/.
(2) Mail: Docket Management Facility (M-30), U.S. Department of Transportation, West Building Ground Floor, Room W12-140, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590-0001.
(3) Hand delivery: Room W12-140 on the Ground Floor of the West Building, 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE., Washington, DC 20590, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, except Federal holidays. The telephone number is 202-366-9329.
(4) Fax: 202-493-2251.
You must also send comments on collection of information to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget. To ensure that the comments are received on time, the preferred method is by e-mail at nlesser@omb.eop.gov or fax at 202-395-6566. An alternate, though slower, method is by U.S. mail to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street, NW., Washington, DC 20503, ATTN: Desk Officer, U.S. Coast Guard."

This is encouraged in the notice itself!

"We encourage you to participate in this rulemaking by submitting comments and related materials. All comments received will be posted, without change, to http://www.regulations.gov/ and will include any personal information that you have provided. We have an agreement with the Department of Transportation (DOT) to use the Docket Management Facility."


p.s. people who saw this early on may notice I changed the name of the post. When I sat down to write it, I actually thought it was going to be funnier.

hate it when that happens...

Captain Valentine Fleming of the Oxfordshire Hussars spent the first month of the hostilities as a rural sportsman, playing polo in the Continent, running every day, and bringing home some of his beloved bassets across the Channel for coursing with French hares. In November 1914, as the war took a more serious turn, his wife, left to her own devices, needed a boarding school for her sons. Durnford, an expensive prep school with a reputation as a nursery for Eton, was chosen.
Ruled by the rotund Tom Pellatt - TP as he was known to parents and pupils alike -, presided over a harsh and often cruel establishment. Dunford retained much of the licensed anarchy found in early nineteenth-century schools. If it existed today, it would certainly be closed down. Conditions were primitive - no proper lavatories, only earth-closets, for example -, the food was appalling and made worse by the privations of war, and bullying was widespread. One former pupil, who later served with distinction during the Second World War, remarked that, after Durnford, the Special Air Service was a “piece of cake”.
Ian first escaped the clutches of his French governess and came accompanied by Peter, to this strange, character-forming place, at the start of the autumn term of 1916. He initially hated it, finding friends hard to make because, as he wrote “they are so dirty and unreverent”. But, like two Flemings confronted with a hostile world, the two boys stuck together, and when Ian was on his own at Durnford, after hearing the devastating news of his father, who had recently been promoted to major, stricken by a shell at the front line, as he opposed with a squad of hussars the Hindenburg Line, Laurence Irving found Ian running the show in Durnford.
Durnford’s most unusual feature was Dancing Ledge, a freshwater bathing pool with TP in an enlightened moment, had blasted out in the rocks at the edge ot the sea. Any passably decent summer day the boys stopped their classrooms work at noon. Then they raced over the downs to the Ledge where they threw off their clothes and leapt into the pool for a dip au naturel with the masters.
For all the TP’s robust eccentricity, the boys loved it. Irving described how “we plunged into the clear blue water fathoms deep and swam in shoals to nearby island rocks to dive like seals from their summits, and revel in the invigorating chill of the open sea”. Ian’s abiding love of the sea and its creatures was spawned on Dancing Ledge.

Andrew Lycett
Ian Fleming

In 1939, Durnford was sold. It was requisitioned by the army later that year and was acquired by the owners of the Old Malthouse when the army gave it up in 1948. The main buildings were either pulled down or sold, leaving the OMH with the grounds, which were levelled for playing fields. In 1974 the school, then with about 80 boys, was sold to a Trust. Through the 1970s and early 80s the school expanded to about 100 pupils but declining enrolment and increasing losses led to the decision to close the school in 2007.
Dancing Ledge is so called because the stone cut out of it is the same size as a ballroom dance floor. It is part of the Jurassic Coast near Langton Matravers, Swanage, in the Isle of Purbeck in Dorset, in the grand Southwest of England.

I called the Anoka County Parks this morning and politely and calmly inquired about the kayak launching ban at the Wargo Nature Center. The woman who picked up the phone told me she would check with the operations manager and get back to me. Surprisingly, she did so in about 5 minutes. There are apparently two reasons that the general public can't launch here. When the first words out of her mouth were "Risk Management" I envisioned another cliff jumping type episode and was prepared to launch into a debate or perhaps a libertarian rant. The problem however, had nothing to do with possible injury. Wargo Nature Center is a secured area. That simply means they lock the gate when the center closes. The latest its open all week is 5pm on Saturday and Sunday. While you can debate the logic of closing the nature center just when most of the potential users get off work, you can't debate the fact that if you launched at 3pm and got back at 7pm and found your car locked in, you would be just a bit aggravated. They also have kayaking classes at the center and since the launch is pretty much a one boat at a time deal, there could be conflicts between the public and the classes that they are trying to conduct. Both fairly reasonable explanations in my book. Why the center is not open until dusk is another question, as is the issue of where to launch now that the launch sites have been cut in half. I'm dead certain that budget constraints are the stock answer but I didn't get into that.

So it looks like we use the lone canoe and kayak launch on the south side of the chain of lakes. When I talked to the county park people they did say the boat landing above the Peltier dam would be open in a couple of weeks and that they were extending the bike trail into the park. All good stuff. It would just be nice if the hours of the nature center could be extended and kayakers and canoeists could launch there, but for now I guess we'll take what we can get. As the nesting Canadian goose in the photo can attest, its still a pretty remote feeling spot even though it sits smack dab in the densely populated seven county metro area.

The Garvellachs (Rough Islands or Isles of the Sea) are a chain of magnificent small islands which lie at the mouth of the Firth of Lorn, where they are exposed to westerly Atlantic swells. This is travelling SW down Eileach an Naoimh, Isle of the Saints. On Sunday we had a fabulous day circumnavigating these islands. This is at the SW corner of Garbh Eileach, travelling NE. Some of the

Photos by Sion Scott
Here in the Isle of Man we have some great tidal races. But they are not as well known as Penrhyn Mawr in North Wales. I picked up my new 3 piece Rockpool Alaw Bach at the weekend and headed straight down there. I've paddled this race a couple of times before, the last time being about 18 months ago. I don't know it well but I regularly paddle races at home. There should be no problem just heading into the flow on my own. There was no problem but it wasn't what I expected. The speed of the flow was phenomenal. I don't think I've experienced such force in any of the tidal races here on the Isle of Man. Unprepared, and perhaps a little too relaxed, in less than 5 minutes I was hanging upside down underwater, staring into a green abyss. It all happened so quickly. My bow turned fractionally sideways onto the flow and in microseconds my new kayak lurched to the side. A high brace landed in a white whirling froth which offered no support. I gathered myself, scarcely able to believe I was submerged and rolled back up. I had to as there was no one near by. I continued playing for another hour, but much more cautiously.
Penrhyn Mawr is different. I don't know it well enough to be blaze about it. One things for sure I'll be going back to rectify the situation.
http://www.kayak.im/

I Failed my Roll



A few of us were having a kayak Wrigle Game (also known as the Wiggle Game or English Gates) competition on Saturday.
It incorporates a lot of boat control skills and if you repeat it and do it fast, it can really wear you out.

We were doing the version incorporating rolls into the maneuvers. I was on my third or fourth set when on the last roll before the finish, I developed the mother of all leg cramps. Not just the "ouch that hurts" kind of cramp, but the "please shoot me now" kind, and right in middle of the roll. The roll failed so I'm hanging upside down trying to roll, but each attempt increased and spread the pain. I tried to lay on my back and side scull up, but the cramp wouldn't allow me to rotate.

I eventually gave up on rolling and popped the skirt and slowly scooted out of the cockpit.
Even that was very painful.

I am one of these people who believes a wet exit is not an option and here I am bobbing next my boat in that cold water trying to figure out what I was going to do next. The leg cramp wasn't going to let me re-enter and roll so I attempted to do a scramble recover. That proved to be impossible. The cramp got in the way of that as well.

In the end I had to ask one of the other paddlers to stabilise my boat while I crawl back in without using my legs.

It was a humbling experience and brought home the need to always have paddling partners.

Cramps like this are quite common with paddlers, but they go away after a while and wouldn't be considered a dangerous situation if I had been alone.
Bu there are common paddle injuries that don't go away so easy. Shoulder dislocation are common paddle injury and I've experienced a few myself. I always had a paddle partner and getting to shore or back in the boat wasn't an issue. But a dislocated shoulder while on a solo expedition could be fatal.

One thing,even if you can get back in the cockpit, the injured arm is of no use, even if you were able to reset it, the arm is useless for several days after the injury. How are you going to battle wind and waves with only one working arm. I have personally reset my own shoulder within a few seconds of dislocating it, using the surfers technique, but found it impossible to get back in the boat after without help. A one armed re-enter and roll would work, but pumping out a boat full of water in conditions with one arm would have been futile.

One scenario:
Say you had to paddle a mile from shore to avoid a reef, and get caught off guard by a rogue wave. Being that you were caught off guard your paddle was not in a good position for bracing and you dislocate your shoulder trying. Rolling is very difficult with a dislocated arm and scrambling is almost impossible.So now you are a mile from shore and the wind is carrying you out to sea.
If you are in a remote area, your VHF will probably be out of range because you are so low in the water. So you set off your EPIRB.

Now you could be in the water for several hours.
Do you have enough insulation under that drysuit to keep you alive until help arrives.
What if your drysuit has a very slow leak somewhere, a leak that normally wouldn't be a problem, accept now.
Maybe it was too warm for a drysuit and the water is warm enough for a half hour swim, but not for the hours it can take for for the search team to find you.

Anyway, you get the idea.
The book "Sea Kayaker's Deep Trouble" is a must read for all paddlers.

foto: Stefan H ... strax norr om Bredskär



foto: Stefan H ... ejder



sjökort 1



sjökort 2



foto: Stefan H ... läsidan vid Bredskär

Wow - that was quite a weekend. 2 days, 9 hours each day to complete an approximately 16 hour course. The Red Cross is working on a nationally recognized Wilderness First Aid certification and this was one of their "prototype" classes- to test out the material, scenarios and tests.

All in all, it was more heavily geared towards first aid primarily and the wilderness secondarily. Which honestly seemed a little backwards. To me, you almost have a regular/urban first aid course as a pre-requisite, talk about the differences in the wilderness/remote setting and how do you prolong life (in critical emergencies) when help is 1 hour or 1 day or more away. As well, it would have been nice to been pointed in the direction of what you can use as alternatives if you don't have a full first aid kit (i.e. we used straps to secure splints).

The one thing that was helpful throughout the slides and the book, was the break-downs of what are critical emergencies (where help is needed as quickly as possible - helicopter, SAR teams, etc.), major emergencies (where the trip needs to be aborted and you need to get yourselves to help immediately) and minor incidents (where it can be treated in the field and the trip goes on). A lot of it was common sense, but it's always good to have other people re-tell you that you're on the right track.

Each day, we did scenarios - where we would act out 1 or 2 of us being victims and the rest of the teams being the first aid responders. Being a victim is odd- I was...

1. a person who fell off of a fence (I pretended to vomit upon my first aider),
2. a person wrecked mountain bikes with another person (I had acorns thrown at me by the irate person who I wrecked into),
3. a person who got bit by a snake and then fell onto a root which caused my chest to have a hole in it (I got carried on a make-shift stretcher).

Fun times. An interesting note, "The Neat Sheet" really IS "Ready for Anything". My first aiders on the last scenario were able to use one as a stretcher to carry me a short distance.

I've been sidelined with a running injury for about a week and a half now. Not sure what's going on, all was well until an 8 and then 5 miler earlier last week. I have discomfort and swelling behind both my knees. It actually looks like someone stuffed ping-pong balls under the skin behind my legs. I'm seeing my Orthopaedist on Thursday, until then I've not been running, walking, or biking. I'm

Below: Tim Gutmann, East Coast (US) sea kayaker who lost his life while paddling with a friend off Biddeford Pool in southern Maine, a New England coastal area known for its bold seas, heavy storm surge and cold water: Tim and his friend Brandon Andrusic lost sight of each other not long after launching near dusk into four to five-foot storm waves. After the two lost sight of each other,

Every now and then I hear someone mention how much better their life would be if only their spouse or one of their friends was closer to being their 'soul-mate'. Most of us have heard that term applied to paddling couples. Perhaps we even think we know some soul-mate paddling couples. Personally, I believe the paddling soul-mate idea is a bit of a fantasy, a phantom relationship, which can lure us away from what we really want in life. Here are my thoughts on the subject...

A healthy relationship is one in which each party is devoted to supporting the well-being of the other. A mature relationship is one in which each party assumes responsibility for his or her individuation, and supports others in their efforts. Sounds easy on paper, but we all know, it is often difficult to carry out in practice. The level of maturity it demands of both parties often asks a great deal of each of us. However, if I can reasonably assume my companion is not here to make my life work for me, but intends instead to support my own efforts at life-building, then I will have made a huge stride towards cleaning up the debris which hampers and impairs our relationship. In turn, I am not in a relationship for the role purpose of seeing that my companion enjoys my idea of a full, rewarding life. That's their business. Instead, my role is to support the life that individual creates and to celebrate whatever it becomes.

To set out on a soul-mate quest as if I was missing some critical component of my life is thus a false endeavour. Far better, to try to become who you really want to be independently, asking for help when you need it. When you encounter others on the same path, support their similar efforts. Don't try to direct or control them. Don't try to grab on to them in an effort to complete yourself. Let them be. If it happens your paths become parallel ones, then enjoy that relationship. Call it 'soul-mating', if you like, but be prepared for the storms and calms as they appear. Learn to weather them. Remember you will always be two individuals, perhaps even paddling similar routes side by side. You'll never become one.

Perhaps that's why we love dogs. They support us, but don't try to change us or control us and ask impossible things of us. They love to walk along side of us. Such healthy, mature beasts! Soul-mates!

Continuing in my trend of pretending to blog by posting links to interesting things that other people have written because I have no time to actually write anything myself -

The days are getting longer, the weather's getting nicer, the water's still cool but at least in NY we're past wear-drysuit-or-die cold (although I have still been wearing mine because I keep going out when it's blowing & I know I'm going to be drenched even if I stay right-side up the whole time, just from the spray), so no, not gonna harp on hypothermia again -

No, today's cheater link is to a really excellent post I stumbled across on Antigua Adventure - it's an excellent post about sunscreen.

p.s. I have to apologize to various people who have tagged me - I have good & bad excuses:

Bad - Work has been crazy.
Good - Despite work insanity, I think I've gotten in well over ten miles of paddling every week for the last few weeks running, plus a good bit of gardening.

Adding a bit of texture to the image gives more of a two dimensional feel to the picture, more like an "art look" than just a glossy photo. Brian heading for the headland nonetheless.

Sawadee, whanee phop ghan, sookchai plan chan day phop t’. O laa, laa, laa, laa, laa, la Yesterday we spent the day roaming around Olbrich Garden in Madison. Obrich is sort of a little botanical oasis in the big city with a multitude of large display gardens and even an indoor Jungle!  The photos are from a Tai [...]&