Paddling Planet

One of the big problems on an expedition is keeping the electronic stuff charged. Even on a relatively short expedition such as mine, with the number of electronic items most people carry, charging is critical and just carrying enough batteries for the trip can result in too much weight, volume or expense.

I have a Brunton 26W folding solar panel that does an admirable job of harnessing the sun's energy and outputting power.

 However, charging my Nikon D7000 battery has always been a problem as nobody seemed to produce a 12V car type charger for the EN-EL15 batteries that it (and several other cameras, including the flagship Nikon D800) uses. I had previously tried a cheapo eBay charger supposedly good for charging the batteries but I found that once charged the battery showed as being almost a throw away item. The Nikon has a system that not only shows charge level of the battery but also nominal age on a scale of 1 to 4, 1 being new and 4 being just plain worn out. After charging with the cheapo the battery would read as a 4, recharging on the genuine Nikon charger restored it to a 1 but it created doubts about how much damage was being done to the battery.

Recently, I came across a company called Hahnel. Based in Ireland, they produce a range of chargers that will charge the Nikon battery. I ordered one of their chargers called a Unipal II and received it a couple of days ago.

After charging both of my Nikon D7000's batteries and some other different sorts of batteries I can genuinely say I am impressed. The batteries all charged without problem.

The Unipal II can charge AA's, AAA's, almost all lithium ion batteries, as well as having a USB outlet allowing it to charge iPhones etc. A truly versatile charger.

And even though it has the ubiquitous "Made in China" on it, quality looks to be pretty reasonable.

Le week-end de Pentecôte était, comme tous ceux de cet hiver/printemps 2013, à double tranchant côté météo. Après un samedi sous des trombes d’eau, une amélioration devait s’amorcer vers l’Ouest de la région dimanche puis se confirmer lundi. Trop de boue pour le vélo, trop de vent et de vagues pour naviguer en mer, alors cap sur le Verdon, pour redécouvrir en kayak cette fois, la somptueuse pièce d’eau artificielle du lac de Sainte Croix.

L’avantage de ces situations incertaines, c’est que l’on a toujours une chance de voir des lumières ou des couleurs inhabituelles. Et sur ce plan, nous serons bien servis.

Dimanche, boucle sur le lac au départ du charmant village de Bauduen avec le tour de l’île Coste Belle, passage sur la rive nord jusqu’au village perché de sainte Croix-de-Verdon et retour. L’aller se fait sous voile avec l’orage grondant et menaçant qui contourne le lac par le Sud, et le retour face au vent qui se renforce, avec son clapot frais associé. La courte traversée retour permet d’envoyer la voile « spoon ultimate » au travers ouvert, et de soulager nos bras sous quelques gouttes égarées de nuages effilochés.

Un excellent spot dodo pour notre van, juste au-dessus de Bauduen, à moins de deux mètres de l’eau face à Ste Croix-de-Verdon.

Lundi, quoique un peu frais, le vrai temps printanier s’installe comme espéré et on se rend au Nord du lac, à l’embarquement des pédalos juste avant l’entrée des hautes gorges du Verdon pour la mise à l’eau.

A l’approche du pont qui matérialise l’entrée de l’étroit défilé, l’eau passe brusquement du turquoise fluo au beige couleur mékong, plutôt inhabituel, et signe des pluies violentes de ces derniers jours. Les rives sous le vent du lac sont d’ailleurs jonchées de débris de bois et de multiples déchets.

L’effet imprévu de cette situation, c’est une corde ponctuée de flotteurs marqués « interdit » en travers de l’entrée des gorges… Un choix se pose donc à nous. Je comprends facilement qu’on dissuade les touristes loueurs de pédalos et autres barques électriques pour s’aventurer dans des courants parfois imprévisibles et jonchés d’épaves de bois de toutes sortes, mais pour notre part, nous nous estimons assez équipés et expérimentés pour remonter cette partie calme de la rivière. Alors nous décidons d’outrepasser ce signal (par ailleurs non réglementaire).

A peine introduits entre les hautes parois minérales, la magie du lieu opère immédiatement. Nous nous remémorons cette rando aquatique inoubliable que nous avions faite avec un groupe d’amis des années auparavant, qui débutait par le canyon sec de la Main Morte, avec arrivée pendulaire de 50 mètres directement dans le Verdon, bivouac sur les galets et sous les étoiles, et descente à la nage jusqu’aux derniers blocs de la partie « eaux vives », et qui barrent la remontée des divers bateaux depuis le lac.

A cet instant, l’ambiance est toute différente. D’abord nous sommes absolument seuls au monde dans cet énorme décors minéral et végétal luxuriant. Ensuite il y a la couleur café au lait de la rivière qui évoque plus l’amérique du sud que le Verdon turquoise. Enfin la végétation que l’on connaissait plutôt aride, explose comme on ne l’a jamais vu par ici. C’est la jungle !

Et puis il y a ces deux cascades majestueuses ! Simples filets d’eau en période estivale, elles sont chargées comme rarement, avec le bruit continu d’un train sortant du tunnel, amplifié par les hautes parois calcaires presque verticales.

Et puis encore il y a le vent, canalisé par ce couloir naturel, et qui suffit à nous faire remonter à la voile le courant pourtant assez puissant, doublement magique !

Aux deux tiers du chemin, nouvelle interdiction  : un panneau de sens interdit scellé sur chaque rive, mentionnant « Remontée interdite – Arrêté préfectoral du 24 septembre 2009″… J’hésite un long moment, car rien n’est précisé sur la raison de cet arrêté, et sur le sens du mot « remontée » (sur la berge, ou sur la rivière ?) et je sais bien qu’en été le parcours continue encore jusqu’aux premiers blocs immergés, environ 2 km en amont. Mais une deuxième interdiction outre-passée étant de trop, nous préférons établir notre pause picnic sur la première micro-plage qui se présente juste après.

Au-dessus de nos têtes, une nuée de rapaces et quelques parapentes se partagent les ascendances réputées de l’endroit, tandis que les oiseaux ont le gazouillis très actif.

Pour le retour, vent de face comme il se doit, mais courant dans le dos, et là encore il n’y a que peu d’efforts à faire pour avancer à bonne vitesse !

Nous profitons du passage des cascades pour les tutoyer d’un peu plus près et amasser quelques photos souvenir, puis retour dans la vraie couleur turquoise du lac, où s’ébattent déjà de nombreuses embarcations électriques et à pédales, garnies de corps rougissants.

Galerie

Un film de 90 minutes réalisé par Yann Arthus-Bertrand et Michael Pitiot. Peut-on imaginer un film qui changerait le regard des hommes sur l’océan? Peut-on raconter simplement et à tous le plus grand mystère naturel de notre planète? Peut-on enfin aider nos enfants à croire à un monde de demain meilleur et durable? C’est le triple défi de cette nouvelle aventure cinématographique signée Yann Arthus-Bertrand dont le rédacteur en chef est Michael Pitiot, qui entraîne dans son sillage les missions scientifiques de TARA, un pool unique de chercheurs, océanographes et biologistes de plusieurs pays. Grâce à une photographie époustouflante, ce film nous emmène dans un voyage magnifique et inédit au cœur des régions les plus mal connues de notre planète. Ce film raconte les plus merveilleuses comme les plus terrifiantes expériences humaines de notre temps. Tourné aux quatre coins d’une géographie extrême, il raconte l’odyssée moderne des hommes à la découverte de leur planète b ...

Perth, and the River Tay, under today's blue Scottish skies.

Ah yes, there's a lot more to returning to Scotland than "lunch" but one of the things that's so good about being back, is having a bowl of soup and a slice of bread...at the Tiso Outdoor Experience. It's been the stuff of dreams these past months! Tiso is more than a store. It's a veritable treasure trove for those in search of excellent equipment and kit for self-propelled outdoor activities.

And, Tiso offers an additional "perk" - the Fit Food Bistro. A delicious bowl of soup and a thick slice of home-made bread, enjoyed in the midst of outdoor sports ambiance - it doesn't get any better when you're jet lagged and baggage still needs to be unpacked.

So, the long awaited lunch at the Perth Tiso? Here it is...pretty nice, eh? :)

Mmm, the Bistro's lentil vegetable soup and a slice of whole grain bread.

Tiso Outdoor Experience -  camp / bike / play / eat / climb / walk / run / paddle... what's not to like about all of that?

A sign, driving into the city today, read, "Perth is Per-fect" - that's pretty much true. Eight hundred years old, and home to the "Stone of Destiny", used for centuries in the coronation of monarchs (including our present Queen), this town has everything: a Café Quarter, countless inviting pubs, a vibrant pedestrian core, a magnificent river (The Tay), and urban walking trails that pass through magnificent gardens and forests. Situated in the middle of town is the Church of St. John the Baptist where John Knox kicked off the Scottish Reformation with a sermon that was, well, just a little inflammatory - at least to my very liberal theological mind. And straddling the Highlands and the Lowlands, this area is pure bliss for hikers and hill-walkers...more on that in a later posting. :)

Something clearly frightened this jet skier on the Tay.

This one too!

Geesh. We found this river serpent very friendly indeed.

Perfectly "framed" on the Perth Sculpture Trail. Thought-provoking sculptures all along the trail..

Y'know, I figured that nobody really wants to hear again about me scooting around inside Cadboro Bay. I get to do it so often, and at times of day when other people are stuck indoors for things like jobs or appointments. No one needs another "freelance writers work long hours so we can take looooong coffee breaks in a kayak" post today, not when our pals Robyn and Mark are writing about a wonderful kayak camping trip they just took through the DeCoursey group of islands to Valdez for five nights. Check it out here, for photos of their boats and the shores, wildlife & float planes.
Maybe you'll wonder, like me, about how their buddy got a full-sized axe inside his kayak... I'm guessing it's handy when chopping driftwood for a camping fire, but ooo, not so much fun if he happens to roll his kayak.
Instead, I'll post a link to the latest issue of the Georgia Strait Alliance's newsletter. Hot damn, this is an active group, with connections to all sorts of groups in this area and info on what matters to bring to the attention of your local government, your MLA, and MP. If you're a paddler in the Salish Sea, whether year-round or on vacation, you can find out how to turn your interest into socially-responsible activities that support small boat users and the environment. Go here for the GSA's website with links to its online atlas and other resources.

Í sumar verða félagsróðrar alla mánudaga í sumar kl 19:30, verði breytingar á því er það kynnt hér á heimasíðunni.Mæting næsta mánudag, 27. maí við félagsaðstöðu Kaj, í fjörunni neðan við Norðfjarðarkirkju.

At home, in Northern California, water moves up and down. Once past the surf zone, you can sit and “ride the elevator” as our friend Michael often says.

Mark and I have spent the past week paddling in Wales. From most launch points the water appears as flat as a lake, but don’t let it fool you, because this is where water moves sideways… and I’m starting to really like it!

Our week began with an evening canoe trip down The River Dee. Due to some recent rain, the river had a nice flow, and Ali Othen treated us to an evening of fun as we made our way down the scenic river.

The following day we drove to North Wales where we’d be conducting rolling classes over the weekend. Upon arrival we decided to squeeze in an afternoon paddle around Puffin Island. From the parking lot the water looked flat, and I was expecting a lazy paddle around the island. Once in my kayak however, I realized that crossing to the island had to be done with determination, and a little knowledge of moving water. We ferried across, and began the journey around the island, encountering several puffins along the way. At the far end of the island the seals made an appearance, and we were quickly surrounded by them. Their heads peaked out of the water, and it wasn’t long before they were swimming under us and touching our kayaks with their pointed noses.

At the back end of the island are some overfalls. On this day they weren’t very big, but we bounced around in them for awhile, enjoying the company of the seals, which would poke their heads out of the waves to watch us.

We made our way through the overfalls and to the other side of the island, and enjoyed a leisurely paddle back, with a group of seals following closely behind us. The current had picked up, and the sideways movement of the water from Puffin Island to the mainland was now visibly noticeable. We ferried across, riding the front wave for awhile before landing on the beach.

Over the weekend we ran rolling classes on Anglesey, followed by a paddle to the rocky shore just west of Rhoscolyn Beach. Here we played in slots, tunnels and caves. At home I am very familiar with rock gardens, but here they are different. In Wales slots are often used as escape routes from tide races and overfalls. The water in the caves was flat and smooth, and it was easy to explore and enjoy the magnificent, and often colorful rock formations.

 

Our final day of paddling took us from Soldier’s Point to North Stack, South Stack, Penrhyn Mawr and back. We worked with the tide, hitting the overfalls at North Stack and the tide race and overfalls at Penrhyn Mawr. The tides weren’t running fast this day, but it was good fun, and a fabulous day to be on the water. The curious thing about surfing in a tide race or overfalls is that the waves stay in place. This took some getting used to because I’d see the mound behind me and paddle forward waiting for it to catch up to me. In reality, I was actually paddling away from it. After a few tries I got used to backing into the wave then moving forward with enough speed to catch it.

On the way back to Soldier’s Point the wind had picked up a bit, and wind and overfalls at South Stack made for an exciting few minutes going around the headland. From there back to the beach it was smooth sailing. After only paddling these waters a few times, I can see why Wales is a top sea kayaking destination.

Fin runda på nya skogscyklar med stora hjul! Riktigt gött. Så småningom under dagen mot WestCoastWater. I morrn får det nog bli Gourmetpaddling med skaldjursinslag, låter lagom jobbigt

Bilderna tagna med iPhone 5 i ett Lifeproof-fodral och har varit inne i Snapseed och vänt.

 

Once you start making your own paddles its hard to stop. They take up less space than a kayak so it doesent upset the wife too much, and if you make a nice rack to show them off it can even become a piece of artwork.


My latest is a  2 piece made for my upcoming kayak trip to the greek island of Kefalonia.
I strengthened the ends with fibreglass and epoxy and finished the paddle with a water based matt varnish. Lynn made me a nice little paddle bag for easy transport.
I actually prefer a one piece paddle as the joint usually developes a bit of play after extensive use, and so this will only be used for travelling
Now we will see if the airline company will let me take it on as hand luggage or will they make me put it in the hold.

At ro til Tyskland i kajak - og så i tæt tåge - lyder drabeligt. Men når turen går fra Sønderborg til Langballigau på den anden side af Flensborg Fjord, er det ikke så farligt. Men mere om det senere.


Turen til Tyskland var en del af NKC's klubtur til Sønderborg, hvor vi besøgte kajakklubben og ikke mindst vores klubkammerat Fylkir og hans kæreste Lene.
Vel ankommet til Verdens Ende - det hedder vejen hvor kajakklubben holder til - fik vi hurtigt etableret lejr og slappede af med lidt mad og hygge i klubbens dejlige hus, hvor alle faciliteter stod til vores rådighed.
Lørdag gik turen til Ballebro. Der hang en tæt dis over farvandet da vi lagde ud, men en meget mild brise fik disen væk og vi kunne nyde turen gennem det smalle sund - og under en ny bro :-) - mellem Jylland og Als.

Vi snakkede en del om historie undervejs - det var her tyskerne satte over og tvang danskerne til det tredie fantastiske tilbagetog i 1864. Jeg har læst bøgerne Slagtebænk Dybbøl og Dommedag Als af Tom Buk-Swienty, og det var meget spændende at befinde sig på det farvand hvor Danmarks skæbne blev afgjort og Danmark mistede en trediedel af landet pga politikeres dumhed.
Efter en lille pause med indblik mod Augustenborg - hvor min kære hustrus familie stammer fra - roede vi videre mod Ballebro, hvor Fylkir næsten instisterede på at vi skulle smage en Ballebro Burger. godt at vide at han spiser andet en tørfisk :-)
Burgeren var god, men Bentes Grill i Næstved laver nu en bedre burger, og Fylkir har hermed  modtaget en stående invitation til en burger, næste gang han er på Sydsjælland.
Thomas havde taget en af klubbens nye børnekajakker med til sin kæreste. de byttede dog hurtigt og Thomas nød tydeligt at ro i den lille kajak, der som fabrikanten skriver er: "A serious kayak for paddle crazy kids" - og det passer vel meget godt for Thomas.
Tilbage i klubhuset stod den på vildsvin fra Detlefs Grillstegning. Og det var godt nok lækkert! Jeg tror vi alle spiste lidt mere end vi plejer, og klogt nok var der ingen dessert. Mætte og veltilpasse fordelte vi os i de bløde møbler og så Grande Prix. Vi gik til ro før afstemningen og kunne vågne til beskedden om at Danmark havde vundet. Til lykke til Emmelie, der allerede har fået en side på Wikipedia.
Trods sejren skinnede solen ikke på Sønderjylland dagen efter. En tæt tåge lå det meste af dagen over land og vand. Der var ingen vind og med havblik og tåge roede vi efter at have roet gennem Sønderborg og under Christian den 10.'s Bro ud i intetheden.. 
Snart tonede en klint frem foran os, og mens vi roede forbi det smukke landskab, spottede Kolbe marsvin. Det skulle vise sig at være starten på noget af et eventyr med "Danmarks næstfarligste fisk", som vi hurtigt døbte dem. Forklaring kan findes i en kommentar i denne video. Vi fik desværre ikke klip af vores skræmmende oplevelser.
Efter en kort pause satte vi kursen mod Tyskland. Kysten kunne svagt skimtes, men med kort, kompas og GPS fik vi sat en kurs og roede af sted. Der var mange sejl- og motorbåde på vandet, men vi krydsede over i nærheden af en sejrendebøje hvor de mange både kom næsten på linje, så det var ikke svært at finde et hul at krydse igennem.
I Langballigau fi  vi en rigtig lække fisk med brasekartofler - de tyskere kan noget med mad - og en herlig mørk hvedeøl som selv den seriøse sportsmand Fylkir også nød - de tyskere kan endnu mere med øl - inden vi gik en runde i den lille havneby.
På hjemturen havde tågen lettet lidt, så turleder Fylkir stak meget bestemt og med stor håndfakter en kurs af mod en rapsmark i Danmark. Kolbe og jeg roede snakkende af sted for efter et stykke tid at kunne konstatere at resten af gruppen - med Fylkir i spidsen - nu tydeligvis havde valgt en anden kurs. Det gav baggrund for lidt hyggemobberi hver gang en kurs blev sat på resten af turen.
Pausen på hjemvejen var på en lille strand foran en klint.
Flere steder på klinten var træerne væltet ned på stranden,
og Kolbe måtte lige på en lille klatretur.
Tågen var lettet lidt, men vandet var stadig spejlblankt da vi roede tilbage til Sønderborg. Foran universitetet var der en opstilling af statuer af  verdens store tænkere. Det skulle angiveligt være Jesus, Karl Marx, Sokrates, Buddha, Lao Zse, Konfucius og Muhammed - og hvad Kolbe laver i det selskab lader jeg stå....
Aftenen bød på en lille gåtur og en kop kaffe på Cafe i det lokale minefelt.
Mandag var mit kamera løbet tøt for strøm, så jeg håber på at kunne snuppe lidt billeder fra de andre - for det blev nemlig en rigtig flot tur.

Efter endnu en tur gennem havnen roede vi langs kysten mod øst. Og det blev en tur med bare numser ved havbadet, motion i maskiner på stranden, flotte kyststrækninger, et utal af lystbåde og flere marsvin. Vi holdt en lille pause på stranden på Hesnæs inden vi vendte tilbage til Sønderborg.

Vi pakkede lejren ned, spiste en frokost sammen med vores værter og tog afsked. Jeg håber meget at vi i NKC får mulighed for at gengælde Sønderborg Kajakklub og specielt Fylkir og Lenes gæstfrihed.



Rolængde 78 km
Se alle mine billeder her

Steve and I went down to Olympia tonight to check out the gray whale that was put together by school kids, made from 9000 plastic bags as well as a goodly number of plastic forks and fruit cups. It’s trash, but it’s art, and it comes with a strong message about what is recyclable and what isn’t and has plenty of good questions for anyone who’s paying attention. Do we really need these things? Single-use plastic bags, throw-away plastic cups. They aren’t recyclable (not really), they have no economic value and, because of that, they will end up in a landfill. Or in the ocean. Or on a beach somewhere.

This project was organized by the Thurston Solid Waste department and it took kids from 15 local elementary schools, 2 middle schools and a high school to put the whale together. It’s on display for the next couple of weeks at the Washington Center for the Performing Arts, 32 feet of braided bags and other plastic detritus hanging above the foyer. Check it out if you’re in the neighborhood… it might make you think about what is necessary and what is not.

Tillerman says bring on the gloom, so OK, here we go with a few bars of the blues.

The Mozzarella Blues.

I made a woeful discovery on Tuesday. Not quite a tragedy (I'd reserve that word for things that happened in other places this week) but still, I set out on a mission in the fine warm weather that Tuesday brought to New York City and instead found sadness and disappointment. Auwe! Alas, alack, and well-a-day!

I brought my camera today to recreate Tuesday's trauma for you.

First, the lead-in: 

The company cafeteria was closed for an event. Nothing the in-house coffee bar and snack shop had to offer was appealing to me. I left the building trying to decide what I felt like getting at Duke's (the closest deli) and stepped out into a lovely warm afternoon. We've been having a pleasant, quiet week at the office, and it suddenly hit me that it was the perfect sort of afternoon to treat myself to a sandwich from my hands-down favorite food discovery of 2012, the long-established SoHo cheesemaker Joe's Dairy, home of some of the best danged mozzarella I've ever eaten anywhere including during a couple of summers in Italy (although I was much younger then and didn't always know what to look for). Definitely some of the best "mootz" (to borrow Baydog's term) in my area. They had fresh and smoked and both were amazing, I'd gone quite crazy for the stuff, treated myself and TQ on a fairly regular basis, took the smoked (which travelled better) along with some of the hard sausages Joe's also carried to a couple of family gatherings and other get-togethers - everybody loved it. They also sold sandwiches of a couple of varieties, sundried tomatoes or roasted peppers with fresh or smoked on great chewy rolls. Yum. That's was what I was after on Tuesday. 

And now - the photographic re-enactment:

I headed west on Prince Street and then turned right on Sullivan, approaching the shop from the south. All sorts of trendy little eateries on this block, but I hardly notice 'em. 

 There's the place - just past the gated entryway to the St. Anthony's Rectory.  Joe's Dairy! Cheeses! Hooray! All I was thinking about was which kind of sandwich should I get, and whether I should get some to take home and have for dinner, or just get the sandwich, choices choices...
 But then as the storefront came into view beyond the rectory's little "patio" -- wait -- what? -- what's this???

During our kayak trip on the Fort George River I was lucky enough to get the chance to paddle the P & H Delphin 155 for a few hours.  My friend Douglas has written a very comprehensive and considered review of the Delphin based on a year of paddling the boat - my brief notes here are merely an impression formed over a few hours on flat water with some tidal stream.

The image above shows the high degree of rocker on the Delphin hull.  This undoubtedly contributes to the boats manoeuvrability.  The appearance of the Delphin has polarised views amongst UK sea kayakers with some seeing it as the way ahead for design, some seeing it as a niche boat for surf and tidal race play, and some finding it ugly and awkward looking.  My view prior to paddling the boat fell into the second group - I thought it was an unusual design aimed squarely at the emerging "park and play" group of kayakers wanting to surf and to play in rough water in tidal races




The cockpit is very comfortable, the seat and backrest being sourced from P & H's parent company (Pyranha's) Connect 30 whitewater set-up.  The cockpit is nice and long making for easy entry and exit.  The backrest is adjusted by ratchets on each side of the cockpit; this was easy to adjust and stayed put.  The thigh grips are also adjustable but this would need to be done before getting on the water.  Footpegs are the familiar P & H twist-lock adjustment, once set these were firm and felt as if they could take some force.  Compared with my own boat (a Tiderace Xcite) the fit seemed to be a little "looser" - in particular the thigh grips didn't give the same feeling of being dialled in to the boat when in hard turning mode.  This could be partially explained by the fact that I didn't customise the fit of the Delphin too much during my short paddle.

This image shows the most distinctive feature of the Delphin on the water - the fact that in normal use the bow is well clear of the water.  Under the forward end of the hull lies a unique hull-form with relatively hard chines and a mid-line V being separated by double concaves.  These features fade out gradually into a flat hull in the mid section before forming into soft chines toward the stern.  All this is obviously designed to help control while surfing whilst being forgiving enough to get back off a wave without too much drama.  The distribution of volume definitely favours the forward end of the boat to help rough water handling.  The hull shape under the bow produces an unusual gurgling from under the boat whilst turning tightly on flat water.

Which brings me to manoeuvrability.  Put simply, this is the most responsive, tightest turning sea kayak I have ever paddled!  The rate at which this boat can turn is more analogous to a river boat than a sea kayak.  A raise of the knee and a slight edge produced a 90 degree turn whilst at cruising speed; a dynamic sweep results in a 180 degree turn with little effort.  Edging felt secure; I managed to put the cockpit rim under water whilst experimenting with braced turns and the boat still felt solid on its edge.  I spent some time using the tightly spaced supports of a road bridge as slalom gates in a tidal stream of approximately 3 knots - the Delphin was an absolute hoot and could be threaded through gaps I wouldn't attempt with many sea kayaks.

When stopping paddling to take photographs, the Delphin habitually veered one way or the other, yet whilst paddling it tracks straight and true.  The skeg is the P & H Mark II skeg which felt light and positive, though I didn't need to use it on my paddle.





There are three hatches (no conventional day hatch).  The rear oval hatch cover was very difficult to get back on once removed - no doubt this will ease with use.  Both the main compartments would hold a good level of kit - but here's the question: would loading this boat compromise the in-water dynamics?  I imagine that a good deal of care would be required if loading the Delphin for a multi-day trip, but the space is certainly available.  The small deck hatch forward of the cockpit is a useful size (I'm a big fan of these small hatches), but isn't completely watertight if submerged - the main compartments were watertight despite the boat being overturned numerous times during wet practice.




                                                                                                                   Image:  Heather Ferris


The Delphin is a really stable boat.  Balance is neutral and the back deck is both the widest point of the boat and also relatively low which aids rolling and made us look good doing balance exercises !  It would make a great boat to instruct from, being very manoeuvrable and forgiving. 

So, do I still think that the Delphin is a niche boat?

Well, I didn't get a chance to surf the boat, but everything I have heard leads me to believe that it is a superb surfing and rough water boat.  It is much more than that though.  It would make a great boat for a novice and would not be quickly outgrown.  It can cruise, could be used for overnight trips, but perhaps for me the most exciting  use for a Delphin would be for rockhopping.

The way this boat can be manoeuvred, edged and turned on the spot, coupled with the tough Corelite construction makes the Delphin potentially the most effective rockhopping weapon available.

My preconceptions have been absolutely changed - the Delphin is a very, very good boat and an exciting as well as an interesting design.  OK, the looks aren't as "elegant" as some boats, but  if you can get past the uncoventional appearance, go for a paddle in one and prepare to have your preconceptions challenged!

Matt Palmariello
Tandem paddling is dynamic, fast and fun.  It’s an awesome way to spend time on the water with friends & family.  For the less experienced, it can be a wonderful tool to help build technique and a way to keep up with friends.  For the very experienced it is a way to introduce friends to your sport without leaving them behind.  Tandem paddling builds technique, timing and communication.  Grab a friend this summer and explore paddling as a team sport.  

Here at CCK we have a number of different ways you can get on the water with a partner.

Canoeing

Wenonah makes more than 20 different models of tandem canoes.  Whether you’re paddling in whitewater, touring a lake or just getting out to fish the bay, tandem canoes are perfect for your adventure.  Paddling tandem canoes helps develop skills necessary for mastering solo canoeing.  As a bow paddler, you’ll quickly learn effective steering skills from the bow and you’ll have the best seat in the house.  Guys, if you’re looking for a romantic way to woo your woman, paddle her around in a tandem canoe – she’ll love it!

Sea Kayaking

Tandem sea kayaks are fast and efficient and great for recreational use, touring & racing.  Tandem sea kayaks typically have two separate cockpits far enough from each other that you won’t be bumping paddles.  They are long and sleek and capable of handling rough water and windy conditions easily and can even be eskimo rolled.  They have enormous gear carrying capacity and are a good choice for multi-day touring.  Current Designs makes beautiful tandem sea kayaks available in rotomolded plastic and composite.  

Surfski Paddling

Measuring 19 inches wide, almost 25 feet long and weighing in at 44 pounds is the Epic V10 Double.  It’s long and skinny and fast.  It’s great as a training tool and a fantastic way to race the bay or the coast.  If you paddle skis, but haven’t tried a tandem yet, get on one this season.  

                                                

Hobie Tandem Island Kayak Sailing

In its simplest form it’s a fast tandem kayak.  Stow the paddles, drop in the Mirage drives and cruise around in speedy style while pedaling.   Extend the Amas, roll out the sail and experience the ultimate in two-person kayak sailing.  Complete with a boomless carbon fiber mast, roller furling and daggerboard, the Hobie Tandem Island is an incredibly versatile way for two people to play on the bay.    

Whitewater Kayaking

The Dynamic Duo by Jackson Kayak has hucked a 100 foot waterfall, with two paddlers.  It’s an extremely capable and purpose-built whitewater kayak for two.  For less experienced paddlers, they can jump into the bow seat with an experienced partner and become instantly capable of running much harder whitewater than they could ever run solo.  It isn’t all about 100 foot drops and difficult whitewater though.  The Dynamic Duo is a great tool for introducing brand new paddlers and kids to whitewater too.  It’s capable of holding up to 500 pounds and is a fun, stable machine based off Jackson’s Hero series of kayaks.  

Standup Paddleboarding

Open any standup paddling magazine these days and you’ll see beautiful beaches, shimmering sun, clean green waves, blue water & folks of all ages smiling and having fun.  But you won’t see many people paddling in pairs because tandem sup hasn’t taken off yet.  Enter the Duo Tandem by Pau Hana Surf Supply, a 14 foot long, 32 inch wide sup designed specifically for two paddlers.  The Duo is a great tool to introduce kids and beginners and is also a solid platform for advanced paddlers to race, train, surf and just have fun together.

Despite being a full time writer, it has been a long time since I've had my own byline. The latest issue of Adoptive Families has a story I wrote in it. The story is just a little, personal reflection on first meeting our little love bug.

23 mai 2013

Ça va cartonner en kayak à Douarnenez !

Certains finalisent encore leur embarcation pour La grande régate des bateaux en carton du 26 mai 2013

photo Didier Cariou

Ça cartonne ! à Douarnenez

---

23 mai 2013

A solo sea kayak expedition in East Greenland

Une expédition en solo au Groenland Est, c'est ce que prépare Geoff Murray.

Je l'ai rencontré l'été dernier avant de rentrer du Groenland, alors qu'il terminait lui aussi une randonnée en groupe. Geoff est photographe, il se frotte habituellement aux mers de Tasmanie.
Le Groenland l'a "envoûté" et il repart cette année se confronter seul à cette nature.

Arctic fox - photo Geoff Murray

Il décrit sa préparation dans un blog dédié, thème par thème : matériel, sécurité, itinéraire, communication...

A lire :
A solo sea kayak expedition in East Greenland's Ammassalik region

---

15 mai 2013

L'Armen

04-05 Mai 2013 - Temps nuageux à clair, vent NO 3 Bft, houle 1,5 mètre - coeff 55-60

Après une 1ère virée en septembre 2010, j'avais en moi le désir d'y retourner un jour. La proposition était tentante en ce début mai, et l'idée de revoir le phare d'Armen fraichement repeint était franchement irrésistible.

Armen en vue, samedi 4 mai 2013 vers 17h

De la baie à l'île, via les phares

Au départ de la baie des Trépassés, de nombreux kayakistes sont présents, le club de Plouhinec est en sortie conviviale à la journée. Toute cette bande qui se jette dans les rouleaux me fait penser aux petites tortues tout justes nées qui se précipitent à la mer.

Notre petite équipe de 4 file directement sur La Vieille, on la contourne en fin de flot, puis on met le cap sur Tévennec. Débarquer s'y avère impossible, après une pause au pied de cette maison-phare devant laquelle est à nouveau scellée une croix blanche, il est temps de pointer sur Sein.

Phare de Tévennec

Sein et ses galets

Le soleil augmente encore notre plaisir de remettre le pied sur "l'île", une longue pause sur les galets chauds nous permet d'attendre le moment favorable pour s'engager vers le phare d'Armen.

C'est dans la 2è moitié du jusant que nous embarquons pour rallier le phare distant de 7,5 milles de l'île, posté au bout de La Chaussée de Sein. Cette virée représente donc 15 milles sans possibilité de mettre pied à terre, en progressant vers l'ouest, sur une mer incertaine et forcément houleuse.

Escale à Sein

A nous l'aventure

Peu après avoir quitté Sein, nous repérons quelques phoques, et puis c'est une bande de grands dauphins que nous apercevons, chassant dans le courant entre les rochers.

Nous passons par la balise Namouic, la houle y déferle et surprend 2 d'entre-nous, cela se termine par une pagaie bois cassée en prenant appui sur la vague déferlante ! Il vaut mieux être équipé d'une bonne pagaie de secours en toute circonstance...

Ce n'est pas du tout la pétole et mer calme que nous avions eu lors de ma 1ère virée. Nous poursuivons mais la houle et le courant lèvent quelques vagues surprenantes, je me demande au fur et à mesure de notre progression ce que nous allons trouver à l'approche de l'Armen car c'est là que le courant est le plus fort.

Aucun bateau dans la zone, impression d'être seuls au monde, pourtant nous apercevons vers l'ouest un sous-marin qui a fait surface. Nos seuls compagnons sont ceux qui nous survolent, quelques Puffins des anglais, Guillemots de troil et Fous de bassan.

Il trône sublimement

Alors que nous sommes à l'approche de la tour noire et blanche, les nuages se déchirent et nous dévoilent une très belle lumière propice aux photos, quelle chance, quelle récompense aux audacieux

Houle à Armen

La houle est bien présente, impossible d'aborder le phare, pas même à la nage. Le courant se fait encore fortement sentir dans toute la zone à 2 heures de la basse mer, même par coefficient 50. On profite de ce lieu si particulier pendant un bon moment, en tournant autour de "la roche", l'Armen.

Eh oui Nico, 2è fois !

Le phare a retrouvé ses couleurs, la peinture fraîche fait plaisir à voir, laissant supposer que la tour est entretenue et ne tombera peut-être pas à l'eau encore de si tôt... ?

Les belles lettres repeintes

Retour vers la planète terre

Il faut se résigner à rentrer, en rejoignant la Chaussée qui va nous reconduire vers Sein. On remet pied à terre en soirée et, pour prolonger ces moments, on savoure une bière apéritive en profitant du coucher de soleil sur la Chaussée à marée basse. Que du magnifique !

Au bout de la Chaussée, Armen est allumé

Le matin, levant les yeux au ciel, nous sommes surpris par les traces d'un feu d'artifice, c'est le missile qui a explosé en vol en baie d'Audierne, tiré par le sous-marin que nous avons vu la veille, ou un autre (?). On n'étaient pas si seuls que ça dans le secteur...

Merci à la petite équipe nord-finistérienne pour cette très belle virée, Laurent pour le programme de navigation et les photos, Nico, et Armel.

En rentrant sur le continent, on a laissé un bout de soi là bas, inévitablement, au bout de cette destination "tout à l'ouest"...

---

02 mai 2013

Le piège blanc

Cela promet des images extraordinaires : 1000 kms en kayak pendant 2 mois l'été dernier sur la côte Est du Groenland. C'est ce que 2 hommes ont parcouru, en plongeant, et en filmant ! Les plongées sous-marines devraient être passionnantes.

A voir demain vendredi 03 mai dans Thalassa : des extraits sont également disponibles sur le site de l'émission.

---

02 mai 2013

Un mug à piston en inox

En bivouac, comment se faire un bon thé ou café ?

Voilà une bonne solution : dans ce mug à piston on met les ingrédients en vrac, on verse l'eau chaude, ça infuse et on presse!

Ce mug en inox est solide et conserve bien la chaleur sans être chaud à l'extérieur. Une fois le piston pressé, une ouverture est prévue pour boire. Il y a aussi un modèle avec un couvercle séparé.

Des bons p'tit déjs en perspective pour les puristes, et plus écologiques que les sachets et les dosettes !

Chez Bodum, modèle "Travel Press"

---

02 mai 2013

Un Nordkapp à vendre

Ce n'est pas n'importe lequel, c'est celui de Didier Plouhinec : Ajungilaq est à vendre, 1900 euros.

Tous les détails techniques sur ce kayak sur le blog de Didier.

---

02 mai 2013

Des phares convoités

A découvrir : des exemples de ré-emploi des phares. Au menu : la restauration de Tévennec, l'apiculture au Stiff, et plein d'autres petites choses de la vie...

Émission "360° - GÉO" (Arte +7, 42 min)

---

01 mai 2013

SUP à Berder !

La concurrence commence à se faire rude à Berder (Golfe du Morbihan) : un Stand Up Paddle y tient une bonne place, il nous a épatés. Par contre la cohabitation avec les kayaks est périlleuse, il faut y aller chacun son tour si on veut éviter le jeu de quilles...

Stand Up Paddle

Coeff 104 dimanche 28 avril : les kayakistes ont profité d'une superbe session, le CKCV - Canoë Kayak Club de Vannes a bien voulu prêter un bout de "sa" vague aux finistériens

Anas acuta Valley et Pilgrim NDK

---

01 mai 2013

Kayak Univers

C'est la "petite encyclopédie" du kayak : on y trouve une foule d'informations dans tous les domaines relatifs à la pratique du kayak.

Un site richement illustré : le vrai plus ce sont les infographies, les planches de l'encyclopédie, qui décrivent simplement diverses notions techniques ou marines.

Un très bon site généraliste, à explorer sans fin... Kayak-univers.com

---

>>> avril 2013 :

Semaine du Golfe
Weekend CK/mer - Initiation aux courants du Golfe
La boucle Isthme de Penthièvre - Houat
Une visite à l'atelier Kerlo, constructeur bois

It was raining at 11:30 this morning when we sailed away from the B and B Yacht Design workshop. Boatbuilders Alan, Graham and Robert saw us off. Out of Chapel Creek onto the Bay River we sailed in our rain gear past Vandemere with a favorable SW wind. Our cruise up the ICW was powered by a tail wind. The sun emerged and the rain slowly ended somewhere along the ICW. By 4pm we were mostly all

Idag var det onsdagspaddling med Karlstads Långfärdspaddlare, vi blev 9 st som tog en kvällstur.
Vi startade vid Zakrisdalsudden och paddlade söderut. Dominique var paddelvärd och Helge ordnade fint väder.

Si è appena conclusa un'intensa settimana di corsi BCU in canoa canadese sul Fiume Ticino con Phil Hadley.
Il nostro Coach preferito è tornato per l'ennesima volta in Italia e ha dato prova delle sue eclettiche competenze didattiche proponendo due divertenti ed istruttivi corsi per le 3 e 4 stelle BCU.
Il tempo è stato clemente soltanto per un paio di giorni, poi le zanzare hanno preso il sopravvento.
Il gruppo di allievi era particolarmente omogeneo e ben amalgamato perchè avevano già tutti partecipato al L1Coach del maggio 2012 e al 3 stelle sea kayak del novembre 2012: contagiati dall'entusiasmo di Phil abbiamo atteso qualche altro mese per poter migliorare le nostre competenze tecniche con un'imbarcazione differente.
C'è qualcosa di magico nel modo in cui una barca tanto larga si lascia condurre in corrente con una pagaia ad una sola pala. Toni mi ha confortato con le sue osservazioni filosofiche sull'universo liquido e sulle sensazioni tattili del legno in acqua... e mi ha prestato la sua barca per i successivi giorni sul Lago Maggiore!

Our favorite Coach came back to Italy for running 3 and 4 star BCU courses. The weather was clement only for a couple of days, then the mosquitos have taken the advantage on the canoists.
The group was particularly homogeneous and well amalgamate because they already were in the L1Coach in May 2012 and in the 3 stars sea kayak in November 2012.
There is something magic in a wide boat allows you to paddle down stream in a so easy way... Toni helped me with his philosophical observations about the liquid universe and the tactile feelings of the wood into the water... and above all he lent me his beautiful blue boat for the following days on the Lake Maggiore for the L1Coach!

Rolldrottningen Helen Wilson och hennes man Mark Tozer hänger lite i Sverige även i år. Helen lär ut rolleri och Mark kör lite kurser bland annat inom BCU-systemet.

Först ut är nu i helgen på West Coast Water i Tanum, 24-26 maj

Men sen startar Nordic Tour den 17:e juni. Här finns komplett lista; http://www.greenlandorbust.org/nordic-tour-june-17-to-august-14/

Här ett par exempel på platser de besöker:

Seakayak Billdal, Göteborg, 25, 26, 28, 29 juni

Ateljé Vind, Hunnebostrand, 13-14 juli

Kföresund, Malmö, 27 juli

Kajaksyd, Nytäppet/Matvik/Hällaryd, Blekinge

Vänerkajak, Karlstad, 7-8 juli

Kajakcenter, Grebbestad, 5-6 juli

Nynäs Kajak, Nynäshamn, 29 juli – 4 augusti.

Sjöstaden Kajak, Stockholm, 7 augusti och 9 augusti

 

Two below zero. Leaves in the water, wind in the sky, stormy sea at the horizon, air filled of wet: Camogli is more than ever deserted. All the sea is just for us. Due sotto zero. Foglie in acqua, vento nel cielo, mare agitato all'orizzonte, aria piena di umido: Camogli è più deserta che mai. Tutto il mare è solo per noi.

In all of East Greenland, there are only 7 settlements. They are: Kulusuk, Tasiilaq, Isertoq, Tiniteqilaq, Kuummiut, Sermiligaq and finally Ittorqqortoormiit in Scoresby Sund 600 kms to the north.
This is an indication of just how inhospitable this landscape is, the East coast is roughly 2,500 km long and it supports only a little over 3,100 people

The first 6 settlements all lie south of the Arctic Circle and total a population of 2665 as of 2010.



Tasiilaq









Kulusuk






Kuummiut



Isertoq

Isertoq is an isolated settlement to the South East of Ammassalik Island with a population of only 93 people.



Tiniteqilaq


Tiniteqilaq, on the edge of the stunning Sermilik Fjord, has a population of 134.






Sermiligaaq

And Sermiligaaq has 222.

On my last trip I visited Kulusuk, Tasiilaq, Tiniteqilaq and Kuummiut. Hopefully on this next visit I will also get to Sermiligaaq. The weather will decide...

It appears that these Eastern settlements maintain a far more traditional way of life compared to Western Greenland which has been heavily influenced by Danish culture.
Europeans arrived in the Ammassalik area only around 120 years ago. Contact was made very late due to the difficulty of navigating these waters with only a relatively small window of ice free conditions.

Compare this to the settlement of South Greenland by Eric the Red and his Viking countrymen. Eric the Red first landed in Greenland in 982 AD and by 1000 AD there were some 3,000 people living in 300 to 400 farms.



Sermilik Fjord



This area of Greenland occasionally experiences katabatic winds called Pitteraqs. These can utterly destroy everything in their path. In 1970, a Pitteraq destroyed Tasiilaq, with wind gusts up to 324 kph. The town was subsequently rebuilt.



Karale Glacier

 The water temperature in the fjords was as low as 1.9C on our last trip and there is a constant cracking and booming as the ice and icebergs shift, roll and decay. This necessitates the wearing of a full Goretex drysuit for safe travel.

Nevertheless, this is a stunning landscape that instantly slipped into my blood and said "you WILL return".



And I am. In September 2013 I will embark on a 10 day solo sea kayak expedition in this awesome landscape. Hiring the same kayak as I used before, I intend to paddle out of Tassilaq harbour on the 30th August, weather permitting, and head up Ammassalik Fjord. On the third day I will enter the massive, iceberg choked Sermilik Fjord and if conditions allow I will paddle down to a hut located 10kms south of the outlying Inuit settlement of Tiniteqilaq.
This fjord, 100kms long and fed by one of the world's most active glaciers, the Helheim Glacier which moves at the staggering speed of 11 kms per annum, adds a huge number of icebergs to the North Atlantic ocean. It has been studied by scientists concerned with global warming and has produced some interesting facts.



Sermilik Fjord icebergs






Last time we camped at nearby Karale Glacier and from a small rise I was able to count 29 glaciers in a 360 degree view!! This is the land of ice and glaciers.





Moonrise over Apeserajik

 Leaving Knud Rassmussen Glacier I will begin making my way back to Tassilaq, 85kms distant.

Weather forecasts will be vital for safe travel here and they will dictate my movements totally. Travelling alone, I am aware that all decisions and judgements need to be conservative and safety based so during unsettled or bad weather I will stop and wait.



Sermilik Fjord evening



I just got back from spending three days out on the Strait with the 6th grade class of Annie Wright School. We worked on beach surveys and clean ups at four different locations near Twin Rivers, Salt Creek and the mouth of the Elwha. The kids took part in setting up the grid, identifying the transects to be surveyed and in the actual counting process itself. It was not only a great chance for the students to learn about marine debris and how it is charted, but it was also a learning process for me about what works and what doesn’t when presenting the issue to different age groups. They were a great group of kids and I am very happy with the work we were able to get accomplished.

The beaches we worked are fairly heavily visited and I’m pretty sure they were cleaned up last month during the big Earth Day beach sweep. We didn’t find too much debris, but we did find some. (Surprisingly, the beach right at Salt Creek had the most plastic debris, even though it is probably the target of more clean ups than the others. It’s a hook-shaped beach that might be a collector… it would be interesting to see if past studies would confirm this.) Once I get the results together, we’ll be sending the completed report into NOAA to be added to the database.

Looking forward to doing more of these as the educational aspect of the Ikkatsu Project continues to grow.

A lunar month has almost gone by and it's time for another full moon paddle but the weather does not seem to want us to have another wonderful evening this time. Check this blog or twitter before you leave home to find out if we are on.

Launched late Thursday morning, it's a wet one.

We drove up to B&B Yachts this morning where we planned to launch. I met Chief of the Watertribe there, he is on his way back to Florida after hosting the new Okumefest Challenge on the Chesapeake. He had checked out some possible checkpoints for the NC Pamlico Challenge, and I drove him over to meet Shawn at Pates Boatyard in Hobucken, one of the planned NCPC checkpoints. The wind is howling

Heute sollte mein Kajak, nach zweieinhalb Wochen Abwesenheit (nach dem Brienzersee und vor dem Lago Maggiore war es zwischengelagert gewesen) wieder zu seinem Trockenplatz am See zurückkehren.

Nach dem Oeffnen des Tors, sah ich ihn schon weitem, den Schwan, direkt unter meinem Platz. Er thronte ganz entspannt auf seinem Nest und als wir uns naeherten, fauchte er zunaechst nicht einmal – aber er blockierte meinen Platz unmissverstaendlich.

Was nun? Dieser Platz hat ja für mich den grossen Vorteil, dass ich mein Boot von dort aus, ohne allzu grosse Anstrengungen, selbstaendig ins Wasser bringen kann (und auch wieder vom Wasser zum Platz). Und ich moechte ja die Moeglichkeit haben, dies wenigstens ab und zu auch zu machen…

Ich war ratlos und telefonierte der Hafenverwaltung. Nachdem ich mein Problem geschildert hatte, meinte die Dame, es kaeme in 10 Minuten jemand vorbei. Es war dann ein Polizeiauto mit zwei Beamten der Seepolizei, das aufkreuzte. Nun standen 4 Leute, 2 davon in Uniform, in respektvollem Abstand um den Schwan herum, der sich gehoerig aufplusterte, jedoch nicht allzu aggressiv schein.

Nach Besprechung der Situation und einigem Hin-und Her wurde entschieden, das Boot, leicht verschoben, trotzdem auf seinem Platz zu lagern. Ob ich, als Nicht-Fussgaengerin, es dann allerdings alleine vom Platz zum Wasser bringen kann, ohne mit dem Schwan in Konflikt zu kommen, das wird sich erst zeigen…

Aber Schwaene brueten ja nicht monatelang, sodass der Belagerungszustand nicht allzu lange dauern sollte. Ich vermute mal, dass das Nest nun seit knapp 20 Tagen dort ist und rechne mit weiteren 20 Tagen. Schade, dass ich das Ganze nicht fotografiert habe, aber ich war so beschaeftigt, eine Loesung fuer die Lagerung meines Boots zu finden, dass das untergegangen ist. Stattdessen ein Foto aus der Badischen Zeitung:

Today I had planned to put my kayak back on the boatsplace, after the tour on Lago Maggiore. But just under my place there was a swan breeding…! After having phoned to the administration, they sent two officers from the “Seepolizei” (police for the lake).  They also couldn’t do much, we just decided to put the boat oblique on the rack. But I’m not sure I’ll be able to go kayaking (alone) on the lake the next few weeks knowing the swans to be susceptible to everyone coming near their nest…

Il 20 di Luglio alle ore 21:00, presso la base nautica di Laveno (Varese), sul Lago Maggiore, della Lega Navale Italina sezione di Varese presenterò il video relativo alla circumnavigazione della Sardegna che spero di completare nelle prossime settimane.

Y'know that GoPro camera John uses for some of the great photos he posts here on the Kayak Yak blog? He's not the only one using these portable sport-y cameras.
Biologist Brad Josephs put a GoPro out in an Alaskan river to get some photos of grizzly bears fishing. Got a little more than that -- one bear tried to eat the camera. Amazing images. I had no idea that bears' palates had such deep ridges!
Check out his video!

MONTRÉAL — L’honorable Denis Lebel, ministre des Transports, de l’Infrastructure et des Collectivités, ministre de l’Agence de développement économique du Canada pour les régions du Québec et ministre des Affaires intergouvernementales, a annoncé aujourd’hui un financement de plus de 1,8 million de dollars dans la sécurité nautique. Ce financement, réparti sur trois ans, servira à la réalisation de onze projets de sensibilisation à la sécurité nautique dans le cadre du Programme de contribution pour la sécurité nautique (PCSN). « Nous sommes heureux d’appuyer des organismes sans but lucratif, des organismes de sécurité publique, les administrations locales et d’autres institutions pour mettre en place des programmes de sécurité nautique efficaces dans les collectivités canadiennes », a dit le ministre Lebel. « Ensemble, nous renforçons la sécurité des voies navigables et nous contribuons ...

Malgré le geste héroïque de son ami qui a réussi à l'extirper de sa très fâcheuse position sous l'eau, une jeune surfeuse a rendu l'âme après avoir chuté dans les rapides de Lachine, ce mercredi avant-midi. Vers 11 h, deux jeunes femmes surfaient sur les rapides près de l'intersection du boulevard LaSalle et de la rue Raymond. Ce secteur est très prisé par les adeptes de ce sport et les kayakistes. «Elle a effectué une fausse manoeuvre et s'est retrouvée sous l'eau, coincée entre sa planche et un arbre penché au-dessus de l'eau. Elle est restée sous l'eau plusieurs minutes», explique l'agent François Collard, porte-parole de la police de Montréal. En fait, les ambulanciers estiment que la femme a passé entre cinq et huit minutes sous l'eau. L'amie de la victime a rapidement alerté les services d'urgence, et des amis. L'un d'eux a accouru sur les lieux. Il a réussi en s'agrippant sur l'arbre cassé et penché au ras de l'eau, à alle ...

Ever wonder how old dudes such as Christopher Crowhurst, Dubside and Cheri Perry maintain their amazing stretchiness despite fast approaching senescence?   I don’t know about you, but I have found the relentless passage  of time has made it a bit harder to both stay in shape as well as to preserve the dexterity and limberness of my youth.   The answer for these folks and many others has been yoga.

Come to our May OOPS event to meet Elaine Cohn, kayaker and yoga instructor who promises us an evening of learning yoga specifically designed to help the kayaker.

Elaine promises she’ll give us the opportunity to get out of our chairs and onto the floor to learn some simple and useful poses. If folks are interested, we’ll schedule a kayak + yoga OOPS trip for later in the summer.

---

Here’s Elaine,  ”No, this isn’t about getting into twisted poses and being turned upside down when you are paddling. It’s about doing gentle stretches and poses so that your kayaking muscles don’t feel so stiff or sore after a day out on the water.    . . .

Yoga for kayaking can help – it stretches the muscles we use and strengthens the muscles we don’t use as we paddle.  It keeps us flexible and maintains range of motion in our hips which can lead to back pain and even back injury.  Furthermore, it can help with balance, endurance, kayak fatigue and allow you to get in and out of the boat more easily (and gracefully!)”

 

Elaine Cohn holds an M.S. in Human Movement from Boston University, an M.Ed. from Portland State University and is a Nationally Certified Counselor with additional certification in Eco-Art Therapy.  She has been a Certified Kripalu Yoga Instructor since 1997.

With over 20 years of experience in the field of education, Elaine’s passion is to help people live full, healthy and balanced lives as well as respect and value themselves, one another and the world we live in.  As a wellness professional, Elaine co-developed and implemented the first U.S. Coast Guard Work-Life Wellness Program as well as created and taught health and wellness classes at Boston University, Portland State University, University of Oklahoma’s Health Promotion Department for Native Americans, PacifiCare Wellness Co. and the Internal Revenue Service.  As Ombudsman and Associate Director of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity at Portland State University, Elaine worked with diverse groups of individuals with a broad array of cultural perspectives, interests and abilities.

 

---

The meeting will be held Wednesday May 29th, 6PM  at our usual venue Lucky Lab Brew Pub 675 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, OR 97219

(503) 244-2537

luckylab.com http://goo.gl/maps/6tE0s Schedule Social Time 6:00 PM General Meeting 7:00 PM You do not need to be an OOPS member to attend, so please come if you are interested! ______________________________________ Our Website RSVP on Meetup

De fleste kender sikkert Søsportens Sikkerhedsråd som dem, der udgiver gode råd om omgang med hav og vand. Hvem husker ikke rådet: “Kun en fisk frygter ikke havet” og “Følg Søsportens sikkerhedsråd”…

Og Sikkerhedsrådet har da også et par artikler om brug af kajak. Det er imidlertid nogle ganske overraskende råd Sikkerhedsrådet giver, når det drejer sig om kajak.

Overraskende for mig er, at det anbefales, at kajak kun anvendes i sommerhalvåret. Jeg tror ikke, at Sikkerhedsrådet har den store viden om havkajak og det er måske OK, men det bør de så erkende og lade sig rådgive af nogle erfarene kajakroere. Må jeg anbefale Søsportens Sikkerhedsråd at tage kontakt med f.eks. Dansk Kano og Kajakforbund, Danske Gymnastik- og Idrætsforeninger eller Havkajakroerne. Her er der kompetente personer, der kan gøre anbefalingerne mere anvendelige. Ellers virker det jo lettere morsomt – og noget, der bare skal ignoreres. Alene ordet “kajaksejlere” i overskriften antyder niveauet.

Det er en ommer. Stram op.

Du kan læse og grine af Søsportens Sikkerhedsråds “Sikkerhed for kano og kajaksejlere” her.

Here's another photo from Saturday that I really liked. We didn't have a very big turnout on Saturday - there wasn't as much advance publicity as we've sometimes done, and then instead of the perfect weather that had been forecast (72 degrees, partly sunny, light winds) it was overcast and drizzly, which tends to make people not want to come out boating.

However this year's event did have an extremely high c.q. - Cuteness Quotient! And I think we have to thank the revivified Canoe Committee for that. With more canoes in the mix (and there were more canoes plying the Paerdegat on Saturday then I think I've ever seen out there), suddenly there's a perfect spot for the youngsters who are a little too little to keep up in a kayak - and the kids seem to love it. In fact I think it was the littlest of the three girls, the one in the blue lifejacket, who burst into tears when her first canoe trip of the day was over and it was time to get out of the big "canot du Nord" and give her paddle back (all of us on the dock were SO worried when we heard the sobs because at first we were afraid she'd gotten scared, but it was quite the opposite). Fortunately Dan Olsen, our canoe committee chair, was ready and willing to get the group back out on the water in one of our smaller canoes, and here she's all smiles again. A paddler is born? We don't know for sure but it certainly looks like a possibility. Hooray for canoes!

And to anyone out there who works on a bigger boat - happy National Maritime day. There's a very nice, if somewhat sad, post in honor of the day over on the Old Salt Blog -- I'll finish this off with a link to that:http://www.oldsaltblog.com/2013/05/musings-on-national-maritime-day-the-wisdom-of-pogo/

You never quite know whats going to happen on a circumnavigation which is one of the things I love about it but if anyone had told me we would end up staying in two of west corks finest hotels and going paddling with journalists from vogue then I wouldn’t have believed them. Yet here we [...]

Taking a break from kayaking and going sailing with Paul on our Core Sound 20, "the Dawn Patrol".  We'll be taking it easy getting some much needed R&R, and doing some scouting of the route for the new WaterTribe NC Pamlico Challenge (NCPC).   I'll be managing the NC challenges in late September, and Paul will likely be sailing/racing it. We'll have our SPOT on, you can follow our route here.

The bay where Bernie and I live and usually take our kayaks has an odd name. It's easy to pronounce and easy to spell, and isn't a familar or ordinary word. It's Cadboro.
The bay was named after a ship built in the shipyard at Rye in England for the Hudson's Bay Company in 1824, the brigantine Cadborough, later known as the Cadboro. The "borough" part is a familiar English word, and though it used to be pronounced Cad-bor-ufhh ending with a rough gutteral sound like the -ch in the Scottish word loch, it seems that the ship's name was pronounced Cad-bor-ow by the time the Cadboro arrived here on the West Coast in 1827.

Here's a photo of the bay from a high point on the bluff.

I found a photo of the bay at Saanich Parks' website, on their page about Gyro Park on the Cadboro Bay shoreline. Check it out here, or another page here.

It's interesting to paddle here and learn a little about the recent boating history of the area, and the ship for which the bay was named. This brigantine was a fairly light and small ship with two masts and several sails, 56 feet long with a beam of 17 feet at its widest point. That's pretty big when compared with the many yachts at the Royal Victoria Yacht Club here in the bay, but not big at all when compared to the mega-yachts that will berth new marina proposed for Victoria harbour. When the Cadboro was travelling along the Coast, there were many First Nations canoes that were both longer and higher above the waterline.

The name Cadborough has been sticking in my mind, though, after finding references to the Cadboro in Nancy Marguerite Anderson's interesting book, The Pathfinder: A.C. Anderson's Journeys in the West. So I looked the word up online, and found a book of local history by Danda Humphrey -- On The Street Where You Live, Volume 3: Sailors, Solicitors, and Stargazers of Early Victoria. Here's a link to an excerpt from Humphrey's book, where you can see some photos of the bay pre-1900 and a drawing of the ship.

I also found some references to Cadborough, which is a town in East Sussex, England, part of Rye where the ship was built. There's even a place that rents out holiday cottages, called Cadborough Farm.

The upshot of all this Cadborough talk for kayakers is a confirmation that while Cadboro Bay is a great place to paddle, and apparently has been since the end of the Ice Age, plan to keep your kayak out of the parking lot at Cadboro-Gyro Park on August 11, 2013. That's the day of the summer festival in the park, which will have the parking lot crammed. Both the beach and the picnicking area will be full of people having fun.

Here’s my take on the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: Escape.

Escape by ferry boat.Plotting his escape.Okay, okay, so the car is a Ford Escape, but it’s also one my happy escapes: kayaking.Escaped cattle being rounded up by the whole neighbourhood.Escape into the Forest.Escape down to the sea.Our very favourite escape – Maui.

Monica and I used our west marine inflatable double as a tender for our trip in Natural C-lection to a C-dory gathering in Friday harbour. The inflatable worked well as a tender as it was easy to manoeuver onto the roof and to get in and out of etc. I think it may become our tender of choice for taking with the C-Dory.
I did a couple of trips from Killarney to the C-dory (one leg did not get tracked) as well as a ship to shore trip at Jones Island State Park and a paddle around Guss Island in Garrison Bay.

click to enlarge

2 km, YTD 354 km

Imorgon 22/5 blir det onsdags-paddling med Karlstads Långfärdspaddlare och i slutet av veckan + helgen paddlas det till Lurö, 2-3 dagar.
Jag tycker att den här delen av året är helt ok.. :)

Bonjour,Le 1er juin prochain une quinzaine de nageurs effectueront la traversée du fleuve Saint-Laurent entre Québec et Lévis et il nous manquerait environ quatre kayakistes pour accompagner les nageurs. Ce ne serait que pour quelques heures, soit de 13h à 15h, et il s'agit d'un super bel évènement au profit de la Fondation Hôtel-Dieu de Lévis. Il y aura un rassemblement à Lévis pour accueillir les nageurs et kayakistes. Plusieurs sont déjà impliqués alors si vous souhaitez faire de même, écrivez-moi (Marie-Christine) à blanes1@parl.gc.ca ou téléphonez-moi au 418-830-0500. Ce défi sportif est une initiative de Steven Blaney, député de Lévis, Bellechasse et Les Etchemins, ministre des Anciens Combattants et ministre de la Francophonie.Merci et au plaisir!

Das verlaengerte Wochenende war schon lange geplant gewesen, sonst waeren wir wohl an Pfingsten nicht in den Sueden gefahren. Denn der Wetterbericht war fuers Tessin und Norditalien deutlich schlechter als fuer die Nordostschweiz…

Es hatte im Vorfeld so viel geregnet, so dass der Lago Maggiore schon an vielen Stellen ueber die Ufer getreten war – und es sollte waehrend der drei Tage auch noch weiter regnen. Natuerlich war es auch entsprechend kuehl, abends und nachts.

Dennoch gelang es uns, jeden Tag ein paar Stunden zu finden, in denen die Bedingungen ziemlich angenehm waren. Statt mehrere laengere Touren zu machen, nutzten wir den Sonntag und den Montagmorgen vor allem fuer Technikuebungen: Paddelschlaege, Kanten, Stuetzen usw. Enrico von TiKayak hat wirklich ein Talent, auch weniger bewegliche Paddler dazu zu bringen, sich zu verbessern. Super!

Hier ein paar Impressionen vom Wochenende:

beim Campingplatz Concadoro

isola dei pescatori

in Aktion

mein Pilgrim

in Richtung Lago di Mergozzo(Naturschutzgebiet Fondotoce)

weiter oben im Kanal, Treibholz

sogar etwas Sonne…

Slalom zwischen den Baeumen, die im Wasser stehen

Slalom rueckwaerts

kleine Tour auf der 13m-Segelyacht von Maurizio

unser Skipper

Insgesamt war es, trotz unguenstiger meteorologischer Bedingungen, ein Wochenende, aus dem ich einige schoene Erinnnerungen mitnehme. Die nette Begegnung mit Maurizio, der schoene Campingplatz (mit einfacher, aber guter italienischer Kueche), die Musik von Fabrizio de Andrè, die Broschüre mit Reis-Rezepten (heute schon eines davon ausprobiert) – und viel, viel Bewegung im Kajak…

Translation of the “essence”:

I don’t remember a single kayak-weekend with really nice and warm weather during the last few weeks… But we went, as we had planned to the Verbano lake (Lago Maggiore). There were quite a few places under water, for the inhabitants nit very funny. For us not a big problem with our kayaks. As it was also quite chilly we mainly did technique, only on saturday we went to the island of fishermen (isola dei pescatori) and had our lunch there. The crossing was not too easy, with wind and waves. But we had a lot of fun again with Enrico from TiKayak.

Very nice also the encounter with Maurizio from the Concadoro Camping, he even invited us to have a short trip on his sailing yacht!

Svenska Kanotförbundet har ofta verkat lite sega, i alla fall från vårt Toppluvepaddlarperspektiv.
Men nu finns en webredaktör på plats som ska uppdatera med nyheter om vad som händer.
Webbredaktör är Per Fredin som tidigare jobbade på tidningen Paddling.

Än så länge hittar jag inget RSS-flöde men det får vi hoppas kommer så man kan följa med (bara det inte blir för raktfram/bråttom-relaterat).

Mer hos Svenska Kanotförbundet.

I am still returning mentally after an intense IDW workshop in Big Bay, MI. It was led by Sam Crowley who was kind enough to allow me on staff as an IT candidate. Jeremy Vore, a talented Level 4 ACA certified instructor was also a huge part of the event.

My first take away was the sense of organization and the thought put into the sequence of topics and events. Sam made me aware (I finally got it) about the difference between the staff presenting (to model teaching, not so much to teach the skill) and the candidates presenting (practicing what staff was modeling). Still with me? Time was precious and Sam showed me ways to keep things moving and getting from A to B with the minimum gnashing of teeth.

I was assigned classroom topics and spent a good deal of time writing lesson plans, gathering info and props and practicing. My chart presentation, intro to the ACA , talks on crossings and rules of the road all could have been better; but I felt that I got to the bones and passed on what the IC's needed. I intend to continue to improve on all of that.

On the water Sam taught me when he didn't know he was teaching me (yeah, I know, he always knows).  All I had to do was watch him model ways to engage a group, keep them moving and to remain STUDENT FOCUSED (heard you, Sam). Every time I gathered a nugget I made every effort to incorporate it into my very next lead role.

The students ranged from their early 20's to a young guy who was in his 50's. By the end of the workshop, as they did team presentations, I saw a bonding of colleagues with common goals supporting one another. As we did a final one on one, I (and I suspect Sam and Jeremy) were impressed by the insights of the IC's feedback. Most of them got it, knew what their future work needed to be and were positive around all we told them. That is a successful workshop (Kudos to Sam).

I cannot end this without a word about Jeremy who, although many years my junior, has much more butt in the boat time than do I. He is an accomplished paddler (was once a BCU Coach) and an effective (if sometimes poly-verbal) instructor. Far more importantly, in my judgment, he is a fine person with a remarkable sense of who he is, insight into what others need and integrity beyond what I see in most people these days. He is the future.

So, now it is time to organize all the notes and thoughts  that returned with me so I don't repeat my old mistakes. Oh yes, I must get to a book store and buy something for Sam. Anyone know of a book titled, "Jokes Guaranteed Not To Make Intelligent People Groan"?


Paddle safe...
DS

My trousers are straining as I try to finish the sea food platter and guiness at the luxury inchydoney lodge.it doesn’t sound like expedition paddling but it is today! Paddling legend jim kennedy of atlantic sea kayaking arranged for us to stay here for a night which was a fantastic surprise and treat.its a gorgeous [...]

Here are a few pics of a paddle making workshop held by CanvasCanoes over in Scotland (see previous post about them here). Really like the ridged & scalloped grip in the 2nd shot. The whole set of photos can be viewed on their facebook album.

On my last visit to Greenland, I took my main meals with me. There is a company here in Tasmania that provides dried meals and I thought it would be convenient to carry my food with me, and purchase the rest when I arrived in Iceland. There are two problems with that arrangement. The meals just add weight to an already too heavy pack and the airlines charge accordingly. And trying to buy food in a country where all of the packages are labelled in Icelandic is ......... difficult :-)

I am also pretty sure that I didn't take enough food with me and suffered as a result through a lack of energy.

This time I have organised for a UK company, Outdoors Grub, to supply my food. They come with a good reputation and they have gathered together the best outdoor food available under the one roof.

They provide two levels of day ration packs, Standard (2900 kcal) and Extreme (4100 kcal). The owner, Chris Frizelle, suggested that as I would be using a fair bit of energy covering 30+ kms a day in a sea kayak, the Extreme packs would be best.

And I have to say, their service and helpfulness is stunningly good. Chris is going above and beyond the call of duty to make sure the food gets to me. Thanks Chris!

We paddled steadily onward down the Fort George River, which is unusual in having State Parks on both banks. 





The water is shallow and warm, the river is a dynamic environment of shifting sandbars edged with saltmarsh habitats.



 

This was a fun trip!  Those who hadn't paddled previously were able to relax and enjoy our journey in sheltered water.  Iain had a huge grin all day - even after an unplanned swim whilst enthusiastically practising turns.......  :o)




We paddled under the bridge which carries the A1A  road.  The tidal stream was running nicely under the bridge and gave a bit of easy moving water to play in.




Once past the bridge we turned north along the course of the river, which is protected from the Atlantic Ocean by a long sand spit.  Near the end we pulled up onto the white sand for a break.  This far out along the sand we shared it only with gulls, waders and Pelicans.





 Joe demonstrated sculling for support, with a Florida twist - no spraydeck.....   Supporting the flooding boat was a most impressive effort

Cooler weather is back in South East Queensland and that prompted me to get off my (kayaking) arse and head for the hills. Summer just doesn’t cut it for donning a pack and walk in the heat; I don’t do well schlepping a load on my back when the heat and humidity is high and that’s why years ago I started sea kayaking anyway. 4 days away from salt water (and fibreglass) is what I really wanted