Been a busy summer!

First post in a while...

Its been a busy summer for the Canadian Paddlers!  Sammy and myself have been very occupied with work and many other activities.  First, I guess I have to talk about our recent membership to "Team Fat Paddler."

TFP is an international team of like minded paddlers that dedicate themselves to having fun on the water.  The "Fat Paddler" Sean Smith, is the leader of our group.  Sammy and I have been added to the team as the first international members!  Sammy herself, is the first woman on the team and as such, has her own title as the only "Midshipwoman" in a crew of a male dominated team.

Sammy and I have recently participated in our first sanctioned event, right here in Thunder Bay, ON.  "Conquer the Dog" Is a triathlon and relay event coined as a "Paddle, Pedal and Pound" race.  To check out the event, check out www.conquerthedog.ca.  To read the fatpaddler write up check out www.fatpaddler.com its worth your time!

I have never done any sort of race, let alone played or participated in any kind of sport, but we rocked it! Coming in second in the mixed relay category, set the bar pretty high for next years event.  Sammy and I both paddled 5km and I peddled a hamstring breaking 18km and Sammy ran a hill-filled 5k to near victory!  Most of the competitors were seasoned athletes and I'd say that as weekend-warriors, we did pretty good!

House reno's and work have eaten up most of our summer but we managed to squeeze in this event to bring ourselves to official status as TFP members.

My favourite time to be in the great outdoors is the fall and as such, I have booked plenty of time off work to go adventuring.  Keep checking the blog for updates on that, and if you wish, check out my youtube channel for videos on those adventures.  www.youtube.com/wetpaddles

I'm currently getting packed up for a week long adventure in my canoe, just up the river from the Conquer the Dog event, at the beautiful Dog lake.  I will post my locations on my SPOT page.  Feel free to add me to facebook!  www.facebook.com/wetpaddles

Cheers!

Steve

Kayak Trip Planning

Dealer: "Are you ever going to camp with it?"
You:  "well its for goofing around mostly....pause...  But that sounds really cool!"

  Hopefully the dealer took that and ran with it, because now you just may have a kayak that you can live out of.
"Aww, geez Steve, I was a boy scout for 10 years how hard could camping in a boat be? We used to canoe trip everywhere."

Fair enough.  Then I'll skip the helpful hints like "make sure you have your rain gear"

  So, you are going tripping.  You have your safety gear (pump, paddle, PFD, Petzel headlamp, pretty buoyant rope and non- pea whistle) and you have your kayak.  Your still not ready.  Lets break this down a bit.


1. The vessel.  What are its dimensions?   Most tripping boats are in the 14-18 foot range.  Does it have hatches?  Are the hatches sealed? Are there bulkheads (walls) that divide the boat up into 2 or more compartments?  How wide is it? What is it made of?

2. The setting.  How is your boat going to handle in the worst conditions that particular setting? How windy is it going to be?  What is the shoreline like?  Could you land anywhere?  (this applies more to the  glass/ kevlar folks)

3. Your kit.  What kinds of food do you plan to bring?  Shelter? Tools?  Extras? Do you have the right clothing? Just because you happen to have a 1200 down fill Canada Goose parka, Doesn't mean you are going to be able to bring it...

4. Your Preparedness.  Your experience level has every bearing on your comfort and understanding of your new environment.  As much as your teenage boy doesn't know how to do laundry, if this is your first kayak trip, you don't really know how.  While you may be surrounded by people who can give you every pointer under the sun about kayaking, they are feeding you information based upon things that have worked for them.

  TRY EVERYTHING YOU HEAR (once).  Watch videos online, read books, do research and practice skills like self rescue and rolling.  When an issue arises, you can say "I know what to do!"

  July first, I will be leaving for a 2 night circumnavigation (lap) around a lake in the thick, buggy, tick infested boreal forest of Northern Ontario.
  In the Near North, when ones main stoping ground is the Almighty Lake Superior and camping season doesn't end until November, one is usually happy to pass along any pointers one has acquired.
When you pass that first 2 meter wave and realize that there is less than 15 feet until the next one, you will know what I'm talking about.  When the wind is actually blowing you off the tops of said waves or you are weather-veining 100 deg. every other moment, you will be thinking about every item in that boat and how you packed it.
What could you grab if you needed to?  Has anything blown off the deck?  ARE YOU SINKING AT ALL?

THIS IS A VIDEO of my very first trip with the 2m waves...  < click there

...Again worst case scenario.  Also, that only happened once.  Thats why I'm sharing it.  THIS WEEKEND is about puttering along the shoreline of a very narrow "Arrow Lake".  I will be preparing for bears and bugs mostly.

 Join me as I prepare for my adventure and we will further breakdown all four components of kayak tripping.  We will talk about boat shapes and gear, paddling tips and things that you needn't bother trying.

Cheers!

Steve

Boat Review #1- NECKY Chatham 16

The Chatham 16 is an all around performance boat.  Not only does IT perform, so can you!  

Being a heavier paddler, the Chatham doesn’t have very much freeboard left once I’ve packed myself into it.  Despite all that, she accelerates very quickly.  With a lower top speed due to the chine - less displacement hull , a paddler will have to work a little bit harder to keep a pace going. 

A retractable skeg allows for a little bit of en-route customization.  The kayak will track better or not, depending on your stroke, power, type of paddle and skeg position.  The boat is fairly sensitive.  (more so for glass versions)

In big water this boat excels.  You are a little more at the mercy of the waves than with Chatty’s bigger brothers and sisters but, this is what makes ‘er!  Surfing this boat is fast and pretty easy.  The round hull allows for more predictability in the water.

This boat is great for small- medium paddlers.  The boat is very responsive and can be held in a balance brace in just about any circumstance.  For lighter paddlers, rolling is a SNAP!  The boat has enough rocker that most of the hull is out of the water when it is upside down, giving the paddler a swift advantage.

The cockpit has a smaller combing (diameter) but is fairly roomy for your legs when they need to be wiggled or what have you.   A smaller paddler will have plenty of room in the cockpit or box-office.  The seat in most Chatty’s have a back band system.  This allows for greater flexibility of the paddler, during rolls or just stretching out.  

After 2007 the seat installation was changed and large metal brackets at the inside rim of the combing have been removed.  These brackets just served to hold the seat strap off the paddlers body, but they took up almost half an inch of wiggle room. 

Complete with a day hatch and plenty of deck lines, this boat can be a very versatile tripper.  Lighter paddlers have no problem packing a few days of gear and food and living out of the boat comfortably.  Because the boat has the retractable skeg, space in the aft most hatch, is slightly reduced.

The Chatham 16 is the most fun boat I have ever paddled.  Like a kid in a candy store, you are guaranteed to discover new skills and further perfect your existing skills.  Have fun with this one!

16' 5" / 5 m
WIDTH	22" / 55.8 cm
FIBERGLASS WEIGHT	51 lbs / 23.1 kg
CARBON WEIGHT	46 lbs / 20.8 kg
COCKPIT	30.75" x 14.25" / 78.1 x 36.2 cm

Making a canoe slightly more useful!

Nothing is worse than getting dumped over by waves and then having to swim after all of your gear....
Most experienced canoeists, will have their gear trimmed to; 1. stuff that can float away and make a good story and 2.  stuff that you will die without...  Sammy and myself, are somewhere in the middle.  All of my gear is watertight, but in a last ditch effort to try to swim a canoe to shore, I don't know what I'd grab, beyond emergency gear and rations....

As I get more comfortable with open water paddling, in big lakes (like Superior) I feel the need to separate my gear in to two columns.  1. stuff that I need to live and; 2. stuff I want to have with me.  In no way could, even the most experienced swimmer, pull a canoe and gear to shore, like it was their job...  I'm a former lifeguard and I know for every minute you are off shore by canoe, you would be at least 10 minutes from shore...  So ditch the canoe....  But what about life until you get help?
I'm not at the point of organizing my gear for life or death, but there are a few essential items.  Fire, Food and "Fine Living."

Most paddlers carry a "kit" for last ditch living.  This is a very good idea.  We will get into specifics later, but for now, if you are carrying several bags of stuff, I'm sure there things you could "survive" without.  This, coming from a guy who brings a full size folding dining table to every camp...  A $20 investment should never be thought of; as life or death...  let it sink.  You need a boat, water and fire to survive.  Never tried squirrel, but I would if I had to.


Here's the project.  Add storage options to my canoe, so that essential items stay with the boat and non-essentials, float to wherever they land.

The problem; I don't feel comfortable drilling holes in my hull.
The Solution;  Add flexible options to the existing hardware...  Velcro-ing a GPS to your dashboard.  I doubt you would want to take your new car and drill holes in the dash for anything... your car isn't going to sink but it will look like hell.  A canoe will both sink AND look like hell if you gash it up with aftermarket garbage, so It's best to use whats available...

If your canoe is wood framed it will be a lot easier to outfit, but a glass on aluminum frame will both; lose structural integrity, and damage the finish on the overall product...

So, I added where I could  The foot brace in the stern of my canoe is adjustable, and since, I don't plan on growing anytime soon, I used holes , already drilled in the aluminum "brackets" to mount my addition.

Adding bungees to your canoe can be daunting, as they may add pressure to the structure of the hull.  So, I designed an independent "Thwart" for a bungee chord.  I used recycled wood from a false wall in my basement, so I expect the hardware will break down over time.  I also expect that this will give me a feel for; a weight vs. convenience issue.  For portaging purposes, it may also mess up the balance of the canoe...

The wood and bungee only weigh a few ounces, but it may be enough to make it necessary to keep ballast in the front of the canoe, for portaging.  Adding to the overall weight of the boat.  A rib or 2 has already been repaired, adding a few pounds as it is.  So, with this project, balance and weight were key...

The "thwart" is bolted in with ultralight brass hardware that I pulled from an old wooden sailboat, so deterioration of the wood is all that is a concern.  This concern is no more of that if my yoke, even less.  I used a, gunnel oil, provided by "Badger Paddles" that is both, extremely durable and FOOD SAFE!  Not that I plan to cook food ON my canoe, but If I ever did....

It's a bit of a rough cut, but i feel that it is going to be very effective in, piece of mind.  The gear, that I will need to live, is secured to my canoe...  My extra paddle won't slide around as I edge and if i ever get into "the shit" my "essential items" will be secure.  (And add buoyancy to the canoe)
For a first custom project, I'm very happy with the results.  This project cost me NOTHING except a few AWESOME hours in the shop!

Life is good!
Cheers!
Steve.

The Fleet

Many "Paddlers" are skilled water enthusiasts that own or paddle anything they can get their hands on.  Guilty as charged.  If you have done any amount of paddling, chances are you have seen someone do something really cool, that can only be attributed to their boat.  Yeah, so any kayak can roll and its all in your head, but, If you are sporting a $5000 carbon fibre Tahe "greenland" and I'm trying to copy you in my Cayuga 180....  Well you do the figuring there...



So that, is probably why most of us paddling nuts have several boats.  Most of us are always tweaking and augmenting our fleets.  When we all buy our first boats, the question from the sales person needs to be "what are you going to be doing with it?"  If they didn't ask you that then you should have walked away... That being said, I will reiterate BEGINNERS DON'T KNOW WHAT TO ASK or LOOK FOR.  


This article is not about buying boats, but owning them.  In the same way sail boat people are always obsessing over their precious,  paddle people obsess over theirs.  A kayak / canoe is much easier to maintain then a sailboat or any motor boat for that matter.  I guess its all part of the fun.

My current fleet includes my Tripping boats;  A 17' fibreglass canoe by CLIPPER, the "Tripper" and an 18'  Kevlar Greenland hull kayak called the "Isle" by Current Designs.   My favourite play / short distance boat is my "Chatham 16" by Necky and my alternate goofing around boat is a hot pink Necky "Eliza."  Both of the Necky's are plastic which makes them very versatile, so good boats to have around.

Now that you are a proud, obsessed, boat owner you will need to house these puppies...  I am forever building and changing my systems for storage.  Literally, the easiest way is big saw horses, but some people go the distance to make custom stack racks and whatnot...I'd rather be paddling.  My boats live on 2 sets of 8' saw horses.  My glass and kevlar live on padded 2x6's and the other 2 are on a nice little construction grade platform.  They don't have much shelter from the sun as of right now but the racks will get roofs eventually.

Again, boat ownership is a full time job in and of itself.  My current task is to increase the storage capacity of my canoe.  More specifically, to add hardware for clipping and stowing things to keep paddles and extra gear from being an unorganized mess.  (I haven't got my canoe trips down to 1 big bag yet)

Keep your eyes peeled for the next post... We are going to be building and staining a "storage thwart"

CHEERS!

Steve

Getting Wet with a Newbie Paddler...

Taking a newbie out for the first time can be a lot of fun.  It can also be hazardous, if you aren't prepared.  

Preparedness is key.  

I haven't had the opportunity to paddle with an inexperienced land lubber in quite some time.  I was actually amazed at all of the skills you gain as you learn to paddle.  I've watched 1000's of instructional videos and heard things explained hundreds of times by dozens of people, and was intrigued by the little Steveism's I'd thrown in over the years.
I'm terrible for giving more information than is necessary, but you have to remember that a new paddler doesn't know what to ask.  So lets break it down a bit.

Phase 1 - Dryland prep

A good beginner should be able to do 25 pushups - on their pinky fingers...  (totally kidding)

- The boat needs to fit the paddler.
-Foot pegs should be adjusted properly.
-Clothing should not obstruct possible wet exit (ie, zippers on female dry suits)
-Paddler needs to have a good understanding of posture and balance in the boat.


Phase 2- Seaside Instruction

- If you are lending the beginner a paddle, make sure they don't sit on it and break it.
-don't sit on the seat back or your skirt.
-When skirting, back to front.
- Show them the properties of initial (primary) and secondary stability.
-How far can they lean before the boat goes over?
(don't forget- Its a new experience for them they are going to want to look around.)


Phase 3- Shoving off

I like to start people with a Greenland Style paddle...  The euros both tire people out easily and seem to be heavily relied upon.  The GP's force people's muscles to all work together, making the first paddle that much more enjoyable.
The beginner will immediately feel more comfortable once they know that THEY CONTROL THE BOAT!  Let them practise bracing in shallow water, maybe even let them fall over...  Don't forget to tell them how to pop their skirt!


Phase 4- Paddle, Praise and Encouragement.

The beginner will be thinking about enough already...  Keep a hawkeye out for things that they are doing right.
I remember as a beginner, someone would notice something and tell me and it would become my mantra for the day.  "Back straight, alright Steve nice stroke, straight! Alright! I'm really movin' now!"





We had a great day on the water yesterday.  Nicest day in a while.  Despite the very high winds, Lake Superior was calm and the air temp. was hot enough that I spent most of my time upside down.  Over the winter I seem to have become a little complacent with my "other side" rolls.  Blew a few and the ones I did complete, were pretty sloppy.   Looks like I'll have to get myself out there more often.

   Have fun with your new paddlers!

Cheers!
Steve

First Entry

Hi there paddlers and alike!

Quick Bio.
I am Steve.  Hi.  I'm a Therapeutic Recreationist, that works at an Inpatient Mental Health Hospital as a Lifeskills Instructor.  Most of what I do, involves components of outdoors and the spirit of fun so my job is awesome!
Sammy, My partner (Fiancee, aka, the wife) Is a math Teacher, who still works her jobs from university, so, finding time to be on the water can be challenging, but when she is in a boat she rocks it!

This is the first entry, into what I hope will become, a nice little diary of events.  Paddling a kayak or canoe always comes with its challenges and it's adventure.  I hope to capture the spirit of the fun in this blog.  Please bear with Sammy and I as we get used to the format and spirit of sharing our adventures with you.  I like to spend every free moment that I can, away from the city, on a little island, I call Paradise.  Its a scenic drive, a nice paddle and an easy set up.  I call this "Home base"  you will hear about it a lot I'm sure.   Sammy joins the fun, whenever possible and we always have a good time on the water.

Recently, we got a visit from a facebook friend from Australia and it started the gears turning on just how much more, we could turn this past-time of ours, into.

Subscribe or follow or whatever you do with this site, but whatever you do...KEEP READING!

We are gonna' have some fun!

Cheers!

Steve