Phil Allen

Sadly Lorrie and I have nasty colds and won't be joining you. Enjoy and stay warm. phil

might be up for that. Keep us in the loop. Phil

Thanks all. Thought about the Hullavator, but it doesn't work with the aero bars (even Thule) that are the only choice for my 2016 car. The roof rails do run all the way back to the lift gate, so I'm thinking of using yakima's combined roller/saddle in the back. With 2 folks to load, should be strait forward, but if its just me, I'll probably need to rest the bow on a foam pad or something before sliding it up from the stern. Happy Holidays to all. Phil

Leon I still need to think more about your details, but I'm suspicious of your 9 knots of wind in the face being equal to 2knots of contrary current. Practical experience and numerous publications would suggest that it would take close to 20-25 knots of wind to get a 2knot boat drift. Happy holidays! Phil

nothing quite that big Jason. Went with this one: http://www.ford.com/commercial-trucks/transitconnect-commercial/trim/wagonlimited/ The "connect" part makes it the mini mini-van. Phil Ps and if I had your height I'd just lift the boats on from the side. It's about the same height as the truck. ;-)

Hi Michael We've got the previous J-cradles from Yakima, which we've used as stackers with boats on both sides in the past. But that makes a very tall load as you mention. Mostly looking for inspiration on what others have done. best Phil

Ok, so we bought a Ford mini-Minivan to replace the polluting but low VW wagon. It's got two thule aero cross bars on it and can do a long spread (length). Looking for suggestions on how best to rack for usually 2, but maybe 4 boats. Usually will have two people to load but occasionally might be solo. Thanks Phil

Kind of like the XC ski racers out training in lycra in the backcountry at -10. The exhausted heat is more than enough to keep them warm, as long as they don't stop. What's that saying "god looks after fools and little children"?

Congratulations all. Well deserved! Phil

NOAA, windfinder and a surf site like Magic Seaweed.

Josko Matt's idea for using a coach is great if the time commitment, money and organizational overhead works. But something as simple as someone videotaping you while you're doing some skills and drills might be enough for you to troubleshoot what ever problems you might have. Other options might be just to mount a go-pro on your foredeck aiming back at you while you practice. For this approach you need to connect your thoughts on each activity with what you see later on film, so taking notes through out the session is important. As for blowing a roll, we're all in between swims. best Phil

good old aqua seal works wonders.

The latest iteration was done by Kokatat when I sent the suit back for repair and pressure testing this summer. Previous wrist gaskets were done by a friend who's already posted here. ;-) best Phil

I've had the CG gaskets on the wrist and just replaced all with CG gaskets. Seems like a heavier latex. Unlike the standard gaskets, CG gaskets for the wrists are designed to be trimmed. For my wrists I actually didn't need to which gave a large contact area and very dry seal. For me they were much more comfortable than the standard large size gasket. best Phil

I don't think you commonly find more than 3" thick foam, though I know that's cut down from bigger buns. If you need thicker, you can always resort to glueing blocks together with contact cement. Being a very short legged person, my 3" ethafoam is backed up by several inches of 1" pink house insulating foam board. Kinda nice if you want someone else to try your boat as its early adjusted by pulling out the 1" blocks. best Phil

So many opinions on this issue. Personally, I like room to move my legs into contact with the boat, but also room to relax them. A lot of the go-fast folks like enough room to emulate the surf-ski position knees center even in a trad. sea kayak. Folks who've crossed over from WW seem to like the locked in by foam to give max contact. best Phil

Wow.

So saddened by this incident. While any critiques I might have are by definition ignorant armchair quarterbacking, so many of the details being reported make me think WTF? Phil

Hadn't heard of said article by said "Famous Kayaker" till Rob mentioned it last week. No help I'm afraid. best Phil

You might get bonding issues between the epoxy resin in the patched area and the polyester resin found in gelcoat? Good luck with it. Phil

Be yourself, make it fun for you and the students and hold on to the thought it's just another day on the water. Best of luck. phil

Are you sure about that Ed? It was my understanding that the valley hatch covers float and I've personally seen way to many NDK day hatches sinking to the briny deep. best Phil

Hi Cathy- Don't forget to leave a float plan at the Harbor Master's office (yellow shack near the main harbor bridge). She likes knowing who's out and has occasionally rushed out to warn folks of thunderstorms and the like. Have a great trip. Phil

Let me talk with the better half tonight. Might depend on the car issue. best Phil

Congrats to all, including Little Tim (Gleason) of RICKA, who paddles out of Gloucester some times. As a maybe gonna do this sometime soonish, what was the hardest part during the assessment? best Phil