billvoss
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Posts posted by billvoss
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So far the Wednesday Lunch Paddle on 5/11/2022 is the only paddle where my new Tesla Model Y Long Range hauled a kayak on the outside. The round trip was well within the car's range. I still had 30% charge when I got home and charged the Tesla as usual. I did find the modern driver assistance features and the lack of engine vibration made the trip much more tolerable than it would have been in my old CRV.
My main "issue" had nothing to do with it being an EV. Changing from the Thule Square bars that I've used forever, to the Tesla wing has proved a pain. I'm happy with my bow and stern tie downs, but still not entirely satisfied with how my kayak rack fits on the wing bar.
The other issue is EV specific. Without the noise from an internal combustion engine to drown it out, the wind noise from carrying a kayak at interstate speeds is more noticeable. Fortunately turning up the radio volume has made that at most a minor inconvenience.
The most useful trick I figured out before ordering the Tesla was to use A Better Route Planner to preview my typical long trips with the different vehicles I was considering. Under advanced settings I specified a lot of battery degradation to simulate carrying a kayak. I quickly discovered that in New Hampshire charging a Tesla would be easy, while any other brand could be challenging. I now understand that NH put so many restrictions on their initial solicitation for DC fast charging using the VW settlement money that they received ZERO qualifying proposals. The second NH proposal garnered 43 qualifying proposals currently being evaluated by the state. Until some of those proposals are implemented, NH has fair coverage with Tesla DC fast charging sites, but almost no other fast charging north of Manchester.
I am definitely very happy with my EV purchase. I cannot imagine wanting to go back to an ICE vehicle in the future.
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I will join you if we get a third paddler.
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Is this the West Beach in Beverly put-in? https://goo.gl/maps/PUGfPZNo5JfqnJVV6
What is the bathroom situation at the put-in?
-Bill
P.S. If that is the put in, I'm bound to join you this Wednesday. (Though I expect to bring float bags instead of bulkheads for my skin-on-frame.)
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3 hours ago, Joseph Berkovitz said:
I have no idea what the name of Bill’s boat is, it’s the one I’ve always seen him paddling… it has some age on it. I believe a substantial part of the leaving-in-dust action may be due to Bill himself!
A short kayak with a low wetted surface area has a definite drag advantage when paddling straight into a wind strong enough to make hull speed irrelevant.
Paddling all out because two stronger paddlers were behind me, and to minimize how long I had to paddle into the wind also helped.
Using a Greenland Paddle also helps in heavy wind in my opinion.
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3 hours ago, Karen Volkman said:
Was Bill in his Cape Falcon F1 or LPB that he was thinking about building?
I am still paddling the 14' long beat up Cape Falcon Kayak F1 that I built in my garage back in 2014. This fall I did build the bending jig for a new coaming, and purchased most of the wood for a new LPB. Then free time became scarce, then winter shut down my unheated shop (aka garage). Now the dear wife, the new dog, the garden, and paddling all demand my attention. However, I still hope to resume work on actually building a LPB, as soon as I finish ...
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3 hours ago, Dan Foster said:
Paddling Social (WW, SK, FW, SUP - everyone), May 26
Come and meet fellow paddlers in-person and without masks! We will meet at Lake Cochituate in Natick at 6:30 until dusk. We will have whitewater, sea kayak, and canoes to try out (bring appropriate clothing) and burgers, veggies, and seltzer. You are welcome to bring sides or desserts.
Let's talk about hopes & plans for this season and meet leaders that will be posting trips. We ask that you register if you want to eat so we can bring right amount.
https://activities.outdoors.org/search/index.cfm/action/details/id/138823Note the Paddling Splash & Social has been rescheduled for Thursday, June 2, 2022, 6:30PM - 8:30PM.
Also note that Lake Cochituate is a MA State Park. While "entry" is free, there is a parking fee based on license plate. If you don't have a MA State Park pass (a great deal for MA seniors), parking is $8 with a MA plate, and $30 with an out-of-state plate. No season passes are available for out-of-state plates.
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3 hours ago, Joseph Berkovitz said:
- satellite based devices like SPOT or Garmin inReach are another (although pricey) possible complement to DSC radios as they connect you with a dispatch center even when VHF or cell can’t reach anyone. If you are in Maine offshore and outside of of a rocky island you may not have VHF line of sight to anyone or anything.
I also carry a now rather old personal locator beacon (PLB) to cover the no VHF reception scenario. I went with the PLB approach because it does not require a subscription, and international standards required a reliable device. The downside of international standards is that the commercial market gets to use the latest and greatest technology, while the international standards market remains stuck with old technology. The other downside of a PLB is that it is an EMERGENCY ONLY device. While commercial devices like the SPOT or Garmin inReach let you send non-emergency messages, which effectively let you routinely test your satellite communication system. On the other hand the commercial services make most of their money with subscriptions, not from the original equipment sale. So over time you tend to spend more with commercial services.
Ideally, carrying three radios, cell, DSC w/ GPS VHF, and a satellite communication device is the fully paranoid approach. However, do remember if it is not on your body, you don't have it. (Basically, don't assume you are still with your kayak and its contents in an emergency.)
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22 hours ago, Pintail said:
You lot: what does DSC stand for, please? What does AIS stand for, too?
Lord, you'd think we were all experts here, with the acronyms flying around all over the place...
Sorry Pintail. I first learned about digital selective calling (DSC) back in 2010 when I bought my first marine radio for kayaking. Which is also when I learned about Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) numbers, which act as a globally unique identification number for a vessel. Among other things, a DSC VHF radio can use an MMSI number sort of like a phone number to call a specific vessel.
Pragmatically, the main reason for a kayaker to have a digital selective calling (DSC) VHF radio (with GPS, but that combination seems to be standard now), is it will have a simple emergency button, lift cover, push button. Once that button is pushed, the radio will repeatedly send out a digital SOS which includes your GPS coordinates until some other radio, usually the Coast Guard's around here, digitally acknowledges the SOS. Also every other DSC VHF radio within range will beep or otherwise alert their operator of the SOS. Even my little hand held radio beeped at me quite insistently when it picked up an SOS. The vessels with fancy electronic charting systems integrated with their AIS and VHF systems will also see your GPS coordinates marked on their chart.
You can also send a digital Pan-Pan or Sécurité signal with GPS coordinates using the radio's menu system. In all three cases, the Coast Guard is very likely to immediately notice your signal, and the other ships in your vicinity are also very likely to notice your signal.
With a verbal SOS, Pan-Pan, or Sécurité some human has to hear and recognize what you are saying. Then they have to ask you where you are, and understand your answer, assuming you accurately know where you are. Alternatively, the Coast Guard has pretty good direction finding systems, but nothing close to GPS accuracy. The Coast Guard also doesn't have 100% coverage close to land where kayakers tend to play.
If everyone you were paddling with had a DSC VHF radio some of the other DSC features like group calling, and position polling could potentially be useful. However, DSC is not required on handhelds, so I've never used the other DSC features while kayaking.
The automatic identification system or AIS was developed to prevent collisions. The electronics have been working their way down from large ships where it has been mandated since before I started kayaking, to smaller and smaller boats as costs have plunged. The main point of AIS from a kayaker's perspective is to be able to identify and directly call a bigger boat equipped with AIS if it is on a collision course. Note that the Icom H94D only RECEIVES the AIS information, it does not transmit AIS information. However, that still means a kayaker could identify the ship's name and the MMSI of every large vessel within sight, and call one directly using their DSC radio if desired. I can see that being especially useful at busy crossings.
Here is a review of the Icom H94D radio which discusses the benefits of having AIS in a handheld in more detail.
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If you want DSC in a handheld, here are the choices I'm currently aware of:
- Standard Horizon HX890 for around $200
- Cobra MR HH600 for around $210, adds a Bluetooth feature where it acts as a smart phone headset.
- Icom H94D for around $350, adds AIS.
From a safety perspective, I strongly prefer a radio able to send out a distress signal digitally with GPS coordinates.
However, you can certainly purchase a much cheaper radio without DSC, and any VHF radio is much better than no VHF radio.
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13 hours ago, EEL said:
Might be interesting to measure the voltage of the AAA adapter filled with the Lithium batteries as a check.
Actually I did. I just didn't report it here.
I installed 5 of the AAA cells that use a small lithium battery with a small circuit board to simulate an AAA battery. The radio did not start. I then removed the pack and checked the voltage and found a voltage of 3 something volts.
I replaced the batteries with new AAA alkaline batteries. The radio started. I measured the battery pack voltage at 8 something volts.
One person responded to my Amazon question with this report:
QuoteYou can wire in series probably as many cells as you like and the output of each cell is a constant 1.5 volts. If you DRAW more current than the cell is rated (about .8 amps) for then the output shuts off completely. I've wired 12 cells in series and the output stays a near steady 18 volts."
So I think while the little lithium batteries themselves might have been able to run my radio, the over current protective circuitry included in the AAA packaging prevents their use in such high current drain applications.
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I know a bit more about these 1.5 volt Lithium rechargeable AAA batteries now. Amazon now has multiple brands available. They are pretty good for constant low drain applications such as clocks. Though they currently do need to be recharged more frequently than a disposable AAA battery needs to be replaced.
However, at least one Amazon sales representative recommends not using more than 4 of the AAA lithium batteries in series for safety, with a hard limit of 8 batteries in series.
The problem for this application is the radio draws a large amount of current over a short period of time. These rechargeable batteries are not good for that use case. When I tried 5 of them with my radio, the radio would not even turn on. With 5 new alkaline batteries the radio was happy to boot up. Though the radio's manual warns I will not have full power transmission using alkaline batteries.
For now I'll be using alkaline batteries I guess. Though a new radio may be in my future sooner than I hoped.
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On 10/15/2021 at 11:24 AM, billvoss said:
My current thinking for my HX850s is to try using my FBA-38 Alkaline Battery Case which uses five AAA batteries. However, instead of using single use Alkaline Batteries or low voltage NiMH rechargeable batteries, I'll try using the new 1.5 volt Lithium rechargeable batteries from Pale Blue Earth. You recharge them with any Micro USB cable. Each battery weighs just 7g, and AAA sized batteries don't take much space. So it is easy to carry spare sets.
So my 12 pack from Amazon arrived, sat on the counter for a week or two, and today I finally opened the box. Checked the initial voltages and found three at 1.51 and one at 1.52. The charge cable is a classic USB on one end, and four small Micro USB connectors for the batteries on the other end. I started connecting batteries, and was very startled when one of them broke in two! Apparently the bottom portion is the battery, and the top portion is the electronics. Alas, at least one of my batteries had a relatively weak connection between the top and the bottom.
I'm currently doing an Amazon Free Return. In the spring I will revisit the issue. Hopefully by then Pale Blue Earth will have improved their quality control, or a competitor will have appeared. I still love the concept, and had I been holding the battery at the top instead of the bottom it probably would have stayed together.
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18 hours ago, Brian Nystrom said:
I would still contact them with any warranty-related issues. You have nothing to lose but a few minutes on the phone.
I don't object to people trying, and sometimes getting lucky Brian. However, I have met multiple individuals who purchased used Kokatat drysuits thinking paying top dollar made sense because the used suit came with a comprehensive all hazards Gore-Tex warranty. When the legal reality is basically a warranty against delamination only for the original purchaser. That is the misinformation I was trying to fight.
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13 hours ago, Dan Foster said:
primarily for multi-day journeying, I think I'd put a low standby current draw toward the top of my priority list.
Alas, the main reason I carry a VHF radio is to have DSC with GPS just in case. Those are not low standby current draw features.
My current thinking for my HX850s is to try using my FBA-38 Alkaline Battery Case which uses five AAA batteries. However, instead of using single use Alkaline Batteries or low voltage NiMH rechargeable batteries, I'll try using the new 1.5 volt Lithium rechargeable batteries from Pale Blue Earth. You recharge them with any Micro USB cable. Each battery weighs just 7g, and AAA sized batteries don't take much space. So it is easy to carry spare sets.
The biggest downsides of the FBA-38 Battery Case, at least with true Alkaline Batteries, is that it doesn't permit 6 watt transmission, and the Alkaline Batteries don't last as long as the original battery did when new. However, the Coast Guard has really big antennas, and if I can normally get one paddle out of a battery charge, while carrying five spare batteries...
EDIT: Cheaper at Amazon.
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4 hours ago, Dan Foster said:
Standard Horizon HX870, lasts 8-10 hrs in standby with no transmissions or calls received. Approx 5+ yrs old with light use, original battery. GPS off.
I think I found part of your problem. Without the kind of high-end battery management system they put in things like battery electric vehicles, lithium ion batteries tend to degrade almost as fast as the lead-acid batteries in cars.
By the way, some of the activities which tend to degrade lithium ion batteries include charging to 100%, leaving charged at 100%, discharging to 0%, leaving discharged at 0%.
My second HX850s rechargeable battery pack now only lets me hear, not transmit. I just discovered replacement FNB-V99LI battery packs are no longer available. On the bright side, I did purchase the accessory tray which uses disposable batteries. I will have to experiment with that next time. I might also be able to get it to work with some of the modern rechargeable batteries that didn't exist when I purchased the radio. Though as I recall the accessory tray does not provide full power transmission.
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20 hours ago, Brian Nystrom said:
there is nothing in the Gore warranty that specifies that you must be the original purchaser and they don't even ask for proof of purchase.
Gore-Tex, at least currently, only provides a warranty to the "original" owner Brian. From https://www.gore-tex.com/support/guarantee-and-returns
Quote"As the original owner, hold on to your purchase receipt and we’ve got you covered for the useful life of your product."
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13 hours ago, SeaKayakNE said:
FYI, in some cases Kokatat will replace the suit regardless of if you are the "original owner". Recently a student of mine purchased a second hand suit at a thrift store, sent it in for refurbishing and got back a brand new suit.
Kokatat used to be very relaxed about the "original owner" rule. After all Kokatat just charged Gore-Tex, who actually provide the fabric warranty, for the replacements. Then the Gore-Tex Brand cracked down on them, and Kokatat became quite strict. I don't doubt that Kokatat employees occasionally make mistakes, especially with their rumored pandemic related staffing issues. Kokatat's support people seemed far more rushed this summer than in past years. They made an error, that turned out well for me, on part of my replacement order. It is also possible that Gore-Tex has not been auditing Kokatat as actively during the pandemic.
The former Kokatat representative used to tell a story about lending a replacement suit to someone who had literally worn out their Kokatat suit paddling up the East Coast. The rep said the suit had not delaminated, but was worn through. Kokatat HQ did send her a replacement suit for him, but said the replacement would not have any warranty, and that he needed to treat his suit better.
You might accidentally or intentionally get a suit replaced Kokatat is not required to replace. However, don't assume you can buy a second hand suit and get warranty service. The Gore-Tex warranty is not officially transferable.
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On 6/15/2021 at 3:13 PM, Jim Snyder said:
How do you know, or what makes you suspect, that you have delamination issues? Or do you just send it back periodically for warranty inspection?
When you are wet after wearing the suit in the water, then you suspect either it was sweat, a gasket leak, pinholes, or delamination.
Sweat is usually pretty uniform, not localized in say one arm, leg, or side of the torso.
A gasket leak is usually localized near the gasket. Wrists almost always leak a little bit, though you might not notice until say you raise your arm overhead.
Pinholes resemble early delamination. However, Kokatat can patch pinholes, so you treat it like delamination, they just return a patched suit instead of possibly replacing the suit.
If when you take the suit off, the fabric looks like it has started to bubble suspect delamination. It will look kind of like bubble wrap, but smaller bubbles, and not so uniform. In my experience, delamination is a progressive issue. Meaning it continues to get worse over time with use. Eventually some part of your body gets unambiguously wet just from wading into water for a few minutes while keeping your neck and wrist gaskets out of the water. At that point you probably waited longer than you should (like I did this summer) to send the suit back to Kokatat requesting a water test and warranty inspection.
Ultimately Kokatat determines if you have delamination. However, these days you have to ask for a free warranty inspection, and they are more likely to find early delamination if you also pay for a water test. (If you are sending the suit in for another reason such as new gaskets, you should definitely ask for the free warranty inspection, and many people also routinely get a water test which also catches pinholes.)
If you are not the original purchaser, then delamination means your suit is dying and cannot be saved; you will have to replace the suit yourself. If you can prove that you are the original purchaser of the suit, then delamination has historically been "Winning the Kokatat/Gore-Tex lottery." Kokatat will basically let you buy any of their suits in any size, any color, any customization applying the value of an identical replacement suit toward the purchase with you paying any difference in price if you upgrade suits. That is how I originally switched a Front Entry and a Meridian to a pair of rear entry Icons. Though this year I'm replacing Icons with Icons.
(I'm not totally happy with the new Gore-Tex pro fabric this year which is too stiff for my tastes, but that is another thread.)
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2 hours ago, mhabich said:
You can't trim wrist gaskets, so Kokatat says.
Half true. The stock Kokatat wrist gaskets do NOT have ridges, so should only be stretched. However, you can trim the optional "thick" gaskets, also known as the Coast Guard gaskets. The "thick" wrist gaskets have ridges on them like the neck gaskets.
From my perspective there are two advantages to the "thick" gaskets. First, I think the "thick" gaskets last a little longer than the "stock" gaskets. Second, if you know which lines you cut between last time, you can generally cut in the same place on the replacement and thus get closer to an acceptable fit a lot faster than just stretching. (However, I suggest you record both which lines you cut between, and the total number of lines. Just in case the next gasket you receive has a different total number of lines. Gasket suppliers change.)
Before trimming, stretching, or trying on, the first thing I do is wipe down the inside and outside of each gasket with 303 Protectant, then put my new toy away overnight.
The next day, or later, I start trimming. I stretch the neck or wrist over some object. I arrange very good bright lighting. Then I use a brand new blade. I normally use the kind of razor blade with only one sharp side, which I pickup at the grocery store. Using a utility knife with a new blade can also work. (Some people swear by very sharp, very high quality scissors.) Then I very carefully cut as smoothly as I can, the critical goal being to keep the cut between two raised ridges. If I am cutting 2 wrists and 1 neck, then I use at least 3 new blades. I really do cut only once per new blade. (I often trim the gasket tighter than I think I will need, then check, then trim between the next two lines, then check. Far easier and cheaper to cut multiple times, than to replace a gasket from trimming too much off. So I may use 5 or more blades on a new suit. Also be aware your wrists might not be the same size.)
Even if you are trimming a gasket, do plan on using at least a day or two of modest stretching over something a little bit larger than your neck/wrist. Otherwise your neck/wrist will over time do the modest stretching and you will find that your gasket is too loose! Basically use trimming to get you to the point where you can wear the gasket in an emergency, but use stretching to get to the point where you can wear the gasket without saying words not suitable for children.
When you have gaskets replaced, or have a custom suit made, Kokatat will on request install thick gaskets for the same price as stock gaskets. However, if you order a stock suit from Kokatat they have to cut the stock gaskets off and then install the thick gaskets, so they will charge you for the gasket change.
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2 hours ago, mindseye06 said:
Had one custom made a few years back but it never really fit.
I'm surprised. I've had good luck with both Seal and Snap Dragon custom skirts for my skin-on-frames. The kind where you VERY CAREFULLY trace the cockpit using semi-rigid material that does not stretch such as very large and heavy paper, then send them the tracing. I found that making a loop of bungee to hold the paper in place, like a skirt would be held in place, while I traced the edge of the coaming with a sharpie worked well for getting the outline. Locating exactly where the tunnel should go was a bit trickier, and I never came up with a great technique.
Note I was ordering neoprene deck and tunnel skirts, and neoprene is pretty forgiving.
Good luck finding something that works for you.
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I just booked my parking spot online ($4 + $1 transaction fee). See you tomorrow if I don't oversleep!
On 7/8/2021 at 12:11 PM, rfolster said:Location: Launching from the Odiorne boat ramp located on Route 1A in Rye just over the little bridge at the very beginning of the State Park.
Cost: Parking fee is $4 and can be reserved ahead of time following this link. Refunds not provided in case of weather or other reasons. -
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Now that my second vaccination is scheduled, I have started dreaming about resuming kayaking. I have loved attending and promoting Walden pond sessions in the past when my body permitted. So I checked out the status of the Walden Pond State Reservation.
- Walden Pond sessions have been a great deal for Massachusetts residents 62 and older who can purchase a lifetime parking pass for $10.
- They have been a good deal for regulars who can purchase a $60 annual parking pass as a Massachusetts resident.
- The $8 single day pass for Massachusetts residents is fairly reasonable.
- UNFORTUNATELY, apparently because of COVID, annual parking passes are NO LONGER AVAILABLE for non-residents.
- The non-resident single day pass rate is $30.
I am currently a New Hampshire resident, and I am not willing to pay $30 per day to attend Walden pond sessions. If my body cooperates, I hope to attend some other NSPN events, but I do not expect to attend Walden this year.
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On 3/31/2021 at 1:05 PM, josko said:
'difficult' wrt warranty repairs.
As I understand it. Most of the "lottery winners" who get new suits are actually claiming under the Gore fabric warranty, where Gore pays Kokatat to replace the suit. A few years ago now, Gore cracked down on Kokatat and made them verify that the "original purchaser" was in fact the "original purchaser." That is when Kokatat started insisting on receiving a copy of the original sales receipt for warranty claims. If you have your receipt you should be good. If you cannot document your purchase, Kokatat may be "difficult."
The actual Kokatat warranty is basically if they goofed they fix it. However, the big benefit is Kokatat offers REPAIRS FOR A REASONABLE CHARGE.
QuoteAll Kokatat products are fully guaranteed to the original owner against defects in materials and workmanship for the reasonable life of the item. Products found to be defective will be repaired or replaced at Kokatat’s option. Repairs due to normal wear and tear, accident, abuse, etc., will be made for a reasonable charge. Latex gaskets are not covered by the Kokatat warranty. There is a 2 year limited warranty on all Hydrus 2.5 suits. Kokatat specifically disavows any other representative warranty or liability relative to the condition or use of the product.
Kayak transport on electric vehicles
in General Message Board
Posted
From an environmental perspective, the most important aspect of EVs is just how incredibly efficient electric motors are compared to internal combustion motors. My Model Y is rated by the EPA at 122 MPGe. That totally blows away any comparable internal combustion engine vehicle. Even if I charged my Tesla with nothing but electricity generated in Coal Fired power plants, studies show it would produce less CO2 than a comparable ICE vehicle over its expected lifetime including manufacturing emissions.
Fortunately, the New England grid currently produces around half of its electricity from a combination of Nuclear, Hydro, Wind, and Solar, with most of the rest coming from natural gas, and almost nothing coming from Coal. Even better, the grid is expected to become greener over the expected lifetime of a car purchased this year.
Beyond that some areas have community solar projects, and most areas have "green energy" plans which buy Renewable Energy Credits to offset the CO2 from any non-green sources they use. You may also be able to install solar on your own property, and then agonize over whether to swap your totally green energy for totally dirty energy by selling your Renewable Energy Credits.
Bottom line, Battery Electric Vehicles and Battery Electric Tools currently have fewer CO2 emissions than their internal combustion engine equivalents for anyone connected to the New England power grid. In many cases, battery electric also means more torque, less vibration, and more reliable as well.
P.S. @Dan Foster when I next see you on the water, I would be very curious to learn about your automower.