bob budd

>$40/year...$2000...0.5% In Massachusetts we call that 2%, perhaps that is why other states consider our taxes unduly high.

If you are indeed as wise as you seemed when we paddled and PPO'd together you know as well as I that "earmarked" taxes are commonly used "at the whim of politicians". I do not suggest that taxes be irresponsibility. I instead recognize that tax cuts at various levels have reduced local aid, moneys to park, etc. systems, and so forth where either services have been cut or new "fees" have replaced them. If Sir Godfrey were to take issue with this thread on the message board I would understand.

>How about motorized craft? I found a separate thread on this issue on the NSPBN website (www.nspbn.org). Their charter includes policy statement 1 "No less than one passenger must have a blood alcohol level below 0.10."

Recent "tax cuts" at work...

The four of us met at the Swampscott for what is likely my last paddle from the unemployment line. Mark Stephens was the first to offer his condolences. Jason arrived a bit later, soon we were in the water. Our first inclination was to reach Egg Rock, putting what appeared to be meager wind at our backs. As we moved away from shore it became apparent that the forecasted winds indeed were blowing and we acquiesed in our pursuit of a path that would lead to a return with these winds in our faces or abeam and pushing us out to sea. Instead we chose to head up the coast aways, make for Tinkers Island, circumnavigate Marblehead Neck in a counterclockwise direction, portage across the causeway, and return with the wind more or less at our backs. Returning to Dread Ledge we meandered about the coast, gunkholing as it were, and at a point where Ram Island more or less lined up with Tinkers Island we made for Tinkers. At this point four-of-a-kind became two pair with Mark and I skirting Ram Island and heading more less in the direction of Devereaux Beach before turning at last to meet Brad and Jason on the near end of Tinkers. Turns out Brad had followed Jason away from shore thinking his boat was experiencing windage while Jason had followed Brad away from shore thinking he (Brad) knew where he was going. As we approached the unadorned day marker at Tinkers we chose to go around to the back side with the intent of landing in the lee of the land for lunch. Upon reaching the rock cove we found landing a bit dicy for Brad's old lady legs and chose instead to head across to Marblehead neck for a small beach. We reached the beach and hauled out with a bit of sun and no wind to speak of. Brad and I left Mark and Jason at the water's edge amidst the large pebbles for a large flat stone at the sea wall. Whilst I munched on Cheerios and raisins followed by a Granny Smith apple Brad at a still hot Chimichanga and drank yuppy tea of some sort. I took note of his solid food choice, thinking next time of likewise carrying a preheated meal in an insulated container. When off again we set we again picked our way in and out of the rocky coast approaching the Marblehead light. With what wind there was coming more or less at our faces I found my hands getting very cold and welcomed the turn into Marblehead as we rounded the corner at the base of the lighthouse. For a minute I was disoriented, with nary a powerboat nor even a dingy mind you moored in the harbour. It was a bit eerie seeing all those moorings bobbing about in the surf with nothing tied upon them. As we neared the road a discussion of the true meaning of portage ensued, i.e. French for "this sucks". We were fortunate with the tides and were able to haul out near the parking lot. The three brutish fellows I had taken to the water with quickly lifted their craft to their shoulders and headed across the road. I, however, struggled sufficiently with my boat that a friendly old man offered to assist me. While he took the bow and I the stern he quickly chose to offer instead the benefit of his pickup truck. Down went the tailgate and in went the boat with me after it to sit upon it and hold it in. He went right of the gate in the parking lot on the other side of the road and navigated the sidewalk delivering me past my well entertained paddling mates and all the way to the pavilion. From there I was assisted in carrying my boat to the beach which, though known for its dumping surf, was quite placid and made for an easy launch. Our way back was quite uneventful. As we approached Swampscott the rocky coast again beckoned and we obliged by repeatedly poking our way among the crevasses and rocks. Though the wind was steady, it had for the most part encumbered us little, and there was not much surf to keep us from this habit. Once we reached the beach we were beset first by one and then another toy poodle or similarly useless dog feigning a vicious attack. Not to be deterred, Mark and I loaded our gear onto our vehicles flinching not once. Jason and Brad hung around shore and returned to meander down the beach, perhaps chased back to the water by the canine(s). I'd expect that there will be photos soon.

Whilst in Vancouver we observed a bald eagle seemingly caught in the shallows. As we drew nearer the bird flew off. Turns out these "hunters" frequently grab hold of a fish too large to fly off with. They often resort to swimming the fish ashore and have been known to drown while doing so. It is indeed easier to see the bird as majestic when it soars overhead...

Got his point completely. Let's think about it a bit more. Do you call the police and the fire department if you put out the fire? Who's to say who was called by whom. If you kayak is floating in the water, the list is quite a bit longer. Let's see; fire department (long shot but possible), police (more likely for the uninformed passerby), coast guard, harbor master, and a few more. Finally, you are the dispatcher. You get a call that a fire has been seen, then another saying a fire has been put out. Do you not send/call back the fire truck? I sure hope not. That's not to say one shouldn't report to authorities things like rescue exercises or be similarly responsible. It is less clear about contacting authorities assuming a 911 call has been made. Ultimately if an "emergency person" is contacted they should do everything to be sure each call is addressed.

>...i could use my naked torso as a signal mirror... Be careful, you might be sending the wrong signal.

>"He wants the public to know that in the event they find >themselves in a dangerous situation, to assume someone has >made a 911 call. Then, should they become safe by any means, >to call 911 and report that they are safe, so the emergency >vehicles and volunteers can be recalled to their stations." > At first I was uninterested in this and passed it by. Later, being bored, I read the story and came to the conclusion that the above statement is preposterous. I can relate a similar risk, there have been many fires in Beverly in the fall/winter and the city is down to a single ladder truck due to budget cuts (your tax cuts at work). Who's to say that the fire truck you pass is headed to your fire, capsize, etc.?

Winthrop Boat Ramp was chosen over the Deer Island launch because the latter involves walking through was likely snow/ice where the former is a boat ramp. The small increase in time/distance on the water was preferred to the difficulty of navigating through the snow with boats in hand/on shoulder.

Many also take yoga or otherwise learn yoga to provide both strengthening and stretches. The stretching can restore stiff/numb legs, mitigate sciatica and similar maladies, etc. while paddling or for similar purposes otherwise.

I have a HX150S in a bag and all buttons and audio works fine. The problem with this bag is that the open end of the bag wraps over a dowel and is clamped. The bag has worn through in a few places. When purchasing your bag perhaps you can consider the sealing mechanism with this in mind.

>...shed tears for these two boys... Why so maudlin? Noone is suggesting shedding tears but most recognize the tragedy anytime young people perish, especially (as in this case) when adults have failed to adequately protect them. >...What are we supposed to learn from this, really?... Perhaps not so much learn as be reminded, as the originating posting implied (drive home). As parents we are reminded that we should better understand the risks our children undertake on "field trips". As paddlers we are reminded that even in relatively warm water novice kayakers are at the mercy of three foot waves. There is much to be reminded of, if we indeed think there is nothing to learn from this event. >...I wish there was this manifestation on our message board... The message board is about free exchange. It might be better if negativism were left out of the mix.

Monday is forecast for mid 30s and 5-10 knot winds with steadily deteriorating conditions throughout the day. We will be launching from the Swampscott Fish House at 10:30AM. Brad Gwynn will be our tour guide, I've never launched here before (missed 14 Feb). As always you are responsible for your self. Dry suits expected. If you directions send your number or an e-mail to my personal e-mail address available from the mail icon on this posting.

"Assuming that there may also be lightning...would one be safer in the water under the boat, or trying to stay upright in the boat?" In the water you are going to be wetter and therefore a somewhat better conductor. Sitting atop the water you are not as good a conductor as the surrounding water and thus are not substantially more likely to be struck than another point thereon. As with the attacking bear, more or less, you would be advised to set yourself near to a taller paddler or one otherwise sitting higher in their seat.

This week I went paddling in the relatively cold weather. While it was 30+ most of the day we were out at the end of the day my cell phone, travelling in a water-proof bag in my aft hatch, reported a dead battery (crude four step meter). Knowing enough about such things I set it in the car with engine and heat running. By the time I was done packing up the phone reported a full battery. There are one of two explanations for this. The battery is NiMh and I'm not sure what the expected behaviour of the battery is but at cold temperatures all batteries exhibit degraded performance. In this case I am unwilling to accept this explanation, it should have showed one or two "ticks" on the meter rather than reporting dead. Instead I'd suspect that one or more circuits in the phone do not do well at near freezing temperatures. As the cell phone is a backup to my radio it is prudent to consider the ramifications. Being experienced in the design and specification of electronics I offer the following. There are several classes of environmental specifications ranging from space to consumer electronics. At one end ungodly temperatures swings are expected, at the other end the device is designed to operate in the environment where a human is expected to reside. The more or less official specification for most consumer electronics gear is 20 to 50 degrees C. I do not know what specification my Kyocera phone was designed to but most of your entertainment components are designed to these specifications. A device such a phone will operate for a time outside these temperatures because it is held in the hand, because the surrounding atmosphere has not penetrated the case, or simply because a particular set of components exceeds its specifications. Many have purchased "waterproof" equipment only to find it is waterproof until it gets wet. Many know "submersible" to be a better indicator than "waterproof". However, it behooves one to test a device they mean to depend on at or beyond its expected operating parameters.

Thanks to Rick Crangle for calling back with his assessment of Lane's Cove. Knowing him, he made the trip for our benefit. Arrived at Lane's Cove to find a snowy and icy beach/boat ramp. Stopped the car and walked to the water's edge to find round semi-gelatinous ice floes separated by glimpses of water. Returned to the car, set the boat down, and parked. Somewhere in there Brad showed up dressed for immersion. I packed my boat as he did the same, then donned my dry suit and we were soon in the water. The low tide had retained only soft ice floes that were easily pushed aside or in some cases cut in two. Finding cracks in the "ice", once I had some momentum the ice parted easily before me. Halting at the edge of the accumulated ice at the opening in wall Brad also had no trouble passing through and we set off towards Halibut Point. Brad's skeg wasn't deploying so we paddled to Folly cove. There Brad discovered his taping job had indeed prevented any rain/snow from freezing the skeg in place. Unfortunately, the tape had done so itself. Sans tape we headed around Halibut Point and followed the rocky edge of the land to Granite Pier where we headed across Rockport Harbour to Straitsmouth Gap. Along the way we both enjoyed the sound of the surf and the absence of droning power boats. There was ample water fowl including loons. Being from the Midwest, I was happy to see the loons that hid in remote lakes back home. Alas I never heard their trilling call this day. At this point we searched for a landing. Passing a few opportunities at Straitsmouth Island and unaware of the small beached tucked away at the south end of the gap we headed into Rockport Harbour to the beach where the "kayak flower" is often seen in the warmer months. We snacked there and Brad provided a rolling demonstration for the onlooking restaurant clientele. With a whoop we headed out of the harbour. At this point I found my hands were not keeping warm enough. After two on-water stops where I drew the fingers into a fist and beat the numb of the hands together we headed into Pigeon Cove to change liners. Though I had not further trouble with the borrowed liners, I suspect the new configuration of the dry gloves was the magic bullet. I have been pulling the dry glove gaskets over the dry suit gaskets, a most difficult enterprise it is usually leading to assistance for glove #2. Instead it was suggested I tuck the tail of the liner underneath and slide the dry glove on with gasket inside the glove, easily managed solo. From there turn the cuff of the dry suit over the tail of the dry glove. While this may leave a small amount of the wrist exposed in full immmersion, I felt no chilling of the wrist due to water penetration paddling back, though my hands are in the water with each stroke. Somewhat chastened by the difficulty with my hands and being only two my paddling became a bit more deliberate from here on. The day was indeed beautiful and we marvelled at the look of the ice spray painted to the shoreline structures and rocks. I would have enjoyed a more leisurely trip along the rocky coast. At Lane's Cove I learned that a solid ice floe under one's bow does not split or slide away but rather leaves one more than a little unstable. Drawn in or set loose by the rising tide I was able to back off with no incident. The bulk of the ice floes were now not unlike large jellyfish in appearance and texture and provided easy passage to shore. Pictures at http://www.kayakpics.com/gallery/album42 , none of my post-paddle hair.

If anyone happens by a put-in this time of year and finds it frozen or available it would be useful to those of us who are considering using it. I'd expect beaches to be the most reliable for being open.

>..."Approximately 4,000 licensed Maine guides". > >At $82.00 each that's a nice piece of change (about >$300-$400m annually). $82 times 4000 is $328,000 and while none of us would turn down such a check it isn't alot of money in a state budget.

Not specifically to call out Mr. Casey put probably more than anything else the fact that I've been sitting at home since late July I've decided to offer my perspective on this subject. The law is not appropriate because it singles out kayakers. If it is appropriate law it should be applied equally to all watercraft. It has been noted in several other postings that if it were intelligently written, e.g. no compasses required from white water paddlers, it would be more appropriate. It doesn't mention a spray skirt, no compass in the world will help you paddle a boat laden with water. (I thank Jeff for an opportunity to experience of paddling a boat full of water.) As written it is bad law and should not become official. I have asked both my representative and senator to oppose it and why. It is highly unlikely that this law would have done anything to save the two girls who lost their lives. They went out in difficult conditions in rec boats and didn't have a chance. Anyone who paddles above their heads in this manner isn't going to benefit from law. They will ignore it, such is especially the hubris of youth. I am glad for the opportunity to have paddled with my son that I could at least let him know what I consider safe paddling. Just the thought of something preventable like this happening to him tightens my throat. Finally, the thread tells us we should be more informed and active in local politics if we wish to protect our families and futures.

>...his poor, abused Romany? Pardon me John, did that boat bongo slide a slime ramp?

I read somewhere about an inexplicable correlation between rock play and forgetting to tie down one's kayak before driving away.

You have experienced one company's solution to the continuing demand of consumers for cheaper and more richly featured products. I'd say the company is one of many who is packaging solutions found at various locations on the web. AC adapters, for instance, are always available for low cost in volume. Most NiMh and Li ion batteries also silicon contain support for charging. Designing a charger isn't rocket science. It is going to have all the parts in that adapter plus the microchip and maybe a few others but probably costs ~$1 more. While the microchip costs very little, the adapter-plus-microchip is now called a "value added" product and much more is generally charged for it versus the "commodity" charger you got with the light. Some of the cost increase does offset the development cost of the new product which has been paid for many times over in the case of the "commodity" charger due to volume sales. And by volume sales we are generally talking about millions or more, production in Chinese prisons, sales at Walmart where the floors are cleaned by illegal immmigrants, etc. The dime-store timer is probably your best solution. Many of todays batteries are mechanically integrated with their products and thus present non-standard connectors, i.e. you are generally stuck with the charger solution you get when you purchase the product. If the battery looks something another standard cell you will probably find a charger at some place like Radio Shack or on the web.

Almost anyone who uses rechargeable batteries has heard of the memory effect problem. For those who have not heard of this problem it is commonly believed that when rechargeable batteries are not fully discharged between charge cycles that they remember the shortened cycle and are thus reduced in capacity (length of use per charge). This problem was very common with rechargeable batteries up until about 5 years ago. With improvements in batteries and charging technology this 'memory effect' is becoming a thing of the past. Little known facts: 'Memory Effect' is the common term used to replace the more accurate term 'Voltage Depression.' Voltage Depression is more a problem with incorrect charging than a battery problem. Voltage Depression does not necessarily permanently damage a battery. It can most likely be corrected by fully charging and discharging the battery. Voltage Depression ('Memory Effect') is often incorrectly used to explain low battery capacity that should be attributed to other problems, such as inadequate charging, overcharge, or exposure to high temperatures. Voltage Depression can be affected by the discharge rate of a battery. Generally speaking, the depth of discharge will be less on discharges at the higher rates. This increases the capacity loss as less of the active material in the battery is cycled. Voltage Depression occurs primarily in NiCad batteries. NiMH batteries are almost never affected and Li-Ion batteries are NEVER affected. So how can you maximize the use of your rechargeable batteries? Here are a few steps to take to get the most use out of your batteries: 1. Invest in a good charger. NiMH batteries should not be charged in a NiCad charger, unless the charger is specifically made for both chemistries. There are cheap chargers and there are expensive chargers. Make sure the charger you get has good reviews and is well made. Chargers with micro-controller chips are usually the best choice. 2. When charging your batteries occasionally discharge them fully before recharging them. This is especially helpful to NiCad batteries. Be careful not to discharge too deeply. (Less than 1v per cell for NiCad and NiMH. E.g., a 3.6v pack to no less than 3v.) Discharging to absolute zero will make your battery useless. It's best if you have a charger with a conditioner that will cycle the battery for you. 3. Be sure to store your batteries properly. Do not leave your batteries in a hot car, or in humid conditions. The best storage conditions are a cool, dry place. The refrigerator is fine if you stick in a packet of silica gel with your batteries in a sealed bag to keep them dry. It is a good idea to charge your NiCad or NiMH batteries fully before use if they have been in storage. 4. Most cordless phones use NiCad batteries. To maximize your cordless phone battery life, make sure to leave your phone off the base every once in a while until it is dead. Then leave it on the base until it is fully charged. You should leave your phone on the base for at least 24 hours to charge it fully. There is no need to avoid rechargeable batteries. They can save you significant amounts of money over time. Don't be scared off by the 'memory effect'. It is easily manageable if it ever occurs.

Succintly (?) "Long-term continuous overcharging produces an artificially induced drop in capacity that resembles memory. It can also decrease the overall life of the cell. A deep discharge/charge cycle will recover much of the cell's life but long-term damage is very likely. This is not "true" memory because the cell is not subjected to repeated charge/discharge cycles that the cell eventually remembers. It's simply a decrease in capacity due to overcharging, and yes, it is mostly reversible. It is also not memory because the point at which the cell capacity drops out varies with the rate of discharge. The capacity loss due to long-term continuous overcharg- ing is caused by loss of contact of the cadmium hydroxide particles with the negative plate. Electron microscope pictures show that overcharging causes the particles to grow larger, especially at higher temperatures. This reduces the surface contact with the pores of the negative plate. A deep discharge/charge cycle restores the hydroxide particules to their normally smaller size -- increasing surface contact. Overcharging on the negative plate occurs when all the cadmium hydroxide is converted to cadmium metal. Once that occurs, only hydrogen gas and heat are produced (Oxygen gas is produced at the positive plate at the point that it becomes overcharged.) These gases, especially hydrogen, will eventually vent from the cell if overcharging continues, thus reducing the effectiveness of the electrolyte. The real meaning of memory effect comes from precisely repeated charge/ discharges (without overcharging) of sintered-plate [*] nickel-cadmium cells where the cell seems to remember the point of discharge depth. The effect is exceedingly difficult to reproduce, especially in lower ampere-hour cells. In one particular test program -- especially designed to induce memory -- no effect was found after more than 700 precisely-controlled charge/discharge cycles. In the program, spirally- wound one-ampere-hour cells were used. In a follow-up program, 20-ampere-hour aerospace-type cells were used on a similar test regime. Memory effects showed up after a few hundred cycles. [Test program conducted by Pensabene and Gould at GE, I believe.] This kind of memory appears to be related to the "efficiency" of the positive plate. It seems that repeated precise charge cycles affects the ability of the cell's active chemicals to charge fully, after which the positive plate begins to produce oxygen (as if being overcharged). Hence, it is possible for both gases and uncharged particules to exist simultaneously. Strangely, if the cell is carried out into overcharge the memory effect largely disappears. Hence, overcharging actually reverses the "true" memory effect. Another reason memory effect is a myth since all the consumer charger's I've seen actually overcharge until there is a slight voltage drop (due to an increase in resistance from the formation of larger cadmium hydroxide particules that cause contact loss). It's because consumer chargers actually overcharge that you have to give the battery a deep discharge from time to time. It has nothing to do with memory. [*] And just in case you are wondering what a sintered-plate is, the plate is constructed by sintering [welding without melting] a fine nickel powder with a surface area of about one square meter per gram. This produces a honeycombed structure that is about 80% open pores. The negative plate is then impregnated with cadimum hydroxide. The positive plate is impregnated with nickelous hydroxide (which converts to nickelic hydroxide when charged). And Graham Stoney puts it this way: The NiCd memory effect business is an urban myth, but it still keeps coming up. In summary, if you overcharge a NiCd battery, it develops a voltage depression which makes the battery appear to go flat earlier than you would expect. Since the discharge curve is so steep, sensitive devices which rely on battery voltage to detect when it is almost flat, will report that it is almost flat early due to the voltage depression, when in fact the cell still has significant charge. The voltage depression can be rectified by discharging the cell to its full discharge level. Many people misinterpret this phenomemon and conclude that the battery somehow remebers its last discharge level on the next charging cycle. This is not the case. The only effect that the current charge level has on the next charging cycle is that it's much easier to overcharge a NiCd cell whose current charge state is unknown, than it is to overcharge one which is known to be flat. The so-called "memory effect" is a simple case of user error in overcharging the cell. If you don't ever overcharge a NiCd cell, there's no need to discharge it before recharging it again."