djlewis

Nope... no problem here with the calendar. I am unable, however, to post a new message. If this reply gets through, I'll try again. --David.

Dynamite, Jed... congratulations! So, when do you lead your first Down East paddle? --David.

>...If a reserved slot is vacant fifteen minutes after >the start time then refund the money if you can sell it to >someone else. It was the policy last year to refund the payment for unused slots if they got refilled. It happened maybe once or twice all year, and there were maybe one or two "swaps" where money changed hands directly between kayakers. Correct me if I am wrong, but I believe the refund option has been removed this year -- once you've paid, the money's gone no matter what happens. I realize that the record-keeping and communication needed to support the refund policy hardly seem worth it for that frequency and money, especialy considering that you can still swap (I assume). But a "no refunds, ever" policy can be perceived as inflexible, and coupled with the price increase, might be keeping people away. Plus, I believe we ~do~ have more sessions this year. Last year it was roughly one session a week alternating between two pools. This year there are three pools and more than one session many weeks. Since last year's demand and supply were almost perfectly balanced (I know, because I was registrar for both pools), perhaps we have overreached a bit this year. --David.

Count me in. I like Adam's suggestion. --David.

OK, I'll speak for Diamante owners, who are probably too embarassed to show themsleves in a public discussion of leaking hatches. Diamante hatches are only slightly drier closed than open. Seriously, after half an hour of rolling practice, there will be a quart or two of water in them. Just paddling in anything but flat water will put a noticable load of water in them after a couple of hours. I carry two sponges and have developed my sponging technique to a high art. (Should I offer a class in it?) There is a partial solution -- strap the covers down so tight that you can barely release the buckles on the water, and cannot rebuckle them without another boat to support you. I have seen one better solution claimed, but have not installed it myself. Permanently affix a small but somewhat thick (maybe 1") piece of not-too-hard foam either to the underside of the buckle or to the top of the hatch under the buckle. Then, when securing the straps, make sure to pull them tight enough to compress the foam. The extra pressure allegedly improves the seal a lot, though I'm skeptical that it's anywhere near perfect. --David

Yes, I too like the idea of exploring the south shore more. As we learned last summer, Cohasset, for one, is a very beautiful and viable place to paddle, with some unique attractions. I once did propose -- only somewhat tongue in cheek -- that NSPN be renamed to mean "North & South shore Paddler's Network". Or, how about "New england Shore Paddler's Network." Or, just say the initials NSPN don't stand for anything in particular, and that members paddle all over New England. --David.

Rick: Your dedication and openness, not to mention your skill, are an inspiration. Thanks for sharing all of them with us! --David.

Scott asked how the waterbuster worked in practice. When it worked, it worked well. It pumped the cockpit on its own, as I paddled. I was able to snake the tubing under the sprayskirt, and thus get a totally hands-free pump-out. But there were problems. One was keeping the thing ~off~. More than once, I found the battery dead because the switch had been left on or jiggled on. The motor is very quiet, and it sometimes hard to tell if it is on. The on/off switch is a push-button rather than a slider or toggle, so you can't tell if it's on or off by looking. Sometimes I had to hold it up to my ear to be sure it was off. Another problem is turning it off after the pumping is done. If you've been paddling, you have to pop your skirt and use two hands. A third problem is where to put it. I never did get to this (or any outfitting, for that matter) but I probably would have secured it behind my seat, to the rear blukhead, positioned to (mostly) pump my cockpit without being moved. That would reduce but not eliminate the problem of needing to stop paddling to extract it from a hatch and deploy it. I determined that I could indeed reach around behind my sea and turn it on easily and unfurl the hose. Behind the cockpit would not work on a slanted rear bulkhead, like the Avocet. I was going to try for some kind of release system, like velcro, so it could be removed for someone else's use. In the end, I think a foot pump as described in the article is a lot better for your own cockpit, despite being a bit of a project to install. A waterbuster might be good to keep in a day hatch for assisted rescues, to augment or replace a hand pump, though I'd obviously still carry a hand pump. It does reduce the reluctance to use flooded-cockpit methods such as scoop, which might entail several minutes of vigorous pumping while rafted. But the waterbuster is really more of a convenience in that case, to pump out faster and with less effort. One could also deploy it to pump the rescuee on the fly and then raft up again to turn it off. So, all in all, it didn't turn out to be as good as I hoped. If I had done the outfitting, it might have been a nice item. I'm now thinking a foot pump is better (but wondering if I have the time and/or skill to install one these days.) Shane had one too. How did it turn out, Shane? How does MIKCo use them -- I understand they have quite a few among their crew. --David

Wow... neat article; neat idea. Thanks, Scott; thanks, Tom. Brian, can we do this in outfitting workshop? (Only partly kidding -- sounds like a significant project) Anybody wanna buy a very slightly used, battery-operated, waterbuster pump? --David.

Count me in. I'll contribute two sawhourses. By the way, is it both days, or pick one? Or perhaps it depends on the demand. Will/could there be a gel-coat repair component? My hull is still fairly banged up from the summer and fall. I wouldn't mind some cosmetic gel-coat work too, to fix up the worst of the non-threatening but ugly scratches on the hull and deck. --David.

A specific link is: http://www.cleanlinesurf.com/shop/index.ph...241070&cat=382& and there are some more along the same lines at http://www.cleanlinesurf.com/shop/index.ph...p=1&cart=241070

Apart from what you need for yourself in the way of a bilge pump, I think that carrying a small electric pump can make a difference when helping others. When rescuing someone who is injured or finds normal "scrambling" rescues a problem (like paddlers with certain handicaps), we sometimes have a choice between a swamped boat rescue (like a scoop) and a drained boat rescue (like a T). The scoop may be a lot easier for the rescuee, but presents the extra problem of pumping out their boat afterwards. Having a small, portable electric pump on hand changes the equation. You can very quickly start the pump on their cockpit floor, snake the hose over the coaming, secure their spray skirt, and the boat will essentially pump itself -- as fast the fastest hand-pumper -- while they paddle. So, swamped boat rescues become more attractive. Of course, one might say that such a paddler should not be in conditions where hand pumping is a problem -- others can always raft up with them and do it, maybe two pumping at a time. So, this may just be a convenience solution. But I am intrigued by the fact that many MIKCo instructors carry WaterBuster pumps and apparently use them occasionally. Maybe Jed can shed some light on that. For myself, my grand plan is to secure a WaterBuster behind my seat, attached with a velcro or fastex strap to the rear bulkhead in a position that will work to pump my own boat. Then, to use it for someone else, I just reach around behind, release the strap, and voila. I've simulated both turning on the pump and removing it from behind my seat, and it seems pretty easy. This may not work in boats with sloped rear bulkheads. (Of course, I haven't even found the occasion to replace my $^$#@!# backband, so this may be pie in the sky.) --David.

I'll be there. --David.

Glad you are all OK. It sounds like basically good work. The proper safety margins were in place... dry suits, extra paddle, tow gear (eventually), good gloves, and all that made a big difference. Some thoughts about your specific points... 1, 3 and 5 are about communication. That says a lot. I don't know about eliminating misunderstandings in 1-1 communication under stress. I suspect there will always be foul-ups, no matter how hard we try. But the the VHF really changes the game significantly for the better and can make up for some of those problems (especially if you use it ;-) I guess I too will reverse my slide toward not having it on at all times, especially in the colder seasons when there isn't much annoying radio traffic anyway. The other lesson I see is the importance of staying close together in tougher, colder conditions, especially with a minimal size group. Perhaps point #1 might have added: "and told the lead paddler to stay back with the tow rather than plunge ahead"... or maybe that's what you meant. --David.

>"Is there a good source for stainless steel fasteners and >hardware near nearby other that the Home Depot? The nearest >West Marine stores are in Dedham & Woburn." There's a BoatUS store on the other side of the same building. It's basically the same stuff as West Marine. In fact, West Marine recently bought BoatUS and brought all BoatUS's prices into line with theirs -- that is, they raised them a lot! --David http://www.boatus.com/news/images/richard_west_sm.jpg

>>The stern draw is similar to a hanging draw, except that the >>paddle is held well aft of the cockpit and it pulls the >>stern around. > >There are various versions that are loosely classified as >stern draws. Nigel's version that you describe might be >called a "hanging stern draw" to differentiate it from the >standard stern draw. I think Karen Knight was referring to a "standard" stern draw, that is, roughly the second half of a forward sweep. That's certainly what she demonstrated. Though I did not get a chance to ask, I beleive the theory is consistent with the differential pressure, bow vs stern. Since the stern is easier to slide sideways when moving, concentrate on the part of the sweep that draws the stern at the expense of the part that pries the bow. Make sense? --David.

Thanks, Scott, for the excellent explanation. One point I'd like to hear more about regarding sweeps to initiate turns is Karen Knight's advice to emphasize the stern part of the sweep more than the bow part. In fact, she actually calls it a stern draw rather than a sweep. This seems consistent with the differential pressure phenomenon. --David.

>If you're on the border, I suggest going with >the next larger size. I really dislike gloves where the fingers are too long, and just flop around, get in the way, and make even medium-grain finger tasks difficult or impossible. Also, I assume that dry gloves are a bit of a chore to doff and don, so I don't want to be too disabled. Is this a significant concern, or are most or all kayaking tasks perfectly viable with too-long glove fingers? My Stearns neoprenes fit the fingers perfectly, and are therefore delightful to use. But they won't make it into hard-core cold weather. Thanks. --David.

Ok, sounds like Nordic Blue or the equivalent is the way to go. Can folks who have them help with sizing, perhaps by measuring their own hands. I used the chart below from the Nordic Blue web site and fell right between small and medium. Do they run small or large? Should I leave a bit of room for a more substantial liner? Or does Linda's experience suggest going toward the smaller ones. Are the fingers shorter or longer? I frequently find gloves that fit my hand have fingers that are too long, though the Stearnes neoprene mediums are perfect. Thanks. --David. http://www.nordic-blue.com/bilder/Storlekstabbel.jpg

I also worry a bit about simple heat when storing a dry or wet suit near a furnace -- or just about any gear with neoprene and/or rubber. Our furnace seems to radiate heat into the basement at a mild but noticable rate. It felt like the gear was getting a bigger does of heat than the chilly air temp of the basement would suggest. I know furnaces aren't supposed to do that -- it just heats the basement when you are paying to heat the living space of the house -- but there seems to be some effect. So I moved the rack with kayak gear to a far corner of the basement, a good 15 feet from the furnace, from a spot more like 6-8 feet away. Am I overly concerned? --David.

Liz: >I use one of these - modified - for my sleeping bag. I >sealed the seams and tested to make sure there were no water >leaks in the bottom and side seams. I'm surprised about the >comments that the fabric itself leaks.... That seems consistent with their marketing. Perhaps it was the zipper leaking on Alex, or maybe she had an earlier version. >I really like being about to compress my sleeping bag. Seems essential for camping. Also, to carry even a lightweight sleeping bag for rewarming on cold-water trips, the way Scott recommends, compressing it would be nice. >Oh yeah. My hatches don't leak. Don't tempt fate... or certain mischevious paddlers in the club! Seriously, I've always figured that one should plan to survive and even thrive with a flooded hatch. Having leaky hatches forces you to be prepared for that. See, it's ~good~... makes you smart and tough. ;-))) --David.

Thanks, Peter: Yes, I see that those Black Canyon compression bags are ordinarily a bit expensive. But I found a place (sportsbasement.com, in yahoo stores) that offers them for $23 for the smaller one ($32 for the larger), which about the same as the hydroseals. I ordered two. If you're searching, be careful. There's a non-compression version by the same name, Black Canyon. CampMor seems to have only the non-compression models, though for more money than that bargain at sportsbasement. --David. http://www.sportsbasement.com/shopping/pro...temType=PRODUCT

Thanks, Alex & Richard: I appreciate the cautions. Too bad, because it seemed like a great idea. Perhaps the very notion of a compressible sack and a dry one are contradictory. But I'm wondering if maybe OR has reengineerind them. Below is what it says at REI. which I presume is written by OR. It is especially extravagant about the waterproofness, and that seesm incompatible with Alex's experience. But as I read it again, I see that there's nothing to imply that these things function as true dry bags for boating use. They are probably more to keep a hiker's sleeping bag dry in the face of rain when lashed to the outside of a pack. In that case, if the zipper leaks, a piece of light plastic right inside might be all that's needed to protect against rain. But obviously that won't work in a hatch with a couple inches of water. (Please, no comments about my leaky hatches ;-)) So, what's the solution? Plain old leaky -- and cheaper -- compression sacks inside a bona-fide dry bag? --David. >This unique stuff sack's hinged lid closes with a beefy zipper, >eliminating those tangled straps and floppy end cap. > > * Solidly attached lid can be kneeled on or used as a handle to >stabilize the sack while stuffing gear > * Hydroseal-200® coated nylon with factory-sealed seams is >waterproof to 200 psi, amazingly durable and remains flexible to -40° >Fahrenheit > * Hypalon inner and outer storm flaps provide bomber anchor >points, protects zipper and keeps gear material from getting caught >in zipper teeth > * Compression straps have sculpted anchor points for complete and >even compression; quick-release buckles on three sides allow easy >access > * Since ends are essentially square, the compressed, rectangular >load packs more efficiently inside a backpack * Since ends are essentially square, the compressed, rectangular load packs more efficiently inside a backpack http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDis...gory_rn=4500447

Any experience with and or opinions on the Outdoor Research Hydroseal Compression Stuff Sacks? For one, do they seal well enough not to require extra dry bagging in a hatch that will probably get wet? Thanks. --David.

>The NWS forecasts weather over very large regions. You may >have been caught in a local disturbance that was not >significant to their larger picture. S/SE winds in this area >are an idication of either a Low to the S or SW (common) or >a North/South oriented front (less likely) or a NE High >(least likely). But again, even these things are large in >scale and not local effects. Yes, certainly -- local variations. In this case, however, ex post facto observations and VHS weather channel monitoring revealed that there was indeed a storm that came up from Boston. In fact, my wife got caught out on the road in the metro area in a much worse downpour than we had on Casco. So I think this particular instance was a discontinuous second-most-likely forecast that came to pass over a large area, rather than a local variation. >Another, cheaper and available technique would be to watch >the sky. ... Yes, I know there are more things in heaven and earth than heretore dreamt in my philosophy. Thank you for the hints. >True enough, but the NWS would have provided a synopsis that >would indentify the dominant weather system that was in >control of the local weather for that day. So I guess my >recommendation would be to listen for the synopsis, hear >their actual forcast and adjust as neccessary during the day >based on actual real-time observations. Yes... good points all. I will starting watching the NWS synopses as well as the most-likely-guesses. Thanks. --David.