Dee Hall

need your new e-mail address. If you don't still have mine, you can respond through NSPN's private messaging. Thanks, -Dee

The back deck on the Currituck is way too high for advanced rolls like that. I moved the bulkhead on my Currituck, and the ability to use such a variety of positions for my feet would seem to result in some change in performance. Of course, my feet are very small. -Dee

It appears that is true. I've noticed that the postal workers are stopping their engines at each mailbox now.

Congratulations, Gene. A lot of people have really liked this boat for many years. I am sure you will be happy. -Dee

Sounds like the boat that Alex mention to me last night. It's a folding boat for travel so you can customize it on the water to the type of paddling you are doing. -dee

Although the Orion is rumoured to handle similarly, it most certainly doesn't. The Gulfstream is much easier to handle. -Dee

Not sure if you have seen Nigel and sat in a Shadow, but he good roll in the Shadow without capsizing it. -Dee

Rick, What exactly is your affiliation with the USCG again? -Dee

Hi Gene, My husband and I have a boat we are selling that you might be interested in. Please shoot me an e-mail and we can discuss the specifics. dee dot hall at verizon dot net. -Dee

Gaffers tape is quite different from this plastic tape. Gaffers tape is heavier and will absorb a little bit of water while you paddle. Like Carl, I put this tape on my paddle three years ago, and it looks like new. And you wouldn't believe how bright it is. In case you don't realize it, the paddles are the first thing you see of a kayaker in the distance, and it's the first thing you see for a while as the distance is shortened. Perhaps you can all share a roll. It is 25'. -Dee

Yup.

Because the don't know of the existence of a type V PFD.

For those that don't know Mark Jacobson, he has been actively following this legislation and working with his local lawmakers. I have been working with my representative, and it has been productive. He has also done the work of distilling the statistics we needed. Our lawmakers deal with a lot of bills that to them see like "no brainers" because they are uneducated in the areas being addressed. They are not kayakers, and they don't reallize that this bill is flawed and needs to be improved or eliminated. We need to educated them individually using the numberes that Mark has given us. The strategy is to include canoes and rowboats in the bill since kayaks are obviously at least as safe, more correctly define PFDs, and remove the wet exit training. For a list of your senator and representative: http://www.mass.gov/legis/citytown.htm Thanks, -Dee

>So in summary: lean the boat (don't edge) with a relatively >neutral (flat) hull, keep the paddle shaft and your hands >down by your hips (the strongest and safest position for >your shoulders) and don't worry where that puts the blade. >The wave will take care of it. > My employer encourages us to use as many different boats as we can and as a result I can tell you that this would probably work in most boats, but not all. In my own boat, it works for less time that you can say "windowshade". (I wish I had enough time to take every boat out in the surf to figure out exactly which hull feature causes this dramatic tripping up.) However, Rick's point about when a high brace doesn't feel right is great. Whenever I feel that a high brace is getting away from me I just let it go and resign myself to rolling back up. I'm a pretty big wimp about it, and don't go in for heroic big braces. -Dee

When buying any neoprene, Hyrdoskin included, it's ability to keep you warm depends on several factors: 1. Thickness of neoprene - neoprene comes in many thicknesses. Commonly we use 3mm farmer johns and thinner tops, but thinner shorties, or shorts, pants, etc. are useful in the warmer weather. 2. Seams - some pieces have seams that are waterproof, some don't. The hydroskin isn't. Having water flush slowly in through the seams will definitely make you colder 3. Fit - A snugger fit will slow the flushing of cold water and result in more warmth when immersed. Adding a light or mid-weight first layer underneath can also help and also adds insulation. -Dee

To protect the shoulder, a high brace should be done with the paddle shaft below the head and the elbows tucked close to the rib cage. People with shorter torsos, like many women, can have difficulty getting a low brace into a good position unless their boat is very low volume. The coaming gets into the way. My boat is definitely not low volume, but I was out surfing in a Force 3 last weekend, and it did offer me more options for low bracing. -Dee

I don't know of any club or outfitter in this area, that requires a roll for recreational sea kayaking trips. Whitewater, however, is a different matter. -Dee

An extra Keepers foot peg for when someone inevitably loses one on a trip. An extra large homemade cagoule, black with a reflective coating inside. Someone has already taken a nap inside when left on the beach, too exhausted to keep up with the rest of the group.

This is the same stuff that Carl Carlson and I use. I also added some reflective tape for at night.

If you are underweight for the design of the boat, it's not going to handle right. I'm underweight for my boat, Impex's Currituck, but I almost always carry a lot of gear - certainly over 30 lbs of it. As a result, I don't get blown around nearly so much and the boat handles much more like it should. However, the response is still much better when I get into a boat that fits like a T165, Montauk, or Capella 161. However, I don't want to camp out of those boats, so I keep my Currituck. Rolling my Currituck is easier when it's full of gear, and sculling is nearly impossible when it's empty. All of those lower volume boats that fit me better make every skill easier. The Explorer is a lower volume boat that makes up for it in length at nearly 18'. -Dee

Deck rigging is real easy to change on a kayak. We've changed it on most of our boats.

If the T170 is too big and the T165 fits great than the Capella 169 should be too big for you. You should be trying a smaller Capella, like the 163. Yes, edging is easier than in an Explorer, and because it's a shorter boat, it is more manueverable. But so is the T165. -Dee

It's also one of the knots most often done incorrectly. Make sure it looks right after you tighten it. -Dee

Frankly, new and used boats have the same defects. No manufacturers have only defect-free kayaks leaving their plants. You want to make sure that that a sprayskirt will go onto the coaming, the seat is installed straight, the deck fittings are tight, the skeg operates smoothly, the skeg box and bulkheads look and feel solid, the hatches look like they have been taken care of, there are no gaps between the hatch rings and the deck, and any repairs were done correctly. Things like decklines, bungies, and backbands are commodities that have to be replaced occassionally (or upgraded), so I wouldn't worry much about those. -Dee

>One thing I've noticed about the NDK, Force 5, Capella, and >Aquanaut is that they all require less effort to >accellerate, and once up to speed to maintain it. Could be >my head playing tricks on me but I'm guessing that this is >the result of less turbulance due to a smoother hull as well >as a finer point on the bow since the glass and carbon >kevlar layups can be molded with far more precision than >plastic. > You are half right. The Tempest 170 in glass is also a relatively slow boat. Gelcoat is nice and slippery in the water. -Dee