Brian Nystrom

I took my Passat wagon with racks and saddles through a "soft cloth" wash last weekend without any hassle. Maybe it's the car washes with the big brushes that are a problem? I did notice that the racks and saddles prevented the roof from getting entirely cleaned, but she sure looked better after getting most of the salt encrustation off!

kayak Flag Legislation Dear Sir, It is my understanding that you have sponsored a proposal - at the behest of the Ipswich Police Department - to require kayaks traveling in coastal waters to have an elevated flag on them to increase their visibility to other boaters. While this may seem logical, it does not not take into consideration the unique characteristics of kayaks and it would actually create greater dangers that it seeks to alleviate. It is important to understand that kayaks are not like other water craft; you cannot simply stick an appendage on one without affecting the performance and handling of the craft. Adding an elevated flag would have serious negative effects, such as: - Reduced stability. Adding anything that creates wind resistance and leverage against the kayak will make it more likely to capsize in crosswinds. - The extra wind resistance of a stern mounted flag will cause the kayak to turn into the wind, perhaps uncontrollably in high wind conditions. "Weathercocking" as it's called, severely compromises the kayaker's ability to navigate and control the kayak. - Such a flag would make it difficult or even impossible to perform an "eskimo roll", which is a standard form of capsize recovery for kayakers. Without the ability to eskimo roll, the paddler would be forced to exit the boat in the event of a capsize. This creates a dangerous situation by exposing the kayaker to the risk of hypothermia (a leading killer of boaters in our cold waters) and forcing the kayaker to attempt a strenuous and potentially ineffective self-rescue. - Anything sticking up on the deck of a kayak would interfere with standard self-rescue and assisted rescue techniques. - Kayaks frequently launch and land through surf, where capsizes are common. If the flag staff were to break off, it would create a potential impalement hazard in surf. The state will be liable in the event that this mandated 'safety device' causes or contributes to the injury or death of a kayaker. Additionally, this will create an enormous enforcement burden, diverting resources from much more serious problems, such as apprehending intoxicated boaters and those who flagrantly violate marine regulations. How would enforcement agencies deal with kayakers who paddle into Massachusetts waters from New Hampshire or Rhode Island? This proposal is actually circumventing the real issue, which in not the relative visibility of kayakers, but the inattention of other boaters. As a kayaker, I see this all the time. Boaters need to be aware that there are a variety of small craft on coastal waters and they need to be vigilant. Kayaks bear a responsibility, too. They must travel in a predictable manner and avoid confrontations with other boaters. I understand and appreciate your concern for making kayaking and boating safer. However, sticking flags on kayaks is not the best way to do so. It would be far more effective to promote safety education than to try to legislate safety into the activity. I'm a member of a kayaking club that is very active in promoting safe kayaking. If you are interested in learning more or assisting us in this endeavor, please reply to this email. Respectfully Brian Nystrom -------------------- Feel free to use any or all of this in your responses. Brian

His trip is certainly quite a feat. However, I don't see how this breaks Ed Gilette's record, or even comes close. Ed paddled 3600 miles nonstop, with no external support, which is very different from Wade who "comes inland every seven or eight days to rest, "eat real food" and stocking up on supplies." Wade's journey is essentially a string of week-long trips, not a continuous voyage like Gillette's.

You've done a great job and I have a great deal of respect for you and what you've contributed to the club. However, I have to take issue with the following statement: "The feelings we should be exclusive, not lead trips, not offer professional instructors from around the world (at a savings to club members) are foreign to me." I have spoken with a lot of people in the past few weeks and NO ONE has taken a position that we should be "exclusive". The club and its programs are open to anyone and I haven't heard any opinion that it should be otherwise. Unless I'm completely misunderstaning your meaning, I don't see where this is even an issue. Likewise with leading trips. I haven't heard anyone suggest that we shouldn't lead trips. There has been some discussion about the way we run Level 4 trips and workshops, but that's based on safety concerns, which seems like a good thing to discuss. Trips are at the core of what the NSPN does and that's not likely to change. While there are some members who question our sponsorship of "celebrity" paddlers and their clinics, due to concerns over competition with local outfitters, there are other ways to reduce any possible conflicts than to curtail such events. I simply cannot see that happening. It's a shame that you have such a negative impression of what lies ahead for the NSPN. Personally, I'm excited about the future and expect the club to be stronger and just as much fun as ever. If you attend the upcoming membership meeting, I think you'll see that's the case. Regardless, I truly hope that you'll be out there paddling with the club as you have been. It would certainly be our loss if you weren't. See You On The Sea. Brian

I had the same problem with a couple of carbiners that I received along with a used boat I bought. Both were encrusted/corroded to the point that the gates and bodies seemed fused into a single piece. After washing them in hot water, I pushed on the gates until they budged just a bit, then began working them back and forth. Now that the water had a way into the joint, it worked much more effectively. More water, then penetrating oil and eventually the 'biners worked as smoothly as new. I wouldn't trust them for climbing, but they're good enough for hanging a boat in the garage.

They were removed so he could sleep in the boat. BTW, I realize that yours was a rhetorical question. ;-)

...who is having trouble posting and asked me to do this for her: Richard, I am being very restrained about your assumptions of my knowledge of physics and fluid mechanics, compressible and incompressible. -Dee

>Cracked Rims: >It was interesting to note that cracked rims were more >prevelent on boats with thin flexable decks. It could be >that the cracks are a result of flexing caused by internal >and/or external pressure. I suspect that you're correct, though I've seen such cracks on boats with relatively stiff decks. >Breather Holes: >Although I was initially impressed by the reasoning to put >breather holes in bulkheads, my current feeling is that it >defeats the safety feature of a watertight chamber. For >sure, a small breather hole will equalize the pressure. >But, if you hole your boat, a breather hole will enable a >watertight chamber to quickly flood with water. Although >hatch covers are relatively easy to open from the outside, >they are almost impossable to dislodge under internal >pressure. IMHO a more prudent (costly) alternative is to >have a second set of covers with breather holes. The covers >would only be used for transport or storage. >Example: Imagine a cup of coffee with or without a breather >hole in the lid! I understand your concern, but my experience doesn't back it up. When I holed my Silhouette, relatively little water entered the compartment, despite the breather hole. From a practical standpoint, it seems to me that the risk of damage to the boat from no breathers is greater than the risk of leakage. Imploded decks and burst seams can and do happen. The fact that they're not more common is probably due to the fact that most boats aren't that well sealed. Thinking about it, I wonder if some of the split hatch rings may be caused by pressure problems?

...is that it only allows flow one way. For a breather to be effective, it needs to work in both directions, since the pressure in the sealed compartments can be negative (warm boat placed in cold water) or positive (boat removed from cold water and warming in the sun). Some folks have gone the route of putting Gore-Tex patches over breather holes, which theoretically is an interesting idea. In practice, the tiny breather holes are not a problem. I have yet to have one clog in the 3+ years I've been using them. BTW, I have put a hole in a boat with breather holes in the bulkheads. In an hour plus of paddling afterward (I didn't realize the hull was holed), aproximately two gallons of water entered the compartment. I'm not sure what that means, but it doesn't seem as if the breather had much, if any, detrimental effect.

Since vinegar is an acid, it will react with the salt, which is alkaline. Since baking soda is also alkaline, I don't think that soaking the knife in a baking soda solution would be beneficial. Then again, I'm not a chemist...

...of the commercial boats I've owned and worked on, all but one have had leaks of various types. I've had VCP and proprietary rubber hatch covers, and Bowmar and Beckson deck plates. Here are some things I've learned. 1) Don't assume that all leaks are due to poorly sealed hatches. I've had boats that leaked through: - The bow/stern toggle holes. The end pour was too small and the toggle rope hole was drilled behind it, into the compartment. - Bulkheads. Poor sealing around the edges of foam bulkheads, gaps and pinholes in the fiberglass seal on glass bulkheads. - Recessed deck fittings, through the screws or pinholes in the fitting itself. - Deck mounted bilge pump. The one in my Nordkapp always dripped on my knees. - Deck mounted compass, through the screws or pinholes in the recess. - Skeg boxes or fittings. The common causes are poorly installed skeg boxes, inadequately tightened clamps or deck fittings (rope skeg) and poorly installed/sealed skeg box fittings (cable skegs). - Cracked hatch rims. One thing I learned at the workshop is that this is a problem whether the rim is attached with screws or simply with sealant. Sean demonstrated that finding cracks is easy using a flashlight from inside the hatch rim. - Improperly sealed hatch rims. Never assume that the factory used enough sealant or epoxy, or that it bonded properly. 2) Breather (vent) holes in bulkheads REDUCE leakage. This may seem counterintuitive, but it makes sense if you think about it. If you put a warm boat on cold water and your hatches are well sealed, it causes low pressure in the compartments, which will tend to draw in air and/or water from any minor fissure and from around the hatch cover. Breather holes eliminate pressure differentials, preventing that from happening. They also eliminate the possibility of damage to the boat when it's cooled or heated rapidly (cool garage, hot day), or driven to altitude where the outside air pressure decreases. All that's necessary is a tiny hole in each bulkhead, 1/32" is enough. With foam bulkheads, I simply poke a thin wire (bicycle spoke) through, then insert a piece of the tubing that comes with spray lubes. I locate my breather holes an inch or so above the center of the bulkhead, based on the premise that the potential water level in the cockpit is likely to be higher with the boat upright than with it inverted. I have put breather holes in every boat I've owned (plus several others) and have never seen any leakage that could be attributed to them. 3) Screws through the hull or deck are ALWAYS suspect. All it takes is a bit of sealant under the screw heads to eliminate this problem, but that's apparently too much to ask of some manufacturers. Screws with rubber seals should be checked, as the seals can rot and/or split. 4) Hatch seals can be improved. - Bungee loops around VCP and Kajak sport hatches improve the seal and can also function as attachment points for hatch tethers. - Leaky deck plates can be made watertight by wrapping tape in the O-ring grooves, under the O-ring. This creates a tighter fit, but it may necessitate lubricating the O-rings with silicone spray in order to reduce friction during installation. Use only SILICONE spray. - Double sealing VCP hatch covers can make a big difference. Unfortunately, it can also be difficult to do on boats where the hatch hole in the deck is too small or the hatch ring is mounted off center. It may be necessary to carefully trim the hatch cover flange in order to be able to double seal it.

I just want to mention a couple of things. 1) In a couple of cases (Kim's Romany and Sean's Ellesmere), they got better performance using a thin polyester cord (1/8"/3mm), probably because it's more flexible than thicker cord. Either way, it appears that the key is making sure that the skeg assemby is properly "tuned" per your instructions. 2) The type of cleat you installed on your boat is actually referred to as a "clam" cleat in most marine catalogs and web sites. Searching on "clam cleat" should make them easy to find. It's also important to get a cleat that has a fairlead. They're available with and without.

Try soaking it in warm fresh water to dissolve any salt that's left, then hit it with WD 40 to displace the water and loosen up corroded joints. By working the blades and tools, you may be able to free them up to the point of being usable again.

...who helped make this event possible. There is no way this could have happened with people to secure the space, help transport the equipment and supplies, and assist the participants in working on their boats. Your contributions are truly appreciated. I would also like to thank all those who attended. It's the participants that make an event like this worthwhile. Your energy, enthusiams and desire to learn is truly inspirational and make it very rewarding for those of us who helped organize the event. It was a pleasure working with all of you. Brian

In addition to what you've spoken of, my philosophy regarding bungee cord is "less is more". Specifically, I use hard lines in lieu of bungee for most of the deck rigging. I've found that bungees is pretty lousy at holding anything on a kayak in rough conditions. Greenland style deck rigging with parallel hard lines and sliding tensioners is far more effective at keeping things in place. There are some examples of this and other deck rigging in my Webshots albums at: http://community.webshots.com/user/brian_nystrom If anyone wants to try this setup, just bring some wood (almost any type will work) to the workshop and we'll make some. I usually make my sliders out of 3/4" square stock.

Catch you next time.

"I have a question, if I've got lots of regular DAP Weldwood Contract Cement and not the Gel variety, is it necessary to go out and buy the Gel? What is the nature of the difference as far as the work we would be doing. Is it that the Gel doesn't drip and run as much?" That's exactly the case. What you have will work just fine.

VCP has apparently seen the opening in the market that NDK's poor reputation has created and is taking advantage of it. I'm quite impressed with how market savvy they've become. NDK suffered a big hit in sales last year, which may have served as a wake-up call. They're now claiming to have improved their manufacturing quality. It will be interesting to see if it's for real or just lip service. With VCP, Wilderness System and Necky (among others) producing high quality, high performance boats aimed at the "serious paddler" market, NDK is going to get pummeled if it continues to produce substandard boats.

I was referring to the photo attached to the post above. If you can't see it, right click on the link and select "view image". It should come up.

I realize that people paddle NDK boats for their on-water performance and that most know that piss-poor quality control is part of the package. I empathize with those who buy them without realizing what they may be getting into. While I would never insult a paddler for choosing an NDK boat, I'm not above taking a jab at Nigel Dennis for the shoddy way he builds his boats and treats his customer base. Besides, some of the problems with them are so ludicrous that you either have to laugh at them or cry. FWIW, the Betsie Bay Aral I own has many flaws too, though no serious structural defects that I know of. Although I got it at a good price, they sell for much more than NDK boats ($3500) and the construction quality is nowhere near what one would expect for the price. I always tell it like it is whenever anyone inquires about BBK boats; they are the NDK of wood boats. Interestingly, I paddle it for the same reason that you and others paddle NDK's; the on-water performance is simply outstanding.

If anyone with a pickup or van is heading south from NH on Saturday morning, I need a hand getting the band saw and a few other items down to the workshop. Please contact me at brian.nystrom@att.net or call me at 603-886-0384. Thanks Brian

VERY IMPORTANT! --------------- Due to the low temps this weekend, we will need to conserve heat in the space we're using, so we'll have limited ventilation available. Anyone doing foam & glue work MUST have an organic vapor mask and they are STRONGLY RECOMMENDED for all participants (see photo). We will have many more boats than last time and the glue fumes are likely to be pretty strong. Protective gloves are also a good idea. Safety glasses are also recommended for all participants. Although this is not an "official" NSPN event, Richard will have liability waivers for all participants to sign, in order to protect the organizers, the NSPN and the owners of the building from liability. As with NSPN events, safety is paramount. If you're doing foam work, you'll need contact cement. My favorite is shown in the photo. You'll also need a pint of lacquer thinner and some paper towels. The best tool I've found for shaping foam is the Stanley Surform tool shown in the photo. I also have a sanding drum for the drill press. If you have an old kitchen knife that you can use for cutting foam, please bring it. You can always pick one up at a local "dollar store". High quality is not necessary. For those doing deck rigging, I have spools of bungee and deck line, both in black only. I also have a decent supply of wood beads for deck rigging, but there probably won't be enough to go around. They are available Michael's Crafts and AC Moore stores for $2.99 a bag (27/bag for the 19mm beads, 18/bag for the 25mm). If you anticipate using quite a few, it would behoove you to buy some. I will be bringing a drill press, a band saw and an industrial sewing machine. Richard will bring a portable TV on Sunday, so we can catch the Patriots game. I have made 48 pump holders in advance, which is enough to do at least 24 boats. If need be, I can make more on site. There is no food in the plaza we're at, so bring munchies, lunch and beverages. Boat US at the end of the plaza has graciously agreed to allow us to use their toilet facilities. They also sell lots of useful stuff, so please reward them by spending a few bucks there. DIRECTIONS ---------- Location: Waverly Oaks Park (Office/Retail/Warehouse) 411 Waverly Oaks Rd. (Route 60), Waltham Note: Boats US and Party Needs are retail stores within the complex that faces the street Directions: From 128 (95) Take Trapello Rd. exit Head toward Cambridge/Boston Drive 4.5 miles Take a right at traffic light on to Waverly Oaks Rd. (Route 60) 1/3 mile on left is Waverly Oaks Park (Office/Retail/Warehouse) Directions to the loading docks. *********************** Building layout: Face the first long building in the complex that is parallel to Waverly Oaks Road. Boats US is on the left, Party Needs is in the middle, we will be using the last two loading dock doors at the end of the building on the right. The hours will be 9:00 to 5:00, both days. http://community.webshots.com/s/image9/1/6...50MUsHCQ_ph.jpg All of these items are available at home centers and hardware stores.

...at least for those of us who don't own NDK boats! I can see the horror stories now...and the helpful articles, such as: "How to Repair A Boat Whose Stern Keel Broke Off In One Huge Chunk Because The Factory Didn't Put Any Friggin' Fiberglass Aft Of The Skeg Box" or "Doctors Who Perform Hernia Surgery Cheap, For NDK Owners Who Believed The Published Weights And Actually Tried To Lift Their Boat Alone" or "Self-Detaching Seats Are Not A Defect, They're A Feature" or "If Kayaks Were Meant To Be Built With Fiberglass Cloth, God Wouldn't Have Made Chopped Strand Matt Cheaper." or "Gelcoat Doesn't Add Weight, It Creates Ballast" Sorry, I couldn't resist. ;-)

I wasn't aware that you were holding separate beginner sessions. That's quite commendable.

>"Good" people tend to follow rules without >policies and "bad" people tend to find ways around them. Good point. >Sexual harassment need not be serial in form. In the >workplace law, etc. has tried to define sexual harassment. >Based on these attempts and personal experience it amounts >to any and all behaviour of a sexual nature by one party >that makes another party uncomfortable. You have perfectly defined the problem. When you have an "offense" that is defined by the offended party, you do not have a consistent standard that can be applied fairly and even-handedly. This creates a legal morass from which there is no escape. >I think we all have >made comments in our time that we meant only in jest but >instead found they were taken poorly by another party. >Often these are people we care deeply about. Suffice it to >say an incident can qualify as sexual harassment. Not legally if you are in a public setting and there is no hierarchy of power. >Part of >such a policy should be an understanding that the standards >of sexual harassment are not common among us and provide for >limited punishment, etc. for first and/or minor offenses >along with the intent to educate these parties. Perhaps the lawyers in the group will step in here, but here is my understanding of the legal risks involved in having a formal harassment policy in an organization that operates in a public setting. When you create a formal policy on harassment, you are making a defacto offer of protection. You are then legally bound to enforce that policy. While this may be workable in a workplace where there are substantial punishment options (such as the loss of one's job) that create a real deterrent, it cannot work in a public setting. For example, let's use our own organization. We paddle on public waterways. We have no control whatsoever over who paddles those same waters, or when/where they do so. We have no way to control anyone's behavior out on the water. Our trips are posted on a public web site, enabling anyone who wants to show up at that time and place to do so, and there is nothing we can do about it. The only punishment we have is expulsion from the club, which would be little deterrent to an abusive party. The bottom line is that we cannot offer anything approaching the level of deterrent or protection that a workplace can, which would leave us in a very precarious legal position if we were to imply that we could by creating a formal harassment policy. In a group such as ours, we have to trust each other. Trust that we will look out for each other, trust that we will act responsibly and trust that we will respect each other. There are bound to be conflicts and misunderstandings in any group as large as ours, but based on the trust we have in each other, we should be able to resolve these situations amicably, like adults. Without that trust, a club like ours couldn't exist. We are blessed to share a wonderful bond of friendship. It came from within us all, from our love for kayaking and our desire to share the joy we've found with others. No policy was necessary to create that, nor could one ever do so.