RogerPollock

There’s a quote that goes: “If the music’s bad, don’t blame the instrument, blame the musician.” To the greater extent, I believe this is true. When we were kids learning to play guitar, there were always those really good guys (usually older) who could pick up our junk guitar, and play through our amps, and burn like Eddie Van Halen, and afterwards, we’d hold our guitars and stare in disbelief, as if they’d been momentarily possessed, because, at that stage, we could never get them to sound like that . . . However, one could never, say, play proper Flamenco on a Fender Strat. I mean, it could be done, but it wouldn’t sound right, nor really work right, on steel strings. A Fender Strat is just not designed for that. So, there's a limit . . . So, too with paddling . . . My first boat was a northwest-type design, similar to a Looksha, with a factory rudder, which they included for a reason – the boat was miserable without it, just horribly behaved, spun like a top with a hint of wind or current. But drop the rudder and paddle, and the boat flew. And I mean flew, faster even than the boats I have now. It was designed to do just this, not British/purist type paddling, but I persisted in paddling the boat in a way it wasn’t designed for. Could one manage without the rudder? Yes, but it was a hell of a lot of exhausting work, and who needs that? Having upgraded to boats that track much better without aids, I still wonder if, now with more experience, I could do a better job in that old boat, or if you dropped some hot-shot five star paddler in it and tossed him out in bad conditions if he’d paddle just fine, and with a smile on his face – sans rudder. Maybe I should have kept it, so I could find out . . . I have the Tempest 165 (it’s MY plastic Avocet). I never paddled the 170. Didn’t get that far. Having just sat in it, the cockpit was much too big. I weight 205#, so I can only imagine you’re swimming in the thing. For more control, you could always try to bring the deck down to you by adding a lot of minicell under there . . . might work . . . You may find, the longer you paddle, the tighter a boat you’ll desire, and tolerate. Boat design (and I guess marketing) is funny, and I don’t understand much of it, but a lot of manufacturers increase both length and volume at the same time (Wildy for one), when sometimes you just want more length. My Greenlander, for instance, fits the same as the Tempest, while it’s longer. Many of these manufacturers, though, are way out of whack when they say a boat is geared toward “smaller” or “bigger” paddlers. It’s all a bit subjective. According to the specs, I’m not even supposed to fit in my Tempest . . .

Not to mention the person on the bicycle in the water . . . Too far to sea to really understand what the set up was, the bike was set up on pontoons and propelled, somehow, by pedaling . . . It was like, is that a guy out there on a bike? It IS a guy out there on a bike!! A day of strange sights . . .

Rob, Not quite certain. I do know my hands never left my paddle and I never grabbed at the skirt. The skirt came with the boat, and it’s quite old and kind of stretched out, and leaks a fair bit. I’ve been limping along with it and have been lazy about replacing it. I think the force or the plunging wave that came down on me, then the barrel rolls, were trying to jerk me out of the boat, and stressed the skirt. It’s really a testament to the ocean cockpit which kept me in the boat, vs. the larger cockpit of my Tempest, which I was actually swept out of one time in a similar type wipe out . . .

Lost count how many capsizes yesterday . . . every ride in the dumping surf ended in a wipe out – the most memorable being the last one – a repeating, dizzying barrel roll which ultimately imploded my skirt and swamped my boat, requiring a trip into the beach to de-water. Then getting caught in the small churn behind Thatcher’s where the waves kept slamming me into the rocks – two capsizes there . . . Then the wave prior to the one that back-surfed Bob out at the corner got me, too . . . And to my great pleasure (and some surprise), no panics, no lost paddle, no wet exits, no swims – all successful combat rolls – and in the Greenlander to boot, a boat I once half-swore I’d never paddle again after a paddle in similar swell conditions . . . An incredibly satisfying day . . .

Rocks . . . moo-haw-haw!! I'm in.

Make sure you're really getting your hands up out of the water on the set up . . . You'll have to be tucked forward a fair bit to do this . . . if you practice you'll be able to do it without crunching too uncomfortably. You don't want to be starting from a set up where you hands are burried in or under the water. Also, you may be yanking DOWN on the paddle too much, i.e. muscling the roll. I did this at first, too. As you practice and develop muscle memory in the other parts of your body, you will dive less. Rolling is a little bit of paddle at the set up, just to get you some lift, and the rest is twising (or unwinding, really), then (depending on your style)arching up onto the back deck, or crunching to the side while keeping your head down with a hip flick. As your roll develops, you'll see you hardly using any arm power at all, and there's very little pressure on the paddle, just a little touch. After a session nowadays, it's my legs and hips that are sore, not the arms and shoulders.

This weekend I had a few hounding me all the way out in Gloucester harbor. I guess I REALLY attract them!!

Happened to just speak to someone I know at the Essex water dept, who mans the Essex water treatment plant on the other side of the lake, and he knows nothing of this, just the close call David notes. He says the lake's open, and everything's fine and dandy. He indicates they test for water quality once a year, and this year, not surprisingly, due to all the rain, there was a slightly elevated bacteria level. He says though all the homes on the lake are on septic, and a few had problems during the spring, there's a healthy inflow and outflow of water through the lake, so the whole thing is constantly flushing itself . . .

Looks like 5 pm, Deb - @ Greasy Pole. Depending on how early I can skip out of work, I may or may not be there at that time. If I'm running behind, I'll launch on the west side of the harbor and catch up. I'll carry my radio, and see if I can make contact. Roger

Since it was gushing rain last Wed, anybody want to try again from Greasy Pole heading toward Magnolia? Mellow paddle looking for and lingering in ledges, surges, play-holes? Not too far, back by dark, bring lights just in case? Unfortunately, we won't have the same tide, but . . .

This looks like the guy. The second dorsal fin doesn't stand out in memory, nor the spots, but the stripes do. As I bobbed with it, trying to identify it, I noted the stipes, and first thought: baby tiger shark or something? Then noted the googly eyes . . . Having looked up dogfish and seen pictures of the various varieties, this spiny one is surely it. Funny, though, they say they travel in schools, but this one was alone. I wonder if he wasn't sick or something. He definetly looked a bit lost and confused. Still a neat experience . . .

Long beach - Saturday - 7 a.m. - lousy surf on Cape Ann, but what the heck . . . even at this hour it's hot, and I'm here, and I'll get wet just to cool off. A lot of waiting for swells, a couple good rides. I get out drain the boat, consider leaving . . . then a few breakers roll and it looks a bit better, so I get back in, paddle outside the break (such as it is), and what the heck is that? A dorsal fin? Ah, yup. I'm bobbing around with what I guess is a Dogfish. Ok, Jaws it ain't, maybe a two footer, but this is cool! It's just floating there in the swell, and it's got these google eyes - checking me out, and seems particularly unimpressed (are you any relation to my wife?). I nudge it with my paddle - it's heavy - and with a slow flick of its tail it swims lazily, circles around me a few times. So, I float with it for a while, then catch a few rides, trying to keep an eye on where it's at - I dont' want to capzise with the thing; little or not, it could still produce a nasty bite, and I don't want to try and roll with it flopping on my face. A few more rides . . . I see it a few more times, then I don't see it anymore . . . and the tourists are apearing on the beach, and soon there will be kids in the water, so it's time to quit, but I'll remember this one for a while. Never saw, like, a real-deal shark before, just out there, and sure wasn't expecting to paddle with one on this fine day . . . Lousy surf . . . cool shark . . .

Scott, This is excellent information. I assumed vaguely those buoy readings were SOME kind of average, but the links clarify it very nicely, and, no, not too technical. Thank you for posting. Roger

Boat's on car. I'm going. If it rains, it'll just be an excuse for you to practice your wet exit, 'cause you'll already be soaked . . .

I am generally the type to buy the cheaper thing thinking, “well, I’ll spend 'X' amount of dollars now ‘just to get me into it’ and I’ll upgrade later if needed.” And this is a philosophy which has failed me repeatedly when applied to kayaking. The cheaper things fail or wear out fast, and I end up paying twice (and nobody’s made of money). So, this weekend as I stood shifting from foot to foot in West Marine, fretting and wringing my hands, considering the radios, I recalled my past experiences and just laid out the dough for the M88. No free lunch. And considering it might save your skin, or somebody else’s, better to go top shelf . . .

I think you should be lambasted severly no matter what you do . . .

Munchmog, I don’t know who you are or how you pass you leisure time (perhaps only ensconced in a troll cave, avoiding having to make a judgment that might expose you to risk), but you’re making value calls you can’t possibly have a clue about, and are plain stupid to speculate upon. Would a rescue professional’s parents want to have their child back who died in the line of duty? Of course . . . Would it make a difference if that rescue professional was trying to extricate someone due to say, a just medical issue? I mean, how does that make it any easier to swallow? Those folks take the job, in extremely selfless fashion, to help everybody and anybody in trouble, irrespective of who they might be or how they got into that situation. Weather changes unpredictably, MISTAKES are made (we’re all human, right?) and bad judgments occur. That’s why these people do what they do. But, you’re saying, in the scheme of things it’s better for a rescue professional to die trying to save somebody only if they didn’t make a stupid mistake? That’s idiotic . . . Like, would you rather be killed by a drunk driver, or by having your wheel fly off your car at 60mph? Which one is more random and senseless? Why don’t we pipe down and wait for the trip report . . . Jeez Louise!!

Whoa, whoa . . . You could hear this coming a million miles away . . . We don't yet know what happened, nor all the details . . . too early to pass any judgement, if ever at all . . . There are paddlers who venture out on only flatwater, those who paddle the ocean in only fair weather, those who spend the time they could be paddling steeped in the on-line nitpick society, and that's their perogative, and there are some who seek conditions to challenge their skills - which can be a fine line, and things can go wrong. These guys were as prepared as could be to deal with that potential - which we all tell each other TO be - where others not as prepared may not have made it back at all. We each accept the risk we're willing to accept, and, God forbid and say a Hail Mary, there are those of us yet who may ride the line into the sky . . .

Thanks to all for a great paddle in challenging conditions!! What a white-knuckled, heart pounding, tippy ride in that thing in following seas. Such a beautiful boat, but so much more technical and demanding than anything I've paddled. Those chines are always gripping and grabbing, giving a sense of impending capsize. You have to really sit up and pay attention every second. And with the seas behind, it pearls, adding even more excitement to the ride. I'm fortunate to have found such a challening boat with lots of room to grow into. It's gonna be a love/hate relationship, I can tell . . . Can't wait for warmer weather . . . Can't wait to surf it . . . Can't wait to play in the river mouths . . . Ah, sea-kayaking . . .

I second Rick’s assessment of the T170. Even as a bigger guy (5’11”-200 +lbs) I found the T170 cavernous – just a huge swallowing cockpit – hence I chose the T165. With some custom outfitting (like seat removal) I fit perfectly, have great control, and love the boat. I did not demo the T170, rejecting it immediately on cockpit volume alone. . . . Though the T165 is very lively and maneuverable, and tracks fine, and is a lot of fun, the sacrifice is speed. This may be because I’m on the bigger side for the boat, or perhaps ultimately you’re only going to get so much speed from a 16.5’ boat? It’s a bummer they put so much cockpit volume in the T170. It would be nice to have that little extra speed, while keeping the similar hull characteristics as the T165 . . .

Looking to get out a couple times a month. Cape Ann area. Above freezing, moderate wind. 4-6 hour day trips, long and (hopefully) short boat surfing, some moderate rock play. Roger Pollock

From "The Gloucester Daily Times" http://www.ecnnews.com/cgi-bin/05/gtstory....sauna-20051010-

I'd like to attend and hope to make it.

Joan, Thus far, only about three weeks, the boat has handled well in chop. Following seas are always tough, but the skeg seems to help a lot. I've still been grabbed and broached, but it's been manageable. The skeg helps in the wind, too, of course.

I just bought a new Tempest 16.5 in plastic a few weeks ago and I'm thrilled with the performance. Fantastic low volume play/day boat with a lot of rocker. Tracks and manuevers equally well. I went with the smaller version because I wanted to get out of the very high volume boat I was paddling, and I wanted a tighter fit. I tried the Tempest 17, but it was too high volume, and the cockpit was just as cavernous as my old boat. I'm 5'11" and 190, and it still felt to big. The T165 felt much like the glass boats I've tried. The cockpit outfitting in the Tempest is perhaps the most adjustable on the market, with an articulated seat pan, but I found it uncomfortable, and took it out, leaving some of the components, and now it's fine. It's a good boat.