Paul Sylvester

I am going to hi jack this topic sort of !! Brian, I have had an awful time with stain holding on my pressure treated wood deck. I would go with trex style but it would be 4 k for my size deck. I am thinking of some combination of pine tar, linseed oil and turpentine. Similar to the deck coatings on the old sailing ships. Any thoughts on what would be a good combo? Do you think I could mix a white pigment into a linseed oil and turp mixture and then paint on? I would just want a hint of white and not looking for much color. In talking to the paint/ stain rep that came and looked at my deck ( the last 250$ stain job just peeled up) he said that marine finishes do not have to meet the low voc requirements that residential products have to meet. I do not know of any marine stain that would be appropriate but would consider buying any decent protector. Just have lost faith in the present low voc products. thoughts? thank you

Assume it has some dark water spots? Chips and multi colored? Even if you sand it bare you may still have some black stains where water has seeped under the varnish. Those would show under new varnish. Black stains can be bleached out or minimized with some success. Sanding bare and oiling is a good option. What is the patina you wish to see? Or do you want it to look new?

I have some interest in a "trip of substance" in July. I have asked for the month of july off from work and will be taking some trips up Maine to camp and get to some areas I have not been to yet. Not into guided as I am one...Let me know if you are looking for another.

One of a few things that has slipped through the cracks of my mind recently. Missed it in the mailings...but it does not make sense why they would do that.

Are you sure that it is sanctioned by MITA?

I hate that anybody in any kind of kayak gets called a "kayaker". Why can't there be more terms used by the media? Plastic boat amateur? Walmart boat wanderer? Pond paddlers on the ocean? Rec boat recklessness? Midnight drunken....well you get the point. Same goes for hiking, climbing...some kid with jeans, sneakers and a water bottle in hand gets in trouble and they are a hiker? Glad I was in the Boy Scouts. We own the term kayaker. Media...please don't confuse us all...)

I don't know why this is underlining and apologize. I will be leaving from South Portland late afternoon on Friday. about eight miles out and should be OTW at 6 pm latest. Possibly a little earlier. If anyone wants to join please PM. Will need to move at a faster pace and have night gear ready as a back. If I can get out of town earlier I will but wont know until thurs afternoon.

If I tried to answer this I would be above my pay grade......but....A 16-18 foot kayak is close to the length for max hull speed for the size of the engine? Where as a 400' ship can have larger engines that can push it beyond hull speed....But not planing...So give it more length underwater and more efficiency at greater speeds. Let the laughing begin???

couple thoughts: On a low brace turn lean on the side you are turning to as opposed to an opposite edge as in a bow rudder. The idea being to pivot the boat around your paddle while using it for (perpendicular) support. Leaning forward will help the boat to pivot quicker around the paddle. And yes you will loose forward speed quickly.

I am not sure if I did put my intent on the calendar. I could not find anyplace to rsvp. What am I doing wrong?

I am going planning to go out on Friday if work doesn't mess with my plans. May be heading out in the early evening hours or Saturday am as a back up. Will firm up as it gets closer...

Leon, What is the saying for rises is horsepower/footage to IQ decrease? Though it might not apply to someone who can afford 52 million.... I think there might be an IQ bottoming out at about 40' and then it rises slowly as the footage goes up. As David Lee Roth said: "Money doesn't buy happiness but it buys a big yacht that pulls right up next to it....or in our case a kayak the paddles right up next to it.

The Shubie is worth the trip. Launch where the power rafts put in and set a shuttle up if possible. The red mud and water is not that bad. Cape D'or is in the area sets up as a decent tidal race. Launch from the little cove/ village south of it at near dead low tide. The harbor is empty and you paddle out a little stream as the large boats are grounded. Not for newbies.

Height of seat, thigh foam and foredeck should be considered if pulling it back too far . Do you use footpegs? I would allow a little if you foam the bulkhead because you want your foot angle correct. If you are trying to go tight can you sit in similar boats and get a sense for what the right dimension might be? edit.....a 2-1/2 gallon jug space is a lot of space in front of the footpegs. How often do you need the jug there? I keep my bulkheads tighter am fine with a dromedary set under my knees if its not too rough out.

slightly off topic: Yes they have used the parking area for years but it is usually sparse by now. This year they ran out of space and started piling near the dog walking area. Assuming the picture comes through you will see a very large pile of snow with two full size excavators on it trying to get the snow up higher. I would not want to be in either as I thought the top one was close to the edge and the bottom one could get crushed.

Wondering if the Run of the Charles (9 mile) race is a one way with shuttles or does it start and stop from the same location? My firewall won't let me get race info and sign up sheets. If one way, what is the protocol? Thanks,

Great report from a neat trip. I was curious about the dry landscape and dead looking bushes in pictures 53 and 116. Do you know if they green up in the wet season?

Doug, Some of the tricks you describe work great for turning and correcting strokes into the wind.

Given the company I keep I find myself paddling in wind and kind of enjoy the workout. You are spreading your hands and changing blade size to shift gears and most likely increasing your cadence. When going up wind I make no paddle or feather changes. I use a 60 degree Nordkapp straight shaft. The easiest thing is to make sure all parts of your forward stroke are done correctly and to power head first into it. Remember to keep good posture so as not to compress your spine and change your rotation efficiency. If the fetch has the waves up I try to time my strokes to power down the waves to save some energy. I will choke further up or down on the shaft (for short periods) to work my muscles in different ways but that is more to break the boredom and strain. In a group that is slower, (when possible) I prefer to keep my own pace and paddle up into a protected area and take a break. Tacking seems counter productive because you would be dealing with wind and waves on the front quarter and getting tired sooner. The Greenland storm paddle with a sliding stroke would seems to best choice to play with and might make it easier to keep your head down. It all gets back to the basics and the perfect and consistent forward stroke can be elusive. my two cents.

Growing up we had a double and used to go smelting nights in the fall dressed in blue jeans. Summers we took it to the lakes and ocean. Camped out of it on Pest island in New Castle once. Fast forward to 97 and I am at Mystic Seaport attending the Wooden Boat Show looking for ideas for a small boat project. Skiff, dory etc, Looking out near the docks I saw several kayakers rolling and lounging around near shore. Probably Connyak. Thank you guys! Now I am intrigued. That winter I built two kayaks and a six hour canoe (20 hours). Met Bob Burnett June of 98. (again thank you) and hooked.... Determined to roll I took a lesson at Winnipesaukee Kayak and combined with the new nspn trips I was learning and gaining some skills. Met Rambo, aka Rick, on the ferry to Peaks for 3 star training. Much more could be said. Great winter topic.

Well done and congratulations. Who was your assessor in so Wales?

Playing with my wing the last couple years has caused me to use my "normal" Nordkapp blade in the same manner. Close entry and letting the blade follow the bow wake with the exit being out a bit.

Leon, Since this does not involve complex math equations I'll take a shot. I would say the gel coat is the uv protection for the carbon fiber but not certain. Damage is cosmetic IMO. I would not want to paint or clear coat any fiberglass production kayak or boat unless it was really nasty. I have used an automotive polishing/rubbing compound with an electric buffer and had good results with similar fading conditions. Some marks and stains will be so deep that you would need to use 700-800- 1000 grit paper and then polish it up with the electric buffer. Can be a lot of work with a 150$ buffer. Some boat or body shops could easily clean it up for a fee.

I recommend reading the articles on Tom's MIKCO website. He has a lot of good information in the articles.

Yes, that was surprising the way it broke so clean. Hope you get a good resolution from the factory.