Gcosloy

I've recently sold my Chatham 17. Too similar in most ways to my 16. It is capable of going faster than the 16 but only if you have the engine to push it. In rough water conditions I'm actually faster with the 16 because it's more manueverable. Why the Capella? It may be even more fun than the 16. If I get one and it is as stable in rough water as the 16, I'll sell the 16 as well. Every boat has some tradeoff that not everyone will agree to. The Chatham 16 is the most reassuring boat I've ever been in when the going gets rough. I think it is those chines that run much further fore and aft into the bow and stern that provide for more stability. Maybe that's what makes it noisy. I think of them as training wheels. Ever been in a big beam sea and never even think of having to brace? That's the kind of confidence I've gained from the 16. Anyway even if the boat is perfect, I'd like another boat for variety.

Thinking of the new Capella 167 or 163. I'm 180 and 5'10 and don't load my boat with a lot of expedition or camping gear. Both boats fit fine, the 163 like a glove and the 167 a little more roomy with a slightly longer cockpit. Any thoughts on what I else I need to consider in choosing between them?

Some of us can't tolerate the latex seal on our necks that come with dry suits. To compensate I purchased the Kokatat semi dry suit. Identical to the dry suit except lighter fabric (tropos) and neoprene plung neck instead of latex. Works absolutely fine if your primary goal is to avoid hypothermia in chilly seas. I also recommend the 100 Polar fleece liner underneath. The neoprene neck will let in a few spoon fulls of water if you capsize. Since you are also wearing a PFD and your neck should be out of the water as you're contemplating your next move, no real problem. However, if you're like me and like to practice rolling in chilly water, the semi dry will eventually take on too much internal water for comfort. The solution is the NRS Mystery Hood. You don't even need to don the hood, just slip the neck over the neoprene and wa la, no more water gets in. I tested this concept this afternoon at Misery and was perfectly dry. See this link for the hood recommended. It comes in two sizes; s/m and m/l I recommend the s/m. While the neck over the neoprene punge collar feels firm it is nothing like the suffocating feeling I get with latex.

http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product.asp?pfid=2029&src=champ

Kudos must be extended to George Groneth who first suggested this to me.

Try filling your cap with sea water and putting the cap back on. Even on the hottest days that usually does it for me.

Here is a cheap alternative to loading variable amount of ballast to either stern or bow. They fold up so you can fill them with just as much weight as you need. 2.5 gallons = 20 lbs. each max.

http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDis...t_cat=undefined

Leon and I paddle at least once a week weekdays, usually North shore, Manchester or Lanes, sometimes Pavillion in Ipswich. He's practicing as well for the Blackburn so as soon as I find out what off days (no racing) he wants to go I'll post. I'm going up to Conomo Point this Saturday for the first L2 trip.

Reminds me of what the "boomers" did to unorganized cycling by demanding "safe bike paths". No serious cyclist would be caught on one. They only succeeded in making everyone fearful of riding on the road. The suburbanization of cycling has yet to be extended to kayaking. Just wait!

Mustard, the spicy deli variety, not that yellow stuff.

Some lucky enough to be retired or unemployed or unemployable or just prone to playing hooky meet and paddle during the weekdays. Leon G. and myself to be specific. Are there any more out there yearning to be free and who would like to join us? We're up for L2 to L3 trips on the North Shore or South Shore, Mondays thu Friday as long as the weather and winds are cooperative. Reply if interested and/or watch for private trips posted by leong or greatmeadows.

I'll be there Leon!

Ready to start off at 6-8 hour pace. If that's too challenging for you be happy to join you on recovery times.

Wow, I read his letter and had tears in my eyes as I read it. Would a VHF radio on one or both have made a difference? This is, next to a dry suit, possibly the most expensive item to purchase outside of the initial kayak and paddle. How many NSPN members go on occassional S&G's with one or more companions and no radio among them? It could happen to anyone I guess! My judgement is aided by my known limitations. I know beforehand that I don't want to paddle in wind more than 10k and waves more than 2-4'. These guys were younger and probably stronger and therefore didn't have that built in barometer to tell them not to go forward. They could have been me 30 years earlier. Many days, after what for me becomes a long and arduous paddle, I bitterly complain that I should have started this sport many years earlier when I was young and strong and maybe more adventurous. Not today, not after reading this poor guy's letter.

Congrats Kevin. You will live to paddle another day. Good example of using the cheapest and most difficult to perform well, gear in the paddler's arsenal, good judgement.

I think it is unfortunate situations like this that reinforces the need for active clubs like NSPN which because they stress safety continuously and skill building opportunities probably saves more lives than any other suggestion. I think someone once reported that no-one has ever been lost in the history of the club. I know I would't be any where as safety concious if it wasn't for NSPN.

What's the most precious safety possession that I've learned to cherish through the examples of NSPN members? Personal judgement.

Actually the Seals are appearing at the Dry Breakers. It's a very grunge venue!

While we all realize that the Queen of England has been in town this week, ostensibly to celebrate the Jamestown experiment, actually 400 years since the Brits last stopped dining on each other, it is not really necesssary for Yanks to either curtsy, bow or use the word whilst. I suffer from Anglophilia as much as the next guy and some of my best friends are English (does Cornwall count?) but really, you should leave whilst to our betters. Next you'll be telling us the Red Sox beat the Yankees 6 null, or that one of your favorite cars is the Nissan Zed-80. Ok, I'm going out paddling tommorrow to see the Seals at the Gooseberries and I'm stopping now!

I used to own a Miata and bought a car cover for it. The Miata has long since been replaced but the cover hardly used remains. It's your's if you want it.

Ok here's my list: Arrive fully dressed in dry-suit with fleece underneath.

1. Fishing line with some hooks

2. Large knife

3. Medium folding Japanese Saw (cut up to 4 “ branches)

4. Bow and some arrows.

5. Female of childbearing age.

6. Broad Spectrum antibiotic for gram positive bacteria

7. Broad spectrum antibiotic for gram negative bacteria

8. Water desalination unit that operates on the principle of ion exchange.

9. Flints for fire making.

10. Take the Kayak with it’s included gear.

We know nothing beforehand about the Island, nor it's location from any habitable land. Surviving has many definitions. What would it mean to have survived and died of natural causes on the Island? Success in the biological sense depends upon the ability to propagate our genes. Hence the need for item 5.

Let’s play the Desert Island Game. You are going to a Desert Island where you will stay for an indeterminate amount of time. You may take 10 things with you of your choosing. You can take anything as long as it is unitary, i.e. singular. You cannot take for instance the

REI store in Reading, nor can you take delivery service from Whole Foods. Ten things only such as one Swiss army knife (number of blades unlimited), one saw (if it’s a chain saw, you’ll need gasoline and oil, possibly two more things). Survival tools may also include spiritual and psychological aids such as a Bible, or my Beetles album. What will you play the album on and if so where does the energy come from? Rules can be relaxed for items that are by nature a collection of other things, i.e. a first aid kit may count as one thing, the surgical team at Massachusetts General Hospital will not. To make it more interesting a Kayak shall include a paddle, pfd, spray skirt, paddle float and pump and count as one thing. You may keep the clothes on your back when you are deposited on the Island and what you arrive wearing is your choice. One more caveat: All electronic communication devices are verboten. Let the game begin!

Love to participate. Have an unused, unscathed helmet in bright orange. Any date is fine. Prefer Cape Ann over the north country.

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>>I don't know what the "autoloader" costs. Is someone

>>willing to reveal their purchase price?

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>A Glock 17 9mm runs around $500.

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>Oh, kayak rack.

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>The Thule Hull A Port runs around $140

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>Ed Lawson

Remember what Woodie Allen had Alan Alda intone in one of his better flicks, "Comedy is tragedy plus time." Your atempt to amuse falls short because not enough time has passed since the massacre at Virginia Tech. Try again in 5 years!

Kevlar is much stronger than fiberglass and will result in a lighter boat if used in combination with glass. However Kevlar alone is not stiff enough and is seldom used alone. Boats that are largely Kevlar are very flexible and may just bounce off submerged rocks while a fiberglass boat being more stiff could be damaged more easily. All boats have a gel coat exterior which is less flexible than Kevlar. If you sit on the deck or stern of a Kevlar boat while on land, you may very well cause cracks in the gel coat. The irony is that while a Kevlar boat is more resilient to real damage, you might have to baby it more if you want to preserve it's unblemished gel coat exterior. I briefly owned a Kevlar Ellesmere which while it weighed only 45 lbs. had no other performance advantage over it's heavier bretheren. It was a joy to launch and carry.

Possibly, the easiest handling boat of all time and not slow either. My only caveat is the cockpit is designed for a big paddler. CD came out with the Willow this season which they claim is a Gulfstream sized for small/medium paddlers.

Suz,

I'm familiar with the Capella 169. Is the 167 a redesigned 169? If so, what's changed? Demo day at CRC&K is every day! They have P&H.

Can't speak for myself but am willing and happy to explain everyone else's behavior:

1. Too cold water for those without proper clothing, ie. dry suits, even wet suits.

2. Many members not as gung ho. Will wait for "ideal conditions".

3. Some, including myself, not yet ready after a long winter layoff to keep up with the more fit.

4. Some of us live south of the North Shore. More's the pity! However it usually means a long drive for many of the S&G's.

5. Spouses, friends, competing interests and even obligations.