Ben Fuller

Having done all of the big boat courses ( hold a CG license) I applaud the interest in getting a yak based course going. What you learn in the big boat courses is the same as you will for the 'yak. You will just use different tools and perhaps work to a higher degree of precision and in higher speeds. For practical on the deck/ in the field work: The hand held compass can be used as a protractor to get course and bearing angles. You do have to add or subtract variation, something that is built in using a Nav Aid. Instead of parallels, make up a zip lock bag with paralles lines space a nautical mile apart. You can lay that over your chart and get data really fast. Instead of parallels, a pair of 45 degree triangles are portable, can work to the same high degree of precision and be taken into the field. Instead of dividers, the above zip lock works, also a piece of paper with tic marks on it. Smart string: a nav aid has distances marked on the string coming out from center. Mark those distances as well on the string that you use to tie the nav aid onto the boat. Also on the lanyard for your handheld compass. Smart hands and fingers. Find out how long in nav terms your knuckle joints are, distance between your index and little finger when held parallel, your hand span. Useful books that I recommend in courses I teach are Leonard Eyges one on coastal navigation. Also Ray Killan has a nice Kayak Navigation Primer available.

VHFs unlike the new generation of GPS units generally don't float. If you can tie yours onto your pfd, and fit it in a pocket this is not a hassle but if it goes on deck then find a bag for it so when you drop it it will float. This has added advantage of letting you put a vhf emergency procedure review card in the bag. You make one from one of the CG Channel 16 sticker, trimmed a little and stuck to the back of the bag. Or get some of the waterproof inkjet paper and type out instructions. Or you can type them out, reduce size and laminate them. Hassle is that we in the kayaking community use the radios relatively little and its nice to be reminded about procedure in a challenging situation.

If you want a permanent or hatch mount, the Nexus 85 is hard to beat. Its big, easy to read at along distance and there is an illuminated model. I put it on a removable hatch, with a ply backing plate. When I don't need it it can go inside the boat and another hatch cover swapped into its place. For illumination I used double A's in a snap in holder which I put into a waterproof container. I went with the factory suggested 12 volts and the red light was so bright on a four hour night paddle that the rest of the group just let me do the compass thing. Could run it a lower voltage.

I like to paint yaks and most of mine have non factory decks with single part poly..... But I just found something new: tape. Seems you can get duct tape in great colors, fluorescent, non fluorescent. One inch wide stuff is what you need for turning that boring black strip joining hull and deck into something snappy. Two inch tape lets you put on hull stripes, something that works for chine boats. Tape is sold in rolls big enough to do a bunch of boats or peel and stick as the fancy strikes. The bright day glo stuff can also serious improve the visibility of paddle blades with out having to get out the day glo paint can which is what I have been doing. Check out Identi-Tape Inc. or www.identi-tape.com. The fluorescent orange looks especially arresting on my all black boat. Ben Fuller North Bay Nordkapp Greenlander Pro SOF

Since this is a two stage run, it would be possible to get paddlers of several levels to play, but you'd need to consider the size of the group and that would be determined by what permissions you could get on Burnt. Basically its only a little over 3 miles out to Burnt directly maybe a mile more if you island hop starting at Port Clyde. Unless there is a snorting southerly its not a difficult paddle. It's a little over 5 then in open water out to Monhegan. Scenario for a two night experience would be paddle out to Burnt on a Friday PM. Then Monhegan folks out and back on Saturday ( no camping on Monhegan) other folks explore some of the islands in mouth of Georges River (by then there are some opportunities to day visit some IF&W nesting islands.... see Dorcas Millers book). Then everybody paddles back to Port Clyde on Sunday after camping again on Burnt. Monhegan would be more difficult to do if its a one night party, as the Monhegan folks would have a 13- 15 miler on Sunday. Not impossible just more work.

I would guess that the interested parties, no more than maybe six would work out what they needed with the guide. Training would be winter work..... planning the logistics, getting what was needed and getting conditioned. I could see that the guide would meet and work with the group perhaps monthly during off season, perhaps run a few training trips to prove packing. Then lead the charge to the spot. This is assuming that this is a participatory trip, not just show up with boat and paddle and have gear and food taken care of.

One of the ideas that you might want to try as a club is a RFP to ACA /BCU instructors and coachs etc. See what the instructional community can create that would work for club members rather than have the instructional community set up some courses and hope that people sign up. 1/2 day, full day, weekend, at your backyard or at the instructors.... You could for example organize an advanced strokes course as an afternoon evening and morning affair instead of the way that it is usually taught as a full day. ( Use the evening to review stroke video) Meanwhile I have been encouraging Maine Association of Sea Kayak Guide and Outfitters to start posting more advanced opportunities to club web sites. Some of the most effective classes I have led have been merely two to four people camping even for a night or two not to look around rather as a course. I think that any of the folks that work in some of the more esoteric areas would be interested in putting on a club oriented instructional trip. I know that some of the Maine folks have been scouting Newfoundand with that in mind.

Apologize to all hands that this thread got a little hot. I was mostly trying to seek some ideas. I deliberately tried to avoid mentioning outfitters and programs although some of that snuck in as I needed a few examples. As a member of ACA's course development group, I see that the ACA itself is working on creating content for the rapidly growing RTK community and there is resistance to the some of the more advanced skill courses, and training endorsements. The thing that really concerns me is developing and keeping a cadre of really good instructors, and to do so these folks need customers. I recall that when I became an instructor my Nordkapp had close to twenty years of bashing about on it. I thought it would be easy, but I'd many nasty habits and did not have much idea about how to coach. As I said previously, lets keep the ideas flowing and I will make sure that some of the outfitters and instructors see this thread.

Of course you can go retro and find an old Nikonos for not much dough. With sports finder and a good eye for light you don't need electronics.....

Glad that the people turned up. At the GMSKS there were about 20 in Ken's workshop; I don't know how many in his second one. I know that he did not cover everything he wanted to in his first one. I had maybe 10 in my session and only about 4 in the GPS session. GPS is so easy that people have probably sorted it out, but I have found few that have sorted out the easy ways to get from GPS to chart and back again. Having taught nav in both guide courses and in aca courses, the big problem is practice. It took a semester in college to cover nav many years ago in nrotc; the CG auxiliary / Power Squadron takes weeks to do a good job. To get my CG license I had to work to a degree, which is big deep boat stuff, and the key is problem sets. Some years ago we ran a test course for the ACA with a number of "name" instructors from the south. Stonington served up a couple of days of boatlength stuff, forcing everyone to really work. For self instruction spend lots of time with chart, protractors/ hiking compass, nav aids, parallel line stuff until fixes, bearings back bearings, course and speed calculations are second nature. Practice taking range and bearing to waypoints from your GPS to the chart. Practice using your hands to measure distance and bearings, make and use smart strings,etc. And have fun.

Interesting questions arising. It makes sense that it is easier for North Shore area people not to drive to Maine for a weekend of instruction when the club can arrange custom instruction. And there are enough guaranteed high grade rock star instructors out there to fill that need. What I don't have a feel for is how many instructors, club members are either BCU or ACA certified. Its not so much the credential, its the instructional and coaching techniques that have been developed over time. It is a major time commitment to learn this: 5 days in several sessions at least. These are some of the classes that are not filling: probably too much for someone who does not want to teach professionally? And I know that some NSPN folks have done guide courses to better understand trip leader needs. Would it make sense for some of the folks that offer guide courses to develop some specifically geared to club trip leading? Mikco is now doing baseless custom work while Tom finds a new home. Other outfitters have bases that could be used for clubs.... I remember discussing this with Buddy and Peter when they were up here doing the Guide course this past spring. Is this the wave of the future? Would it make sense for the instructional community to develop shorter courses that could be delivered as part of a trip, say an afternoons worth? All course now are predicated on a full day. It used to be that outfitters could give away a days course with every boat sold. But that was some years ago. It was really good because people were taught efficient and safe paddling. Margins now preclude this. This all is meat to feed into the ACA's curriculum development where New England is pretty well represented. Keep the ideas coming.

At GMSKS I was struck by the large number of people signing up for and attending classes not just by the headliners but also by the various instructors mostly from Maine. I saw coaches like Steve Maynard assisted by John Carmody trying to coach 20 or more. Small groups were hour long sessions at the most. These people were trying to present in an hour what they usually do in a weekend limited to 4-6 to 1 ratios. Along with this is the fact that the Maine based more advanced offerings of Maine Island Kayak, Maine Sport etc. are having trouble filling. Putting on my Maine Sport hat for a minute, I know that we have had to cancel ICE/IDW's, advanced stroke clinics etc. things that were not a problems a year or two ago. So what do we think is happening? People seem to want coaching, but not enough to really commit some time to it. Do the coaches have a product that no one wants? How can it be modified to be better?

You don't need to drive..... join MITA which will provide access to several private islands in the Bagaduce. Bureau of Public Lands runs a great wildlife sanctuary over on Holbrook Island. There is another great reservation required private island north of North Haven easily reachable from Castine as well as a public island. Stretch across is a little more demanding if the sea breeze is up. Ben Fuller Cushing Maine

As along as its spring and electronics is among us, it looks like Garmin has a new GPS out that is a cost effective replacement for the rock solid GPS 12, namely the WAAS GPS 72. Non mapping which is what you lose when you give up the premium that I have in my mapping GPS, which I bought mostly because of the screen and the fact that it floats. Floating seems to be a key in the easy to read GPS business: means no deck bag. Which means that you can read it if you have it on deck, and especially if you make a little foam wedge to hold it. I have managed to give my Meridian Marine plenty of soakings and it seems to be holding up nicely. The other floaters are the Magellan Sport track series and the Garmin GPS 76 series, which get more expensive really fast when you get mapping. Any one had any experience with the readibility in glare at 3' of the GPS 72 or basic Sportrack? Ben Fuller, Cushing Maine where the fog likes to creep

Most of the hard core Brit style big water folks have a leash, and use it in rescue situations. Attached to PFD seems the spot of choice. Wrist is not good as it gets in your way doing rescue stuff. Boat is ok as well, although I once broke a bungie leash getting it wrapped around the boat with the paddle in between boats. Have now switched to a non bungie cord. A paddle park Inuit style does most of what you want a leash for. Time I use the leash is if its blowing hard enough that the paddle wants to get pulled out of my hands.

I use a series of linked overhands, can't remember the name of the knot, Jacobs Ladder maybe, to shorten the lanyard considerably. The last loop goes over the end of the knife handle, which is serrated so locks it nicely. It works.... also works as a way of controlling tow belt length. But I am thinking about switching to some EMS shears. Loop of shock cord on the handle that hooks over the sheath, and goes over your wrist in use.

Wondered when someone would drive a truck through the barely defined sea kayak rule. Epic started it and CLC with their Pax's are in the area, although they may be too narrow to be Sea kayaks. Unfortunately it will end the days of "run what you brung" but may mean more boats hanging from the garage roofs. Noted that you have bulkheads in the boat which is good. I suspect that sea kayak rules also should require hatches, deck rigging and a minimum weight. Will be interesting to see how the boat does in the Blackburn in conditions... I remember one year that it was SCW out of the NW, breaking beam seas on the exposed leg that rolled an outrigger. At 58 I just try to stay ahead of guys my age, and thats pretty hard in my old Nordkapp, a little easier in the North Bay.

I think the goal set by Dan Segal and Turner was achieved..... something that would work out of the box and could be tuned to suit. I know that they both like the more rectangular shape. They also wanted to achieve a underproduced paddle while most of the commercial offerings are at least twice the price and quite fancy.

While most of you are sniffing around in Kittery, I wanted to let folks know that a non obvious maker has come through with a GP. It's called being reponsive to the community. Discussion started at the WoodenBoat show last summer with members of the Walden Pond Scum. The company built several paddles and then sent some down for testing. Now has a production item of Maine spruce, unfinished, paddle out of the box or tune it bit yourself. A little over a hundred bucks. It's at the Maine Boatbuilders show. I picked it up, felt pretty good in hand, nice and light, stiff. Since this is the non commericial side of the forum I guess I can't mention the company but its in Orono, Maine and is best known for oars and canoe paddles.

The big Orions are the kind that want to live in a dry bag or some other kind of boat bound stowage. They are unhappy when they get wet as there is friction striker. And they are indeed flares. You got to hold them, well away from you and watch out for burns on the drysuit. The Pocket Rockets are I think more waterproof than the sky blazers but you have to load them to fire them. They last about the same amount of time as a sky blazer and go up about as high. The sky blazers now seem to have a better dud ratio than they used: the pull cords are nylon, not metal. The pocket rocket launcher needs to be used with care as there you have to pull the firing pin back and hook it in a notch before screwing on the flare. Its not hard to inadvertently trigger it when cold wet hands are trying to get the shell loaded. Bigger and safer is the 12 gauge pistol and flare system but it is also boat bound. I replace the pfd flares every year as they get immersed alot teaching. NSPN can probably organize a fire off with the CG, something that is highly educational. CG Auxliaries also host these.

On long trips it is really nice to have the ability to use double AAs. If you plan your marine electronics well you can set things up so that your head lamp, your flashlight, laser light, digital camera, compass use the same batteries. You can build a solar charger for rechargable double AAs. Your VHF battery pack and the battery bank for your compass provide "spare" batteries for stuff that is used more like your head lamp and GPS. I especially like using rechargables in the GPS which can get use a lot.

Yeah, but when you are in the heat of a rescue or group management bit, and you have to pass the radio, problems can develop. Or if you are the one incapacitated. And on that score I have attached to the radio a card with radio procedure on it. Local channels etc. as a reminder to myself who does not use the radio often enough or so that someone who has had no experience can use it. Card can go inside dry bag, or if laminated attached to the outside. You get about two guide seasons out of a laminated one. The trade off is of course that the radio is clipped to the deck lines (not bungy) rather than to your pfd, where I would not have enough room for it, with the full kit I carry in the pockets. The only clips I have found consistently satisfactoy are stainless; the small Wichards are my favorite. The radio does not go into the day hatch in anything but the most benign conditions.

I have a liking for the 350 as well. One of the things I especially like is the ability to have a battery pack of AA's as well as the charged battery. Unlike many, I don't carry it on my PFD because it goes in a dry bag, eventhough its "waterproof." When you drop it, you won't see 200 plus buks headed for the bottom. Bitter experience with other radios ( guiding, so many miles) says that non of these are suited to prolonged immersion. Dry bags are advisable. Be careful to get one long enough for the antenna, and you may find yourself replacing antennas from time to time. Make sure you can run the thing with mittens or gloves on.

The more advance BCU trainings are less about exactly how you do a stroke and more about making good decisions at sea as well as your comfort in more challenging conditions. I know that one paddler did the 5 Star in the UK with a GP. And as an ACA instructor there is nothing that you can do with a Euro paddle that you can't do with a GP. Only thing that is a little different is the forward stroke blade angles. Body mechanics which is the important stuff is the same.