subaruguru

I watched a wrench at Wakefield Subaru nearly lose an arm as the missile launched past his head when the compressor slipped a decade back. Unless you're expereinced with these be careful to use a fully-enclosed type to prevent severe injury. I can get struts mounted for you IN THE CAR for only $75 each, if that's helpful. See ya soon, Joe. Ern

My experience is strictly limited to the OE roof racks I know best: the Yakima-supplied stock Subaru crossbars on the 96-99 and 00-04 Legacy Wagons of various styles. As such, interstrap distance with the OE crossbars is a really generous 44-45", increasing the polar moment of inertia too high to really worry about twisting forces. Tslight compliance of the crossbars acts to reduce trampolining or excess forces to one's hull nicely, too. The bars are rated at only 100lbs, but that's extremely conservative, as they easily support much more...in both downward AND upward forces. So I've very rarely used tiedowns. When I happen to have a Subie with a glass roof I've noticed that in addition to very little wind noise (even when accidentally climbing to 80mph)...and as well not even an inch of deflection of the bow. Guess these hulls ARE designed by flyboys, eh? I'd seriously think twice about running without tiedowns if carrying a very heavy plastic hull, or, of course, if your interstrap difference is much smaller than 3 1/2'. Before I'd go to bow/stern ties I'd probably add elastic bungies around the midhull (using the roof rails) as added insurance in the very unlikely event that a strap breaks. But my kids are grown, and my house is paid for, so I'm a bit more relaxed than most, I suppose. But an 18' 52lb narrow hull anchored roughly at the 7 and 11 foot marks isn't going anywhere. At 8 and 10 feet (small roof) it's another story....

As usual I can help out in the water at Horn Pond. Helping newbies is fun, but a bit frustrating when the REI folks send out 90lb kids in 16' boats with 230cm 4lb unfeathered paddles when the wind picks up. Talk about babysitting!

I've been on the Mystic a few times already, noticing the water temp is now up to 66-67! Consistent NW winds 15-20knots yesterday made for some fun while learning how to vary skeg depth while in quartering forces. Hope to see you all out here soon. Predicted FORTY knots today! Ern

I had to chuckle that the first feature listed is "REFRESHMENTS". Priorities. Oh, will there be chocolate anything?

Great posts! How about when you forget you bought a piece of gear already and find yourself with TWO hiding in the Subie.

I seem to enjoy whatever I'm playing lately. In Barcelona recently I discovered Joaquin TURINA, early 20th century Spaniard who wrote Debussy/Ravel-inspired works. I'm mastering his Danses Gitanes now, and am intrigued by a bigger work, his Pieza Romantica. (By contrast his attempt at early classical form in a Toccata and Fuga really sucks. I still sit at the master (Bach and Buxtehude) of my youth. Am also intrigued by the piano works of Ernesto Lecuona, prolific Cuban composer who's work scarcely escapes the island even to this day...except for that infamous Malaguena! Am polishing Chopin's Berceuse to play at my daughter's wedding in July in Falmouth. Am getting pretty bored out by the Monheit/Krall/CassandraW chanteuses. And strongly prefer TonyB to FrankS musically, save for Sinatra's incomparable manner with pacing a phrase. Listened to a ragtime street band in Barcelona that blew my socks off, fronted by an old-time muted trumpet and a young crooner (unfortunately with banjo) who managed to make his Catalan-laced voice sound like a thinned megaphoned sound of an old 78. Remarkable! You'ge got to hear their CD. Helluva piano player too. Wish I still had the finger-fluidity of these young turks. My musical taste is pretty wide, but I'm not steeped in Renaissance nor the operatic, although am enjoying massed vocal works much more this decade. Last year's BSO vocal series (7 concerts) was wonderful. Bought a cheap euro anthology of Woody Guthrie recently. Real roots music...reminding me of my childhood hero, Phil Ochs. Now to get out there and enjoy more Pleasures of the Harbor!

Hi Folks, Just back from sunny 'n warm Barcelona for THIS! Oy.... Gene, I used a Kalliste bent 230cm for a couple of years, and when getting the high-angle Ikelos I found that the same SHAFT geo meant getting a 220cm Ikelos, thus keeping hand grip identical. The Ikelos is a real powerhouse, though, and for more relaxed high angle touring I find that I like the new 220cm Cyprus I have...ame length as the Ikelos but thinner spoons. Using the Kalliste high angle is fine, but it gets a bit "long" feeling unless you have long arms. It's really best for low angle, VERY silky serene touring. The Cyprus is an interesting compromise between the Kalliste's smoothness and the Ikelos' power, and Werner predicts that it'll be their most popular soon. I also found a $200 carbon paddle by Bending Branches, I think, that's quite a bit lighter than the Werner Cascadia ($250?) for novice/spare use. Nice to see fine paddles getting down to the $200 level. Hope to see you on the water soon. I came back Wednesday to a 57F day, then drove by the Mystic Lake and was surprised to see it frozen over. Guess I missed the deep cold I'm now hearing about!

Bob, I'd like to join you on one of these SNGs soon, but could you post trip level and duration as I'm not familiar with the geo. I'd rather start with level 2 given the water temp. Thanks.

Hi Joe, I too have easily-chilled extremities, and being a pianist/mechanic (Gemini thing) am quite obsessed with gloves, but don't have much trouble with keeping the other end warm with socks, integral Goretex socks and normal neo booties (NRS $35 ones, etc.), even if they fill with 1/2 cup water. I suggest that you borrow a few leftover screws from that last, ahem, "project" of yours, and use 'em to poke holes in your boot bottoms. Don't worry too much about aligning the holes, nor using a special gasket or, heaven forbid, GLUE, to mount your feet securely. If they're a little crooked you can always paddle asymmetrically. Tongue firmly ensconced in cheek, love, Ern.

Gene, Timex makes a cheaper clone that's at Campmor online for $20! Bought one last week. Unfortunaltely the thermometer requires several minutes immersion to chase water temp. Someday I'll figure out the tides "ring", etc. It comes in silver or black, as well a similar model with a barometer for $30. Keep well. Ern

I measured half-way up the cove, only a few inches submersion. Maybe we should forget the thermometers and calibrate, ahem, with permanent marker "shrinkage" factor lines instead?! Then if the lines get too close together to distinguish you know it's WAY too cold! (Sorry to leave the better half out of this macho-geek not-even-QUASI-adolescence...and with a party coming up...oy.)

My calibrated pool thermo measured 44F half-way out the cove. Don't think it was as cold as 37-38....

Found the O'Neill around for $40+sh, as well a near-clone (?) from H2Odyssey for $24.50 shipped on eBay. Hmmm....

Many thanks to all, especially to Bob for leading this excellent workshop! And best veggie stew EVER! Water temp was a moderate 44F.... Managed to find a recommended Campmor Cascade fully-tailored cagoule on their site on sale for $37...so I ordered one, forgetting that a Land's End clone in green, Large, is on eBay today without an opening bid at $25 shipped. Can't find the O'Neill visored hoodie yet...and forgot the name of those big blue gloves. Help? 3mm neoprene gloves by Akona were quite warm, but I want to try dryer alternatives for even colder water. Layering a smooth neo cap OVER the thinner Kokatat balaclava seemed to provide the same warmth as a stiffer, thicker neoprene balaklava, but allowing more flexibility for adjusting facial opening or even uncovering my scalp for cooling. Of course more seepage is expected compared to the tight, thicker neo versions. Yet I like the Kokatat's soft, movable polarguard mouth section. Keeping track of water temperature is often a curiosity, and more necessary as the season progresses. Using a tethered pool thermo has proved cumbersome to me, and any pocketable devices with tiny coarse indicators are either inaccurate or too difficult to read, so I added a Timex "reef" digital watch WITH thermometer and tide-calc sliding bezel (reduced from $50 to $20!) to the Campmor order. Apparently has a long strap for attaching OUTSIDE drysuit sleeve, etc. We'll see. They have the same watch with tiny strap-mounted compass for $30.... REIoutlet.com may still have their excellent 92%polyester/8%spandex tops and bottoms reduced from $30 to $15. Smoother, softer knit than pilling polypro or wind-chill sensitive nylon; long torso sections allow easy layering so that waist-bands don't bunch up in one place. That one-piece nylon-outer 300 Polarmax-inner, with pockets and nicely cuffed "suit" that kept me so warm is made by Andie's Undies, apparently an outfit in NY. Found it on eBay for $50, as it unfortunately sells new nearer $200. Full-length double zipper allowed reasonble cooling. My lower back seems to be healing nicely (although sculling for support got a bit dicey there), so it was great to get out on the water again...especially with such fine company! See you all Saturday.

Removing both the pegs AND the rails rather soon after ownership, I find that having more surface area for foot placement both prevents muscle tensing fatigue via variable thigh angle bracing angles. Simple siliconed plastic auto body pins plugged the holes nicely. The even more important mod for my big feet was to remove the long deck-line hardware screws that protruded down into the cockpit stalagtite-like, catching on my booties. The little white rubbery factory condoms used on the ends only made them longer, so I inverted them, sawed off the ends, and put the acorn nuts on the OUTSIDE, leaving the much shorter round-head screw tops on the inside, where they don't get caught against my feet. That was another reason for removing the intruding vestigial rails, too, not just the pegs....

My second 'yak sits upside down on a flattened (fully reclined) plastic outdoor chaise. Its arms prevent wind/bump slippage, and of course it's a freebie if you already have one of these long patio recliners. Makes a decent work platform for hull repairs too. I even stuff the the cockpit with accessories, knowing they'll stay dry under this inverted "tent", but not get stinky in a closed system. Worked well last year, even under a foot of snow.

Hi Joe. Just try TWO of the rubber gaskets, or some spacer/washers. (Preferably NOT a large puddle of silicone glue, eh?) I recommend slightly larger ss screws as the size 4 supplied strip way too easily, although that's not such a big deal if only one is loose. Geez, if you think this is complicated you should've been over here the last couple of days as I put in an asymmetrically-locking cork plank floor in my Z-shaped kitchen. Oh my aching back....

Four summers ago I stepped into an 18" deep rabbit hole atop Blackburn Hill in Edinburgh, the resulting herniated L4/5 tumbling my life into a very painful, eventually overmedicated fourteen month hell. Time and acupuncture healed me sufficiently so that I enthusiastically discovered kayaking the following spring, bouncing through a Pungo, Monterey, and then a fine Looksha HV in short order.... Thursday I decided to take advantage of the warmth and previous day's storm swell and clean up the widened shores of the Mystic Lake, and managed to gather about three hundred pieces of detritus and junk, surreptitiously depositing each lap-load in a pile on abutters' for final disposal. I even towed an abandoned sailboat (!) to the Winch Club. But no TVs like last year. Upon poking the half-rotted carcass of about an 80lb dog floating in the NE corner I reached back to brace as the foul odour hit me, and felt a pinch in my lower back. Nonetheless I tried to push the dog closer to the shore for retrieval later.... I slowly returned to the put-in (Tufts), barely able to step out, realizing my back was in trouble again. Portaging the Force 5 up the ramp to my Subie would be impossible, as I could barely lean over, much less lift anything. So I backed the Legacy down the ramp into about 6" immersion, and sitting on the rear bumper managed to angle up the bow onto the roof edge, then push/load slowly. Hmmm.... Got home, found an old cane, stared briefly at the myriad of expired leftover pain meds, and hoped that simple naproxen (Alleve) would suffice. Found I could sit or walk reasonably well...just couldn't lie down or transition (I know it's not a noun) between positions. Managed to get to the BSO anyway, snagging an unlimited legroom aisle seat. Bartok's Bluebeard's Castle nicely allowed more self-pity, but I was grateful for the uplifting Brahms First finale. Levine looked less like a hairy lobster than usual. A couple of days have gone by, I've forgotten to call DCR about the carcass, and I've recovered enough to walk normally, but slumped into watching lots of war movies in Veteran's remembrance last night. Today I sold the kayak-car, realizing I can't even move my boats from one roof-rack to another without help, nevermind imagine when I can go paddling again. Whereas I've experienced the myriad of sore/numb/fatigued legs, thighs, shoulders etc. phenomena we all are accustomed to, I've felt grateful that my lower back never seriously reflared. Well Thursday it indeed did! I'll probably try to find my acupuncturist again, and revisit the old stretching and strength-building exercises. Do any of you have any specific suggestions re recovery, have similar stories, and especially provide signposts where I can determine when I can safely attempt paddling again? I never really found the PT dept at Harvard Vanguard helpful, and trust that some Club members might have better advice. I'm all ready for some winter paddling, and hope to revisit the Cold Water Workshop later this month if this reinjury proves shortlived. I laughed when I read Suz' recommendation to have a solid roll for winter paddling, as I don't even have a solid BEND! Thanks for all advice, and even a joke or two about old (and dead?) dogs, new tricks, et al!

Certainly the break-even is in only a few SECONDS, as modern computer-controlled fuel injected vehicles waste almost no fuel in restarting unless there's a dramatic temperature change. In warm weather it's arguable that there's absolutely no justification for idling. Bob's argument only holds for much older carbureted fuel systems using automatic chokes, and then only in very cold weather. With any car using OBDII systems (esp after 2000), the break even is probably less than 5 seconds!

I too like the Kokatat balaclava. Having an adjustable mouth/nose fleece section is useful in cold windswept rain. Received a flyer from Sports Authority showing a Seirus Comboclava ($25) that has a full waterproof face section. I haven't seen the Palm drysuit, but enjoy this British company's splashtop. At $300 you may have goten a great deal if its material is breathable...and has a relief zip!

Indeed, avoid this stuff, and once the sand is scraped off it looks pretty bad...but your arms are so bloody by then....

Hi Gene (is a good thing. Your pun needed a rejoinder.) I'm your size, and started out with a fine too-big 'yak (Looksha IV)for the first two years, replacing it with a Force 5 recently. Predominant criterion was to fit my feet, but that resulted in getting a kayak that was too beamy and voluminous for my weight and girth. But it was great for my apprenticeship because of its speed, responsiveness and seaworthiness. I sold this 2003 Kevlar Necky w/ SmartTrack (orig $3600), Kalliste ($450), decent skirt ($80), and Retroglide Saber PFD ($139) together for $2100...a very fair deal for the VERY tall newbie who's enjoying it. I agree that this older Gulfstream's value is in the LOW teens at best, and suggest that you might want to take a trip down to Rhode Island where that shop that's moving was mentioned on the board here recently. (Sakonnet?) They have NEW Capellas, Curritucks, Forces all in the low $2k range. CRCK also has a couple of new NF Shadows for $2k if you prefer a wider boat like the Gulfstream. I tried over a dozen new 'yaks before selecting the Force 5. Closest contenders for all-around use that fit my feet also are the NDK Explorer (surprisingly roomy) and the slightly snugger Valley Aquanaut. Both of these are all around the club for trying out. I'll be on the Mystic Lake later this afternoon with my Force 5; if you want to demo it give a shout. Ern 781 483-3922

Still nice deals on the Cap 163, Quest, Currituck and Forces, though.

David, Have you ever thought of marketing YOURSELF as a search engine? Cheers. Ern