Pintail

A certain Mr. Edward Lawson cannot spell his own name (hee hee!): <Ed Lawqson> (see above).

How could anyone have identified it from that miserable little piece of video? And where, pray tell, are the large numbers of prey for such a creature? (The masses are down on Monomoy, aren't they?)

Great work, Gary: I like the directoral work, especially -- not sure about the acting! Photography very worthwhile, too! (Perhaps a Nomination for that?) Today, I believe I <could> feel/detect/sense the water coming in around my knees whilst capsizing, so that would confirm Brian's advice about the trouble usually being around the edges. Like you, I wear only Snapdragon skirts and I suspect that the increased water pressure when upside-down is what is causing my problem...alas! It isn't an <old> sprayskirt, either, although neither is it new. I think I shall go your direction with the Aquaseal <and> some sort of external spray-on stuff, too. I am not ready to trade-in for a new one yet! (BTW: Who is it in NSPN who paddles a beautiful wooden boat (Night Heron?) in natural finish? Seen <twice> yesterday evening, driving down Main Street, Gloucester, in a Subaru while I was at work!)

I daresay that I may be the sole regular on this message board who has had a real run-in with a Portuguese Man o'War? (Actually, it changed my life, in a manner of speaking...)

Aha! The oracle has spoken. I've been waiting for you to pitch in, Sir Brian! Thanks for the information. It seems that this is the crux of the matter, then: <...neoprene becomes porous over time in areas where it's creased, compressed or stretched...> in which case, likely as not, there is really not much to be done about it. Thanks, mate! (When are you going to get waterborne again?)

Keenly awaiting experimentation results, Gary...please advise once completed? I cannot see why this sort of intended treatment might not be an improvement...

Through the neoprene, I assume...(I have never come across that word "rand" used in this context, previously, Kate; but I <do> see it in my dictionary...to me, more usually, it is...money!)

I wonder if anyone has had similar thoughts or even tried what I am thinking about. After a time, sprayskirts seem to lose their efficacy and start to let in more water than when new. I would like to try treating one of mine with something like Scotchguard waterproofing. Has anyone ever heard of this or tried it? Is it <likely> to work? This is important to me: I spend much of my time upside-down!

Good one, Gary! Thanks.

My babies almost grew up on the beaches right there! Just out of shot, picture-left, is the airfield out of which I used to fly... It is curious to me that he was carrying a fishing rod, taped to his aft deck: perhaps the sardines were running and he had intended to do some trawling? When that happens (May-July) the density of predators goes way up. For surfers, the Durban beaches are mostly protected by nets (but not Umhlanga).

Old conversation, I know; but what about this (on sale): https://www.backcountry.com/sea-to-summit-thermolite-reactor-extreme-sleeping-bag-liner?skid=STS0084-RD-ONESIZ&ti=UExQIFJ1bGUgQmFzZWQ6U2hvcCBBbGwgQ2FtcDoxNjoxMDo=

I <am> a resident of Gloucester and can tell you that I put in, yesterday, at Pavilion Beach opposite the Greasy Pole -- and no one was checking. There were plenty of beach-users (quite probably leaving behind their cookie-wrappers and their cigarette ends in the sand...)

< This is an unpleasant experience when paddling in a kayak> Really? I always find boat wake...fun! I daresay you could try what NSPNers often do and that is launch at Pavilion Beach, between the Great and Little Necks, Ipswich (Take Jeffrey's Neck Rd.). You are on Plum Island Sound there, so you proceed to your right, into the river and then turn left almost immediately to find Fox Creek that links Essex Bay with the Ipswich river... By the way, Island Road ramp is too tide-dependent to be useful. It dries out completely there.

I, too, have never had any problem with any of my Werner paddles -- and I dry them off post-paddling, after shaking out any water, rather than rinsing in (fresh) water. (I hope I haven't spoken too soon, mind...)

<...At about the consistency of a moderately-chewed piece of bubble gum...> I must remember to mix my two-part, solid epoxy by chewing, next time, to compare its consistency with that of chewing gum or bubble gum! Thanks for the suggestion, David! ?

Bump, bump, bumpity bump...same details, except that a text should be sent to 9seven8 seven54 five1 seven1...and available for $30.00

I know exactly where that happened: often flown over that place...

Is this something you have already done, Jim? I have the near end free; but do I really <need> to remove the other -- it's awfully far away and in a very constricted space. If this is so, then I'm going to need child labour to crawl inside! Oy, vey...

If a guest wishes to make statements about kayak safety, then I daresay that that is their prerogative; but one might guess that <as a guest> that person is, likely as not, unfamiliar with the culture of this little club. Is this not so, midtempo? The <entire> culture of this club just happens to be one of safety, awareness of hypothermia and all the rest. It has been thus, ever since the inception just about twenty-two years ago! I think you need have no fears about our communal awareness or concern in this area. Enough said? If you are local, then why do you not join up as a member? You will find us a friendly crowd with an attitude of "pass it along" (skills, etc) We also have a good safety record.

Is there anyone here who has experience with those plastic foot-peg sets that have runners each side of the kayak, black plastic, with the red release levers that lock the pegs in place? Pegs are released by turning the red lever locking devices and my newest boat came with stupid foam blocks (that nasty, hard stuff that washes up on beaches) instead of proper closed-cell foam. He gave me the foot-pegs separately, with the tracks already in place and now I cannot install the things... I'm certain it ought to be utterly simple; but I am at my wits' end!

<We are aware of this issue and are working to fix it> Yes, maybe; but is he a member again (ie, re-instated), I hope? That man has been a member of this little gang for over twenty years!

<Currently 230 so way too long for someone 5’6” and short waisted...> That shop was wrong to have sold you something so long, in my opinion, Terese! Many years ago, I started out with a 220 and soon went down to 210 and I am also in the same height range as you, it would seem. As you have ordered something already, you will obviously have to wait to try out someone else's Greenland paddle, if that interests you (and it probably should). I find myself reach for mine more than Euro, these days. One of the important aspects of using something shorter (important to me, at least) is that moving from one stroke to another is <far> easier with the shorter paddle (Are you "into" the BCU system? Again, perhaps you ought to be, if interested in gaining valuable technique and improving your abilities...) (Actually, I think <everyone> ought to be going the BCU route! The founder of this little club knew a thing or two...) The local water temperature is now around 44F: wait a few weeks and you may try out any of my Greenlands on Cape Ann...

Insurance? Whatever for, Karen? Surely you could have fixed the boat with some duct tape? (Maybe <two> rolls of it, instead of just one...) I do remember reading this sad tale of woe, back...whenever.

My take on these examples (Good job, that Huth man!): (i) Force 7; (ii)Force 3; (iii)Force 5 and (iv)Force 4.

Where is the logic in that move -- how does it help? And what about Lanesville: is that considered Gloucester, too, Liz -- do you know?