Pintail

"...fishing...for strippers..."? And here's me, thinking they more usually jumped out of birthday cakes, Al!

<I shared with everyone that the lighthouse has a unique flash sequence of (1, 4, 3). Dan shared with us the local lore that it stands for ‘I Love You’, with the origin being the lighthouse keeper flashing this message of love and endearment to his bride on the shore. I choose to believe it because, well, love> Unfortunately for you, Cathy, the local lore cannot possibly have any credence because morse code requires two different lengths of flash, doesn't it (shorts and longs)? (Or "dots" and "dashes" or "dits" and "dahs") I don't believe there are lighthouses that can perform that sort of differentiation? (If "I love you" was transcribed into morse, by initial letters, then: dit dit (gap) dit dah dit dit (gap) and dah dit dah dah would be what was required from that lovesick keeper) Sadly, the morse code has now been officially dropped from (military) usage, AFAIK; but I am not sure about aviation navaids...? There was a time when I was fluent in it.

< I have always sensed that there is a surprising amount of drag created by just a bit of skeg on this boat> Why not get radical, Al, and simply remove the entire thing, if you are concerned about drag? Then you could glass over the skeg housing slot? I bet you'd find another half-knot or so...? ;^))

There is, floating in the water, just a few yards offshore, and approximately four hundred yards east of Annisquam lighthouse, the entire carcase (carcass, if you prefer) of a basking shark. I thought it to be a young whale, at first, but was assured by people on terra firma nearby that it was the former. Its torso, aft of the head, is hanging down in the water, making it hard to gauge its size; but it looks huge -- and neither could I see its dorsal markings, since it is floating belly-up. The gape is enormous! (There appear to be synthetic threads or lines entangled in its mouth -- of course! What's new?) There is also (or has been) an immature bald eagle hanging around the cove recently. He or she gets mobbed by gulls and other avians, of course. I have also seen two baby seals on the rocks at low water in the vicinity, one of which looked only about three feet in length! I wish I had had a camera with me on all these occasions...

Gene, hello, old chap! I do have this selfsame paddle (it isn't that new, mind) and, while I do love the paddle, it is <awfully> light -- <too> light, even; but I do love it, somehow. There is absolutely nothing to concern yourself with regarding its shoulder-less effects on your handling of it. It feels perfectly normal in practice and the replaceable tips are an excellent idea. I do prefer the lack of shoulders, by the way, any day. Funny thing, though: I find myself reaching for a heavier wooden paddle more frequently...(more "bite" to it?)...this one is a shoulder-less Sawyer with kevlar tips, bought long ago from Joel Thomas (NESC) and, I believe, no longer in production. I hope this helps in some way?

Josko, I could never survive a two-hour practice session! However, I <do> practise every single time I am on the water and wonder why you do not try the same thing? I have always practised strokes, ever since I first became interested in the BCU syllabus -- and likely always shall. Ditto for my rolling. You could make a game to incorporate your strokes, like playing along the shoreline and making yourself only employ, say, bow rudders and draw strokes, to stay as close as possible to the hard shore without allowing yourself to stray further than a foot from the rock(face) -- something like that. Otherwise, I think you should make sure you are practising with someone else, so that you may critique each other? BTW, I think Paul is right: tape the BCU syllabus to your foredeck and work your way through it.

Jason, of course your compass was way off, when you put that (electrical) lamp near it in the UK! <Any> electricity anywhere near a compass is going to cause errors (sometimes huge, as you apparently discovered) -- this is why aircraft have a "compass correction card" adjacent to the magnetic compass and it is renewed annually. Ferrous materials, electrical circuitry will make for unreliability and there is b*gger-all you can do about it, so I <fear> that your plan is doomed from the outset. During 5-star training we all used the small chemical light-stick technique satisfactorily enough...

Bob Levine and Billy Voss write quite sensibly, agreed; but regarding this comment earlier: <...We didn't discuss whether it was a CAM or any other type of trip. But there was no paper work to say it was a CAM trip. We just paddled> -- I do not believe this has been read (or remembered?) by everyone? So why do some apparently think that Leon was in the wrong? I certainly don't think he was...the other paddlers <ought> to have heeded his opinion and his years' and years' worth of experience.

No response form rkhedarian? It looks as though it might be John and myself, then...hmmm...

With all due respect, why is this video interesting? I saw a shark's fin once, briefly, off his aft beam, casing the joint...could it be that he panicked?

Gene, old friend -- with all due respect -- I believe (and you know you can always count on me to be contentious!) you are barking up the wrong tree -- even talking a load of old codswallop! What is all this talk of angle of attack, for starters? What happens to a typical Greenland paddle when you hold it under water (whether made of wood or modern fancy stuff)? It floats to the surface! If you try to reduce your dependence on your arms (and brute force), putting more effort into the rotation of your hips, then you will begin to find that what you do with the paddle matters less and less. I understood this (rather than being taught it, specifically) many aeons ago, when Cherie came to Walden to join forces with The Scum and give NSPNers a session with "the illuminati". Dan Segal made me slow down my (layback) roll until I was doing it <very> slowly: this has the effect of emphasizing the hip action and <reducing> arm force-on-paddle -- as far as I perceive it to be -- and this means that the paddle is free to float across the surface! It does not require or demand of you <any> pulling or force on the jolly old paddle! Hips and torso win the day. Now, I am not saying that it will be exactly the same with a Euro paddle; but, once you can roll with less effort on arms and paddle, then it will become easier with the Euro, too, even though here the angle of paddle blade on the surface matters somewhat (the answer here is to check it visually, surely?) B*gger that infernal C-to-C roll that so many folk teach: an easy lay-back Greenland roll is the way to go! Certainly easiest on the body. Come and join me one Sunday in Lanes Cove...

Peter, me ol' shipmate: do you need details of boat, contact number et al? In case of answer in the affirmative, I shall be in the trusty Anas Acuta, yellow, contact Julie Titone: (603)944.3195. I shall be first at the beach, I bet you!

Leslie, thank you for letting us know: I had been expecting this very soon and -- in a certain way -- it is over now: no more fighting. We shall miss her, won't we? Suzanne is away; but I have sent her a text message (whatever that is). What an amazing, exquisite example Deborah set during these past two years! It seems to me inconceivable that anyone could possibly have shown more grace and forbearance during her trials with her cancer. What a wonderful woman! And what marvellous company she was on the water and -- as Brian writes above -- so kind and gentle. "Goodnight sweet Prince(ss) -- and flights of angels sing thee to thy rest!"

Leon is on the money: lifeguards will chase you away -- fiercely, quite likely! You might land, though, in Brace Cove...

Well, the big news of my day is that -- after receiving an email enclosing tracking number, just three days ago -- a long cardboard box, registered mail, was placed in my hands today at lunchtime! Less than three days from Taipei to Gloucester must be some sort of record? The paddle looks gorgeous: I shall try to get out tomorrow after work to try it out! (Can hardly wait). Thanks, all, for the encouragement.

Am trying to send you a PM, Paul, but with no success...would love to join you, but just cannot confirm until I speak with boss...

Pintail (aka .ChristopherG) will attend the first session, which is on a Sunday...

Bravo, both of you!

Tks for the encouragement!

Has anyone bought a Gearlab paddle, besides myself? I took advantage of a sale on one or two of their designs and paid immediately for the paddle and a bag per PayPal, to be warmly greeted by someone from there, in most endearing English...and then waited...and waited...and waited... Next communication was an apology, also in amusing, Oriental English, saying that there was a backlog at the factory and please, would I forgive them and be patient? The weeks went by and then came another communication, also most apologetic, saying that the factory had had a quality control issue and that an entire batch had been discarded or some such. A date was quoted for estimated delivery/shipping, which date came and went...so I sent a gentle enquiry and have now been advised that it ought to be ready for shipping in about a week's time. We shall see... These paddles are gorgeous-looking and I wonder whether anyone else has interesting tales to relate? I am dying to get back on the water and to use my new paddle -- that is, if it ever arrives!

Has anyone else bought epoxy resin recently? I just paid $45,99 for a 32 fl.oz. can! I can hardly believe it: I am just certain that I never paid this sort of money in the past. Anyone else noticed?

None of them rust -- if you remember to ladle out lashings of Vaseline onto them regularly! Remember that if you buy too large a knife, it tends to get in the way on your PFD -- especially important, I would think, in these days when paddlers carry VHF sets lashed to their life-vests and fill the pockets with whistles, signaling mirrors, emergency food, flares, emergency-this and emergency-that, spare compass, everything but the kitchen sink! Oh, and gallons and gallons of water <behind>! We'll all be sinking, soon, because our PFDs offer too little flotation...

Leon, think we should get a group together to go down and take a (paddling) look-see? (I disapprove of his low-flying over wildlife, however...)

A couple of wise old birds have suggested that classes/lessons should be the first investment and I heartily agree; but perhaps a good <textbook> should be the first purchase? One by a reputable coach, to go along with those classes. I cannot agree, however, with buying a good paddle immediately. It was a long time before I even heard the phrases "high angle" or "low angle" paddling -- long ago, when I took classes at CRCK in Newton, a 220cm paddle was thrust into my hands and that was what I assumed was correct: hence, for the next few years, I used the same length. Only when participating in BCU classes and trying to make strokes run, one into another, did I realize that a shorter paddle would be beneficial: today I paddle with a 205. How could I have had any insight into that when I was a "newbie"? No, rather leave it until you know something about paddling, I reckon. I was fortunate indeed in that, when I first responded to an advertisement in the "Want Ads" (remember those?) for a Sirius, I serendipitously ran into some old fogey who had recently started a local paddling club and he gave me very sound advice, saying that I would develop with the boat, after I protested that perhaps it was too much boat for my poor skill-set. He was right: I attended more NSPN-sponsored classes (Derek Hutchinson, twice) and never looked back...so even buying a boat needs some experienced guidance, I would suggest. To reiterate, good classes and advice to follow is what is needed. A textbook will teach about different shapes and designs of boats, for example. Perhaps first purchase should be some polypropylene clothing? Who is this fellow who writes: <...Y'all should be proud of the service you provide to the membership and paddling community at large> I sort of recognize the style, now with a western accent; but the name eludes me temporarily...?

My dear old friend (that's you, KB): I'm very much afraid that I have to enlighten you regarding "carrier pigeons". It is quite impossible to send out pigeons with messages -- they are <homing> pigeons and, as such, need to be transported <away>, so that they may return whence they came. (They haven't taken John Huth's class, for one reason, and neither do they carry GPS, for another) However, I should be very glad to hang a flier in the window of the shop where I spend most of my time! Smilingly, yours sincerely and all that...(we <shall> get to paddle together this season, right?)