bbjorn
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Posts posted by bbjorn
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Kate,
As a former backpacker now paying for it with bad knees, I can't wait to hit the "trail" again. Your exquisite photos have rekindled my fire, so to speak. Thirty-five years ago I led a six week cycling trip through the Canadian Maritimes for learning disabled teens and we toured both Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. I fell in love with both, but was awestruck by Newfoundland. Now I want to return, this time by kayak. I'm very much looking forward to learning from you. I'll definitely attend this workshop if it's scheduled for 6/9 but may not be able to make 6/16.
Blaine
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Kayak Waveology in Rhode Island (http://www.kayakwaveology.com)
Run by Greg Paquin. Greg and partner Paula Riegel have generously been helping out nspn for years by volunteering as instructors for our on-water CAM workshops.
Greg is a BCU 5* Coach. He does private and group instruction, and is an NDK dealer.
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Osprey Sea kayak Adventures in Westport, MA. (www.ospreyseakayak.com)
Run by Carl Ladd. Carl is an ACA Instructor Trainer and a dealer for P&H kayaks
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Bigger rope and 'biners are definitely easier to find/handle, especially with gloves and/or when cold. Consider tying a longer line, about 3x length, and use what I was taught was a "sheep shank" (I still call it that, a series of loops within loops, but it appears it is a chain knot) to shorten it pulling the last loop around the 'biner (so it won't unravel). This is a stout line that won't tangle, is easy to handle, also makes a quick stirrup and/or enough line when undone to tie up an unrigged boat for towing.
AKA. a daisy chain. This is what I've been using and works fairly well. The one problem I have with this system is that, once daisy-chained, the line is much thicker and tends to snag if you need to pull it out from under the decklines.
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Niamh
niamh “radiance, lustre, brightness.” The daughter of the sea god Manannan she was known as “Niamh of the Golden Hair,” a beautiful princess riding on a white horse. She fell in love with Fionn’s son Oisin (read the legend of Niamh and Oisin) and lived with him in Tir-na-nOg (“Land of the Young”) (read the legend) where 300 years passed in what seemed like three weeks. In 2003 it was the eleventh most popular baby girl’s name in Ireland.
Ohhhh - that's good! I stopped at the F's.
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Fiona (fair, white, beautiful)
Check here for just about every Irish female name in existence: http://www.babynamesofireland.com/irish-girl-names
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Doug, if that opening for 3/18 in Portsmouth is still available, I'd like to take it. Let me know and I'll give you a check Tues. night.
Thx.
Blaine
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Just noticed the topic title. That was a bit off-topic since it's OVER the drysuit.
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During last weekend's wild weather. a bunch of us were out paddling off Stonington Ct. at the Autumn Gales symposium (certainly lived up to the name!). Just about everyone but me had a hooded storm cag (cagoule) that fit over everything including pfd and cockpit coaming. Whenever we stopped for a break and ducked into the scrub for shelter from the gusty wind, they would sit or squat with their cags providing a tent-like shelter, apparently quite comfortable. Some of them used a cag only during breaks and stowed it in their day hatch while paddling. Others kept it on while paddling. I decided right then and there that a cag will be my next purchase.
Blaine
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Kevin, if you're still going to Nahant tonight I'll join you. Where do you want to meet? I'll probably get there early and paddle around a bit.
Blaine
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Nice trip report Spider. The photos are beautiful. It seems your trip was a diplomatic mission. It's interesting to hear that, far from the ill-will we've come to expect from lobstermen, you found just the opposite. Maybe our belief that we are disliked comes from a few unfortunate encounters, and the oft-retelling of those. I believe that as long as we are careful to stay out of their way, and maybe even keep an eye out for opportunities to assist them (as Doug did two weekends ago at Cape Neddick), we can repair any past bad feelings and share the water amicably.
Looking forward to your full report.
Blaine
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This trip was right up there among the best. Endless adrenaline opportunities for those who chose to challenge the waves and rocks. Gorgeous scenery despite the outrageous mansions poised like vultures high above. And the surf at Ogunquit was like Waikiki on decent day. Many thanks to Doug for posting this encore trip and giving me a second chance.
Here are my photos for the day:
.. apologies again go to Blaine, who was the recipent of my first surfing collision. I'm now rushing out to get a helmet
Doug W
No apology necessary, Doug. I should know by now to stay well clear of anyone surfing in my direction as I've been on the giving end of that interaction myself. But the helmet is definitely a sound idea.
Blaine
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If you go to Google images and put in "roll clouds," there's a lot of cool pictures - but I like yours best, Blaine! pru
Amazing!! And I thought I knew my clouds.
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Shots 80, 81 and 83 all show what for me was the strangest, most malevolent looking cloud I think I've ever seen. That long twisted pastry at the bottom was not like anything I've seen before, including on long summer trips driving across Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska. I could only guess that it must have been due to some pretty strong winds, a horizontal tornado. After snapping shots to my right (#80), ahead of us (#81, 82), I turned around and looked behind me and saw that this one weird cloud stretched all the way to the horizon behind us (#83). It was at that point I realized we'd better get the hell off the water right away.
Blaine
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This was an exceptionally beautiful trip. Here are more photos:
Blaine
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It's great to hear you had a beautiful night and great paddle. Sorry for standing you folks up. I hope you didn't hang around waiting. I left for Maine very early Tues. and didn't see the change of date. Then on Friday I was still so enraptured by my first Maine paddling/camping expedition that I was busy replaying the tape during all the unpacking, rinsing and cleaning, forgetting all else until this morning when I suddenly remembered the moonlight paddle. So I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'll watch for the next one.
Blaine
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Pintail,
I'm very interested. Should be a fun outing. Will confirm later in the week when I get back from a trip to Maine.
Blaine
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So that's what you've been up to with that funny thing on your helmet. Those waves sure LOOK a lot punier than they do from my cockpit. But the number of times you rolled/swam shows they were plenty big. Thanks for posting.
Blaine
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I'm very envious. Sounds like a dream trip. Thanks for sharing!
Blaine
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Really wish I could, rather than wasting my final day dressed in jacket and tie at a wedding with a bunch of people I don't know, no doubt thinking about paddling.
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Rob,
I plan to attend both sessions.
Blaine
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I want to add my thanks to Scott for that excellent, well-organized, and entertaining workshop. Extremely useful information. And I have enough links to keep me busy for months of rainy, windy non-paddling days. Much appreciated.
Blaine
Sal - the plastic bin with plates, etc. was left in the kitchen at the barn.
Sal,
If you'd prefer not to leave the bin there until the CAM workshop 4/30, I can pick it up -- I live 2 min. away.
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I'm hoping to make it. Sorry for the short notice.
Blaine
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Warming: This is captivating and you may not get much else done for a while! Scientists in Iowa installed a video camera in an eagles nest and are streaming the live feed here:
http://www.ustream.tv/decoraheagles
There were three eggs, one hatched on 4/2 and another on 4/3. One more under mom. In half hour of watching I've seen one of the little eaglets keep poking it's head out from under mom to have a look around, watched mom get up to tear off some meat from the two carcasses in the lower left (a crow and something else), feed the babies, stand up and turn over the remaining egg and then settle back on it, get quite agitated with lots of vocalization at something overhead. I'm having trouble tearing myself away! Be sure to turn up the sound.
Blaine
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New link to the trip photos:
https://picasaweb.google.com/116681396281387802896/CapeAnnCircumnav_Mar151102#
HELP: Need Volunteers for New to Sea Kayaking Workshop
in General Message Board
Posted
The guys doing the advertising and posters for the New to Sea Kayaking Workshop have obviously done a super job. Maybe too super! Rather than the normally expected 20 or so, the rsvps keep coming and we reached our maximum of 73 (+ 7 staff) a week ago. They're STILL coming in and last count there were 7 more on the wait list.
Besides the presenters (Al, Les, Kevin) there are just four of us (Lisa, Rene, Ernie, and me) to manage both breakfast and lunch (bagels and muffins, coffee and tea at the start, and pizza, mini sandwiches, and salad for lunch after the presentations) as well as the slide show and the club table with nspn items for sale. No doubt the attendees will have many questions during breaks and afterward, and it would be a great help if we had a few more experienced club members around to answer them. There will be a bunch of boats out on the lawn, and no doubt they will generate a lot of interest and questions.
So PLEASE PLEASE, if you can spare a few hours, or two or even just one on Saturday morning 4/21, come help us make sure this event goes smoothly and lives up to the expectations of all these folks who we hope will become new members and our paddling companions. It can be argued that the NTSKW is the most important event of the year for NSPN. Without a continuous supply of new blood and fresh enthusiasm, NSPN would wither away.
If you think you might be able to lend us a hand, please email me at sunblaine@sunblaine.net.
Many thanks!!
Blaine