skypix

Well, it won't let me pm, maybe I didn't brush my teeth this morning or something.

Thanks a lot Jeff...was just partaking of the zippy weed (mate' I mean, of course ) as I read your post, thanks for all that, much obliged. I'll pm you.

Muchas gracias, amigo.

Thanks, sounds like fun. What's MDI?

Bah Hahbah, thanks, we'll try to make that!

our usual decision process: What do you think? I don't know what do you think? I don't know, whatever you think is fine with me. I think whatever you want to do then. Really? Sure, whatever you think we should do. Okay. Well, let's do two singles then, alright? (Pause) I was really leaning toward a tandem. Okay. Then... A tandem? Are you sure? Well... Whatever you think. ...and so on.

thanks Emilie, she's my height, but lighter, I'll send her out with some sandbags.

Wow, I didn't realize I'd gotten all these responses, thanks so much everybody, what a great group! Deb, thanks for that, that's quite a list. Roger on the "no divorce boat". I'm hearing that a lot. No point in tempting fate, eh? Plus my SU (spousal unit) is independent minded. ONce she's had a taste of solo paddling, she'll be out there sanding with me, I'll bet. Super, thanks wilsoj2, I've contacted them, will prob. do a half-day Norrie tour Sat. Also will ck out Albany, hadn't had any luck finding local paddlers yet. Love Lakes George/Champlain. Also thanks for the insight on rolling. Sounds like fun, being upside down in an airplane is fun too. Thanks much PeterB, PM to local paddlers would be much appreciated. I like the quote by White too, works for me. I've always felt that way about flying - and still do. Tyson, thanks for that perspective! Keep on scratching. We've got the plastic twin tubby, that works for now. I've pretty much decided to build a solo, learn the skills in solo boats, pass them on to her, share the solo with her, build another solo if she's jazzed enough, which I think she will be, then...well, one wave at a time, eh?

Thanks Phil! I'll check 'em out right now, beats working.

Thanks Suz, , man that is so true! I know from experimental and model airplane building that I get excited, build something, exhaust myself, then don't get into the actual activity anywhere near as much as I was so dang sure I would. So I'll have to keep noodling on that. My wife being interested may change that, I do get tired of doing everything alone and she and I are real pals who have a good time together whatever we do. I think you're right, buying that 14 was a mistake. Definitely great to leave by the water, if you have some, for when the kids come visit, and that's about it. Would have been happier to buy an 18' tandem for us...too late now! I'm putting it up for sale, if it goes I'll get a longer/narrower twin for the fall. There's a good example of getting overexcited and not doing enough research/test paddling first. Thanks for the links and thoughts on schoolin' and stuff, much obliged. Thanks thief, you were right. Fun board. Next time though I think I'll break my "intro" into more digestible chapters, I kinda over-ralphed on that first post. The curse of being a writer/photographer for a living I 'spose. Good to know about Nick Schade, I'll contact him, would be worth it just to see those beautiful kayaks. I'm going through a couple of his books and greatly admire the sensuous lines of his creations.

Thanks Glil, everybody seems to say that, must be true. Although we get along great...and i've got a bigger paddle. Thanks Kevin B, I was getting worried I'd worn out my welcome before I got one. Close! Not enough sleep and yerba mate. And definitely bitten. Thanks Suz for that perspective, hadn't considered that. We have a plastic boat though, for 2 weeks. I already look forward to passing it along to the next happy owner. It's not a sleek tandem...but ....(don't want to offend anybody)...it's plastic. I want to make something beautiful that I'll always be proud of. Really do. Plus I know, once I've paddled a few, talked to/read a few dozen/hundred/thousand people, I'll build exactly the right boat. It will find me. Anyone have any suggestions on where I can get some schoolin'?

Hi folks, thief on the West Coast Paddlers forum gave me your contact so I'm jumping in to say hello. WARNING: long-winded message ahead. Clear the decks! My name is Jim, I live in Old Chatham, NY, about 2 hours plus drive down the 90 from MA coast. I'm a transplanted Californian as of 2002 and still, shockingly, don't have any pals to play with. Well, except for my flight instructor I got my sport pilot license with last year, and he lives in Hartford. Mostly it's me and the spousal unit. Fortunately, she's as enthused about tandem paddling as I am. Three weeks ago at a little Adirondack lake we rented a plastic tandem and now I've got the building bug, big time. As in OCD big time. I bought a used 14' Acadia II plastic tandem tub for $450 10 days ago just to get some water time remainder of the summer, but I feel like I'm paddling through Karo syrup in that bucket, definitely won't do for the long haul. Plus it's a pain to haul around and hea-vy even for two. I've been reading up a lot, really a lot, obsessively a lot since I discovered the miracle of kit built and scratch built boats. I'm not a super woodworker but have built an airplane, several ultralight and hang glider aircraft, and am a pain in the fanny perfectionist way beyond my skill level, or perhaps because of that, so figured I should do alright with a strip boat, after first considering an S&G to get my feet wet then realizing I might as well go whole hog and build something really beautiful, like one of Nick Schade's gorgeous Guillemots or Rob Mack's North Star. The aesthetic possibilities of the strippers, as detailed a la mssrs. Schade, Moores, Mack et al, have turned my brain inside out. I can't stop mentally panting. Give me a doggie bone. All I want to do is read, get the shop ready, install heating, then retire and build all winter, after first trying to make up my mind about: two singles or a double? fast and tracky or shorter and wide or medium and tippy or...? Yikes. I'm in serious department store decision excitement overload. The challenge I'm facing right now is I have very little paddling experience so I'm going up next week to spend some time with a few of Rob Mack's boats, maybe Vaclav's too at One Ocean if he's amenable, but that's all I know to do so far. I should learn to do a roll, eh? Just not sure why (haven't read that section yet I guess...capsize recovery without panicking/exiting the boat?) The type of boating experience I want: stable enough I guess for comfortable quiet glides with wifey (the tandem question looms large here, we get along great but still...what if I want to go out with some of you folks or some lake stuff closer to home, and she can't/doesn't want to go? Plus I want a single kayak. I want one. Must...get...shop...ready...) Sorry, I am seriously brain numb by now, was up until 4:30 last night (chocolate partly to blame) reading, reading, reading, driving myself nuts, and now you too I expect. I clearly need to learn to paddle. I'm pretty athletic for a 64 year old, 5'11", 170 lbs., still fly hang gliders but thinking of giving it up, it's hard on the body. I might want to get into doing some sea paddling. Want to keep that door open. Did some moderate rapids on the Green and Yampa in Utah/Colorado years ago, lots of fun but i'm really more gravitating at this point to quiet-water and probably some light surf excursions once I'm skilled a bit. I want some stability for photography (I'm a pro aviation photographer and nature photography/aviation writer). Mostly, I want the perfect boat, of course, that will do everything without compromises. Yeah right. I do want to be able to go fast for long paddles. I want to explore! This beautiful coast and I hardly know it except by car! What a waste. After so many years up and down the gorgeous coast of California, soaring over it, driving up and down it, I know "your" coast has got to be spectacular too. Does any of this rambling make sense? Focus, must focus: Okay, questions: any recommendations for some instruction? I'm a pilot and former actor, so I take direction well. Any ideas, other than Laughing Loon, where I'm going next week, where I can paddle some wooden boats to get some idea what the hell I'm getting myself into? Can you say hell on this board? Thanks for listening, I figured I'd save 20 or so back and forth questions by barfing it all up in one intro, hope I didn't wear anybody out, and looking forward to getting to know people here and contributing in some way down the road, once I get my sea legs (sea butt?) under me. Jim