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Yeah, thinking more about it given the practical physical limits on how fast a motor boat can go through the old lock if I had a skirt it is hard to image I could get in real trouble (especially if I kept out from the wall a bit more). As for getting to the point of using a skirt, its high on my list for next season, October seems like the wrong time of year to start practicing wet exits. Need to find a good place to practice, don't really want to do it on the Charles. Thinking maybe Lower Mystic Lake. Is this the sort of thing that would be appropriate for a "Walden Wednesday"? The difficulty there is I am still renting so logistically it is a bit of a challenge. My understanding that while people often find it intimidating, once you do it a wet exit with a skirt is pretty easy in practice.

I am a level 1 kayaker and went paddling on the Charles River basin last weekend. I rented a boat from Charles River Canoe and Kayak in Kendall Sq., paddled down to the Museum of Science dam and went through its lock (which is always open). The lock is about 45' wide, over 500' long, and has sheer 10'(?) walls on either side. There were no other boats in the lock when I started, but soon after I entered, a duck boat entered from the other end. In spite of their size, they don't seem to produce much of a wake and I didn't have any problems with the duck boat. Soon after the duck boat pasted me a motor boat entered the lock behind me, and eventually over took me. It had a non-trivial wake (even though it didn't seem to be going very fast). A little bit of water actually came into my cockpit and I was pushed into the lock's wall, not very hard, but it was difficult to get enough distance back so I could paddle again. In retrospect, given my skill level it might not have been the right place to be, but I am wondering what I should/could do differently in the future: Try to take up more space so I wouldn't be passed?Paddle faster?Leave more of a margin between me and the wall?Somehow orient the boat to the wake better? Thanks

FWIW, I decided I would be happier with factory moldings with designed in holes, covers, etc. than drilling my own. Special ordered them from my dealer, picked them up, and installed them today. Allegedly they are for 07-09 Mazda 3, but they appear to fit on my 05 (the proof will be when I get and install the rack). The part numbers for the hatchback are : Left side replacement roof rail- BP4K-50-9L0A Mould LT, Roof List: $68.88 Right side replacement roof rail- BP4K-50-9H0A Mould RT, Roof List: $68.88 It looks like they have them for the 4 door too. These two posts have instructions for pulling off the old ones and putting on the new ones : http://www.mazda3club.com/showthread.php?p=412841 http://www.mazdaspeedforums.org/forum/f33/...rack-use-53600/ The 2nd one actually suggests using tools, I just used my fingers, which ended up damaging the original moldings a bit (though I think they will still "work" if I want to go back). If you want to use your fingers the trick seems to be to start where one of the 3 clips are. The back most one is just a few inches in-front of the trailing edge of the rear doors. Now I just need to get a rack and a kayak to put on it.

+1 on the D10. I have had mine for a few months and taken a few hundred pictures kayaking (mostly the Charles River and Mystic Lakes) and snorkeling and I am very happy with it. Took it out Saturday on the Charles with a Gorillapod and took a fair bit of video with it mounted on the lip of cockpit. Dropped from about 4' onto stone and knocked it against a wall and it seems fine. Some Pictures : http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2069...mp;l=816515fe20 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2064...mp;l=a59181b4b9 http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2060...mp;l=19de767202

Did you get your rack installed? How hard was to make the necessary holes in the moldings? Thanks