Ken

I realize that unless you already have the equipment this may not be a viable solution. I do some RC aircraft hobbies and have some relatively large lithium polymer batteries and I'm thinking about setting one up for basecamp charging.   A 14.4V 5200mAH pack, a 12V step-down regulator, and one of those car socket things.  Since I already have the packs and the special charges needed to charge them, I can set up a cable to provide 12V for about $6.  You only want to drain the battery about 80% so one of those pack would provide about 50WattHours.  I would think that would be plenty to charge a radio several times. The downside of this solution is you have to be rather careful with lipo packs as the can be dangerous if mishandled.  I keep mine in ammo cans for safety.

-Ken

I asked virtually the same question on paddling.com a couple days ago.  I don't know that there are more useful answers over there.  One suggestion was  to remove the loop handle and replace it with a knob and it might be short enough.  Don't know if I will try that.  I was thinking of trying putting my longervpump under the foredeck and maybe trying Velcro. 

If I want to do this trip, is there a place to sign up?

-Ken

If I'm free that weekend, I'd love to do the L2 Woods Hole paddle.  Would that be 6/29?

I enjoyed meeting y'all and paddling last week but with the rain forecast for this PM and being rather tired from the long weekend, I did not put my boat on my car when I came to work today.  Hopefully, I'll make it next week or the week after.

-Ken

I just joined NSPN and only have done one trip so far but will be looking for trips in the L2-2.5 range this spring and summer.  I'd consider paddling in that area if someone who knows the area can plan.   (If I recall correctly the tides/current around that area can be swift and the wrong plan could get your somewhere you don't want to be.)

-Ken

The weather looks only so-so for tomorrow.  I still planning on putting my boat on my car tonight so I'll have it after work tomorrow.  If there's a cancellation, will someone send a message out?

-Ken

The Walden area is not that far out of my way home going home from work so I'd really like to make a few of these sessions.

With the water temperature in May, I would assume some sort of cold protection, drysuit or wetsuit, is still appropriate?

-Ken

For better or worse I have 6-8 years to retirement  but I also have some vacation time built up that I have to burn.  I might want to do some Wednesdays.  I'd just need to plan a few days in advance to let me coworkers know I'm taking the day off.  I'd likely look for notification of location and weather forecast a few days in advance to decide if it's a good day to attend.  

I was looking through some old posts from last summer before I joined.  Wasn't there an afterwork weekday thing at Walden last summer?  Anyone know if there is any kind of early evening events planned for this summer?  Walden or anything not too far from the 128 or 495 belt is more or less on my way home from work and it would be fun to get out for a couple hours after work sometime.

-Ken  

Hey, I wanted to drop a quick note to say thanks for the trip yesterday.  I learned some stuff and had some fun.  It was great meeting y'all and paddling with. you  I'd loved it out in those waves and can't wait to do it again.  Yesterday's trip was just the right level to build a more confidence without biting off too much

Happy Easter (and Passover),

Ken

I've been tossing around some ideas for making it easier for club members, especially newer members, to get charts and gear. To see how well those ideas match up with reality, I ask you to take a moment to reply to the survey questions below, especially if you don't typically have a chart on your deck during club paddles.

Copy the following into your reply and add your answers.

Name some paddling locations you expect to visit in 2019 or 2020 for which you don't already own a chart:

  Being a novice, pretty much anywhere that's convenient and appropriate for my level and experiences.

If you DO own some charts, how do prefer to get them? (buy online, marine supply store, print them myself...)

  Download from internet for free and print at home.

If you were to BUY a chart, would you choose a $25 waterproof chart or an identical $10 paper chart?

  I have an 8.5x11 laminator and I have printed the sections of charts I want and laminated them.  So far, just some pieces of Boston Harbor.  For the distances I paddle, these have been adequate.

How much would you be willing to pay to BORROW a waterproof chart that you didn't have for the duration of an NSPN trip? ($0 is a valid answer)

  Don't know.

Which of the following do you NOT currently own? waterproof chart case, deck compass, handheld compass, marine radio, tow belt, helmet

  Waterproof chart case, marine radio, helmet.  (Helmet are radio are the next items on my list.)

2 hours ago, David M said:

Ken said...

I'm afraid of stuff like my drysuit not fitting right and having to turn around and make adjustments and issues like that.  I'm looking forward to trying my new gear (dry-suit, booties, gloves, cap, etc.) but not sure if this is the right fit or not.

Ken,

You may have done this but I suggest gearing up in the house.   If the truth be known many of our closets are full of attempts.  That said,  trying the gear, especially the fit of drysuit gaskets can be helpful.   

Cheers!

 

I have tried the stuff on a several times, trimmed the neck gasket but want to be careful to not overtrim so it is now just barely comfortable.  Being a former windsurfer and sailor and seeing small-craft adversaries and 7.5' wave forecast sounds intimidating.   But I learned from ski trips that the best thing is to "always go", sometimes it ain't great but you survive learn something and sometimes you have any epic day you didn't expect; stay home you get neither.  I guess I'll play it by ear and make my mind up tomorrow evening.  No, meal for me, family holiday dinner Friday night.

On 4/17/2019 at 1:28 PM, mharrison said:

Oh, I'm not looking for this paddle to be 'fun'. I'm thinking it's a pre-season test of our gear with the advantage of being with more experienced paddlers.

Plus, sometimes 'fun' is when you look back at an event, while during said event it's a slog paddling/hiking/snowshoeing through mud/rain/snow/below-freezing weather. I just don't want us to hold the group back. In the past 2 years, we've done a 16 mile roundtrip, 10kn+ headwind with rain paddle from Cedar Point to Chapmans Landing in Stratham, NH... and  a paddle from URI's Bay Campus across to Jamestown Island, sheltering behind Dutch Island over 2 miles in 2'+ non-breaking slow-interval broadside waves. We finished each paddle exhausted. Each was a L3, but in different ways.

On 4/17/2019 at 1:28 PM, mharrison said:

Oh, I'm not looking for this paddle to be 'fun'. I'm thinking it's a pre-season test of our gear with the advantage of being with more experienced paddlers.

Plus, sometimes 'fun' is when you look back at an event, while during said event it's a slog paddling/hiking/snowshoeing through mud/rain/snow/below-freezing weather. I just don't want us to hold the group back. In the past 2 years, we've done a 16 mile roundtrip, 10kn+ headwind with rain paddle from Cedar Point to Chapmans Landing in Stratham, NH... and  a paddle from URI's Bay Campus across to Jamestown Island, sheltering behind Dutch Island over 2 miles in 2'+ non-breaking slow-interval broadside waves. We finished each paddle exhausted. Each was a L3, but in different ways.

8 hours ago, David M said:

Following up on Rob's comments related to the currently proposed launch and sheltered options.  In case some folks are considering paddling but may be unfamiliar with the area, I've attached a pic of the chart area. 

The launch is generally marked by the orange dot.  With the forecast of winds from the south (red arrow)  the destination Island of Great Misery (S of the launch) and Baker Island (SSE of Great Misery) should offer some mitigation of the swell.

The sheltered option Rob referenced is Manchester Harbor (marked by the Inset less than a mile ENE from the launch).

I've found this to be one of the most cohesive group paddles of the season.   As mentioned  it's a great opportunity to test gear and self with a lot of support. 

Having not paddled with this club before, never paddled in a cold water o/ dry suit, being maybe a L2+ paddler after one season, and with the forecast for Saturday not looking great, I'm worried that this would be a good first trip.  I'm afraid of stuff like my drysuit not fitting right and having to turn around and make adjustments and issues like that.  I'm looking forward to trying my new gear (dry-suit, booties, gloves, cap, etc.) but not sure if this is the right fit or not.

Is the location and time set yet?  

-Ken

In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex by Nathaniel Philbrick.  True story of a whaling ship that was rammed by a sperm whale then sank and the journey of the surviving crew to get back to land.  Supposedly this historical event inspired Herman Melville to pen Moby Dick.  And don't forget the classics.  For one thing, they are free on https://www.gutenberg.org/.  Moby Dick is a spectacular read, 200 pages of plot and 600 pages of square-rigger and whaling trivia.  With all the kitchty pirate pop culture, I decided to go back to the original and am currently reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

On 3/22/2019 at 2:38 PM, Brian Nystrom said:

Here's a post I made on Paddling.com several years ago, that contains more details about the gloves.

I apparently had the orange and blue gloves confused in my post from yesterday. I use the orange gloves (double-dipped) for greater dexterity. I must be getting old...?

I found this video on making drive gloves from Showa 660s; of course it's in some germanic/norse language I don't understand.  But the the visual are good.  What I don't know is what kid of glue, whether any flexible contact cement, like Household Goop, work or something specific like Aquaseal.  The video also compared conical seals and bottle-shaped seals but not understanding the audio, I don't know if both or jut on of the two Ismail recommended.

4 hours ago, Brian Nystrom said:

I just use commercially available latex wrist seals, the same as I use on my dry suit. They're glued on in the same manner.

When sourcing Atlas gloves, you may find them with attached liners. They're easy to remove and replace. As I mentioned, I like to use wool liners and I typically carry a spare pair two switch to when the first pair gets damp.

Sounds like a fun project but when done buying the gloves, seals, and adhesive, not much cheaper.  But then you get want and it makes fun to build yourself.

18 hours ago, Brian Nystrom said:

I prefer dry gloves with wool liners. You can either buy commercial dry gloves (typically based on Atlas shells) or add your own seals and liners to Atlas shell gloves (which is what I do now). The blue (double-dipped) Atlas gloves seem to be the most popular, but I prefer the orange (triple-dipped) gloves for increased durability. You can buy Atlas gloves dirt cheap online or through local marine suppliers.

That's kinda interesting.  Back in the 80s I was big into windsurfing and hated neoprene gloves as they made the boom grip thicker and my hands got tired much more easily.  A bunch of us just ended up using regular rubber dishwashing gloves.  Didn't try to keep totally dry, just keep the wind off so either tuck into wetsuit cuff or use a few rubber bands around the wrists.

Is there a tutorial online anywhere for how to make the seals?

I'm going to need some better mitts or gloves for Spring and fall.  Assuming I have some very lightweight neoprene gloves for slightly cool weather and I'm skiing Dec-Mar, can anyone recommend the type of weight I'd need around here in April/May and Oct/early Nov?

-Ken

Okay, assuming nothing comes up, I'll give it a go.  I think I all the gear I need and this looks like a good opportunity to learn how to use it safely.

-Ken

I haven't paddled with NSPN yet and haven't done coldwater paddling yet.  I was hoping to ask if this event would be appropriate.  I started paddling last summer and paddled one-day most weekends.  I reached the point where I could do a trip such as Hull to Peddocks and back. I just purchased a dry suit but not used it yet so I'm hoping to find a practice session with others to try it.  I still need booties and a cap but those can be as easily purchased. As far as cold-weather clothing, I'm a skier and have clothing to ski in down to well below zero in wind, a whole bureau full of base and mid layers in synthetic and wool.   

Do you think this event would be suitable as a first event with a dry suit?  Would this be more of a practice session in a sheltered area or a trip to somewhere?  I'd be nervous about going to a destination and not knowing if I've got the gear working properly.  If I find it's not working, I'd need a safety bail out.  And since I'm a novice, I wouldn't want to get in very difficult conditions when never having paddled in cold water.  

I joined this board a couple weeks ago so I thought I'd introduce myself.

My first love is skiing but I try to stay fit in the off seasons with other sports.  I was hiking a lot in spring but getting some knee pain down hills so I figured I needed to alternate in a another sport.  Remembering that I liked paddling canoes as a teenager and young adult, I thought I'd learn sea kayaking.  So I took a few classes--

• Intro to Kayaking  with the AMC on Lake Cochituate in Wayland.
• Intro to Sea Kayaking with Paddle Boston in Hingham Bay.
• Essential Touring Skill with Osprey in Westport Harbor (John Monroe instructor, taught me a ton and had a great time.)
• Tidal Current Clinic with Osprey in Westport.  (Paddled out the Devil's Pocket in the current and actually stayed in my boat.)

For fitness and practice, I've been renting kayaks from Paddle Boston most weekends for a couple hours at the various locations.  I got to paddle several sections of the Charles and try a handful of different boats.  I was considering doing their season pass for next year but then decided if I want to progress, I have to get my own equipment.  So I hit the end-of-season sale as Osprey and bought a used  Scorpio MV MkII Corolite X, PFD, paddle, and skirt.  I'm sure I'll want lots of little stuff but can work on that incrementally.

I live south, Medfield, but work north Tewksbury, so I figure I'll join more than one of the clubs in MA/RI for next season.  I see NSPN has practice Wednesday's in Walden.  That's sort of on my way home from work so I may want give it a try next Summer.  For some quick fitness paddling, I can hit the Charles as there's four of five put-ins within a few miles of my house.  I'm hoping to find some level 2 - 2.5 trips next summer.  I'm not level 3 yet but want to keep learning.

-Ken

Still missing the point the punter can generate 15 gazillion knot pounds of force.  But no matter how much force it generátes, it can only move its arms to go five knots.  Think of it as an engine that has reached redline and can't  spin any faster.  Now change the gear ratio on the read end Andy it could.  Give the punter a 200 foot pole and it would be planning at 85 knot s but he only has a ten foot pole.

1 hour ago, leong said:

It's the rate of doing work that has to be limited; i.e. the power (force * speed). Consider the punter. In still water say his power to go 5 knots is 5*F, where F is the force to punt at 5 knots (5*F is his maximum power). For the punter to go 9 knots down stream he would have to generate a power of 9*F. But he can't do that because his maximum power is 5*F. Of course he could punt at more than 5 knots going downstream, but his force would be less than F. However, the paddler would go at 9 knots down stream in a 5 knot current if he exerted the same power as his still water power.

You are making the assumption that force is limited and speed is not.  Perhaps the punter can produce unlimited force but it is his motion that is limited to a certain number of strokes of a certain distance per minute regardless of available force.  So he could push a gondola at five knots or a supertanker at 5 knots but no matter the load, his speed maxes out at five knots because that's how fast his arms can move regardless of load.  Consider how fast can you throw a baseball.  Now throw a BB.  The BB weighs 1/1000th that of the baseball but does the BB leave your hand at 1000 times the speed of the baseball?  

Entirely depends on whether the 5 knot limit in still water is due to the maximum rate of motion of the punter/paddler or the maximum force the punter/paddler can apply.

If the force available is unlimited but the pace of paddling/punting is 5 knots then--

• Paddler makes 1knot over ground upstream.
• Paddler makes 9knots over ground downstream.
• Punter makes 5 nots over ground in both directions.

However if the force available is constant but the pace of paddling is unlimited--

• Paddler and punter both make 1 knot over ground upstream.
• Paddler and punter both make 9 knots over ground downstream.

The reality will most likely be somewhere in between these two extremes in which case the punter wins upstream and the paddler wins downstream.

-Ken