Blow Hard

I finally escaped the drudgery that was working at MathWorks and took a week off before starting my new gig. Being a dedicated family man, I filled most of the week with chores and other family stuff. I did, however, carve out one day for some kayaking. TM and I planned for a leisurely mid week paddle out of Bay Campus. I was thinking that the outer west passage sounded fun.

Naturally, I got to the beach late. TM was out in the water practicing with his Cetus HV. Since the idea was for a relaxing day, he was gracious. It had also given him time to work out a paddle plan.

The weather was not ideal for doing outer west passage. The wind was blowing up the Bay at a steady clip. Crossing the Bay didn’t seem like the wisest decision. Instead, we planned on paddling south along Bonnet Shores and looking for some surf in the cove.

As we paddled along the bluffs I could feel the wind, but it didn’t impress me as anything troublesome. It made for some nice waves. The more troublesome issue, I thought, was keeping pace with TM in his speedy Cetus. I wasn’t struggling, but I felt like TM was holding back. He denied this.

In the cove we headed straight for the beach to look for surfing opportunities. We were disappointed. There were waves but they were small and not worth the effort.

That left as at a crossroads. We could stay in the cove, have a spot of lunch, and head back to Bay Campus for some practice. Or we could head further south and lunch at the mouth of Narrow River.

TM, foolishly, left the decision up to me. I hadn’t checked the forecast to see how strong the winds were. I also didn’t consider that up until this point in the paddle we had been shielded from the worst of the winds. I wasn’t ready to head back and always enjoyed the paddle down to Narrow River. It always offers up interesting conditions.

As soon as we rounded the point and started heading south along the coast, I knew I had made a terrible decision. We were paddling head first into a steady 18 to 20 knot wind. The waves were big and steep. It wasn’t the worst conditions, but they were not good.

Oddly turning around never crossed my mind. I knew we could both handle it and I figured it was a good test for the Aries. Could I keep up with a strong, skilled paddler in a long boat paddling into a big wind? I also knew that TM would not let me fall too far behind if the answer was not yes.

It was definitely a struggle. But it was no worse than I remember paddling the Q-boat in similar conditions. There were differences. The Q’s clipper bow sliced through the waves. The Aries planing bow rides up and over the waves. The biggest difference I noticed was in how much effort went into keeping on course. The Q, generally, maintained a straight course in the wind. The Aries required constant attention. However, when the Q did get knocked around, it was a bitch to straighten out. The Aries was easily coaxed back into line. As for speed, we managed to average around 3 knots along the stretch.

TM made it look easy while I felt like I was struggling the whole time. I swear that on occasion it looked like he was just out for a leisurely Sunday afternoon jaunt. Again he denies this is true. I am not convinced I could have paddled much faster. I am also convinced that TM had a little speed left in the tank. Regardless, I was pleased with how the Aries performed.

Coming into the beach was an interesting experience. I caught a nice wave in the rip that forms at the mouth of the river. I think I believed that the Aries would magically ride the wave into the beach without me doing anything. Instead, it spun beach into the wave before I could react. I didn’t go over, but it was enough to jolt me back to reality. Getting back in line to land on the beach was one simple sweep stroke. Maneuverability cuts both ways.

After lunch we headed north back to the Bay Campus. It felt like the wind had died down. It was hard to tell though because it was at our backs. You never know how hard the wind is blowing when you are moving with it.

The Aries was in its element with the following seas. It caught even the smallest of waves and was pure joy to paddle. Keeping up with TM was not a concern. Keeping the paddle from being over was a concern. We were back at Bay Campus in no time flat.

We did some boat handling practice before heading to the cars. TM wanted me to try some stern rudder tricks at speed. I nearly flipped over a few times. The stick gained purchase, the stern jumped to the side, and the stick was under the stern.

He also had me try some stern draws. A stern draw is not as natural with a stick as it is with an ice cream scoop. I gave it a go. They turned the Aries without issue and I didn’t catch the paddle under the stern.

We retired to Java Madness for post paddle coffee. The back deck was the perfect place to finish the day. It was a classic end to a classic paddle.

Chasing the Cetus

The family lucked into an open camp site at Winslow Park in Freeport, ME. The Benders had an extra site and offered it up and we couldn't say no. The park is a hidden gem. Our sites were right on the water, spacious, clean, and level. The park is only a few miles, an easy bike ride, from the outlet Mecca. There is also a huge playground for kids.

In the morning, the women took a ride into town to do some shopping. Bug and I explored the park on our bikes for a little and then hung out at the playground.

The afternoon was set aside for PB and I to do some paddling. PB decided to take out KB’s Cetus MV. It would be a perfect chance to see if the Aries could hang with a real sea kayak.

The wind was picking up, but the bay offered plenty of places to hide. We headed NE past Pumpkin Knob and along the east side of Wolfes Neck Woods State Park. The shore line kept the wind to a manageable level. The water was mostly flat and the paddling was relaxing. It didn’t feel like I was working extra hard to keep up with PB, but we were taking it easy.

We crossed over to Bustins Island. Once we left the shelter of the cove the full strength of the wind made itself know. It was blowing hard and the wrong way to help us crossing back to camp. Once behind Bustins it was mice paddling again, but it wouldn’t last long.

It was a two mile crossing from Bustins back to Winslow Park. The one warning Carl had about the Aries was that it didn’t do well with strong beam winds. This wind was quartering, so not completely beamy. All in all the Aries handled well. I would’t say it tracked well, but with proper attention it didn’t weather cock either. The truth is that the Aries is so easy to turn that it was easy to zag when the wind forced a zig. I did drop the skeg for part of the crossing to take the edge off.

In terms of speed, I did OK. PB and the Cetus definitely had an easier time getting across in the wind, but I’m not sure how much easier. I kept up and didn’t feel like I worked extra hard. When asked, PB said he wasn’t taking it particularly easy on me. We weren’t paddling hard, but I was happy with the Aries performance.

Despite the windy return trip, it was a good day on the water. Casco Bay is a pretty place to paddle and a nice place for a relaxing early season paddle.

Rocks of Doom

Getting to paddle two weekends in a row is rare and beautiful. I was definitely looking forward to this paddle. It was scheduled as a rock paddle out of Fort Whetheril; perfect for breaking in the new Aries. A lot of other people were thinking similar thoughts. The flotilla included at least three Delphins which are the plastic older brother of the Aries.
I was hoping for some good wave action to make things exciting, but the water wasn't cooperating. Things were pretty benign. In some ways that was better for my nerves since I am still in the "please don't scratch it" stage of ownership. There was little chance of doing any damage to the Aries while playing.
We shadowed a group of Kayakwavology students along the coast. They moved much faster and further than we did. We spent a lot of time noodling around and taking turns trying to squeeze through tight spots.
I had a great time getting the feel for just how turns the Aries is in tight spots. It really is a white water boat made for sea kayaking.
After lunch we turned around and replayed the same rocks. Amazingly, they got more dangerous in reverse. TM managed to get some serious dings in his hull.
It turned out to be a shortish day on the water, but is was another good chance to adjust to the new kayak.

Playtime

Sometimes you see the details on the chart, but do not put all the pieces together. Sometimes you get lucky and put the pieces together in time to avoid disaster….This weekend was scheduled for a visit to my brother’s family in CT. His daughter was having a birthday party and it made for a good excuse for the families to get together. It conflicted with the perfect paddle for breaking in the new Aries, but family always comes first.What we missed on the party invite was that it was at a kiddie spa. The name of the venue suggested ice cream, not pedicures…. Fortunately, H realized this the day before the event. Later in the day my brother e-mailed saying he was working all day. So, the three of us were going to drive two hours to attend an all girl birthday party for an eight year-old at a spa….
H, who is a saint, made the command decision that I was no longer included in the birthday party plan. She and Bug would go to the birthday party, and I would go paddling. I tried to argue that I had to go to the party because it was my family…. She stood firm and insisted that I go paddling.
I got up in the morning, packed up the last of the paddling supplies, strapped the Aries onto the roof, and headed out with plenty of time to get to the put in. As I was driving down the hill from my house to the Starbucks, I noticed that the kayak’s bow was drifting to the left. My initial thought was that I just needed to tighten the straps down what I stopped to get coffee. When I checked the straps I saw that one of my cradles had suffered a catastrophic failure. The hinge attaching the lower portion of the jaw had snapped off. I wasn’t sure I could even limp the 3/4 of mile back up the hill to my house.
Saint H pulled through one more time. She dug out a spare cradle, packed up a very unhappy Bug into her car, and drove down to rescue me. She even helped me get the new cradle attached to the car so that I could continue on my way to the paddle.
The drive was not relaxing. I was caught between watching my speed for fear of a second rack failure and wanting to speed to make up for the lost time. I was sure I could make it to Westport before everyone left the put in, but I didn’t want to be that guy. I am particularly sensitive since I am incapable of getting on the water quickly. Time just slows down when between the opening of my car door and the time my kayak glides away from the beach.
I did make it the paddle in plenty of time. A lot of the time was taken up with people complimenting me on the new kayak. It was a little embarrassing, but fun as well. The yellow over bright orange is eye catching. Since this is only the second time the Aries has been in the water, I still wasn’t sure it was more than eye catching. Could it keep up with a pod of traditional length sea kayaks? Would it be fun to paddle in conditions without being too easy? Could the hull shape possibly live up to the hype?
This paddle was a good opportunity to answer some of those questions. There were a lot of traditional sea kayaks in the group. TM was the only other person in a play kayak--He was testing out his newly acquired Romany XL. The paddle to and from the mouth of the river is pretty traditional touring style paddling. The current and rock play provides plenty of opportunity for the areas where the Aries is designed to shine.
The paddle to and from the mouth of the river were pleasant. The wind was light and the current not too much of an issue. The Aries paddled nicely and I didn’t feel like I was working too hard to keep up with the other kayaks. It paddled like most other sea kayaks I have paddled. That was a big positive. For relaxed paddling in mild conditions, I want a kayak to feel neutral.
When we got to the mouth of the river the current was running pretty strong, but the wind was not cooperating. It was blowing with the current and flattening the waves.
Despite the lack of standing waves, it was a good chance to practice paddling in current. The first time I tried an eddy turn, I did a 280 before I knew what happened. After that, I had a much better sense of how to handle the turns with some edging. Out in the main flow the Aries skipped across the moving water. It was fun to just play around and see how the kayak handled. The few waves that popped up proved that the Aries loves to catch waves. It just hops on the wave and takes off.
It didn't take long for us to get bored and start thinking of new ways to spice up the paddle. It was supposed to be a play day. We decided to head out of the river and play on the rocks on the outside of the nubble.
After lunch we found a choice outcropping for playing. It offered multiple play spots. The most popular was in the middle of the out cropping. The waves crashed around and made a nice soupy mess. I quickly got over my oh it is too new to scratch and put the Aries in the thick of it. This was what the boat was made for…. It was stable and maneuverable through out. When I was done all it took was a little edge. The bow slid out and I was on the other side of the soup.

The other fun spot to play on the rocks was on the far edge. There was a nice little slot where the waves pushed through with a little less force. From the beach side it made a nice spot to practice keeping the bow in position. From the ocean side it provided a nice safe surf run.

While playing on this safe run, I managed to time a wave very poorly. I found myself getting pushed straight into the rock. The wave steepened and I felt the bow getting pinned. Once that happened, I knew there was no way to turn past the rocks. Just as I resigned to kissing the rock, the bow popped. I edged, the bow turned, and I slid past the rock with a huge smile on my face.

The trip back to the put in was uneventful. It was a nice relaxing way to cool down. It was also a nice reminder that the Aries was a capable regular kayak.

Aries

Last Sunday, we went down to Osprey Sea Kayak to get some work done on H’s kayak and Big Red. H needed her backband fixed and her deck lines tightened. Bug Red needed to get the rudder lines attached so that they stop falling off. Carl and Sam are our go to kayak repair people.

They also sell P&H kayaks, but that wasn’t part of the plan. I think P&H and I think Cetus and I was not keen on a Cetus. I really had my brain set on the Tiderace kayaks. Getting to New York was a hurdle I was prepared to jump.

When we pulled up I saw that Osprey had a used Nigel Foster Legend for sale. The Legend is a classic sea kayak and has always intrigued me, so I wanted to give it a try.

The Legend was fine. It fit me well. It turned OK for a touring kayak. The hull was in good shape. There was nothing about the Legend that made me change my mind about trying out the Tiderace kayaks.

As I got out of the Legend Carl slid an Aries 155 onto the boat ramp and told me to try it out. As soon as I backed into the river and turned the kayak, I knew it was a play boat. It spun around like a white water kayak. I paddled it around the river by the shop for awhile and was increasingly impressed. It not only turned like a dream, it went pretty straight when needed. According to H I was smiling the whole time I was paddling it.

After I dragged myself out of the kayak, I asked the obvious question: "Do you have any in stock?" They did have one: orange over orange with yellow trim.

Before I plopped down the plastic and gave up on the Tideraces, I had questions. The Aries is under 16 feet long; can it keep up with a pod of Ceti? Can it be packed up for a weekend of camping? I had read a few reviews, and knew that the reviewers thought the answers were yes. However, I wanted to hear it first hand from an actual Aries paddler. Carl uses an Aries 150 as his primary kayak. Carl and Sam both assured me that the Aries could keep up with a Cetus for most paddles and could carry enough gear for a weekend with some creative packing.

Like all kayaks, the Aries is about trade offs. The Aries is optimized for playing on the ocean and not for expeditions. It is at its best on bouncy water, surf, and dodging rocks. As an ocean play kayak, it is designed to have decent speed to get to the play spots and carry some extra gear. On an expedition, it is not at its best, but still OK.

So I pulled the trigger. It needed a keep strip and a compass, which was good since our car couldn’t carry three kayaks home...

I picked it today and took it for a break-in paddle on the Charles River in Waltham; it is the section of the Charles known as the lake district. The river is not the optimal place to paddle an Aries-the water is flat and there is not much to dodge-but that was sort of the point. I wanted to know that I hadn’t boxed myself into a corner with a kayak that was only good for the extreme stuff.

It was a nice paddle along this route. I did take time to play with turning and finding the edges. The Aries is a very turny kayak; I had fun just spinning it around a few times…. The straight line performance was good. The Aries didn’t feel particularly slow, nor did it feel fast. I spent most of the time trying to find issues and I could not really come up with one. The paddle was a nice confirmation that I made a solid purchase. I cannot wait to get it out on some real water….