You call that gale force?

After skipping a paddle the previous weekend, I wanted to paddle this one. When PB posted that the currents at Stone Bridge would be ripe for playing and that the winds were forecasted to oppose the current, I definitely wanted to paddle.
By mid-week, however, the forecast had gone from exciting to scary. Winds were forecasted to be in the 20-30 knt range on Saturday. CC sent e-mail around wondering if her friends were sane or crazy... I pondered the same thing myself.
Caution being the better part of valor, we should have decided to cancel the paddle. A 3+ knt tidal current is exciting, but potentially dangerous. 20-30 knt winds make paddling challenging and make it easier to get cold. Cold water is dangerous. Combine the three and it is a recipe for disaster. If a paddler came out of the cockpit, they could easily get washed downstream a good distance before a rescuer reached them. The potential for someone being in the water for 5 to 10 minutes is very real.
However, haste does make for wasted opportunities. There was still time for the forecast to change and haste does make waste. Stone Bridge also has a few features that makes it a perfect place to push things in otherwise foolish conditions: There is easy access to beaches on either side of the channel. The put-in is right next to the tidal race. It is easy to get out of the race and find an eddy in which to rest.
I decided the best course was temper my excitement, but still plan on playing in some monumental conditions.
By Friday, the forecast had actually deteriorated. It now called for 35knt gusts, 100% chance of rain, and thunder storms...
Paul posts that the paddle is a go. He makes it very clear that it will be a definite level 5. I decide to wait and see what things look like on Saturday morning...
When I dragged my carcass out of bed this morning, it wasn't raining and PB had not posted a cancellation. I checked the weather radar and saw that there was rain in the air, but not in our area yet.
So, I dragged myself into the bedroom to figure out the right combination of clothes to wear under the drysuit. I opted for a single layer of thermal underwear figuring the air temperature was in the 60s, the conditions called for pretty serious exertion, and I'd be near the car if I got cold. Then I tossed a hodgepodge of post paddle clothes into a dry bag.
I muddled my way through packing the proper gear into the egg. I decided not to bring the newly restored mighty stick. It is not the best tool for paddling in monumental conditions and I didn't really want to risk breaking it again.
I roused H for help loading the Q-Boat on the roof. After we secured the kayak on the roof, she reminded me to get the key for the Lendal paddles. It was secured to her PFD and her whistle in a tangle of thin yellow twine. If I had my knife handy... Instead I fumbled around unraveling the mess.
I finally got out of the driveway 20 minutes later than I planned. To make up some lost time, I decided to skip my usual coffee stop. I figured I could always get my fix at Coastal Roasters since it is a short walk from the put-in.
Immediately after I got on Rt. 24 I could feel myself fading. Focusing on the road was a struggle. I had to stop at the rest area for coffee even if it was Dunkin Donuts coffee.
After purchasing my caffeine fix, I checked my phone to see if the paddle was still a go. TM had left me a message saying that he was not paddling today, but he would meet us at the put-in. Apparently his morning had been a little to hectic....
When I finally arrived at the put-in the sky was grey, the wind was mild, and the race was flat. PB, BH, JS, and HDT were discussing what to do. CR stopped by to give us a little grief and invite over to OSA for post paddle cider. TM showed up to wish us all well and chat.
It was about then that PB decided we should at least take a warm up paddle around Gould Island. So we unloaded the kayaks onto the beach, donned our dry suits, encased our knoggins in helmets, assembled our paddles, and hit the water.
Once on the water, I knew something was not right. I felt a little too tippy. My back and shoulders were stiff. I figured it was just kinks from not paddling in a few weeks. After a little bit of warm up, I'd be right as rain.
HDT, BH, and JS decided to pass on the warm-up paddle. They headed straight for the tidal race.
The race current was fast and strong, but it was flat. We all did a little playing near the red can. I actually got a little too close and dinged it with my bow.
I was feeling a little better, but still not right. I decided that I wouldn't push it unless the conditions grew to epic levels. I just paddled around taking pictures and movies with my new Option W60.
At one point the fog slammed down on us. JS and BH were playing in the current and I went looking for PB who was hanging out towards the tail of the race. One minute it was grey and cloudy, the next minute I couldn't see beyond the tip of my bow. I got completely disoriented. When the fog suddenly lifted, I was shocked to see where I was.
A little while later I saw TM return from his trip to Osprey Sea Kayaking. He climbed out onto the end of the jetty to see what we were doing. It was then that I noticed that BH and JS were surfing some nice waves.
The wind and currents had finally synched up to create some nice wave action. PB and I headed into the race to catch some rides. The first time through the race, I nearly speared PB. A caught a nice wave and the nose of the Q-Boat veered to the left and straight at PB's torso. I didn't want to dump, so I decided to try emergency maneuvers. I dug a rudder in and leaned hard. Fortunately, I managed to force the bow to continue its left turn and miss a collision.
The second time through the race, PB and I actually did collide. He caught a nice wave in front of me. Then I caught a nice wave that I thought would push me to the left. Instead the Q-Boat's bow cut right and towards PB's back. I was able to control the turn enough to miss PB's body, but not enough to miss his hull. The Q-Boat's nose slid up onto PB's rear deck. I had visions of us getting stuck together and one of us going for a swim. Luckily, PB's kayaked squirted out from under my bow and back into the waves.
I caught a few more rides and decided to call it a day. I still wasn't feeling on top of my game, and didn't want to push things too much.
The epic conditions never materialized, but that was OK. I wasn't ready for epic conditions today. I would likely have tried to test my meddle against the conditions had they materialized, and quickly realized I should have stayed on dry land.
The conditions that did materialize were perfect. I got a chance to get in the kayak and play in some waves. It was perfect.

Hull Repair Follies

When I went out with Greg Paquin a few weeks ago, I put a few dings in the Q-boat's chines.
Many of them were small enough to fix with the one part gel coat scratch repair kit from West Marine. I squirted some in the ding and the goo magically hardened. I then did a little sanding to make them flush with the hull. The repairs look OK. The gel coat in the repair kit is white and the Q-boat is quill, so you can see the patch. The little blemish gives the boat character.
There were two dings, however, that were bigger than I felt comfortable using the scratch repair kit. Since there is a West Marine on H's drive home from work, I asked her to stop and pick me up some gel goat. The sales guy told her they did not have any and recommended a product called Marine Tec. It is a putty for repairing boat hulls. She called me to make sure it was OK and the sales guy told me it was perfect for patching gel coat....
I read the directions, donned some latex gloves - the stuff is apparently toxic through skin contact - mixed the putty with the hardener, and applied it to the dings. I did my best to smooth it out, but this is tough wearing latex dishwashing gloves. Then I waited. According to the directions, it takes like 18 hours for the stuff to fully cure. Since the Q-boat lives in the garage, I rigged up a lamp to keep the repairs above the recommended 55 degrees.
The next morning, as I was packing up the Q-boat for a paddle on the Charles, I realized the goo was still tacky. It had been 16 hours since the repair had been applied.
I asked JS about Marine Tec while getting ready to launch onto the Charles. He said it was crap and that I need to remove the stuff and replace it with actual gel coat. He also said I could use Solar Res.
I stored the knowledge away for the next repair. If the Marine Tec hardened up so I could sand it smooth, I was going to keep it...
When we got back from paddling on the Charles, six hours later, the goo was still tacky. A week later it was still tacky.....
It was going to have to come out.
Easier said than done. This toxic taffy requires a small sharp tool to dig out. I spent a good half hour working it out today and I'm likely going to have to spend another hour to clean out just one of the botched repairs....
Next time I'm just going to being it to Carl Ladd. He does excellent work and spares me the pain...

Traditional Paddling Courses

I've been tossing around the idea of getting my ACA instructor certification and trying to make traditional paddling easier to access for regular paddlers. What I've noticed in my area is that traditional paddling, while it is becoming more accepted, is still considered a niche. There are very few ways, other than knowing someone, to get basic instruction.
There are some great coaches around. I took a course with Cheri and Turner that was pretty basic. They, along with Greg Stammer, offered some instruction at the Rough Water Symposium. But these are few and far between.
The other problem is that they are not really geared toward beginning or recreational paddlers. The course I took with Cheri and Turner started off with rolling. While I understand the rational, I also think that most recreational paddlers would be scared away. Symposiums are also not venues for beginners or soft-core paddlers.
The course, or series of courses, I have in mind looks a lot like the existing progressions but uses traditional paddles. So the first class in the series would focus on getting paddlers comfortable in their kayaks, a basic forward stroke, and some basic turning strokes. From that foundation, more advanced courses could focus on better boat handling and paddling in more adverse conditions.
The rational is that I think there are people who would benefit from using traditional paddles, but will never reach the level of kayaking where they are likely to be exposed to it. I imagine that there are plenty of paddlers whose shoulders or wrists hurt when using a Euro paddle, but never leave the estuaries and protected coves. Perhaps they only go a few miles along the coast in perfect weather. These paddlers will never buy, or use, a "real" sea-kayak. They may be using a 14' rec boat.
In my head this sounds like a great plan. I wonder if this is an actual need. Am I just making this up? Is there any merit to this?

Barking Crab '08

The annual Barking Crab paddle was today.
This annual paddle is a big hit with people, so the early week weather forecasts saddened me more than usual. Then the weather gods decided to smile on me and flipped the weekend weather. Saturday went from sunny to windy and rainy. Sunday went from windy and wet to sunny!!!
As usual we had a good turn out. We had 12 paddlers in 11 kayaks.
While we were getting ready to paddle it was hard to decide what to wear. The overnight dampness and clouds were lingering making it a little chilly. The forecast called for the clouds to burn off and the temperatures to climb into the sixties. H decided to start off with her dry-top as did a few other people. I went the other way and decided to stuff the dry-top in the front hatch.
Within minutes of our hulls hitting the water, the sky cleared up. The temperatures started to climb. It didn't take long for people to start shedding layers.
The day was perfect for paddling. There was plenty of sun, the air was clear, and there was just a hint of a breeze. The trees blazed in reds, yellows, oranges, and greens. We had the river to ourselves.
We made decent time paddling up the river, through the locks, across the inner harbor, and to the Barking Crab. Nobody pushed themselves. It was nice doing a relaxing paddle where I could chat with people.
At the Barking Crab we did the awkward high-deck landing. There is nothing pretty about watching someone climb onto a deck that is two feet higher than the deck of their kayak. We had no swimmers.
Usually, we get put out in the back tent. Apparently the inside crowd doesn't appreciate a bunch of smelly, sharply dressed kayakers. This year, however, they put us inside. It was very civilized.
The paddle home was much more relaxed than the paddle to the Crab. There is nothing light about the food at the Crab, so we all felt a little slow. Besides there were distractions....
A group of people wanted to see just how close you could get to the Constitution without getting shot. You cannot get very close to the Constitution because they've closed off the entrance to its mooring. You can sneak in pretty close to the destroyer next to it before a park ranger shoos you away.
I suffered from an urgent bladder issue. I figured that there would be plenty of places I could stop and take care of it. Boy was I wrong. There are very few docks along the way. The places where one could stop and stabilize the kayak had audiences.
Finally, I found a deserted boat house that had a spot where you could hide and relieve yourself. I hopped out, ran around the back, did the business, and as I was finishing up spotted a boat rushing towards the boat house..., The college kids who disembarked didn't say anything as I slipped back into the Q-Boat.
Towards the end of the paddle people started getting tired. This trip is not difficult, but it is long. My guess is that it is between twelve and eighteen miles.
After the paddle, we invited people over the house for chilly and coffee. It is always nice to have good post paddle food and conversation.
This was a great way to start off the cold weather paddling season.

Howling Winds and Crashing Rocks

The weather this morning was looking dodgy for a paddle. The sky was overcast and the winds were forecast to be in the 20-25knt range with much stronger gusts.
I was, in what is a becoming scarily regular condition, feeling less than 100%.
My mind was teetering on the fence: go back to bed and spend part of the day catching up on house chores and work or go test my mettle by going on a rock gardening trip in high winds.....
I was willing to surrender to my inner lammo and packed the car. I also packed up my computer. The plan was that if conditions were really bad, or I just didn't feel up for it, I could find a coffee shop and join the ranks of the coffee-addled, Macbook Pro touting, headphone ensconced intelligentsia.
H was pretty sure that the computer would never be powered up. She knows me well enough to know that once I was at the put-in and TM showed up, I'd put aside any lurking doubts and paddle.
Crossing the Jamestown bridge and looking at the West Passage, I was convinced that there was no way the Q-boat was going in the water. However, I was still going to at least go to the put-in, so I could tell myself I gave it the old college try. Bailing out without showing up was just too lame.
I showed up early and then GP showed up. He started hauling his kayak off and getting ready. I was staunchly waiting to see if more people showed up. I wanted some safety in numbers and I wanted to know the plan before committing.
Eventually, TM, CC, BH, RB, Greg Paquin(http://kayakwaveology.com/index.html), and PR arrived. Once everyone showed up, I took the Q-Boat off the car and donned the drysuit. H was right; I couldn't resist the energy of the group.
We started off heading into the wind. We paddled from Wetherill to Jamestown. By hugging the coastline we were able to avoid the brunt of the wind, but there were still spots where it was rip the paddle out of your hand strong.
Just past the DCR building, we were forced out of the protection of the coast and got slammed by the wind. Going forward was not a wise option. We decided to head back and play around the coast between Wetherill and Mackerel Cove.
On the way back the wind kept tripping the kayaks up. RB decided not to push his luck and stopped at Wetherill. The rest of the group continued down the coast looking for places to get in trouble.
The wind stirred up enough wave action to make the rocks challenging. We all pushed our boundaries on quite a few occasions. It was exhilarating. BH even got a chance to show off his combat roll in the rocks again.
Another nice thing was that despite the fact that we were all playing in the same formations, we rarely suffered from dangerous traffic jams.
Greg and PP, who both have a gift for paddling and coaching, gave us a lot of useful tips.
One of the best was to watch how the waves push your kayak around before deciding where to set up for a run through some rocks. You may want to set up out of position and let the waves push you into position as the wave runs through the formation. It makes perfect sense, but I'd never thought of it. I typically try to position myself perfectly for a run and then get frustrated when I cannot stay there at the crucial moment.
Another thing I learned was why a paddler would use cross-bow rudders instead of a regular bow rudder. The cross-bow rudder provides more leverage and a faster turn. I tried it several times, and it is a nice stroke. I'm still not comfortable enough with it to use in rough water. I feel a touch off balance.
After the paddle I was pooped, but very glad I had gone. It was the most challenging paddle of the season for me. The Q-boat has a few nice dings along the chines that need to be patched, which is good. I figure that if the kayak doesn't have a little damage at the end of the season I haven't really pushed myself.