Outer Boston Harbor

It has been awhile since I helped coordinate a trip or been out in Boston Harbor, so this was a bit scary. Fortunately for me PB is always prepared and always has a plan. This trip was no different. He had the tides all figure out days in advance and had a float plan ready to go. All I had to do was show up and help herd the cats.
As it turned out, I didn't even really need to herd any cats. The cats did all the work themselves. The group was amazing. We stayed tight on all of the crossings. Nobody got too far ahead or too far behind. Nobody darted into the rocks without checking to make sure the rest of the group was nearby. We even managed to regroup on Georges at the right time.
The conditions were almost as perfect as the group. The putter harbor was calm. The wind was minimal. The temperature was reasonable. The only downer was the haze, but we hardly cared. It was just a great day to enjoy the islands.
This was one of those paddles that reminds me why I love to paddle so much. It left me tired and rejuvenated.

Water Bug

A few months back P&K invited us to go along to a kayak show out of the blue. We took H's car figuring we would never buy anything.... Naturally, we wound up buying a double kayak with a jump seat for Bug. We planned on buying one anyway and this was a great deal.
Sadly it had been sitting in the garage begging to put in the water. We just hadn't had the time for H and I to try it without Bug. The water hasn't been warm enough for us to brave taking Bug out. We were afraid that she would dance around or try to climb out while we were in the middle of the pond. Bug isn't one to be sitting still for more than a minute.
Thanks to the magic that is the New England weather, we were able to give it a shot this Memorial Day. The water temps were in the mid-60s, the air temp was in the high 70s, and the sun was blazing. We loaded the beast onto the egg (It is not an exaggeration to call this kayak which Bug refers to as the 'me boat', a beast. The thing weighs decidedly more than my Q-boat and that is an industrial strength product of Valley.), packed up the paddles and PFDs, and dressed Bug in her rash guard.
The first of our challenges, and as it turned out the worst of them, was how to get the kayak off of the car and manage a Bug.... She has a knack for getting in the way when trying to be helpful and also for roaming around just below the sight line of cars. We ended up settling on strapping her back in the car seat while we hauled the beast to the edge of the water. Once we had the kayak at the ramp, one of us kept an eye on the Bug while the other packed the boat.
Our biggest concern was that Bug wouldn't sit still in the kayak and end up tumbling into the water. We weren't too worried that she would drown because she knows to close her mouth when her head goes under the water and she has a good PFD. We just didn't want her to freak out and not have fun.
We needn't have worried. Bug sat in her seat for most of the trip. It was pretty clear that she instinctively knew better. That doesn't mean she was a statue either. She did plenty of looking around. She also did a good bit of leaning over the edge to splash her hands in the water. For most of the trip she had a big smile on her face. She even pretended like she was paddling. "I rowing in me boat!"



Moving the beast around was a different challenge. H and I are both used to paddling skinny, solo kayaks. The beast is wide and has two paddlers. We stayed pretty much in synch. The paddles only clacked a few times and it was always because I had stopped paying attention to H's rhythm.
The width, and Bug, posed a different challenge for me. As the guy in the back, I was responsible for watching Bug and steering. Initially, I kept trying to steer with sweep strokes. This sort of worked, but there were a few issues. First it was hard for me to do a good sweep because my paddle isn't really long enough for the beast's girth. The second, and more important issues, was that because I'm so used to low angle paddling I bopped Bug in the head a few times. Fortunately, they were just minor bops. Still, I didn't want to be doing that all day. So, I resigned myself to using rudders and draws to do the steering. That worked much better (despite feeling unnatural).
It was a fun hour or so on the pond. We managed to get three quarters of the way around before Bug started getting restless. She wanted to use her water bottle as a sea anchor and after third time of asking her to keep the water bottle in the kayak, we took it away from her. That pretty much ended the fun for Bug. She tried to stand up and grab it back. Then she fell into a fit of two year-old weeping. She recovered, as is typical, quickly, but we made a bee line for the ramp anyway. It was getting late and she was nearing the point where nothing would be fun.
All in all it was a great trip. I think next time we will bring along some different things for Bug to play with. We will also plan on making stops along the way. I am looking forward to having many more fun trips with Bug and H.

Back in the yak

After nearly a year, I finally got a chance to get out on the water. I was a little nervous that I had lost my mojo. I was also suffering from a bad case of kayak withdrawal, so all of my anxieties have been on overdrive. I was mentally twitchy on the drive down, while getting myself ready, and for the first few minutes of the paddle.
My anxiety melted away after I made my first tight turn. The boat leaned just enough for me to feel the edge and the stern slipped right around. I was a little jerky when I righted the kayak, but I knew most of the skills were intact if a little rusty.
The rest of the day served to build my confidence. We were doing a coordinator practice chat involved a lot of rescues. That gave me plenty of time to shake the rust off my skills.
TM did a great job of explaining the basics of rescues and keeping the smarty pants in check. He had us working on the new version of the basic T rescue. The swimmer rights their kayak, to make it easier for the rescuer to grab and drain. While the rescuer is manipulating the swimmer's kayak, the swimmer hangs out on the rescue kayak where the rescuer can keep an eye on them. Once the swimmer's kayak is empty, the swimmer makes their way to the back deck of their kayak. Then they flop up on the deck and slide into their cockpit.
One thing that TM stressed was that in a rescue situation everyone has a job. That includes the swimmer. They need to be able to assist in their one rescue. That is one reason why everyone practiced being a swimmer as well as a rescuer.
After lunch we practiced in rougher conditions. The wind had picked up and the seas were choppier. Conditions do make things harder. It is harder to reach the swimmer. It is harder to manipulate the swimmer's kayak. It is harder to get back into the kayak. It is also more nerve wracking knowing that you are being blown into potential hazards.
Once we were safely back at Bay Campus, I felt like I needed to see if the most finicky of all kayaking skills was still intact: my roll. I flopped over, set up, rotated around and popped out of the water just like old times. Now that I was feeling cocky, I decided to give the other side a try.... I flopped over, set up, jerked the paddle under the water, and went nowhere.... Still retaining a smudge of cockiness, I switched sides and executed a relaxed roll up. So, my roll is half OK. I suspect the fault was more mental than actual...
It appears that kayaking is like riding a bike. I'm glad because I'm hoping to spend more time on the water this summer.

Summer in April

The weather in New England this weekend has been scary good. Clear, sunny sky and temps in the 70s is just about perfect for June. For April, it is a little unusual. It makes me wonder about how far along global warming is, but I'll take a few days of nice weather.
We definitely took advantage of it this weekend. Yesterday Bug and I spent the morning running around at the playground by our house. While Bug napped, H and I started tackling the yard. The weeds seem too far along for this time of year....
Today was another outdoor adventure day. We loaded Egg 2.0 up with the bikes and the Bug trailer and drove to the bike trail. Our planned adventure was pretty tame, but it is early in the year. We rode about three miles into the center of Lexington for a picnic lunch. It was a nice little ride for our fist time out in 2012. Bug seemed pretty comfortable in the trailer. I didn't struggle pulling it. H didn't have any trouble keeping up. The only trouble we did have was remembering how to hook the trailer up and to release the brake before starting out....
I am looking forward to many more family bike trips this year-short or long.

Keeping Track of Everything

It is no secret that I suffer from gadgetophilia. What is a little surprising to me is my love of data. I always thought that tracking a paddle on GPS was useful while on the water, and it was fun to see your speed at the end of the trip. I never really thought I'd be interested in that data later.
A few years ago I got a Garmin Forerunner as a cycling computer. It track cadence, speed, heart rate, and your course. It also let's you down load the data to a computer for tracking your workouts. I figured what the heck, it would be cool to see where I've been riding. Now, I have three years of ride data and I constantly compare new rides with past rides to track my progress. It is a little bit of an obsession.
I've also been keeping track of my weight because my doctor told me it was the best way to diet. Seeing the trend line would keep me motivated. It never really worked, but I did it anyway. The graph was sort of neat. When our scale died a few weeks ago, I wanted one that would automatically track my weight. I ended up with the Withings scale. It records weight, BMI, and body composition data and automatically uploads it to the Web. I find this super cool and love looking at the graph.
This obsession with data extends to photos as well. I love the way iPhoto can show where a picture was taken and I love the fact that my iPhone automatically ads that information. It save me from compulsively adding the data manually. If I have to I do while I'm adding face data, because that is super cool too.
Initially I worried that maybe keeping track of all this stuff was unhealthy; it was just another time killing obsession. As I thought about it more I realized that it was just another form of journalling in a sense and that some of the data was actually helpful. In fact, human beings have been obsessed with keeping track of things forever. Technology just makes it easier.
I have always been a journal keeper. Writing things down started out as a crazy teenage dream about having source material for an autobiography for when I was famous. Then it became a creative outlet and a way to work out the stresses of life. The journal is also a good way to keep things in perspective. It provides a window to the past, both good and bad, that can help refocus what is happening in the present. It can also provide clues as to what is happening in the present-sort of like medical records.
The face and places data with the photos serves a similar role. It provides context for the pictures. It adds to the memory. It also makes the photos easier to find.
The workout data and the weight data doesn't serve a real memory purpose, but they do help in keeping track of your health. I can easily see that last summer I was in better shape than I am now. That is no surprise since the stationary bike is easier than a real bike. I can also easily see that I am in better shape at this year than I was at the same time last year. So, when I drag the real bike out of the garage, I will be able to gage what is a good starting point for training. When my health anxiety gets going good I can see proof that I'm in good physical shape.
I think that the data craze is here to stay and not just for me. Anyone can keep and track reams of data about themselves cheaply and easily. For a hundred dollars you can buy a wrist band that monitors your activity throughout the day and monitor the quality of your sleep. With a smartphone you do even more.
Applications like Facebook, Pintrest, and Intagram are more ways we keep records of our lives. They are taking the place of journals, folders, and photo albums. Just easier to update, store, and share.
Of course the downside of all this is that companies now have access to all of this information too. When it was written on paper in your drawer or in your bookcase, you controlled access to the information. Now Facebook, Google, Apple, Garmin, Fitbit, and other companies can use the data for their own ends. You just have to trust them to be good shepherds and not sell your data to the wolves.
That is probably easier with companies that view you as their customer instead of their product.... So it pays to know the business model of the companies who have your data.