Fun on a downwind run - Rob Mousely

This is one of the main reasons that I am moving to surfskis..the freedom and fun that I have been missing out during the many long "slogs" in my kayaks over the years. I miss that, hence my "transition" to skis..

Here is Rob Mousely doing a downwind run off the southern tip of South Africa, and area known for big seas, bigger sharks, and bigger-than life surfski racers. Enjoy!

Birthright

How many paddlers out there (me included) have skipped a day on the water that could have been special simply because it was too much trouble to get that boat on the car?  I can remember more than one morning myself that I just couldn't drag myself to the garage to put on the racks, tie the boat down, and put on that drysuit. 

Here is a short video of a guy who makes our efforts to go paddling seem trivial and unimportant.  He seeks that one thing that can only be found on the water - his birthright.  Remember him the next time you just don't feel like expending the effort to go paddling - I know I will.

Paddle on, Michael - you are an inspiration!

BIRTHRIGHT from Sean Mullens on Vimeo.

Transitions..

One thing that defines our journey though life is our ability to transition from one stage to the next.  So it is now for me as I move from the "lilly dipper" or "casual kayaker" status to one of those guys who puts a premium on "personal records", "sustained heart rates", and "end-of-season standings".  I have succumbed (or transitioned) to the racing bug.  I don't race against time, fellow paddlers, or even myself - I race simply for the fun of it and the benefits that the activity bestow to me.

What is a racer?  Everyone has their own definition based on who they are and why they do it. Some fellow paddlers consider a racer to be an egotistical meathead who pumps weights, paddles hours on end on an "erg" in a dimly lit room, or lives on energy gel packs and protein drinks?  Is that what I am? No, I am just a guy who enjoys the thrill of the chase, a gentle push on his limits, and the feeling of having given it his best.  I will never be one of those who masturbates his way through life on video games, couch potatoes his afternoons with football games - cheese puffs and beer, and fantasizes on former high school atheletic years.  What's wrong with that you might ask?  Nothing, absolutely nothing if someone is content with who/what they are and what they will never be. 

I can only speak for myself - and I am not finished with this life yet.

I want to paddle fast.

A Seakayaking Legend passes..

Eric Soares, founder of the Tsunami Rangers sea kayaking group, passed away just recently due to medical complications following a skiing accident up at Lake Tahoe, California.  Few, if any of us will ever achieve the levels of kayaking that Eric mastered off the California Pacific coast - so in the spirit of appreciation, I want to put up a short video of him playing in the waters he loved so much.   Be at peace, Eric.

Peace within Chaos - Dark Side of the Lens

Ok - I like to post various pieces to include talking babies, pool rolling, crazy (good kind) guys in small boats, etc. One might say the reason my video posts are all over the place is because I like variety, but my gal here knows it is because I am an emotional being - I follow my gut more than my brain. (which can turn out badly) However, there are times it results in something more than what it might have been had I used logic as my only compass.

Here is a short piece about a guy (Mickey Smith)who does things we don't even dare to dream of doing.  What strikes me most about it is his ability to seem so at peace while floating in such chaos!! Breath-taking at the very least, so enjoy the next six plus minutes. Do yourself a favor though, turn up the volume, select 720HD and maximize the screen size!

Pt. Bonita - San Francisco Gardening

Wow, it seems that Bill Vonnegut and Tony Johnson have nothing better to do than put themselves out there and do things we only dream about!!  But really, put me there and I would be wetting myself (inside my drysuit) and crying "mommy!".  Anyway, if I can't paddle like this, then the least I can do is shake the pom poms and cheer for these guys and let you guys enjoy it too.  Before watching, make sure you change the 360p quality setting to 720 HD and make it full screen to really feel the waves!!  Maybe one day...

To all the boats I loved before..

As I sat here reminiscing about the kayaks I have owned/paddled over the past 5 or more years I realized that by simply replacing the word "girls" with "boats" in Willie Nelson's "The Girls I have loved before" song we actually shared similarities.  Funny.

"To all the boats I've loved before, who traveled in and out my door
I'm glad they came along I dedicate this song to all the boats I've loved before
To all the boats I've once caressed and may I say I've paddled the best
For helping to grow I owe a lot I know to all the boats I've loved before
The winds of change are always blowing and everytime I tried to stay
The winds of change continued blowing and they just carried me away

Playing in the Zipper - an awesome video!!

For those of you who crave salt water up your sinuses (which has a way of draining like a gusher when you are out to dinner) and feeling the power of the blue Pacific Ocean, you gotta see this fine piece of work courtesy of Bill Vonnegut.  We at Connyak have our own "zipper" out off the mouth of the Connecticut River near Old Saybrook - but it is nothing compared to this.

Make sure you turn up your speaker sound, click the icon for FULL SCREEN, and of course, change that 360p quality selection to HD video first!!

The Rockpool Taran - ROCKS!!

Yes, it is the latest in my string of boat fantasies!!  18' long by 20.5" wide - it has a surfski-like bow, (read: dry ride) rudder, the cool front hatch, (sans day hatch) and promises of speed, stability in the rough, and capacity to carry a load too.

Here is my latest "fave" video of Mark Sundin's that has three Taran kayaks paddling 10'+ swell off Sydney harbor.  The camera used looks to be a bit "wide angle" so it will show waves/swell as much smaller than they actually are.  It seems that no matter how many times I watch this - I never tire of it!

Enjoy!

URI Campus to Narrow River fun

Nancy and I paddled a wonderful route last weekend out in Narragansett Bay that taught us valuable lessons while providing a measure of fun and adventure.

We launched from the URI Bay Campus location amongst a sizable kayaking/small boat crowd.  Seven of us from Connyak attended (Nancy, me, Erik, Jon, Peter, Chris and Randy) and were joined by three others from RICKA (Rhode Island Canoe Kayaking Association) to paddle south 5 miles to the Narrow River beach.  This was our first paddle in the bay and wanted exposure to surf landing, launching and general goofing around.

Shortly after launching a brown head popped up in front of my kayak (10ft away) which looked an awful lot like a seal, but it was so fast I sort of wondered!  Erik - the "leaderless paddle leader" noted that a small shark swam under his boat during the trip - so beside those two encounters, watching blues hitting small fish on the surface, and a lot of birds that was about it for wildlife!

We encountered rougher than expected conditions and at a few points hit 3' seas and some gentle but high enough swells to lose our paddling partners not 30 feet away at a couple points.  Nancy and I have kept our prior paddling mostly to Long Island Sound, so this was more than we thought we could handle though we were wrong.  We both did just fine.  She loves her Explorer LV (very steady) and I am quickly settling down in my Nordkapp LV too. (not so steady)

Partway down some of the paddlers were so intent on playing in the rocks that two of them ended up out of their boats and being rescued by others.  Now THAT is fun! (glad it wasn't me) Once most of the way clear of Beavertail point - rolling swells/waves from the Atlantic came in to make things interesting.  At one point, several members looked a mile or two into the distance and said "We don't have to go through THOSE, do we?"  He was referring to the large breaking waves crashing over a just-submerged rock shelf in the distance.  Those waves/breakers were quite significant looking - so once we got down there a group of us went out further from shore while one or two of the stronger paddlers actually played in them.  Yikes.

Once we got down to Narrow river, the surf was kicking up pretty nice, but Nancy and I had never gone through a surf landing so tried to play it safe.  WRONG.  From that we learned that:

1.  Never be the first to go through the surf if there are other stronger paddlers there.  Wait to see how they negotiate it first. (Nancy's lesson)
2.  If someone is a bit too close - WAIT or risk getting hammered when you have to pause in the middle of your landing. (My lesson)

We both ended up out of our boats - but it ended differently as SHE got rescued and I was stuck walking my fully filled boat to the beach!  Ugh..

Once rested and fed we came out through the breakers with no problem, and in fact, I enjoyed my kayak leaping over the breaking waves quite a bit.  The paddle back seemed quite long though my GPS showed we averaged about 5mph for the last five miles due to the incoming tide.  Nice push!

By the way, my top speed for the day was 11mph...(for all of 40+ feet - nice sprint)

All in all - a great day with great company and a real learning experience.  Next paddle!!

(Note:  Kayaking pictures by Erik Baumgartner)

Breaking News!! -- Giant flying creature attacks Outer Island!

Yes, my favorite haunt in the Thimble Islands was the target of a giant beast that swooped in to pick the beach clean of kayakers several weeks back!  Why didn't the news services pick up on it?  Are they so controlled by the government that they were told not to report it to avoid panic in the streets???

How do we know it took all the kayakers off the beach, you say?  Well, do you see any in the picture? Huh?

I personally think it was the result of radiation leaks from North Korean nuclear testing!

You heard it here first, folks!!

Duh...a day of foggy thinking..

You know what they say about learning your best lessons through direct observation, right?  Well, I must admit that Nancy and I learned ours yesterday during a short paddle  (10 miles) in waters that we have paddled numerous times.  Poor preparation reaps poor results I always say..

It started out as a nice and early 4th of July paddle for us out of the Thimble Islands to avoid most of the boat traffic, enjoy peace out on the water while getting in enough distance to say we at least got a paddle wet while others were snoozing away on their holiday Monday.  We got a later start than we planned but launched about 8:15am which got us prime parking spots at Stony Creek and an empty launch ramp too.  We packed light with snacks, water bottles, day bag of essentials only and a good lathering of sunscreen.

I turned on my wristwatch (305) GPS to measure speed and distance and off we went at a leisurely (4mph) pace.  It was a low tide (-1ft) for us and we couldn't help but notice that paddle strokes ended up hitting bottom the first 1/4 mile or so as we headed W/SW out of the harbor towards Green Island.  The conditions were benign as noted on the Marine Forecast I checked the night before and the water was a mild 69 degrees.  Sweet.

Well, as we got most of the way to Green Island we noticed all the local bird galleries so decided to change our heading and go to Middle Rocks instead - where we snapped pics/observed wildlife/snacked to our heart's content.  After all - it was a "no hard goals paddle" and we let our whims lead us.

Finally, we headed towards the Thimbles chain out towards Outer Island and about 1/2 the way there when we noticed the fog starting to cover Outer Island and moving towards us.  To play it safer, we adjusted our course into the center of the island chain so we wouldn't miss Outer Island on the wrong side and end up at Falkner's Island or worse.

Once the fog reached us, it was like a light switch turning off - and we couldn't see a single island and simply kept on our compass heading.  However, time and distance somehow gets distorted while paddling in fog and the more we paddled the more I remarked "..we should have hit the island by now, you don't think we missed them and passed between them do you?" 

Ok - so I panicked and bailed!!  I announced we would take a northern compass heading, knowing we would hit the mainland in a matter of time so we could sort it out from there.  As it turned out, our timing was impeccable and we soon ran smack dab into the center of Rogers Island.  Nancy recognized it immediately and we spent the next 45 minutes/hour paddling around it, getting snacks and drinks, and taking pictures.  While sitting there waiting for the fog to clear out of the mist paddled an older woman (define older?  I can't..) on a plastic 9' sit on top in casual clothes.  When I asked her about a compass, she just remarked in a nonchalant manner "I just find my way by looking at the sun."

Methinks she has been staring INTO the sun too long....sheesh...

So, once the fog lifted, we continued on our way and had an enjoyable paddle along the coast with no further challenges.  What did I learn?

1.  Never paddle without a compass and a chart.  I had the compass, but no chart!
2.  Learn to use what you have.  I had a wristwatch GPS that I thought measured only speed and distance but learned after the trip that it had at least limited navigational features that I need to familiarize myself with.
3.  When you encounter fog - keep your whistle out and handing to warn off other boats and stay close together.

All in all I think we had a great time, learned some lessons, got some adventure on our holiday, and will end up better paddlers.

We can't wait for the next paddle!

The Thimbles - always a new Venue awaits..

Nancy and I never cease to be amazed whenever we paddle out of Stony Creek, CT.  The waters areound the Thimble Islands, like the weather, are in a constant state of change - and we love it.  Gone are the days when you paddle your own little stretch of coastline and find yourself bored of the same old sights, water, and lack of adventure.  It is a fact that the Thimbles never show you the same view twice, whether it has been six months or six days since your paddle.

Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter - I consider these the main ingredients that start the recipe of my next paddle through the islands.  Once afloat, you quickly notice that a cup of an opposing tide, a pinch of wind, a whisking of the seas followed by a straining of boat traffic all come together in this giant mixing bowl to create your flavor of the day's experience on the water.  I have found that each daily paddle dish has a unique flavor and texture - and trust me, there is no such thing as a bad recipe out there.

Jay Babina - a fellow paddler, boat designer, and Connyak'er who has paddled the Thimble Islands for countless years opened my eyes to this fact me several years ago while we were on the water.  However, it doesn't take a Jay or Scott or Nancy to convince you, as no matter how many times the Connyak club posts "the same ole paddle to Outer Island" - there are always numerous particpants.  We all love paddling "our islands" and though we can't land on them, at least we can get unlimited perspectives on them from the water.
If you haven't been on the water between the Thimble Islands - do yourself a favor and dip a paddle with the Connyak sea kayakers by going to the website (www.connyak.org) to see our paddling event schedule.  We are always thrilled to introduce new paddlers to this playground for adults.

Trust me, once you paddle our own little piece of "Maine in Connecticut" I am sure you will be convinced time and time again to go back "just once more" to test the next recipe and new flavor of the day.

Tahe/Zegul Baidarka - a design "ripoff"?

Throughout my years as a paddler and boat buyer I have recognized that there are quite a few talented boat builders and designers for us.  Boat design talent mixes both art and science in ways that I could never even begin to fathom - and I am always in jaw-dropping awe of these folks.  Living in Connecticut makes me lucky because it is home to several such folks that includes none other than our own (ownership by proximity) Nick Schade of Guillemot Kayak.

My own "Neytiri" Night Heron is a Nick-designed craft that Dan Cauouette and I modified (bastardized?) to fit my then-desired low volume characteristics.  However, at no time did Dan or I ever refer to this lovely kayak as anything other than a "Guillemot Night Heron".  Nick deserves credit for this design from end to end - and the sea worthiness of her hull has carried me safely now through conditions where other hulls may have not been so successful. 

Ok - to the point:  Nick posted on the QajaqUSA Greenland forum recently that he discovered not only strong design similarities between his Aleutesque design and the Tahe/Zegul Baidarka, but also found that their website (and resultingly the Seakayaker review of the kayak) contained language taken directly from his own description of this boat.  I am no expert (noted above) but agree it looks like a ripoff of his design (or at least some of the major components of it) and intellectual property.  

Since the disclosure of his findings on QajaqUSA several members have taken this issue to Facebook and other social engineering sites, and in at least one case Tahe has tried to distance itself from Zegul even though the two entities share the same business address.  Tahe seems not to want to be associated with Zegul for obvious reasons - which by my account would be their admission that Nick is right in his summation.

What will be the outcome?  Will Tahe fess up to the ripoff, make amends to Nick, and get a correction/retraction printed in SeaKayaker Magazine or at least note his contribution on their website?  What do you think Tahe/Zegul should do?

Here is a link to Nick's own writeup of the issue:   Nick's article

MORE to come later on this subject!!

Wine and inspiration

Here I sit - locked in utter blankness.  I know I need to write something on the blog today as it has been so long since I added to these meandering thoughts of randomness and fancy.  However, as hard as I try, it just doesn't seem to flow. 

Now, in the old days I would have just hoisted a beer and been done with it.  But now, extra years and a more refined set of taste buds has changed all that!!


Instead, a glass of wine, soft lighting from our computer screens and a soulmate next to me silently plugging away on her keyboard - look at her!  So focused, and so very determined as she works to help frevvo (hot new online forms company) succeed!  She is quite inspiring, you know.  Her name is Nancy and she fascinates me, inspires me, and even gives me a place to put down my tired head at the end of the day. Her smile accepts me, just the way I am.  I am truly blessed.

These last weeks have been a blur of activity for me - work, kayaking, golf, and farm activity that comes from the never ending cycle that warm weather brings.  Things never stop here at HMF (Hidden Meadow Farm) - and if they did, then it would have to mean the end of the world has finally arrived! 

Along with normal activity at the farm, we have started a project to create a media room/office downstairs.  Nancy has been instrumental in the decision making, electrical, and (obviously) painting of the room.  Me?  Some drywall work, taping, and of course - moving heavy objects has been my sole contribution so far.  But - I have confidence that Nancy will see some other "skill" that I might bring to bear to make it all happen.  Maybe tiling...hmmm.

Back to the farm!  The horses that call HMF home (Gift, Jay, Urso, and Personality) are a constant source of amusement, peace, bewilderment, and of course, work!  But then, they are living creatures and like us, they are not static like my kayaks at rest in the garage.  They eat four times a day, get new shoes every 6 weeks, get moved from barn stalls in the morning to the pasture, then to the paddocks in early evenings, and finally back to the barn where they sleep so that the cycle can start again the next morning.

Nancy is sweet in that she lets me (the early riser) give the boys their morning grain between 5:15-6:15 am each morning.  I walk down into the barn (as we live above it) and as I open the door, Urso (the ever-hungry quarter horse) nickers to greet me and to let the others know I am coming.  I am not sure what I would do if I went a morning without hearing that greeting from him (but know that when I am away on business my day just never seems to start out right).  As I approach their stalls, Gift and Urso go into deep stretches, lowering their backs lower than I thought they were capable of getting. Impressive! When I open the little door to Urso's feed bucket - he always sticks his nose out to touch my arm to let me know he sees me, appreciates me, and needs to make sure I hurry! 

So, life on HMF is full of activity and helps to remind me that I am not alone.  Yes, life is good.