Re: [Paddlewise] limited by skills to one mode of propulsion (was pedal power kayak)

asaarto wrote:
> 
> Ahem. Good bite, Mark!
> 
> Mark wrote: (...)"I expect your words are intended just to provoke
> those of us who are not limited by our skills to one mode of
> propulsion, but I'll bite anyway.;-) (snip)
> 
> Well, it is not the skills. 
I hope you read the teasing in this.  I felt you were suffering already
from cabin fever and were wanting to provoke and I thought this was the
appropriate response, being provoked, to reward your effort. Even as
chauvinistic as I am I realize we have different preferences.

> You sail, I suppose, and I do not.
> Let me cite myself: "At least that is my zen thing: old mortal clay
> in total co-operation with my weary soul...". Meaning: this is the
> thing in kayaking for me - not sailing. One can get a *total feeling of
> completeness* from sailing, but that is not the same thing. Of
> course, my judgment upon sails and pedal powered kayaks can be
> reflected against that philosophy :-p

Well stated Ari,

Sailing is much the same for me as the paddling is for you though I do
not understand why the satisfaction from each can not be the same. 
Paddling is mostly something that I do when the wind dies.  I may get
more of the satisfaction you get from paddling from my bicycle.  Part of
this is that I think I am a passagemaker at heart.  I like to think my
kayak is made to cross large distances in open water.  The extra speed
and range from a sail allow me to think of ocean rather than coast.  My
learning is in preparation for long jumps as opposed to coastal hops.


> 
> About local conditions: at this time of year you can count the small
> boats at sea with the fingers of your right hand. Kayaks and sailing
> boats: almost *zero*. The reason is not the extreme winds, which
> are fortunately rare, but the coldness in water and air. To be
> earnest, you do not suppose that Jon Waterman's Arctic
> adventures are everyone´s cup of tea? Taking that as an example
> about sailing was a little bit misleading. Very few people go out
> there now, in general!

I will not be able to agree with you on all of this.  I may have
misunderstood your original promptings but I thought you were implying
that there was something about a sailing kayak or SOT that would
prohibit them from use in conditions that you would use a sit in kayak
with paddle alone.  Granted, I too would normally use a SOT in warmer
climates.  As far as sailing goes, I will certainly sail a kayak in
conditions I would not  intentionally go paddling in. (This excludes
surf paddling.)  As fas as Jon's arctic trip I guess it is true that
most won't do that kind of kayaking. I do not think it misleading, just
responsive to your question: "I am out tomorrow. It is all over gray
here and the temps dropped last weekend few degrees below zero
Centigrades. It means below 40 F. Few inches of snow, it is wonderful to
paddle when it is falling.Do you suppose, any of you, that someone could
use a kayak with sails here? Or a pedal powered SOT?"  The answer was
yes someone could and I gave a specific example. Again I thought your
question implied kayak sailing was excluded from cold conditions and it
is not.  I sail all winter when I have time and Jon is far from the only
kayak sailor I know who travels in the arctic.  I think I recall one
season where there were 5 sail rigged kayaks in the arctic, these were
just to ones that that I knew about. That year, all of them were folding
kayaks but I would not infer that rigid kayaks can not sail or paddle in
the arctic. I know that given the choice, I normally sail in warm
conditions but sailing in cold can be pretty nice too.
> 
> The matter of a fact (about SOT´s) is that it is rather favourable to
> stay warm and dry around here, especially now. I think SOT´s suit
> better to warmer surroundings. Closed, more traditional, kayak
> keeps your lower body warm (the effects of wind and cold water,
> even if you wear a dry-suit). If I am correct the water is allowed to
> enter the kayak freely in SOT´s - and there is no way I am going to
> sit in sea water of 5 to 7 degrees Centigrades (the water is still this
> week about 40 F)! Even with a dry-suit, and full fleece undergear it
> would be awful - the water starts to freeze on your kayak deck, on
> your dry-suit. And on your precious a$$, however hard you pedale!
Or paddle.
> 
> Hmm. There might be market for sails here. Nobody is using them
> in kayaks.. quite a lot of limited people...

Don't despair Ari, things may get better.;-)
> 
> Cheers, Ari
> 
> PS: I think that Matt was meaning ("but lets get back to paddling on
> paddlewise") that there are so many never-ending topics which do
> come back after a while. Sails or no sails, feathered or unfeathered
> paddles for an example, or whatever. I am sure that sails, if used in
> kayaks, can be an interesting topic (though peripheral) among
> other things. No problem there. But paddling comes first. And list
> mom has surely something to say upon us kids ranting here :-)

I think she did respond.  Nice hearing from you again Ari.
Good paddling,
Mark


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