RE: [Paddlewise] My first trip in the Harbor

Congratulations Tom!!!
Stick with it, back off when you feel like you're overextending, and have
fun!!!!
The old adage "A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step"
came to mind as I read this trip report.  
As far as the sprayskirt issue goes - would it be practical for you to try
keeping the skirt on the kayak for a few days to see if it will stretch back
into shape?
Thanks for the trip report and keep on paddling!

Dave Seng
Juneau, Alaska

-----Original Message-----
From: Tom W... [mailto:gadfly_at_tscnet.com]
Sent: Wednesday, December 01, 1999 12:31 PM
To: PaddleWise
Subject: [Paddlewise] My first trip in the Harbor


	Sunday I put my stuff in the truck and took off for the Harbor.  5
minutes 
into the trip-I remembered that I had forgotten my paddle [I keep the 
graphite one in my bathroom<g>]  So I turned around and picked it up <g>

	It took me a little over 30 minutes to get my stuff together, to get

dressed in my drysuit, put my skirt on, etc...

	I put out for a trip around Gig Harbor.  Thanks to this list, I did 
remember to put my watch on the OUTSIDE of my drysuit, and that helped... 
it also "humbled me" a bit.  About 30 minutes of paddling was about all I 
could manage.

	A positive was that I seemed to be able to paddle in a more straight
line 
however!<G>

	After I came back, I thought it a good idea to go wading a little,
to see 
if I really did dress appropriately.  3mm neoprene boots?  Wish I had 
7mm's...  I will be more careful to ensure my poly underwear more 
completely covers ALL of my body, and gloves?  Yea, better get some thicker 
ones...   My neoprene divers hood-better wear that next time also.

	The trip around the Harbor was really, quite a joy...  all the
pretty 
boats moored there...  birds flying about, it was a sunny day, about 50 deg 
F.  Though I dared not lean the boat too far [because I did not get my 
skirt on properly] I did manage to lean a little, and that helped my 
turning somewhat.

	There was a lot of "cognition" required on that little trip-boat
traffic, 
balancing, paddling even strokes both sides, lifting my leg while 
turning...  Guess "cognition" took a hit when I "bonked" ...<g><shrug>  and 
some of my ability to sense temperature is coming back.

	My neck gasket did NOT however, feel very uncomfortable
fortunately<g>  I 
managed to get my boat on and off my truck relatively easily 
also.  Seakayaks are to me, inherently beautiful, and mine must stay on top 
of my truck [no room for storage where I live] and it is a constant
reminder.

	That trip was a challenge, and for a while on the trip home, and on
the 
days since then, I have thought, "this is too much for me now..."  I know 
that in the pre-bonk days, it was nothing to do it however, and so I have 
been going over alternatives to "ramp me up..."

	There is a lake near by, I am told.  Perhaps I should go there.  I
will 
also start to work with a dumbell.  The skirt issue is one that gives me a 
real problem, and hopefully I will come up with a way around it.  Then 
there is "doing self-rescues."  I just saw at one of the boating shops a 
small and inexpensive bilge pump-can't remember the brand or model-but I 
suspect that even more than before my bonk, that is something I must come 
up with...

	I guess I ramble, but thanks for reading!
	
		TomW...

	

	
<gadfly_at_tscnet.com>

homepage:
http://www2.tscnet.com/~gadfly/
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