Today was my first ever kayak trip. I have just purchased a 1986 Klepper Aerius II and I took it out into the Potomac and C&O canal for a test run. With the strong and unusual southwesterly breeze and the opposing current full with the force of the recent rain I had no trouble going across the river and back, seeing how far over I could lean and desperately trying to remember all the lessons I have learned here - push with the upper paddle arm, rotate the torso, keep the elbows straight, push with the opposite foot, don't think about slippage...;) What Fun! I have a solo seat and the original Klepper paddles, someday I'll get some nice shorter, light, ones...maybe even a greenland type to try... The fish were biting for the local anglers, I watched as they pulled in 20" catfish and a nice striped bass, the blue herons were all out, as were gulls, swifts, the ever-present Canadian geese, and black vultures, seeking errant paddlers unwise enough to attempt moves beyond their means. I will be venturing out Monday as well. I am very pleased with the experience so far and would like to thank the members of this list and especially Ralph Diaz for providing so much useful information before I ever got wet. I found that one of those 6' foam pool tubes cut in three makes it easy to roll the boat up the shore...and that it takes longer to tie the boat to the roof than it does to take it apart! Thank you all very much, Happy Paddling peter *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On Saturday, May 26, 2001, at 8:42:35 PM PDT, Peter Cattaneo wrote: PC> Today was my first ever kayak trip... Hello Peter, Welcome to the wonderful world of paddling! You realize of course, that all other aspects of your life will now suffer from lack of attention. :-) Enjoy! Melissa For PGP Keys: mailto:pgp_key_at_yahoo.com?subject=%20PGP_Keys_1&Body=Please%20send%20keys *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Cattaneo" <peter_at_skyweb.net> > Today was my first ever kayak trip. I have just purchased a 1986 Klepper > Aerius II and I took it out into the Potomac and C&O canal for a test > run. Congratulations on launching that 1986 used double Klepper. What a lovely area to paddle in. The latest Canoe & Kayak has a good article on put-ins and paddling in the DC area, which is part of the magazine's new series of articles on paddling in and around major urban centers (I have one on hold for a later issue regarding paddling in Manhattan). Some launch sites have been threatened in the area and you can follow, and influence, such developments if you sign on to cpakayaker, the listserve sponsored by the Chesapeake Paddlers Associatin (CPA). To join, visit http://www.cpakayaker.com. > I found that one of those 6' foam pool tubes cut in three makes it easy > to roll the boat up the shore...and that it takes longer to tie the boat > to the roof than it does to take it apart! That happens to be true. A double Klepper can be knocked down and the frame parts and skin shoved into their bags in around 5 or 6 minutes. The only thing is that most people first let the deck dry before putting the skin in the bag as the cotton canvas is slow to dry. But you can just wrap it up wet as long as you, within a few days, stretch out the skin to dry at home. I have been known to put the wet boat on the roof of the car and let the deck air-dry while I drive. Then I knock the boat down in front of my apartment building (while warding off dogs who, interested in the strange scents of the sea coming from the hull, want to add a distinct one of their own! Oh, the perils of the urban paddler. :-)) Assembly is not all that difficult with the double Klepper. My wife and I can assemble it in around 8 minutes even if we have not done it in awhile; and that is from the bags, i.e. _not_ from having all the pieces carefully laid out beforehand and divided for whether they go in the stern or the bow. I was assembling doubles with partners in that time range well before I got involved in writing about folding kayaks; so, it isn't a profession thing to reach such assembly levels. The fastest assembly time I am aware of was in the 4 minute range . . . but not by me! :-) However, given my preferences, I do tend to leave folding kayaks assembled _if_ I have a storage spot right next to water and I do have such storage spots now. It is so much easier to just walk or ride down to a boathouse and launch than to lug a boat bag(s) out of my 3rd floor walkup brownstone apartment, throw bags in a car, etc. The quandary comes in cartopping from those boathouses, which I sometimes do to go to other paddling places. This involves driving time to the storage area; unlocking the boat from its rack; carrying it out to a car; putting it on racks (and racks need to be put on as well as I rent cars these days); securely tie the boat down well; take boat off rack at paddling site; put away racks, etc. I am always better off in such instances, in terms of time and convenience, if I start with a disassembled kayak in its bag(s) carried from home. Again, Gutenfaltbootwandern ralph diaz -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024 Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com "Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag." ----------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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