Wes Boyd wrote: > At 11:35 PM 11/5/02 -0800, Doug Lloyd wrote: > > > I was out paddling some rough waters/ surf with another paddler crazier > >than myself. > > You mean there really is one? Wes, Actually, there are are some very competent paddlers (ocean kayakers) 'round here. The one I was thinking of was Gord who used to run SeaTrek out of Sidney, BC. There's a reversing falls in close vicinity to our Victoria club house. Gord used to launch his kayak from 30 feet up -- from the side of the chasm where the gorge's restricted flow is located -- flinging himself into the fast current below (where he would eventually bob to the surface downstream). His plastic Capella didn't take too bad a beating, 'cause he would pivot it off the edge before _freefalling_to the tidal water below the Gorge-Tillicum Bridge. My seal launches are a little less dramatic (discounting the one I did off the high diving board one night at a local pool). But, the wear on my hull from my long slides down are far worse. Having said that, I do find my fiberglass hull easier to maintain. A plastic kayak hull "galls" far too easily, especially on barnacles. After a while, the plastic kayak becomes a virtual case for recycling. With my Nordkapp, I just fill all the gouges with "feather-fill" fast-dry polyester autobody filler using a white coloured hardener, then thin spray white undercoat after sanding, and then top coat with epoxy-like aircraft industry paint. Major repairs are done with epoxy, which is why I don't recoat the hull with sprayed-on gelcoat (polyester/ epoxy incompatibilities). I also have that full 17-foot strip of plastic embedded partially along the keel line, finished off by 1/2 round brass at the stern. I broke-up the former UHMW strip trying to seal land on the Storm Islands a few years ago, so now use a softer marine plastic for the strip (more like the plastic in plastic kayaks) that galls easier but seems more flexible. The strip sections are easily replaced. I've broken off the rear rudder mount a few times seal launching, but I have extra VCP C-Trim rudder mounts already pre fitted and cut to conform to the stern profile through the two embedded bolt-to-internal-nut holes, so repairs are quick to do (I carry one spare on long trips). So while I may be "crazy," I do compensate with some applied technology and have yet to seriously consider retiring my venerable Nordkapp. I mention all this only because I just reconsidered what Steve Holtzman posted in response previously, and I think his subtext was to accuse me of being a BS'er. While I might be a wind-bag and occasionally use textual contrivances and egomaniacal appearances to drive my posts to a punch line (like saying other paddlers might need to crap at sea coming out with me so I could make HaHa about sponsons), it does bother me that folks might think me untruthful. I will admit my last post excluded the fact that, while I was practicing seal launches using various rope/bow line arrangements/ knot-quick releases, I was not on the saltchuck. Indeed, the fresh water lake was a far easier domain to try and fine tune techniques, and the rocks far smoother to slide down. The small shrubs gave me the "hold-down" points. In the end, I gave up, finding it easier to throw the kayak off the edge, jump in after it, and perform the superior reentry-and-roll (speed is essential before the kayak washes back on the rocks on real open coast waters); that's what I traditionally do on the open coast. You can even tie off your kayak to some kelp, and swim in to avoid hull damage with a fully loaded kayak. These are modified techniques from the Tsunami Ranger brand of kayaking, adapted to solo open water touring from a closed-deck sea kayak. Crazy to some, BS to others, and perfectly normal for me. What is normal? A setting on your dryer? Anyway, my paddling season has finally arrived, I'm working out at my home gym again and my leg is almost healed. I await the first big storm arriving tomorrow. With a bit of tremoulousness, I'm eager for my mistress again (and trying out my new drysuit for the first time). I'll catch up with some of you fellow goof balls later. (PS I got a nice email from Kaitlin, explaining her contacts at the CG, and what she is up to. Not sure why she didn't state this up front on both chat lines.) Doug Lloyd > > -- Wes > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Wes Boyd's Kayak Place NEW URL! -- http://www.kayakplace.com > Kayaks for Big Guys (And Gals) | Trip Reports | Places To Go | Boats & Gear > --------------------------------------------------------------------------- *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Nov 06 2002 - 18:24:00 PST
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