Re: [Paddlewise] Icebreaker kayaks

At 09:01 AM 5/22/03 -0600, Jim Meldrum wrote:
>Kayak icebreaking is a unique phenomenon for those of us in northern
>latitudes, I am sure.  
 (snip)
>Anybody have preferred kayaks for this?  I like my West River 180, because
>it splits the ice sheet nicely and maintains stability well if hung up or
>high centered.

Times like this, when the ice is breaking up -- or when the ice is just a
skim, perhaps an eighth of an inch thick, are the times that I prefer to
paddle my Old Town Heron. It has a nice square bow that does a good job of
breaking the ice, rather than just riding up on top of it.

It is nice to get out when the ice gets candled, and is just floating
around in brash -- the ice crystals banging together and breaking up make a
little tinkling sound I call "The Bells of Spring."

For some reason, when there's a group of us doing this, I always seem to
wind up in the lead. But - a question: what do you use for a paddle? I
always have to break ice with the paddle to get a grip, and prefer not to
use a good one. When ice like this is likely, I usually take the oldest
beater I can find around the shop.

-- Wes
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Wes Boyd's Kayak Place                NEW URL! -- http://www.kayakplace.com
Kayaks for Big Guys (And Gals) | Trip Reports | Places To Go | Boats & Gear
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