Re: [Paddlewise] How was 2004?

From: <cholst_at_bitstream.net>
Date: Wed, 8 Dec 2004 12:41:50 -0600 (CST)
I think I got out fewer times than Rick, though (or because) I
accomplished a lot around the house. However, I rolled 60 times on my 60th
birthday, and the last week in July through the first week in August,
Linda and I paddled and camped from Silver Islet at the tip of the Sibley
Peninsula to Rossport, Ontario. Though we saw more powerboats and
sailboats than at Pukaskwa, we very much enjoyed the trip, as this is
surely one of the most scenic routes on Lake Superior. Especially with
mild winds at your back.

This is not a route for a large group, as many of the places we camped
were narrow strips of beach between the water and the typical thick tangle
of trees. One of our favorite places was a narrow rocky terrace in a 50-ft
wide cleft in the rock.

BTW, on this trip we tried a couple of ideas from Paddlewise. The first
was to drill a hole in our skegs and tie a loop of cord through each. This
helped to pull the skegs down the few times they jammed. After one of the
loops untied itself, I put a figure-eight knot in either end. That worked
just as well, if not better. If it added any drag, it was too small to
notice at our usual pace (3.2 mph, according to my GPS).

The other idea we tried was to carry a section of pool noodle on each
afterdeck to use as a roller when landing and launching. I chose a pool
noodle rather than an inflatable fender because of its smaller size and
readiness. The rollers worked well at first -- well enough to carry again
-- but gradually deteriorated as they stuck in sand and the weight of the
loaded kayak sliding over them crushed the cells.

Chuck Holst
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Received on Wed Dec 08 2004 - 10:42:13 PST

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