Well, the Subject line kinda says it all. I was out on the north end of Lake Washington today just tooling around and met a guy who was out of gas. Another casualty of high petrol prices I guess. He had a canoe paddle and was going from side to side, back and forth, trying to make his way back to the launch. He thought I was nuts to offer a tow, but I told him if it got too tough I would just cut him loose. Fair enough. I measured it out later and it was 1.25 miles. Not sure how long it took, maybe an hour or more. On a long slog eventually you kind of get in the zone and just try to get the most efficiency out of your strokes. It's almost a trance I guess. I had probably gone 3/4 of a mile when I noticed that I was leaning more than usual. Yep. No doubt about it. Gunnel under the water on almost every stroke. I think the combination of less friction on a lean and a more natural paddle stroke gave me the extra percentage of efficiency. It just felt "right". After I cut him loose, he was really grateful, amazed, amused, and impressed. Wish I would have had a picture of it all. I continued up the slough and felt as fast as a skidoo. I practiced my new found lean and flew! Paul Montgomery paul_at_paddleandoar.com http://paddleandoar.com *************************************************************************** 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 6/18/07, Paul Montgomery <paul_at_paddleandoar.com> wrote: > > Well, the Subject line kinda says it all. I was out on the north end > of Lake Washington today just tooling around and met a guy who was > out of gas. What delicious irony that is. Nice to impress people with skill and stamina instead of annoying them by just being in their way. Boxers use the speed bag to build the stamina to keep their hands high and I've often wondered if they might be smart doing some high-angle paddling too. Just imagine getting into a fight with someone who can keep their hands chin-high for 2 or 3 hours while holding a 1 or 2 pound paddle and doing alternating jabs. Craig Jungers Royal City, WA *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
>> After I cut him loose, he was really grateful, amazed, amused, and impressed. Wish I would have had a picture of it all. I continued up the slough and felt as fast as a skidoo. I practiced my new found lean and flew! Do motor boat owners feel emancipated or emasculated when bailed out by a paddler? [:P I love the story Paul - and what a grand gesture! Sean *************************************************************************** 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 Jun 18, 2007, at 10:09 PM, Paul Montgomery wrote: > > After I cut him loose, he was really grateful, amazed, amused, and > impressed. Wish I would have had a picture of it all. I continued up > the slough and felt as fast as a skidoo. I practiced my new found > lean and flew! > One of those adventures for the archives. Just awesome. Jim et al *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Paul Montgomery wrote: > Well, the Subject line kinda says it all. I was out on the north end > of Lake Washington today just tooling around and met a guy who was > out of gas. Another casualty of high petrol prices I guess. He had a > canoe paddle and was going from side to side, back and forth, trying > to make his way back to the launch. He thought I was nuts to offer a > tow, but I told him if it got too tough I would just cut him loose. > Fair enough. [sniparoni, the Internet treat] I've towed sailboats, sailboards, rafts, canoes, kayaks, inner tubes, swimmers (both voluntary & involuntary), half a canoe (which, by the way was the most difficult) and my dog, but never a fishing boat. for me, that would be another Zen experience ;-) mark [had to, just had too] -- # # mark zen -- fort lupton, colorado, usa #-========----============--=========--===- # ckayakr[at]dotzen[dot]org------------http://www.dotzen.org/paddler/ # o, o__ o_/| o_. o__/ # </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ [\/ # (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') `\--------/--------/' #~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # Semi-Random Fortune ... # A bug in the hand is better than one as yet undetected. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Is that Mark, as in Zen and the Art of Kayak Maintenance? BRC > Paul Montgomery wrote: >> Well, the Subject line kinda says it all. I was out on the north end >> of Lake Washington today just tooling around and met a guy who was >> out of gas. Another casualty of high petrol prices I guess. He had a >> canoe paddle and was going from side to side, back and forth, trying >> to make his way back to the launch. He thought I was nuts to offer a >> tow, but I told him if it got too tough I would just cut him loose. >> Fair enough. > > [sniparoni, the Internet treat] > > I've towed sailboats, sailboards, rafts, canoes, kayaks, inner tubes, > swimmers (both voluntary & involuntary), half a canoe (which, by the way > was the most difficult) and my dog, but never a fishing boat. > > for me, that would be another Zen experience ;-) > > mark [had to, just had too] > > -- > # > # mark zen -- fort lupton, colorado, usa > #-========----============--=========--===- > # ckayakr[at]dotzen[dot]org------------http://www.dotzen.org/paddler/ > # o, o__ o_/| o_. o__/ > # </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ [\/ > # (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') `\--------/--------/' > #~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > # Semi-Random Fortune ... > # A bug in the hand is better than one as yet undetected. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Bradford_Crain wrote: > > > Is that Mark, as in Zen and the Art of Kayak Maintenance? > BRC > [sniparoni, the Internet treat] >> >> I've towed sailboats, sailboards, rafts, canoes, kayaks, inner tubes, >> swimmers (both voluntary & involuntary), half a canoe (which, by the >> way was the most difficult) and my dog, but never a fishing boat. >> >> for me, that would be another Zen experience ;-) >> >> mark [had to, just had too] alas, I am down to one plastic kayak, and an alum-i-tub canoe. no more glass boats, protect the plastic, kick the aluminum. no wooden gunwale to loosen and tighten with the seasons. and a most Zen-like ;-p fishing boat experience. The wife & I drifted slowly across a small lake in our boat, on it's maiden voyage [or rather our first voyage, the boat's older than I am ;-] so I yank on the starter cord to fire it up, which it does, and just starts purring, while I realize the pull rope broke and I just had a handle in my hand. Poetic justice. Glad to see two cycle engines go, for much cleaner four cycle engines. If it would have died, we'd at least have 2 canoe paddles and paddlers!! mark zen [yup, got the name from my folks, just like you :D ;] -- # # mark zen -- fort lupton, colorado, usa #-========----============--=========--===- # ckayakr[at]dotzen[dot]org------------http://www.dotzen.org/paddler/ # o, o__ o_/| o_. o__/ # </ [\/ [\_| [\_\ [\/ # (`-/-------/----') (`----|-------\-') `\--------/--------/' #~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~/~~~~~~~~~~~~~ # Semi-Random Fortune ... # A bug in the hand is better than one as yet undetected. *************************************************************************** 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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