Mark wrote -- Why not just leave your GP with no coating? Agree and strongly support no finish on a Greenland paddle. I have a couple of cedar paddles that are over ten years old -- or older -- and have never added a finish -- other than a little tung oil on occasion. Also carry a fine grit sanding sponge with me and wipe down the paddle -- wet sanding, basically -- when it gets a little fuzzy. The grip on an unfinished paddle is consistent and predictable, and the wood doesn't lose any functionality. On the other hand, small cracks in a finishing sealant could trap traces of water at the wood surface and cause decay in the long haul. Re power, you'll never overcome the difference between a Europaddle and a Greenland stick, but the indigenous people who developed them haven't converted to Euros very much, and they can punch out through big water pretty well with what they've got. Lots of it is technique, and a lot is culture. If wide boards drifted up on the beaches of historic Greenland, maybe we'd all be using Europaddles. Joq *************************************************************************** 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 Mon Sep 10 2007 - 09:49:04 PDT
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