Oak Bay

Tagged along on Peter's Sunday paddle group out of Oak Bay.

Time on water - 4 hours
Time guiding - 4 hours
Time instructing - 2 hours

Brentwood Bay

Took a group of ten people/five doubles out for a tour of Brentwood Bay. Co-guided with ~L and ~C.

Time on water - 2 hours
Time guiding - 2 hours

A mid-week getaway to Portland Island.

Just got home from my mid-week escape to 'Racoon' Island.

Highlights.
Monday - paddle to Portland.
Tuesday - hang-out and paddle to Russel Island, and Fulford Harbour in Saltspring.
Wednesday - hang-out, rock-gardening on Arbutus Point, and evening paddle around Portland.
Thursday - paddle home (the short way) ;O)
60kms/33nm. Actual Averaged Speed - 3.8 Knots

Stinkin' theivin' racoons stole my cooking gear... and the Stars were beautiful!

Time on water (over five outings) - 32 hours

Current Play off Ten Mile Point and Strongtide

A group paddle today. Weather has been unbelievable, warm, sunny, windless. Great conditions to explore the eddies and currents arount Ten Mile Point as well as across Baynes Channel to the Chathams. Found some fun little rock and rollers to 'surf' and goof in. Ended up paddling out to the island twice to look for some lost keys. Against the current the second time, nice ride back though ;O)

Time on water - 5 1/2 hours
Time guiding - 4 hours
Time instructing - 2 hours

Esquimalt Fast-lap

Launched from Esquimalt Lagoon for a full-out speed paddle.

Time on water - 5 hours

Sea-foamed in the Gorge

Met ~D for a two hour session of "bracing in current" instruction under the Tillicum Bridge. There was a 7-8 knot current flowing which made for some fun. Keep those shoulders protected folks, arms always in strongest position, close to body, elbows bent. I see so many people trying to 'straight-arm' with their paddle and worry about shoulder dislocations...

Time on water - 3 hours
Time instructing - 2 hours

Oak Bay to Trial Island

Went out with one of ~P's groups today - for a paddle out to Trial Island - in search of a little current to give everyone a taste. Twas fun, had some play time and some serious time.

Ferry angles, turning in eddies and currents, rolls, rolls with flooded hatches, nose stands with flooded hatches, standing up in kayak - all kinds of fun. :O)

Time on water - 4 hours
Time guiding - 4 hours
Time instructing - 1 hours

Beaver Lake

Went for a nice, relaxing evening-paddle around Beaver Lake with ~N. Practiced rescues, rolls, ruddering, and had a good long stretch afterwards.

Time on water - 2 hours
Time guiding - 2 hours
Time instructing - 1 hour

Tahe Greenland Kayak

Went for a quick paddle out to the end of the Breakwater for some rolling practice and to try out the Tahe Greenland boat.

Time on water - 2 hours

A review of the new Tahe Greenland boat - Daniel style ;O)

Youtube

I took a Tahe Greenland (LC?) out today for a test paddle and was equally surprised, disappointed, and delighted.

It's too short and too flat bottomed, the fibreglass around the coaming lip seems a bit fragile ...and the seat wobbles. That's the bad news.

I paddle an East Greenland styled kayak so I've a different perspective. I was hoping that 17'10" of skinny boat would be speedier than it was. It accelerates nicely but grows sluggish and paddles heavy if I try to get some speed out of her. I'd like to see her a foot longer, an inch narrower, and with a more pronounced V in the bottom - for what I'd like her to do of course.

Good news? It's a really fun boat to putz around in. Rolling it is a no-effort affair. For a low volume boat it is quite comfortable, especially with my long, skinny legs.

Price: Can't be beat! They're selling these things at a VERY low price. $2700 CN for the standard fibreglass layup. The carbon-fibre gets pricey at $4900 CN, and for the five pounds it saves, and complicated repair issues, it'd be pretty hard put to justify.

Didn't seem to be bothered too much by broaching waves, although the biggest waves I could find were from the whale-watching boats off the end of the Breakwater.

The skeg is BIG, with it down I couldn't get her to turn. Period.

Fibreglass layup looked good, there was a odd crackling noise from the coaming when I picked her up and put her down. Rear decklines were well placed, front decklines worked fine but I would have liked an extra run of cord in front of me to hold long, bulky gear like pumps. The Kajak Sport hatches are really good, much easier to put on, easier to visually check, and more secure than some of the heavy-duty British Boat's rubber hatches.

For those not used to paddling with knees closer together it may take some getting used to. I'd be tempted to put in a proper Maasik, and toss the footpegs and seat for foam blocking.

She rolls with sublime grace. A strong-point in my books.

Bow rudders are easy and instant. It takes nothing to get her to spin on a dime. Edging, like my regular ride, is a fine balance. With no real hips to her she can turn either way on an edge, or at least on anything less than a precisely positioned edge.

I like her, because she's the closest thing to a full-on, production Greenland kayak that I've come across. She's bulk-headed, and fibreglass, and all those other things that make a guy feel secure when he's on his own and miles from anywhere.

I could realistically guide and instruct from it.

Did I mention it's cheap?
~d

...a few good links

Shoulder Dislocations

Full-Moon from the beach

Decided that this time I'd watch the full-moon from a beach instead of heading out for a late night paddle. Things looked a bit ominous in the night sky with the moon slipping in and out of a ragged, thick, and dark cloud cover. Not quite as inspiring as being OTW but still a very nice way to spend a night.

Power of the Sea.

Lighthouses

Mayne Island

Went to Mayne Island for a paddle from Bennett Bay through Boat Passage and back - a circumnavigation of Samuel Island. The Belle Chain was not as exposed as I'd hoped due to a highish low tide but still lots to see and do. Seals, a big Stellar Sea-lion, Great Blue Herons, Oyster-catchers, and some very pretty little birds, that looked like Sand-pipers but plied the water like tiny little ducks. Some fun tide-races to play in, Boat Passage was a blast. Not much left of the Robertson II since my last visit to her in the spring...

Big thanks to my enthusiastic paddle-partners for the day, Kathy, Sandy, and Sarah. It was a lot of fun paddling with you all!

Time on water - 4 hours
Time guiding - 4 hours
Time instructing - 2 hours

Brentwood Bay

Paddled with Kathy and Sandy around Brentwood, McKenzie Bight and Senanus Island.

Time on water - 6 hours
Time guiding - 6 hours

Safe and Talented Kayak Professional looking for a job...

Can I borrow $80,000?

...oooooooooooooohhhhhhhh

Aluminium Bartender Boats