“Maribojoc, a town on the Philippine island of Bohol, celebrates annually a “Bugsay” (Paddling) Festival,” says Adventure Kayak reader Rey Donaire of this image captured at the festival’s sea kayak sprint race. Paddling in Maribojoc is available through Kayakasia Philippines’ Abatan River Station (https://www.facebook.com/kayakasiaphilippines).
Want to see your photo here? Send to [email protected] with subject line Daily Photo.
After 43 days on the water, eight weary paddlers arrived at the Capitol Building. They traveled 1,000 miles via the St. Lawrence Seaway, Lake Champlain, Hudson River and Chesapeake Bay in a 35-foot voyageur canoe. And they were on time.
The 40th anniversary celebration of the United States’ Clean Water Act on October 17 on Capitol Hill was their welcoming party. “I challenge the Riverkeepers of the Potomac and Ottawa to make these the cleanest rivers in the world that flow through national capitals,” Max Finkelstein, the trip’s organizer, told the crowd to applause. They’ve got a ways to go.
Sponsored by the Canadian Wildlife Federation (CWF), Capital to Capitol by Canoe raised awareness about the health of the waterways shared by Canada and the United States. “It’s important to keep our waters drinkable, swimmable and fishable,” says Pam Logan, a spokesperson for the CWF. “The trip was a tremendous success.”
Finkelstein and the group spoke at paddling clubs and met with political organizations along the way and blogged about their journey. “We advocated for more cooperation between Canada and the United States to take better care of our waterways—from the community level to the political,” says Finkelstein. “Water knows no national boundaries, neither should we…”
Finish reading this article in the 2013 Spring issue of Canoeroots & Family Camping. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Provincial and state bans that make it illegal to chat on cellphones while driving make perfect sense—conversation is a distraction that increases your risk of an accident. If this realization seems long overdue on our roads, it is equally overdue on our rivers.
It’s a challenge to process incoming verbal information while at the same time focusing on technique, river reading and feel. The outcome of these verbal distractions while paddling is similar to talking on the phone while driving.
On the river, discussions between paddlers in a tandem canoe often flow only one way…from the stern. There are two possible reasons for this: 1) the bow person is facing away from the stern, making it difficult to be heard over the roar of the water; 2) someone told the stern person that he was in charge.
It’s very difficult for a bow paddler to develop feel for the water and timing if he is reacting only to directions from the stern. The skills of river reading and developing personal judgment—how to help with the directional control of the canoe or how to cope with potential obstacles—are not learned by a bow paddler blinded by commands from the stern.
It’s also particularly important to realize that when a tandem pair is new to paddling, it’s too much to expect the stern paddler to be able to focus on managing his own end of the boat, while at the same time giving accurate information to the bow person about controlling his end of the boat. It’s not uncommon to see the stern person doing very little at his end other than telling the bow paddler what to do.
Talking less on the river starts with understanding the duties of each seat. The stern person is in charge of the big-picture, general direction of the canoe. The bow paddler is responsible for fine-tuning that direction. Both paddlers contribute to momentum as required.
Experiment with silent runs at a location with familiar, easy current. On shore, plan a route that includes a few predetermined eddies and, once you’re underway, negotiate the route without conversing. Debrief at the end, discussing what went well and what could be improved, and try it again.
While I’ve spent the last 375 words extolling the virtues of silence, it should be understood that effective communication remains an important element in tandem paddling.
Learn to be economical and precise with words. Develop a system of communication that involves simple one-or two-word directives. Using this method, it’s possible for the stern person to hear a short directive from the bow. For example, “got it” from either paddler means that you can fix a problem on your own. “Help” might mean that you’re trying to avoid an obstacle and need help with the direction of the canoe. “Back-paddle” is self-explanatory.
Consider avoiding words such as left, right, draw or cross-bow, since many of us need a moment to process which side is in question. As skills improve, a tandem partner will start to intuit the direction his partner is intending to manoeuvre the canoe and can instinctively provide assistance. Tuning into the current and boat, rather than verbal directives, yields a more immediate response.
As a bow paddler, try not to be too attached to a specific or predetermined location. Your stern paddler may have been doing his best to get to that location and made an error, or maybe you were talking about two different eddies. Regardless, as a bow paddler, do your best to go with the flow—try to discern which direction is intended and provide the best possible support for a positive outcome.
This article originally appeared in Rapid, Summer/Fall 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
This article originally appeared in Canoeroots and Family Camping magazine.
“Can we watch a movie?” We hadn’t even backed out of the driveway and we were only going eight minutes to the general store for a bag of milk. This had to stop.
I could hardly blame them, the seven-inch LCD screen hung there from the ceiling. it was like taking a date to a sports bar and trying not to watch the game. Besides, it was far too easy to stop the whining by just pressing play.
For our family, this habit started innocently enough. We live a five-hour drive from both sets of grandparents. That’s a long way to be strapped into car seats. For long trips, Disney is a good way to pass the time. But, like most bad habits, you think you can stop whenever you want until you realize you’re pressing play on a drive to the corner store.
My problem with in-car entertainment systems is that pressing play turns me into a chauffeur. I may as well be rolling up the Plexiglass of a limo: “I’ll drive. You kids enjoy the movie; help yourselves to the mini-bar.” This is not the way it’s supposed to be.
When I was a kid, getting to ride with my dad on Saturday mornings was a special treat. I looked forward to it all week. The Silverado emblem on the red steel dash, the rumble of the diesel engine and the smell of export a regular smoke that didn’t escape out the triangular, no-draft window he’d crack for me. It was 1979 and I was eight years old, legs dangling from the bench seat and the Gatlin Brothers’ All the Gold in California crackling out of the ac Delco speakers. I don’t remember where we were going or what we did. It didn’t matter; those Saturday mornings I was riding with Dad.
My new DVD player rule—no movies on adventure days—came about last fall on a drive to Algonquin park. We’d planned a hike, playing naked (them, not me) on remote beaches and then a bike ride for ice cream. It was the Daddy day that we’d been looking forward to all week. And it began with, “Can we watch a movie?”
If all I can remember of the trips with my dad is the drive, this is likely to be true for my kids. I don’t want their memories of our Saturday adventures with me to be Finding Nemo piped through wireless headphones.
To make things easier, my new truck doesn’t have an on-board entertainment system. We play eye spy, tell stories, talk, sleep (them, not me) and watch the 3-D super-wide screen—looking out the windows. And, we listen to music.
To our adventures with Dad iPod playlist I’ve added All the Gold in California, but their favorite is Joan Jett’s, I Love Rock N’ Roll. Now when we head to the ski hill or the lake, before we back out of the driveway I hear, “Dad, can we rock it out?” even if they don’t remember our canoe trips in the Barron canyon, and all they remember is singing with their dad, I’m okay with that.
Scott Macgregor is the founder and publisher of Canoeroots magazine.
This article appeared in Canoeroots & Family Camping, Late Summer 2011.
With over 40 years as a highly successful kayak manufacturer, Graham Mackereth should be familiar to most paddlers. And yet, he isn’t—probably because he’s been too busy building boats.
Mackereth, 63, founded the iconic whitewater company, Pyranha Kayaks, in 1971 in Warrington, England. For the past decade, he’s also been at the helm of P&H Sea Kayaks and sister brand Venture Kayaks, producing some of the hottest long boats on the water today.
You purchased P&H in 2003. Why buy a sea kayak company?
Dave Patrick [the original owner of P&H] called me and said he wanted to retire, and could I keep his staff busy. I’ve always had a good relationship with Dave and respected his team, and I was excited for a new challenge. I felt the market was underdeveloped, and I was excited about sea kayaking and realizing its potential.
You’ve always been an innovator, producing designs that have changed the sport. What makes you such an effective designer?
Perhaps I look where others don’t, but more importantly these days, I make the decisions in my business, and in other companies those designing don’t. Our decisions are usually focused on sport and performance progression, and we hope that profitability follows.
What are the differences between P&H and the other bigger kayak companies?
We’re run by paddlers for paddlers and I’ve yet to pay myself a dividend. Their rules don’t apply to us.
Many manufacturers have production in China or Thailand where labor costs are lower. Have you considered offshore production?
I tried it for a year and found it would be 95 percent right, but the five percent wrong would be a moveable feast depending on how they were trying to shortcut. The only way would be to live in China, which was not for me. Perhaps I’m a control freak, but I like building in the U.K.—government regulations and red tape aside.
After 40 years of manufacturing kayaks, you seem as fresh as ever. What’s the secret to your success and longevity?
The excitement of the next design, and with designers Rich Taylor and Robert Peerson alongside, we’ve got lots we’re excited about.
You keep a very low profile—certain names are associated with specific designs, but yours is seldom seen.
OK, I have been the inspiration for a lot of it, but it’s a team effort. For example, the Delphin is a big success at the moment. I did most of the shaping, but that story started with [P&H team paddler] Ben Lawry saying we need a sportier sea kayak, then trying a few ideas, bouncing them around the team, trying a prototype or two with their input, and finally out came a very radical design. So who’s the designer?
How did you know that the timing was right for the Delphin/Aries?
You never do, and I didn’t think it would be received so well!
Sea kayaking can be an infamously conservative community…
Indeed—that’s why I waited a while until I felt we’d got some credibility with the Cetus and Scorpio designs.
Do you have anything new coming that you can hint at?
Yes, it will open up a new market sector, it will be expensive and it hasn’t been done like this before.
Watch for a full review of the revolutionary, new P&H Hammer surf sea kayak in an upcoming issue of Adventure Kayak magazine.
This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2012. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
A preview of the Therm-a-Rest Antares sleeping bag from Adventure Kayak magazine.
Mattress manufacturers for over 40 years, Therm-a-Rest introduces sleeping bags for 2013. Rated to 20 F (-7 C), the Antares’ 750-fill goose down insulation is concentrated on the top of the bag where it’s needed most. Two integrated fabric straps on the back fit snugly around your pad—say good night to sliding, twisting and cold spots.
www.thermarest.com | $349.95
This article originally appeared in Adventure Kayak, Early Summer 2013. To read about the full Therm-a-Rest sleep system, download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Sea kayakers explore the clear waters of Zamami, Okinawa, Japan. Where is the most exotic place you’ve paddled? Share your photos and comments on Adventure Kayak’s Facebook page, or send to [email protected].
This photo was taken by Flickr user Roger Braunstein and is licensed under Creative Commons.
Pyranha enters the spray deck market with the Angry Fish and Grumpy Fish skirts. Aside from the eye-catching rendering of the company’s toothy mascot on the deck, the skirt is quite similar to Seals’ Shocker, NRS’s Drylander or Immersion Research’s Shockwave, with one important exception: The Fish comes in two sizes designed for a perfect fit on Pyranha boats (although they can also be used with other manufacturers’ boats). The decks are sturdily built with 4-mm neoprene, Kevlar- reinforcing and a tough, easy-on bungee rim.
www.pyranha.com | $149
This article originally appeared in Rapid magazine, Early Summer 2010. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
Wolf Lake is in the southwestern part of the greater Temagami canoe area, 50 km northeast of Sudbury. It is at the heart of the world’s largest contiguous ancient red pine forest and lies on the Chiniguchi River, a popular wilderness canoe route. Old growth red pine forests are critically endangered and remain on only 1.2% of their former extent.
Find out how you can save Wolf Lake at www.savewolflake.org.
What’s the story behind the dent in your yoke? The scratch or crack in your paddle? Paddle maker, Andy Convery, wants to know.
His new project, Paddle Sea to Sea, is a collection of paddling-related stories and objects from across the nation that will showcase the secret, on-the-water lives of canoeists. The objects will be used to make an assembled, larger-than-life paddle that will tour the country.
“I’m collecting paddling objects imbued with stories—your broken paddle, a piece of thwart or yoke that has a story behind it—any of it,” says Convery.
Still in the collection stage of the project and due to start building this summer, the Ontario-based paddler and owner of Echo Paddles says that the final look of the piece still remains open-ended. That’s part of the beauty, he says. “It’s not my story, it the stories of paddlers and the people that I’m sharing, so I’m not dictating what it will look like at this point.”
So far the objects that Convery has received are varied, everything from photographs with stories attached, a broken gunnel piece to old tripping pants and original mockups for Bob Henderson’s Every Trail Has A Story. “As a woodworker, I was envisioning a lot of wooden objects—some of the stuff that’s been coming in, it’s really interesting to imagine how to incorporate it.”
Though Convery will use only parts of the objects he receives “so it won’t become a monster,” he does envision the assembled paddle being larger than life.
Inspiration for Paddle Sea to Sea came from New Brunswick artist Tyler Aspin’s mid-90s art piece, The Canada Tree. When a majestic red oak was cut down, Apsin used the stump to form the base of his project. Wanting to build a sculpture of a tree from many different wooden objects, he called for submissions from across the country. Blending red cedar, walnut, oak and pine, he set out to tell the story of a nation. Weighing 10,000 pounds and standing at 35-feet high, The Canada Tree is made up of thousands of objects.
Imitation is the best form of flattery, agrees Convery. “As paddle maker, I just love the concept, that we can generate those paddling stories, then tell those stories.”
Convery’s company, Echo Paddles, is well known for their high-end wood construction of both whitewater and flatwater paddles. Convery founded the company in 1998 because “Canada needed a Mitchell and we didn’t have one.”
The environmentally-conscious Convery started out by reusing wooden objects, including old hockey sticks and wooden boards. Today, Echo paddles are made from sustainably harvested wood. Echo Paddle also offers paddle-making workshops for solid wood and laminate paddles.
Want to contribute to the story? Send your object to Andy Convery at 111 James Street, Kingston, ON, Canada. K7K 1Z5. www.echopaddles.com.
This story first appeared in Rapid Media’s April Paddling This Month online magazine. Download our free iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch App or Android App or read it here.
