A windy afternoon paddle and test of my new dry suit

Yesterday we went for a paddle from Pohick Regional Park. We just wanted to get out and stretch the muscles. Forecast was for winds at around 12mph so we knew based on the tide we would find both calm and rough water to play in. I also wanted to swim test my "new" dry suit.

Here is the track.

A video: Paddle at Pohick Bay on a windy December day

And a few photos of the wife.

The interesting people we randomly meet

So last night I played darts with Clark Eid founder of The Great Mississippi River Race  and The Mississippi River Challenge.

I met him a couple weeks ago during our kayaking groups monthly Happy Hour. He over heard us talking about kayaking and introduced himself. A really nice guy and the stories of the race and his 2003 record setting run of the Mississippi.

It is interesting the random people you meet just throwing darts.

So that is my story of the moment. More post to come soon about kayaking.

Leesylvania / Occoguan Bay Paddle

On Saturday the wife and I went for a nice short paddle from Leesylvania State Park to Great Marsh which is part of the Mason Neck National Wildlife Refuge. It was a pleasant day with a temperature of around 50 degrees Fahrenheit  and a water temperature of around 46. The paddle started out with scattered fog but as we were heading back  the visibility dropped to a mile or less. We checked our bearing before we lost sight of land. It made for a nice paddle and there was no boat traffic.

And here are a few photos of or paddle last Saturday.

Our track for the paddle on a beautiful foggy and rainy Saturday. 

Kayaks waiting for launch

The Lorax's Wife playing around.

Another shot of The Lorax's Wife.

One of the sever Bald Eagles we spotted.

Guess the eagle got camera shy.

On our way back to the put in the fog was thick. Visibility was only about a mile.

Deck rigging

So, this is what I have to say about deck rigging.  These are my opinions and I am no expert.

First deck rigging is a personal thing. You should attach your deck rigging in a style and pattern that works best for you. You should have enough deck line to enable your kayak to be easily attached to for towing a line a location for you to be able to easily hold onto your kayak while swimming. You should also have line in the correct places to assist you in re-entry. In my opinion this means lines completely around the front and back of the kayak.

As for bungee you need enough to keep your stuff on your deck if you put stuff on your deck. I have gotten to the point where I like to keep my deck fairly clean, especially the rear deck. I need bungee for my spare paddle and my chart and maybe a water bottle. I keep my paddle float and bilge pump in my cockpit. The float goes behind the seat and the pump between the seat stabilizer and the side of the kayak, when possible.

I prefer to use Bluewater 4MM NITELINE™ REFLECTIVE CORD. It comes in several colors and it is durable and strong. Bungee is so generic and easy to find in a variety of colors. I have not found one that performs better than another.

When I bought my Point 65N Whiskey 16 it had the factory deck rigging.

As you can see the rigging is basic black without reflective properties. The line does not wrap completely around the front deck, there is a gap at the front hatch. There was only a small X of bungee on the front deck and a single piece on the front near the compass mount. In replacing it, I rigged it to my liking.

 As you can see the deck line goes all the way around the front deck. The rear rigging is pretty much the same as the original rigging because of the hatches. Where the original deck line came to a point behind the front hatch is now bungee. Better for keeping my paddle on the front deck.

Below you can see that the back rigging at the cockpit area is tied off using a bowline with a Yosemite finish and a double fisherman. This allows for easy adjustment of the line.



On this kayak I tied off the front deck line in front of the cockpit. One side is a bowline and the loop is attached to the other rope as a square knot and a double fisherman. I chose this connection setup because it allows for adjustment and the knots are easily undone. I hate the location of the connection. The knots get in the way of the bungee when working with a chart. I prefer my adjustment knots at the bow of the kayak. You can not adjust your deck line alone on the water so there is really no need for it to be accessible from the cockpit. I will change this next time I replace the lines.

So, there are no major changes, just some modifications. Now the boat has deck line all around the front to make the kayak easier to hang on to and it has some additional bungee for convenience.

As for the adjustment/connection point for the deck line being in front of the cockpit, I did it that way because the original deck rigging was done that way but just with a pair of triple fisherman knots. This setup is common practice that has no real functionality. People will say it is for ease of adjustment when on the water but the two people I asked about it were unable to actually adjust their rigging this way while in the kayak. Your mileage may vary. It is all a matter of what you like and/or prefer.

Here you can see where I have the line adjustment/connection set to the front of my Point 65N XO. This is my preferred placement of the knot.

Now there is nothing in the way of my ability to use the cross deck bungee. Well, except for my contact tow line. We will discuss that later.

Also the red as well as the blue line are reflective.

Here you can see there is no knot in front of the cockpit. Using this setup you can still have the ability to adjust your deck line and with the aid of another kayaker it can be adjusted while on the water if needed.

Your deck lines should be tight enough that they will not easily get snagged but loose enough to be able to get your fingers around the line.

 My wife had me redo the deck rigging on her NDK Romany Surf.

Things she did not like about the way it was rigged was, no adjustment points for the deck lines. They ere just attached with knots at the guides. Second, she did not like just having 3 straight bungees on the front deck.

A you can see the deck lines are stretched and sagging. It was also a braided cord that was rough and abraded. It was basic black and non reflective. If you have not noticed I like visibility. Reflective cord is only a few cents per foot more than regular deck line sold in most stores. I am surprised that more places do not carry it. I buy mine from a mountain rescue supply company. You can also buy it direct from Bluewater.

As you can see in this photo I did the bungee in a crisscross pattern on the front deck. My wife likes this better for securing things to the deck and keeping her charts in place.

When I did the back deck I extended the deck line at an angle across the deck behind the day hatch. This allows for mor line to grab on the back deck and it allowed me to be able to use my favorite connection and adjustment knot.

The adjustment and concretion knot for the front deck are at the front of the kayak. One of the people in our kayak group started telling her that this was wrong and should be redone.

There is one of them in every group who thinks they know it all and have no problem telling you that you are wrong. Don't listen to them. Do what works best for you and be ready to tell the know-it-all why it works for you and why it is just as safe and secure as the way they believe to be the only correct way to rig a kayak deck.


Keep in mind that every one has an opinion and opinions vary. Just understand what you are doing and be able to explain why you did it and be able to show that it does not hinder safety.

Safety is the reason for the deck lines in the first place.

And lastly a close up of my preferred adjustment and connection knot.

What is this blog about and why another blog?

My first post is wordy and a disclaimer......

So, why am I writing this blog?
1) Because sometimes I have something interesting, inventive, informative or some narrative I wish to share.
2) Because everyone else is doing it?

Why the name "Adventures of a Lorax in Training?
Well, when I was a we tiny little kid I really was fond of this book called "The Lorax" by a guy that called himself Dr. Seuss. Then when I was older and not so tiny I did some work with an organization that was environmentally focused. Oh, and I still really liked that story "The Lorax" and liked the animated show also. Then one day I bought a Lorax patch and sewed it to a hat. Now some 20 + years and 3 hats later that patch still survives. It has become my signature,item. And one can never truly be the Lorax so, I am always in training.

What will this blog be about?
Mostly kayaking but I might talk about other adventures. I tend to do many things that lead into learn from my mistakes kind of wisdom.

So, that is it in a nutshell. And yes I am the husband of the person with the blog titled "The Lorax's Wife".

There will be a few post in quick succession then it could be a blog a week or one a month. I guess it depends on my mood.

Hope you will follow the journey.

Now a disclaimer......

I am in no way an expert in any of the things I post here. Most post will be my opinions and we all know about opinions. Please, do your homework get professional training and learn the things that are important. I place no guarantee that anything I post will work for you or will keep you safe. Just because it works for me does not mean it is right for you.

I was, at one point in my life, a surfer and I know what my body can tolerate as far as cold water and wet suits. So, please do not accept what I wear for cold weather equipment as a good example. I also did surfboard repairs in a surf shop and I have some skill with fibreglass work.

Another point in my life I was a rock climbing instructor. I am not talking about the gym instructors that can teach you how to tie into your harness and belay. I taught outdoor skills. Leading trad and sport, setting anchors and vertical rescue stuff. I know knots and hitches and make use of them in kayaking. I also did outdoor leadership skills, high ropes course facilitation, group team building and wilderness survival. I try to always maintain at least my WFA certification even though I let all my other certifications laps.

I kayaked surf when I was younger on a "Twister" with thigh straps. I also did a little whitewater kayaking. I got into sea kayaking because my wife wanted to do it. What I know about kayaking is nothing. I have no certifications and have never had an evaluation on any level. I can get myself back into my boat by several means and I can assist getting someone else back into their boat. I have taken instruction courses with ACA certified instructors because my wife wanted to take the classes. That still means I know squat about kayaking. So, please understand that nothing I post is in anyway meant as instructional. I am just posting thoughts, observations and opinions.

   

The Lorax in training.