Last Sunday Carol and I traveled up to Raliegh to visit with family. We stayed with my sister and brother-in-law. We had a cookout with them, our youngest daughter and husband, our nephew and his two young boys, and our niece. We took our two sea kayaks with us. We enjoy spending time with family when we can.
On Tuesday we headed to Falls Lake to do some paddling with Connie and John and their two friends Pat and Jim. Connie and John paddled Necky Vector 14s sit on tops, and Pat and Jim paddled Necky Manitou 14s sit inside. They seem to have very similar hull shapes. Carol paddles my North Shore Buccaneer (17’4"), and I paddled the Shearwater Merganser 17. The winds in the open water were 8 to 12 mph, and the day was overcast. In the coves the winds were less.
I manage to miss taking photos of the two capsizes we experienced that day. My sister capsized when she dropped her water bottle over the side and leaned over to retrieve it. I held her boat while she remounted so was not thinking photography. We broke for lunch right afterward so she could dry off. The water was comfortable but the wind chilling with a high in the low 70s. John capsized when he hit a submerged log tipping the boat unexpectedly as he launched. No help was needed as the water was shallow there. Both are used to sit in kayaks and haven’t had much experience with their sit on tops and the higher center of gravity. We all enjoyed ourselves and the capsizes may have dampened Connie and John but not their enjoyment of the day’s paddle.
I managed one more rescue that day. In sailing when a boat capsizes and goes completely upside down it is said to have turtled. Yes, it is as difficult to right as it is for a turtle to do so on its back. Well Carol spotted just that, a turtle on its back at the edge of the water unable to right itself. The location had a steep bank, and we think it was trying to climb the bank looking for a suitable place to lay its eggs when it lost balance and ended up on its back. It was only after I flipped it upright and into the water watching it swim away that I realized I missed another capsize photo opportunity.
Carol surrounded by Necky kayaks.
The lunch stop.
The steep bank near where the turtle was rescued.
I paddled the kayak I finished building in early 2012.
The Saturday before we left, I was at the sailing club. We were doing on the water coaching called sailing by design, where the most experienced members in the Flying Scot fleet coach the newer and less experienced. I enjoy these sessions as much as the racing. I crew on “Old School” with Bill in the yellow hat. He is a retired teacher.
Back at the ramp to take out.
