As they say in Boxing, “Skills pay da bills!”
Now if I could only find a good used SOT-wave ski.
I consider myself a beginner even though I have been on 10+ overnight trips out of canoes and kayaks over the years. My favorite are flat water (with a little class 1) river trips with minimal gear (backpacker). I would like to get into racing in my older age (50’s).
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Steve, an old saw a friend I raced with:
“Want to make a small fortune in the kayaking business? Start with a large fortune”
I built a couple of woodstrips for my own use. I get compliments on them every time I take one out, and a few have won best of show awards at wooden boat shows.
Nobody asks to buy one. One woman came over when I was getting ready to take one out.
She asked “How often do you have to Teak Oik them?”
I said “You don’t they…”
She said “I asked how often you have Teak Oil them?”
“And I said you don’t…”
“I said, how often do you have to…”
She started to say it again and I paddled away.
That says how much people know about boats. They don’t, so I really do wish you luck.
Again it’s like gunsmithing. To make a million dollars start with 2 million and work 60-72 hours a week or 50 years.
You may be correct about that business. But if I am “retired” (or retarded) I doubt I’ll care all that much. I do have 3 people who have told me already they would buy one if I start making them. All 3 are old gun customers so they know me.
But I won’t sell the 1st ones in all likelihood.
I doubt I’ll get them perfect the first try.
John Ambercomby told me the best way to get one “right” on the first try is to copy the basic shape of a poly or glass kayak that is already proven. Might not be a bad way to do things, but I don’t see how Id learn anything about designs that way.
Building yes.
But design, no.
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That’s what we do, is just drive around and shoot the shitt with people 
It smelled really good in his shop, I can tell you that.
Super interesting passionate guy
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Thanks M-Flyer.
I love good joinery and inlay work. I just hope I last long enough to try it out on kayaks. I still have close to 3 years of flintlocks to complete before I can start my 1st kayak.
Well Godspeed to ya then
I wish you would wear that PFD. He probably isn’t fast enough in an emergency.
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I have the belt one which is a big improvement for me. USCG approved.
I usually wear a wetsuit also.
You realize I might be the only person right now in the entire country of Austria wearing a PFD right?
I’m not sure I can climb back in wearing a lot of gear but I know I can in my wetsuit because I used to freedive off a kayak all the time. I take the weight belt off and then throw it in and climb on.
I’m a little afraid of a drysuit but I’m sneaking up on it for this winter. What if I wear a big flapping suit and can’t get out of the water?! I’m a little claustrophobic with too much stuff. I can barely stand the booties.
I do have lots of respect for the water so I know you are right about the cold!
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Hope I didn’t offend.
I realize you are a waterwoman.
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No, I appreciate the care
Thank you
I will be better! I’m improving
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You explained the Bay perfectly. There’s always a shifting tide that can work for or against you, or it can be neutral, except for drift, when crossing. Unless you’re out on the water early or late in the evening, there’s the wind, heat and humidity during the summer. The waterway can be empty during the weekdays or endless traffic on weekend or holidays, but the work boats are always busy harvesting fish or crabs.
You need speed to overcome the monotony of open water or to fight the conditions. It’s a thrill to explore new areas, but there’s also comfort in frequent trips to the same area, because you become familiar with the features and how conditions change when the elements turn against you. That give the local traveler an edge when the weather takes an unexpected turn for the worse.
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Sums up how I feel about the Boston Harbor Islands. I can launch at multiple points that are within 5-10 miles from my house. Lots of water and islands with interesting histories. Relatively safe in the inner harbor, but once you get out to Graves Light on the outer edge of shipping lane to open sea, you better have skills and stamina because it can get wicked hairy out there. Within the inner harbor area, each island can provide a safety stop if need be against approaching weather and/or failing stamina. Just don’t land on Gallops (posted!!!) which has been contaminated with asbestos through decades of illegal dumping.
sing
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I wonder if we aren’t all pretty much the same. Passionate about paddling. Paddling preferences and gear probably just based on the local paddling environment (if I could paddle to a barrier island today like Brodie then I’d be a kayaker). Content with current style yet intrigued by other styles. Completely unique at the detail level of what we do and may not fit into a handful of “types”…I remember two different canoe designers saying “it’s hard to know how a boat will be used”. I sold one boat just because it was too deep for my dog to see out of.
Paddling with tdaniel made me think about this. He usually paddles whitewater and I’m on flat water. He’s in a plastic kayak and I’m in a composite canoe. We have different techniques for getting through logjams. I’m a solo paddler and he paddles in groups. He got excited when he heard a rapid and I got excited when we saw baby racoons .
But we both paddle frequently. We both were surprised at how effective the other person’s gear was. We both enjoyed a full day paddle and were ready to paddle again the next day. If tdaniel moved to my neighborhood or I moved to his I’m pretty sure we’d be seeing each other on the water in a more similar type of boat but I’m really not sure that means we are currently that different.
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I had similar misgivings about a drysuit until I actually wore one. I was used to wetsuits (i have a full 3/4 surfer suit and a 4 mm Farmer Jane I used for whitewater and semi cold water for many years.) Even after I got a great deal on a used Kokatat goretex suit, I tried it on once at home then it hung in my closet for several years, and used various outfits combining Hydroskin and splash wear separates for chillier conditions. I incorrectky presumed it would feel restricting in some sense and bulky in others.
When I finally donned the drysuit during a four day skills camp on Lake Michigan it was a revelation. Whoa. Liberating is the best way I can describe it. The suit doesn’t feel bulky or “flap around” because you “burp” the air out as you put it on (like squeezing the air out of a ziplock baggie before stashing food in the freezer). You don’t feel like you are wearing a neck to ankle girdle like with a wet suit.
And, very best of all, your skin stays dry all day (no chafing or looking like a raisin after hours of immersion) and you can hardly tell how cold the water is except on your face and hands. None of that initial shock with wetsuits unti your body heat warms the water that flushes inEven the snugness of the latex gaskets that initially concerned me (I hate anything tight) I discovered eases in minutes as the material warms against your skin.
And since the material is thinner and not rubbery like neoprene it is easier to maneuver, as in sliding onto the deck for cowboy self rescue. Also easier to take off at day’s end since it diesn’t stick to your skin. Andyou don’t have soggy clammy duds to put on the next day, since wetsuits take so long to dry out. I used to bring several to camp to avoid having to struggle into a damp one on subsequent days, At paddling camp you are in and out of the water all day long during the various practice sessions and with the dry suit it’s great not to ever feel chilled or soggy. And when you are on shore breaks you don’t have to wrap up against being windchilled as you do with neoprene or “semi-dry” wear because your skin is not wet nor exposed. Can’t overstate the comfort factor, it’s almost miraculous.
I’m a convert. I think if you could try one you’d be favorably impressed. They feel freeing.
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@TomL, we are all the same. We just have a different approach, but the same reverence and respect for the areas that we visit. I’m a fair weather paddler, because I like the freedom and simplicity of a paddled boat. I own a spray skirt, but never felt a need to use it. I haven’t tried to roll, because conditions have never made my kayak feel unstable or me uncomfortable. There’s so much to enjoy, I dont have to.e to slow down and observe it. While I couldn’t survive a 2 meter swell, I get as much as I need out of a 36 inch wave. Whether we seek solitude alone or together, whether we enjoy high adventure, a hearty challenge or just feeling the gentle lift of a passing wave, even if it came from power boat, there is solitude on the water. It’s pure nature.
No matter how we get there, how far we go, how long we stay, or what we seek, its all good for our soul.
It’s the last day of summer, but there is at least another 10 trips to get in for me. This is the best time of the year for it. Then I have 5 months to dwell on last year’s stats and adventures, so I can plan for what I didn’t do this year. That isn’t really a long time to wait.
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If we weren’t all the same, we would not be here and trying to add to both our knowledge and to maybe contribute to someone else’s.
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I have only tried one on and the guy seemed to want it very large for clothing underneath but the main problem was the neck band. I have this weird thing where if my carotids are pressed I sort of “vagal down” and feel faint.
Even the back zip wetsuits can do it if they are too tight. I was always alert to it when freediving because my heart rate gets very low (which can be normal) but it’s good to be aware of if it keeps dropping.
(40s)
I suspect it’s some form of congenital dysautonomia.
Then of course the other issue is we have hot days where we want to swim and be “in” the water and sitting around on the beaches even though the water is very cold. We’ll be swimming with the dog and I can’t quite picture how that works. Would I be wearing it while eating lunch?
I’m shopping for one for this winter because I’m motivated to do some winter photography.
I need to find one with a comfortable neck. The one I tried I really hated! In fact I didn’t even finish putting it on as it made me feel so constricted and unhappy. It was an XXL!!! My neck is not abnormally big and the guy kept saying “oh it will loosen up”
My greatest love is nature; I love being outdoors. Feeling the closeness to the water in a kayak is a magical experience, especially when the water is perfectly calm. I’ve been doing a lot of 360-degree photography attached to my kayak lately and then posting it on Google Maps. It’s become like an addiction to explore places that people rarely visit, and being there and sharing the pictures brings me a lot of joy.
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