TT Kayaking Club

“Ivygal, we have a 15 foot steel flexible steel cable lock down system (comes shorter but we have two or three, and have done as many as six I think), kayaks to lock up. It works great, we even can lock them up on top of the vehicle. Birch got it at Granger. That's a national chain I believe that sells to tradesmen (and the public). I'll see if I can find a link for you.

Here you go: http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/categories/security/locking-systems/cables-cable-locks-and-u-locks We have the master lock one with the ovalish yellow lock. It's very nice and not flimsy enough to cut through. and it's coated so it doesn't scratch up the car.
last edited: 5/09/07 7:14:47 AM”

“I just use a bike chain? But my kayak isn't fancy...

hahahha - Nimble and Sass! That's hilarious! She's great though and right around the corner from my house!

SuperTroll, did you kayak the Toxaway? Does it run into Jocassee or? Did you camp along it or? SOrry for ignorance...”

“That's not what I had seen before but if it works....

I can't tell how that would attach or wrap around a kayak. I guess if it's wrapped around a kayak tight enough one couldn't just slip if off. Is that the whole idea of it?? I need pictures of them in use!!!!”

“We lace it through the molded plastic of the cockpits (behind the seats). You should probably take a peak and see if you can do the same type of thing before buying.”

“Ok, I have to show it just one more time. My new baby :-D

http://bellcanoe.com/products/canoes/northstar.html

But black with wood trim. The kevlar blackgold heheheheheheheeee

I guess this is why I work so friggin hard. Maiden voyage, the South Kettle Moraine challenge 12 hour adventure race in Wisconsin. May 19th”

“Dhutch, sweet new boat!! I am sure it'll handle better than the old red beast you borrowed years back. Enjoy it,looks fast and fun. Good luck at the race!”

“And does not require water bottle cap and ducttape engineering due to paddling into rocks.....yet. lol That is still the BEST/worst paddle ever. Something to do with a thunderstorm at night though and hot pizza!

Wish you were racing it with me birch!”

“Gorgeous canoe Dhutch!”

“purty boat hutchie”

“Congrats! Have fun!”

“I was long overdue to float the Brazos River below Possum Kingdom Lake. I planned to paddle from Possum Kingdom to Mineral Wells in two days to refresh my memory and check out current conditions. The water was up. I prefer it down because that opens up more gravel bars for picnicking and camping, and I don’t mind paddling 19 miles in a day without a current. Besides, that’s what I’m used to with this river – long stagnant pools punctuated by places where you have to get out and drag your boat.

But the water roared beneath the bridge where I put in. It was a little intimidating. A guy named Wayne showed up with a kayak and said he was glad he wasn’t the only one crazy enough to put in that morning. I asked him if he minded company, and he said he’d appreciate it. We shoved off and, once we were on the water, we could see that the water wasn’t moving that fast and wasn’t all that high. It reminded me of the Current River in Missouri – clear, cold and moving at a steady rate. We paddled lazily, experiencing some quicker water just past Garland Bend and at Ioni Creek, but nothing that would qualify as “whitewater.” The larger gravel bars still had plenty of room for a group to camp. The deeper water covered the shallow spots and obstacles normally encountered, and the current made short work of the 19 miles that usually takes two days in a canoe.

By mid-afternoon we were taking a break discussing camping spots, most of the way done with the first leg. We were informed, first by two kayakers, and then by three uniformed Brazos River Authority fellows in a really loud air boat, that they were opening a flood gate at the dam and the water was going to rise. We paddled on and got out at Rochelle’s Campground by the Dark Valley Bridge. Rochelle’s has the monopoly on canoe & kayak rental on this part of the Brazos. It’s run by the Texas equivalent of hillbillies, who are good-hearted folk and know the river better than anyone. They said all their lower campsites would be under water and that they were not renting any canoes the next day because too many would end up in trees. We paid to stay on their upper level, and bought a 12-pack of beer under the table, for which they loaned us an Omaha Steaks ice chest. Once we set up camp, in an un-mowed spot beneath some trees, we watched as the water covered the camping spots by the river, and the current picked up speed and carried trash and logs downstream.

In the morning it was a little scary to see how fast the river was moving. I asked Wayne if he thought it was smart to paddle on down. He laughed and said, “You’re tough,” and that he'd canoed it higher than that. So we had a post-breakfast beer and paddled down the road to the lower camp sites, which served as an on-ramp into the main stream. Gage data shows it had risen about 7' since yesterday. Once in the river, it was an easy paddle. The river moved us along at ~6 mph. There was no having to guess which stream to take around the islands - we just rode over the top! There were no rapids, just a wide river moving quickly. All we had to do was keep out of the trees. We traveled 19 miles to Mineral Wells in 5 hours, including a long lunch break. It was the easiest 38 miles I’ve paddled.”

“I use this to both lock down my kayak on it's trailor and when I've had it beached near boat launching sites not viewable from my campsite...

http://www.tieyak.com/”

“Want to circumnavigate Lake Winnebago by kayak? We could meet at my place on the East shore (Deadwood Point), paddle out 1/4 mile, and work our way around.

It's just over 60 miles... about the same as crossing lake Michigan except you are never more than 1/4 mile from shore.

What say you?



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Winnebago”

“when?

Sounds really fun, I would definitely try to make it.
last edited: 5/19/07 7:20:27 PM”

“No preference. August is JMT month so July or September.

It would be a lot of fun. There are a lot of boat launches around the lake where we could pull out to take a break, use the bathroom, eat, etc. It would be good training and a great way to get a feel for what a longer paddle on the open water would feel like.

Alternately we could just start at Fond du Lac harbor, paddle from the south end to the north end (30 miles) then paddle South along the East edge of the lake to my cottage. That would be almost 60 miles and have more of an "open water" feel than paddling just off the shore. It's a heavily trafficked lake and cell phone coverage is excellent. I know the place well so it would be very safe.”

“just getting in to yakin' and would like a simple beginner's gear list, if anyone has any suggestions.

thanks :)”

“Kayak Gear List:

Bilge pump
Blige sponge
Sponge
Chair/Stool
Cockpit cover
Cookset
Deck compass
Dry bags
Extra coil of line, 50', w Carabiner
First-aid kit
Food
GPS
Hand compass
Hat
Knife
Lantern
Lip balm
Moist towelettes
Paddle float
Paddle leash
PFD
Repair kit
Rescue sling
River knife (Gerber Shorty)
Safety whistle
Soft Cooler
Smoke Flare (daytime signal)
Spare clothes
Spare paddle
Sprayskirt
Strobe light (night signal)
Sunscreen
Stove and Fuel
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Toilet Paper
Towline
Trash bags
Waterproof VHF radio + Extra battery pack
Waste container
Watch
Water bottles
Waterproof flashlight w batteries
Waterproof Map Case
Waterproof matches
Tent, MSR Hubba
Stove, White Gas
Coffee Pot (2 cup)
Mug
Spoon, spatula, scrubbie
Sleeping bag, 45 degrees
Sleeping pad, Thermarest
Matches
Aquamira (backup)
6 liters of water in jugs
Camping ditty bag
Extra clothes
Hat
Map in waterproof bag
Pillow
Sitting pad

Repair Kit (all in Nalgene bottle):

Bailing Wire
Cable Ties
Cord
Cotter Pins
Epoxy Putty
Duct Tape
Wire Saw
Razor Blade
Bungee Cords
Multi-tool
Lighter
Nails
Nuts and Bolts
Packaged in Nalgene Bottle
Pliers
Replacement Bolts
Twist Ties
Sandpaper
Wood Screws
Screwdrivers
Silicone
Tape Measure
Small Vise Grip
Spare Plastic Bags
Painters Tarp
last edited: 5/19/07 11:55:19 PM”

“That is an excellent list, Jimmy san...I am impressed since much of it was in aphabetical order:) I also always have a fishing pole, small tackle bag and collapsable folding fishing net.

My father always corrected me when I refered to maps saying they are charts, not maps....

When I did my 7 day solo trip in Voyageur's National Park I had a Horizon VHF FM Marine Radio with me...hardly necessary for most adventures but really useful for weather reports...”

“July sounds best to me Mister Jimmy. Sept is getting full already !?

I'd be cool with either route.”

“Yes mata, my VHF radio gets the NOAA channels and I use this feature more than the radio itself. It's one of those pieces of gear you would rather have and not need than need and not have.

The list is in near alphabetical order because it comes from an Excel spreadsheet.

I go ultralight when I hike but all the gloves come off with the boat. Even with all this stuff I hadly fill the bulkheads. The boat has a lot of space in it.

The fishing gear is a good idea, esp on river trips. That said, birch seems to do better trading/bartering than actually fishing so I may take a lesson from his book here.... ;)”

“thanks... MUCH appreciated!”

“My new Betsie Bay Inuit kayak paddle arrived today... carbon fiber/wood composite. It's a work of art... a highly functional work of art. I can't wait to get it out on the lake this weekend!”

“I am still excited and have found a new place to go!!! I went with a friend to Lake Ooleya (I think that is how you spell it) It is the lake off of Hwy 11 at the Table Rock Visitor Center. I've visited the center several times but had no idea that the lake was as bit as it is!!! We arrived at 8:30 and there were already som folks fishing from john boats but the lake was so quiet and calm. The sky was overcast most all morning so the temps were PERFECT!! We covered the entire lake and saw some cool water birds. I got some good tips on paddling as well. I CAN'T WAIT to get out again.

It is only 45 minutes from home so I can see me going there again soon!!!

Sass...I loved my PFD...I didn't even realize I had it on. I'll keep you up to date and let you know if I continue to still enjoy it!

Hope everyone else had a good weekend!!!
last edited: 6/04/07 10:16:20 AM”

“Kewl Beans”

“Awesome! Thanks for the review Crazygurl.

Birch and I are planning a date on Friday. He asked me where I wanted to go and my immediate reply was KAYAKING! We haven't had our boats in the water yet this year. Home improvements have taken precedent for once. I feel sad every time I see my pretty yellow boat hanging in the barn. He agreed and thinks we should hit the water and stay out until dark. =) I'm just hoping for nice weather and some time out there, maybe followed up with some good barbecue. Can't wait!”

“We floated the BUffalo River last weekend. Even though the water was a little low, we had a wonderfull time! Great to get out with the whole family!”

“Yesterday Birch and I hit the waters of Kent lake about 4:10. Wind was steady at 20mph, with gusts up to 29 mph. The waters were warm but super choppy and there were some good sized rollers. At one point a gust just about put me over, but I managed to paddle brace in the nick of time.
We pretty much hugged the shoreline as much as possible and stuck behind islands when we could.
Highlights included the fifty or so swans, watching some Canada Geese get their butts kicked by said swans (remind me never to cross a swan), and getting to sit quietly (on the lea side of an island, thankfully) in our kayaks and watch a muskrat swim around us catching fish, for about ten minutes.
We were on the water for about two hours, much of which was spent fighting the wind. It was great to get out though, no matter what the weather. I'm whipped today, no two ways about it. The past five months of inactivity/healing have taken their toll on my stamina and strength. Time to build it back up again!!
Best date I've had in awhile. =)

Oh, BTW, Birch really dug the new crank shaft paddle, once he figured out what degree to feather it.
last edited: 6/09/07 11:44:23 AM”

“NC put his brand new kayak in the water last week. We took our kayaks and his pontoon (for Scott) to the Forestville Basin and tooled around for a bit.

Time to start planning our summer of paddling. The opportunities up here are endless.”

“If I do get this job (hope to find out this week) it will not start till Aug 1st. So that means I can do some more day kayak trips. heehaww baby!!!”

“The Red River is not a pretty river, but several of the local paddlers have made a tradition of an overnight float in the summer heat. I joined up for the first time last year and enjoyed the company. The water was more green than red, and very shallow in places. It was hot and we did a lot of swimming.

This year we’ve had more rain than usual, and a few weeks ago the river was 9 feet above normal. But last week it had dropped back down so we knew there would be some nice sand bars for camping. A low pressure system had parked over Texas and I drove through heavy rain the morning of the trip, but emerged on the north side of the storm before arriving. The weather was cool and overcast and we were thankful as we launched. The water moved pretty well. Some in the long skinny kayaks paddled hard and got to the camp site by 3:30. I hung back in my wide SOT with the less ambitious and had a few beers, enjoying the scenery of this unscenic river.

The sand bar where we camped looked nothing like it had the year before. The high water had built it up and scoured away much of the brush that had been there. It was now a big, flat open spot for setting up tents maybe 6-8 feet above the water. There was a root wad with a washed out pit in the sand that we lit for a camp fire. I tried to keep feeding beers to the cute adventure racer girl. A light rain started in the evening and several of us huddled under a tarp by the fire while the rest went to bed early. Sticks on the shore showed the river was not rising.

I slept hard and didn’t notice the mosquitoes in my tent that feasted on my neck. I was woken in the wee hours by meth monkeys in an extremely loud truck. That’s a usual occurrence weekends on the Texas-Oklahoma border – at least they weren’t shooting guns. The group began crawling out of tents around 6:30 in the morning. We enjoyed a long lazy breakfast before it started raining about 8:30.

It sprinkled on us when we launched, but the rain got progressively harder until we got to the take-out around noon. It let up as we slipped and slid our boats up the muddy bank. We tried to stay out of the poison ivy, and I was glad I drive an old car as I threw my muddy gear in the back. I got to shuttle the adventure racer girl back to her car.

That night the area got over 4 inches of rain in a few hours. You may have seen the results on the news, where several people died in midnight floods in Gainesville, TX. The river rose 5 feet at the gage during the rain. I’m wondering what the sand bar where we’d camped the previous night looked like.”

“I have to toot my horn a bit and brag about the great day I had Saturday....I took Daisy Blue out myself to a lake that is more than 10 minutes from home! We had a blast. I was so pleased that I got her off and on the car without killing either of us!

Lake Adger is a nice little lake not far from Lake Lure / Chimney Rock area (if you are familiar with area) I could go on forever about what a great time I had but the high light of the trip was the HUGE doe that popped out of the reed in front of me! I had been taking a pic of the very willow she was laying under but couldn't see her for the grass...I took the camera down and she hopped up and trotted off. She thenn stopped about 30 ft away and we watched us for a few minutes...she snorted at me and went on. It was SOOO awesome!!!!”

“That's what it's all about, crazygurl.

I love kayaking.”

“I'm with ya on that one guys. I went on a four hour tour of the Island of Staten. WOW I also put my paddle in new waters for the first time. I will post pics and report soon..




SS Pottymouth takes on the Atlantic Ocean baby!!!”

“
My new friend CARG.

She's got some great gear.”

“i bet she does, i'll bet she does... say no more, say no more... nudge nudge, wink wink
last edited: 6/25/07 9:24:09 PM”

“a winks as good as a nudge to a blind bat.”

“I DARE YA.......

http://www.canoeing.org/”

“Listen, I can speak with authority on this....if your butt cheeks get sunburned it's no fun paddling a kayak or canoe for several days afterwards. Keep those clothes on or remember your sunscreen!!”

“how in the world does your butt cheeks get burned in a kayak?”

“It didn't, it got burned on the beach.”

“anyone own one of these Gear Guide Neoprene Wetsuits? Price is good just curious as to how they hold up

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=327961”

“That's a great price. They would hold up fine for me cause my hydroskin shorts are too warm around here.

I hope Elise isn't offended by maple's canoe club, although they appear to wear clothes most of the time and bring kids on their trips.”

“paddled 18 miles on lake winnebago today. explored two small islands. lots of birds and i saw a flock of pelicans... strange to see them on a wisconsin lake. beautiful day. the lake was very calm and i hauled a** back... power stroke the entire way! hehe.”

“I thought it would be interesting to paddle the local yesterday, since the dam upstream had 4 flood gates open, there were about a hundred trailer houses under water, and the BRA has closed the boat ramps. In a 1/2 mile wide section of the lake the current was flowing ~2 mph. Bridge abutments were pulling a wake. There were lots of huge logs and a couple of stray boats floating down (nothing small enough to put on top of the car though). There were a couple of fresh mudslides behind some fine homes. Also one fool out on a jetski - he was smart enough to stay out of the main part of the lake.”

“I can now officially join this club... just bought my yak on Friday!”

“going out today and going self-rescue drills. i should be battered and bruised by the end of the day. it's far more exhausting than paddling... ;)”

“enjoy Jimmy, the cowboy rescue is the easiest and fastest self rescue IMO. BTW I wont be able to do the lake paddle this year, my vac time will be doing my kitch and bath. Sorry man.”

“i can't do the cowboy with my boat... perhaps a skill issue... it's a fairly narrow boat and the cockpit is small. the process of getting my long legs into that cockpit always tips me over... add to that any chop on the lake and forget it.

no worries about the long-haul paddle. i presume you are still doing the august thing at nordhouse dunes? if my jmt trek gets killed (not looking good right now) then kat, the kids, and I are in for sure.
last edited: 7/01/07 1:44:42 PM”

“After carrying my kayak about 400 yards with the seat resting on my head, I decided there must be a more comfortable and neck-friendly way to portage. Anyone have experience with a good yoke either purchased or homemade?”