lotuslander

Alouette Lake Revisited

2011-06-16T15:09:00.000-07:00

Ted and I decided to take a day trip on Alouette Lake and join our friends who were spending the weekend paddling the lake. This was my second time paddling Alouette... see a previous posting.
Just like the last time, Ted was very kind to offer me a ride to the put-in site in Golden Ears Provincial Park. After a bit over an hour of driving we arrived by the edge of the lake. As usual, setting up the boats and getting everything ready to paddle took a bit over an hour. Time does fly!

This time I took my bike's GPS unit to track our route.

...a straight forward to-and-from route.

Starting out...

Ted with his Wisper's narrow beam and Greenland paddle was keeping up a good pace. I managed to keep up with him with my Java.

A good southerly breeze of 8 to 12 knots kept us going forward without hesitations. I wonder if my boat speed would have greater with the use of a sail. ...maybe next year.

Conditions were quite different from last time. I enjoyed the tail wind.

The return trip will be a different story.

It took us just one and half hours to paddle the 9km to the Moyer Creek campsite; that's an average of about 6km/hr!

Steven, Janice and Michael arrived to the campground earlier in the day.

Shortly after our arrival, Michael came back from an exploration paddle. He was with his brand new sleek looking folding Pakboat XT-17.

Ted was really excited about the new kayak.

My teal Java in the foreground looked good too though.

After walking around the campsite I found Janice's beast.

The campsite.

We resisted offers of marshmallows for dinner to make us stay overnight.

A frigid looking Moyers Creek in the campground's backyard.

A "cool" underwater shot of the creek.

Michael got really excited trying Ted's seasock on the Pakboat. A seasock is an excellent safety feature in a folding kayak. It keeps most of the water out and the kayak's interior much cleaner.

He want one now. ...while an Helios is resting.

Getting ready for the return trip.

Returning wasn't quite as hard or long as expected - just two hours. Most of the time the winds stayed under 12 knots. We experimented feathering our paddles. 45 degrees works magic in reducing wind resistance on that airborne paddle blade.

Early evening sun coming through the clouds.

We are close to our destination.

Some interesting stats from my GPS. The first graph's boat speed clearly shows a much faster outgoing passage then the return, due mainly to a southerly wind. Also interesting is the elevation graph, with three little humps at the start, the end of the paddle and the middle when we stopped. The difference in elevation I thought would be negligible, but it was still picked up by my GPS.

Urban Paddling - May 29/2011

2011-05-03T16:29:00.000-07:00

One of the many good things about living in Vancouver is the proximity to the outdoors. False Creek is just a few minutes cycling from my office. I have paddled here several times before, and so far I still have not gotten tired of the different city views available from the water. A real urban paddling treat to enjoy from a kayak.

Taking advantage of the nice spring weather, on a sunny Friday afternoon I left the office early, way early. With my Safari in tow I cycled to Vanier Park. There are boat ramps, parking, the Coast Guard station and... water taps to wash your kayak after paddling. Unfortunately there was still a problem with the water supply, so no washing this time. But I found a water hose at the nearby False Creek Community Centre (another convenient put-in place).

First I pointed my bow offshore toward English Bay. Of course pictures of waves look a lot smaller than they really were. The breeze was about 12kn with about a 2' chop and a few whitecaps. Waves were often breaking over the Safari's deck. Trust me... my Safari was bouncing around like a little rubber duckling. But I felt quite safe with little chance of capsizing and the kayak's self-bailing bottom kept me floating high. Once I reached the red mark defining False Creek's entrance I decided to turn around to take advantage of a following sea. It was really fun being pushed by the waves. My GPS showed a max. speed of 8.5km/hr.!

Now paddling toward the Burrard Bridge to False Creek's protected waters.

Vanier Park is on the right. On the left and not visible, is Vancouver's WestEnd.

False Creek is home of a boathouse community. It would be nice...

Quite a few of these boathouses have a boat docked just outside their door.

These innocent looking stone steps lead to Feathercraft. The world renowned folding kayak manufacturer.

My Java was born in that building behind.

Another convenient put-in place.

The False Creek Community Centre floating dock c/w a H2O hose.

The FCCC is home of an active paddling racing club.

Continuing... spring is definitely in the air...

Urban paddling offers so many interesting views.

This building, the Erickson, is becoming a Vancouver icon.

This condo tower was built in honour of the famous architect Arthur Erickson.

We are approaching now the infamous Olympic Village with it's luxury condos subsidised by city taxpayers.

We are all in the hole for that. But that's another story.

I like the way these guys are hanging out. If I was a seagull I would be there too.

Of course humans know how to hang out sometimes too. Like this your couple on the rocks for instance.

Maybe I'll stick to humanity for now.

One of my favourite pictures. Parked in front of the Creekside Community Centre (another potential put-in place) with Science World in the background.

Urban paddling at its best!

These cormorants also know how to hang out in style.

Now paddling back towards Vanier Park.

I'm just under the Granville Bridge with the Burrard Bridge in the background.

Like it or not, this one of Vancouver most iconic symbols.

The Burrard Bridge was built in the 1930's in an Art Deco style.

Note the wind has died down completely. Now it would have been the right time to paddle out English Bay, it's getting close to dinner time. I'll save it for another time.

Alouette Lake - Easter Weekend 2011

2011-04-27T15:24:00.000-07:00

It was just a perfect day to paddle Alouette Lake. Ted and I decided to join Steven and Jim who were camping on the lake this Easter weekend. This would be my first real paddle with the new Feathercraft Java. I wouldn't be disappointed.

The red marking indicates Alouette Lake in relation to Vancouver. Just about an hour drive from town.
Assembling the Java went quite smoothly. It's easier and faster than putting my old Wisper ogether. It ought to be, being a sit-on-top kayak with an rudimentary frame without ribs. Assembly pictures can be seen on an earlier blog.

We put-in at the boat launch site located at the lake's south end.

After setting up we padded north pushed by a pleasant southerly of about 5 knots.

Ted had his FC Wisper XP. What a slick kayak that is!
Then about one third of the way up the lake, the wind died completely. These idyllic conditions remained for the rest of the day!

Another view of the glassy calm water lake surrounded by white capped mountains.

After a 10km paddle in one and half hours we were met by Steven on his Sunny.
Their camping spot was just a few paddle strokes away.

Our Feathercrafts, and their crew, are now resting. This was a good landing spot, with a few flat tent pads up from the beach.

From the beach we walked across a "log bridge" to see what was on the other side...

...and there it was: a lush mossy forest.

Walking back on the bridge. Watch your step!

Our kayaks look like they are ready to take us back.

The Java and Wisper side-by-side.

Notice Ted's new Greenland paddle.

Again, heavenly conditions.

On the back deck I'm carrying the Safari waterproof backpack.

No words needed.

By the way I'm dressed it might seem the air was cold. It actually felt quite warm under the spring sun.

Another cool shot.

Since we made good time paddling back from the campground, we took Steven's suggestion to explore Gold Creek. It's a short half km paddle to the watefalls.

The creek's entrance can be seen right above my paddle blade.

We are now in shallow water approaching the creek's entrance.

After a short distance we reached the end of calm waters.

It was fun getting pushed back the creek's current.

On the way out. Cristal clear water. It would be fun to practice skinny dipping here in the summer.

After leaving Gold Creek we paddled about another 4km back to the start.

Alouette Lake is an excellent paddle destination early and late in the season. Apparently during the summer the lake is overrun by powerboats filled with beer drinking youth... a place to avoid.

A good start to this year's paddling season!

June 2010 Evening Paddle with SKABC

2011-03-22T12:58:00.000-07:00

On a cool June late afternoon last year I met with some of the kayak club members for a little paddle off Jericho Sailing Centre beach.
As usual I towed my little Safari inflatable behind my bike.

The rig

Everything is unloaded and ready for assembly.

...unroll the Safari

The trick is to inflated the seat and footrest first.

Then the bottom and finally the side chambers.

Too bad there's any picture of me paddling.

This one, with one of the guys would have to do.

Here's one of my favourite photos. An inflatable enjoying some quality time with the big guys.

Another cool picture with Jericho in the background.

We are putting the kayaks in the to have a little fun. A one-paddle race to a buoy and back.

One-paddle kayaking isn't as easy as it seems.

Going on a straight line can be a challenge.

Some of the other paddlers are now ready to head back.

My new Feathercraft Java First Paddle

2011-03-08T15:21:00.000-08:00

We finally had a half decent weekend without rain, snow, etc... Time for a long awaited launch.

They promised sunny skies with a high of 8C. It turned out to be a hazy sun with barely 7 degrees for a high. Better than snow anyway.

BTW, please don't mind this mini post lack detail and pics... more will follow.

Of course like most folding or inflatable kayaks, it's quite easy to tow the whole thing behind your bike, or at least my bike. The trailer shown is a Burley Flatbed I purchased from the Bike Doctor in Vancouver. I usually go to my paddling sites this way... kayak in tow and four panniers. Of course if there's easy transit access, then I opt to take my kayak on the bus. But that's another story.

Put-in place is a floating dock belonging to the False Creek Community Centre. It is actually located very close to the Feathercraft factory.

Set-up was straight forward. I have been through this a few times in my living room.

...and here she is. It's still not a 10 minute assembly time like FC claims, more like 30 minutes for now. With practice, I will be happy to cut it in half to about 15. In comparison, the Wisper took about 40 minutes with practice and the Safari just about 10 minutes.

Off I go! Strangely, at first I felt very unstable. But that's probably because during the winter I lost my kayak legs. Back in September I test paddled the Java, it actually felt more stable than my Safari.

This somewhat blurry photo doesn't really show I was actually slip-sliding all other the place. Then I realized I forgot to deploy the skeg. Now I know how the Java paddles without it.

Back to the dock to catch my breath. I wasn't sure how difficult it would be to lower that skeg. I heard complaints of this being a problem. But no, no problem. A good firm pull on the line and I felt the skeg go down. Now I'm really ready to go.

The afternoon is well advanced, I will just have time for a short paddle.

Alright, this was a pathetically short ride. I barely made it to False Creek's entrance on the way out to English Bay. A total of 3.5km round trip. A strong current, lack of time and... hunger made me turn back to the start. It was fun anyway and besides, it was my first paddle of the year!

My first time out was actually a success over all. I had a taste of how things work and feel. So far I'm quite happy, the Java is very comfortable and I'm sure I will have lots of fun with it.

Last summer when I test paddled a demo Java I was really impressed by it. I duplicated dumping and re-entries like I often do with the Safari, for fun. We all know when we do these practice things for fun is really to avoid future problems when it gets nasty out there.

Back at the dock I noticed how handsome this Java is. Just like all other Feathercraft products, design is first rate. I also love the colour. It was a toss between teal and red. Colour was probably the hardest decision I had to take. I kept changing my mind for this-or-that-very-good-reason. But then at the last moment, just before going into production, I settled on teal. I like it.

Feathercraft Java Sit-on-Top Kayak First Assembly

2011-03-07T16:09:00.000-08:00

After long deliberations, I finally decided to order a Feathercraft Java sit-on-top kayak.

Around early February I cycled to FC with my trailer in tow and took delivery of a brand new Java. It's mainly a single seat kayak configurable as a double to carry the occasional second paddler. A rudder can be added for double paddling and in following seas conditions where directional stability is often difficult to handle on a kayak, or any boat.

For a few weeks my living room was my paddling playground. Winter this year proved to be longer and harder than usual. So I would have to wait for spring.

Java in a bag. Where it all starts

...out of the bag

Just add air and there it is. Not as simple as that, however assembly wasn't too bad for the first time. It took about a half hour. Hopefully assembly will speed up with practice. Now it's a two seater, but would normally be a single.

Cool view of the aft paddler seat

Your typical Feathercraft rudder. Cool and functional.

The rudder isn't generally necessary unless the Java is paddled as a double. The built-in skeg should be sufficient to guarantee straight tracking in normal flat-ish water conditions.

Storage is secured under these "nets" located towards the bow and stern. This system will make loading and unloading of bags much easier than with a regular "decked" kayak with hatches.

Last but not least the paddlers "cockpit". Note those footrests and thigh straps for balance.

Paddling Day from Deep Cove

2010-08-26T16:28:00.000-07:00

August 22nd I joined the Vancouver kayak Meetup group for a day of paddling out of Deep Cove.
We were a total of 7 boats. Four hardshells and three inflatable kayaks.

This was my first time out with the Meetup group in a couple of years. The conditions were excellent, with just a light breeze in the beginning and good breeze on the way back, just enough to provide some fun paddling.

Steven demonstrating how user friendly inflatables are.

All here?

We knew we were safe from pirates. This battleship acted as our escort.

From Deep Cove we crossed Indian Arm to Racoon Island.

Underway.

In Indian Arm paddling towards Racoon Island.

At Racoon Island.

Steven. The nice view is the other way! Steven is on his, aged but still going strong, Innova Sunny.

My Safari is the foreground. Note the shiny skin.

Loops watches the photographers at work.

Couldn't really get any closer without having to walk.

Janice, the battleship's captain, and her deckhand.

Off we go again towards Twin Islands.

Ted is paddling his own "aged but still going strong" Innova double Helios. Janice's niece is at the controls.

At Twin Islands we quickly got off our kayaks to take them ashore.

Norm is looking for that fish he thought he caught.

My Safari resting besides Loops' hardshell.

Loop's kayak, at 9' something, was even shorter than mine.

Birdseye view from above of others kayaker getting ashore.

Twin Islands are connected during low tide. The north island has camping spot too. ...will have to make a little overnight trip sometime.

Our boats peacefully at rest.

The gang enjoying lunch... with a view.

With the raising tide, the islands are no longer connected.

Jim getting ready to step aboard...

...carefully stepping aboard.

Steven and Norm are ready for the return paddle...

...while I get closer to those rocks...

...so close to the barnacles too. Just don't step on those things with your bare feet!

Now, where's that carabiner I thought I lost?

All set for the return trip. But first...

...we decided to circumnavigate the Twin Islands.

Norm greets the locals.

After Twin Islands we headed back to Deep Cove. We paddled against a headwind and some wave action, but it wasn't too bad. We all made it safely back to shore. All in all we paddled at least 6 nautical miles.

Enjoying apres paddle donuts. What's Steven smoking anyway?

And now just some of the protagonists:
(photo contributors: Jim, Steven and Loons)

Norm, smartly wearing his drysuit.

Loops, smartly with his feet up in the air.

Steven. Always ready, smartly.

Janice. Smartly looking confident.

Ted and Chelsey. Hey, this is fun!

...and me on my Safari.

English Bay Summer Paddle

2010-08-16T10:46:00.000-07:00

Saturday was one of those perfect lazy summer days. Ted posted an idea on the kayak Meetup to paddle English Bay for a few hours of quality water time. He would be bringing his new Feathercraft Wisper XP.
We meat at Vanier Park's boat launch; then paddled to Jericho beach for a deserved break. At Jericho I practiced some solo re-entries. I quite surprised to find the water fairly chilly... good thing I was wearing my wetsuit. After Jericho we made a b-line towards Second beach in Stanley Park. The crossing was fun and the paddling easy. After paddling over 6nm we eventually returned to Vanier Park. That was good day.

My Safari is almost ready to go while Wilt is putting the finishing touches on his Cooper.

Ted shows up with his brand new yellow Wisper. Hey, I thought it was supposed to be a folder!

Yes, that upswept Wisper bow makes for a fine water entry.

Wilt and Ted paddling way in near perfect conditions. A bit later the wind picked up to about 15 knots giving us a fun bumpy ride. But that didn't last long. Note those two guys not using a sprayskirt. Risky!

...towards Jericho for a deserved break... and a few refreshing dips.

Note the inflation pump, and H2O bottle, strapped down at the bow. When it got rough the inflation pump filled with water, I found later. Next time said pump will go in a drybag.

Innova Safari Inflatable Kayak First Paddle

2010-06-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Finally, after many delays I managed to take my new inflatable kayak Innova Safari out for a paddle. A good place to put-in is Vanier Park by the Coast Guard station and the entrance of False Creek in Vancouver.

Putting together the boat was a real snap. The red hull is first unrolled on the ground; then the skeg is mounted under the stern; after the seat and footrest are to be inflated first, then the bottom chamber and sides last. All this is done with a foot pump. Getting myself ready with all the proper paddling clothes, etc. - one needs to be dressed for immersion around here - took longer than preparing the kayak.

But first, an introductory photo

These photos of the Safari being assembled were taken during a paddle at a later date. This explains the different scenery.

The rig.

Out of the bag.

The seat and footrest are inflated first. The bottom next; then the two sides.

Finally ready.

Carrying the boat to the water is really easy. It weighs just little over 10kg.

Getting into the kayak... no problem. Oops, wide angle lens shot.

So far, so good. This kayak is so small at 10' LOA compared to the Wisper!

Stability for now feels similar to my FC Wisper. It tends to weathercock a bit with each paddle stroke. I'm sure that with practice I'll learn to compensate for it. Boat speed isn't bad either, not as fast as the Wisper though.

It's nice to be in an open boat. No cramped feeling.

This is really fun. Look mom, paddling with my eyes closed!!

The Safari "turns on a dine". Notice the wake.

Then off towards Vancouver's skyline. BTW, that's the first blue sky in weeks.

A view of the cockpit. The footrest needs to come closer.

All together I paddled around False Creek for about an hour. The Safari is really fun; stability is comparable to the Wisper but even with the skeg weathercocking is noticeable. Like anything new, it will take a bit of getting used to.

Overall the Safari is a pleasure to paddle. My leg still tried to fall asleep, but being an open boat I was able to stretch and hang the leg out for a while to get the circulation going. This isn't possible on the Wisper.

For a first paddle I was really impressed with the little Safari. Next outing I will start practicing self-rescues. They say there's no need for a paddle float. One just straddles the kayak and climb back on board. We'll see... I'll bring it just in case it's needed.