On the Beach

There was a time not so long ago when we were the only people on the beach, now it`s getting crowded. Our beach is a watersport beach, officially not for swimming and there is no lifeguard on duty, but it`s a magnet for catamarans, sailboats, windsurfers and kayakers.The best time is early morning, its not too hot yet and still not too crowded, but come a bit later and it gets very busy with almost no place to park a trolly.Looks like it`s going to be a hot busy summer.
Today I did the end pour of epoxy in the stern of the kayak, this mass of epoxy strengthens the end and allows a hole to be drilled for a carry handle, when its set I have to flip over and do the same in the bow end. there is light at the end of the tunnel, now I have to begin thinking of my next project............. anyone want a new kayak??
http://picasaweb.google.com/nseligster/ProgressReportForTheGreenlandNightHeron

nothing to do with kayaks

My neighbour Mark Yudel is a fantastic artist, he is a potter specializing in Raku pottery.He makes whimsical figurines, each one gets a name and hopefully gets to go to a nice home where it will be well taken care of.
Here is a short video of him doing a firing and you can go to his website if you want to see more of his great work. www.yudell.com

As for my kayakbuilding I am coming to the end, I have joined the two halves together and taped the outside seam today, next is to put in the foot rests and then a final coat of epoxy and lots of varnish. Launch date to be announced.

endless surfing

Saturday, perfect surfing again, nice long rides and clam seas, getting the best out of my Guillemot Play, and gave the camera to Ohad. Heres a nice small clip.
Next week our club goes to Alaska for a paddle , hope you guys all have a fantastic time there and come back with lots of good videos and photos to share with the rest of us
Bon Voyage

Iris`s new kayak

Today I had the oppertunity to try out Iris`s new kayak, please note that although there are many kayak manufacturers out there in the real world, we only get to see and use a very limited number here. The club uses the French Rotomod, and has Wilderness fiberglass kayaks for the instructors. There are a few individuals who have imported their own, eg Arele who has a Current Design Nomad, a very fast boat and quite long too, and my homemadekayaks.
So trying out a new kayak is quite a novel experience for us. Her kayak is a Vital, made by the French company Polyform, whose website is only in French and because I dont speak or read the language I cant understand their information . So what were my first impressions? Well initial stability is not very good and its a very tippy boast, definitely not for beginners. But then edging, and rolling become quite easy as the secondary stability is pretty good. Today the sea was flat and so no wave experience, just good tracking and it goes pretty fast too. I didn`t use the rudder but think it will be useful in windy conditions. the seating is a bit spartan and I felt that the seat should be a bit further back.Generally I enjoyed paddling it and think that once you get used to the boat it will be a great kayak for daily trips, fast and easy to manouver.
www.polyform.fr
Now on the homemadekayak front, I am just putting on the loops for the deck lines and bungee cords before joining the 2 halves together. I have made loops out of webbing that will be placed in slots cut out in the deck. This has the advantage of not having anything hard protruding on the deck to catch clothing or body parts when doing rescues. You can see the pictures here.
http://picasaweb.google.com/nseligster/ProgressReportForTheGreenlandNightHeron

I love playing in the surf

One of my favorite pastimes is seakayaking in the surf zone and surfing the waves. Feeling the power of the water as the waves pound you and try to capsize you, using all your skill to maintain balance and then rolling in the turbulent water when you go over makes for a fantastic experience.
Some days the surf is well ordered and you can ride the waves without any trouble, at other times the sea is a churning mess with waves coming from all directions. Some waves are dangerous dumpers, but its always a lot of fun whatever the conditions.I think that all sea kayakers should learn how to manage the surf, it gives you confidence, allows you to go out in most conditions and increases your safety factor. You definitely need to be able to roll if you want to enjoy the experience, but it can be a great learning tool too. I love it.

weekend action

Friday and Saturday outings were well attended, the number of kayakers just keeps on growing with newcomers joining the ranks all the time. You can actually see the sport growing on a weekly basis.If you dont own your own kayak you need to register for every outing and the list gets filled up very quickly. Its on a first come first served principle so you have to be on the ball if you want to paddle at all.
The water is warm, perfect for all learning experiences and playing in the waves.
On the building front, I have finished the cockpit and now just have to get the deck line loops ready, then put in the foot pedals and join the two halves together, There are a lot of little jobs that need to be done and they all take time, but the end is in sight.

Israel Independence Day BBQ

Well I discovered that I can`t grill meat, drink beer and take photos all at the same time, so I gave my camera to Rami Gill and asked him to be the photographer of the day, and this is what I found on my camera when I got home. Needless to say a great time was had by alll

independence day 2008

Only 60 years old, that`s not a lot of years for a country, but on the other hand they have been very active years.I guess when you live at the center of the world things look a bit different.Not to get too carried away, it`s hard not to get involved with all thats going on here, Holocaust memorial day, memorial day for all our fallen soldiers and then independence day all one on top of the other. Its amazing to see a whole country stop dead still in the middle of the day and take a moment to reflect on the past. The sirens go off and everything comes to a stop, drivers stop their cars and get out and stand silently, pedestrians stop walking , busses come to a halt and everybody freezes for a moments reflection. What a powerful moment it is.
And then its over and we all go back to our normal activities.
Today the sea was full of waves, on the charts it was about one meter, but out there in a kayak it felt a lot bigger. Thats what we love, nice big waves for surfing, let them come all summer long.
Tomorrow is Independence day, our Kayak club has an informal spontaneous BBQ on the beach, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISRAEL