independence day 2009

Happy birthday Israel, 61 years old.
Well we celebrated in the traditional way with a paddle in the morning and a BBQ in the afternoon. We dont need much of an excuse to drink beer and eat meat.

the changing sea

Today , and for the last few days, the sea has been like a still lake. You can see through the sparkling water to the sea bed, and as you glide along your reflection shimmers next to you. You almost don`t want to disturb the water with your paddle. This makes it hard to remember what it can be like when it storms and the waves build up. So here is a short collection of some of the different conditions that we have to paddle in, from glassy still water to churning stormy seas. We dont have that many miles of coastline but we have thousands of different conditions. Surely that must rate among the best in the world.

I must go down to the sea again

Well, after a long while I managed to go back to the sea,[ when I was growing up in South Africa, we lived far from the sea and I always wanted to live on the beach] but due to the changing weather it was a bit rough for our regular outing. Today I joined the boys in their playboats and challenged myself in the rough water. I also decided to use my Greenland paddle.

Usually in rough water I prefer a euro, but since Greg Stammer is coming to our symposium, I thought I`d better improve my greenland technique. I discovered a weakness on my left side, bracing and sculling in rough water with a stick takes some practice.On the whole it was an enjoyable day and now I will concentrate on the G stick in the surf as well.




My Petrel is also coming along pretty good, I have finished the stripping and now am ready to install the cockpit. Have done some rough sanding and the tones of the wood are starting to show. Looks like its going to be a nice boat.

The best in the world

If you speak to my dad about life in South Africa you will come away thinking that everything in that country is the absolute best The meat is the best in the world, the fruit and vegetables are the best in the world, the climate is the best in the world,the standard of living and the casinoes are also the best in the world.The game reserves[safari parks] are the best in the world.In fact most of the components there fit that description. Corruption in high places is the best in the world, the high crime rate is also the best in the world etc etc. I must admit, I did have a great time there and agree with him on that.And then I came across this notice in the newspaper......

So I guess they have the most highly developed sence of modesty too. I just wonder who is behind such follyFrom my experience it has to be some form of extreme religious zealousness of whatever cult, creed or religion. Thus starts the downward spiral.

Stay free

pesach 2009

Tonight Jews all over the world are celebrating Pesach, or Passover, remembering when we were slaves in Egypt and how we got our freedom.
So I take this time to wish all of you a Happy Pesach and may you be forever free.

down to the dead sea again

Today we went down to paddle on the Dead Sea together with the paddlers from Beit Daniel in Tel Aviv. There were about 30 of us, an impressive number of kayakers from any point of view, and we sure made on impression on the locals when we arrived and launched of the small beach. Good weather and flat seas made for a comfortable paddle and then we had lunch on a mud flat. Due to the receeding water the shore is very soft and muddy and there is a tendency to sink into the sticky stuff and loose your shoes if you are not careful. The water has an oily feel and appearance due to the high mineral content, and floating around on the water is a lot of fun. As you paddle along the shore line you get to see all kinds of life on the shores, this is a very popular vacation site, and people come from all over the world to enjoy the special minerals and water and the mud. There are your conservatives on the one hand and the nudists on the other, it all makes for an interesting paddle. Hadas has a visitor, a friend and fellow explorer, Peter Bray, who is here for a few days and will give a lecture on Thursday. Today he paddled with us and helped organise the games on shore, you can see them in the short video. We played around for a while and then made our way home .