and then hadas and barak went out too

Last weekend as captured by Zohar , Hadas and Barak went out to play in the surf. Dodging all the kite surfers made for an interesting afternoon.
I on the other hand was busy starting my new kayak

and getting the paddle blanks ready for the next Greenland Paddle carving day.

I have found that the strongest way is to laminate two pieces of Cedar onto a central piece of pine, this makes a nice light weight paddle and gives strength as the pine forms a very strong central core. I found that when I only used Cedar my paddle snapped in half. Maybe its because we don`t have that good a selection of wood to choose from.
Zohar, I was not sleeping as you can now see, I just don't feel the need to blog every day, but here`s you this morning silhouetted against the clouds and sun .

no one wants to play anymore

Mickey overslept and didnt get to the beach today, Ruby called in sick, that left Ohad , Zohar and Me.Zohar brought her camera but didnt get in the water and Ohad left early, so that left me .Its much more fun playing in the waves when you have company, theres lots of laughs and screams and help if you need it, as well as encouragement. So after a short while, after practcing some rolling in the rough water and getting a few good photos I packed it in too.The sea was very messy with a strong wind and waves breaking all over the show and it was hard work just to get out there. Zohar stayed on the beach and took some great photos. I love the sea and kayaking , maybe its bordering on obsession but seeing that Ohad is a psychologist I think I am in good company.

Look who came to play today

Photos by Hadas, camera: some kind of large canon with a big lens. Great surf. Need I say more?

back to the power plant

We went back to the power plant to play in the current and this time we got some rolling practice . Also did some rescue and a self rescue. Its all very well to practice rolling in flat water but the real challenge is to do it in rougher and more dramatic water . Luckily for us we have a perfect spot and the water is warm as it comes from the cooling of the power plant. Nice in winter but much too hot in summer.

Kayak building report:

Plans arrived yesterday,I cut them out and began to paste them on the forms, next comes the cutting and threading them on the strongback. Meanwhile I can order the wood and begin to organise my workspace. From now on my car will have to park out in the open as its space is donated to kayak building

changing weather

Today the weather changed while we were out, what started out as a nice day with flattish water soon changed to a rough sea with strong winds and lots of waves. A strong Southern wind came up , the sky misted over and the sun disappeared.We finished our outing just in time but then at 9.30 two late risers decided to go out .

As they were leaving the shore they disturbed a large flock of birds who were just sitting quietly on the water, minding their own business and not disturbing anyone.

After the kayaks had gone the birds came back and were diving and playing in the waves. It seems as though its not only us kayakers who enjoy the waves.

nothing new under the sun

There is a saying that everything that is has been and that there is nothing new. Or to put it another way energy cannot be created nor destroyed, only changed form one form to another. So it is with our regular outings. We dont have that many options, we can either go north, south or west. What does change however and makes the outings more interesting is the weather and the sea conditions. Take today for example. The wind was howling at many knots per hour, more than your usual comfort zone, so we decided to hug the shore on the northern leg. This gave us the oppertunity to paddle among the rocks and reefs , testing our steering skills and giving us a new insight into familiar scenery.Also the few of us who had Greenland paddlles could feel the difference and advantage of this paddle in adverse conditions. With such strong winds there is also the danger of an easy capsize and if you don`t hold onto your equipment it is gone with the wind in no time at all. So every trip is new even if you`ve done it many times before. All you need to do is change the conditions and then you have a brand new experience, oops did I say new?

you become what you think about

So what am I thinking about now, well its a new kayak.Its about time my itchy fingers began building again and I have just ordered the plans for a new kayak. This time it will be the Petrel from Guillemot . From what I have seen this looks like a great boat for rough water, which is just what I am looking for. Its always exciting to start a new project, there is a great feeling and lots of energy is generated, and there are endless possibilities. So thats what Im going to be thinking about for the next few months.
If there is anyone out there who has built and paddled a Petrel, I would be happy to hear your opinion of the kayak, and to see a picture too.


Today was another January birthday, It seems as though this month has the most birthdays in our club, I know of at least 6, and today was Rami`s turn . We celebrated with a great breakfast after the morning paddle. Hooray for all the Capricorns.


And so what are you thinking about?