Newfoundland Kayakoholic: 2013: Post 35 – A damaged car, a GP started, and a Sunday paddle

Sunday, July 21, 2013

2013: Post 35 – A damaged car, a GP started, and a Sunday paddle

I missed the Thursday get-together last week. Someone ran into my car and rendered it undriveable on Tuesday!!! It was towed away and is awaiting surgery and the rental I got does not have a roof rack!!! The lady over the phone explained that "rentals do not have hitches or roof racks as the transport of things are not allowed..." Oy vey!! North Cape Jenny is not a thing!!! Okay, she is really, but not to me. I explained to the young lady that I was a kayakoholic but she had no sympathy for me... Well, no matter. I had a bit of a cold during the latter part of last week anyway, but probably would have still went on Thursday, irregardless - I know, that word has two negative parts 'ir-' and '-less'... but it's a funny word and I do like it.

So on Thursday evening I started gluing together strips of wood to make another Greenland paddle. I have made solid SPF Greenland paddles, and laminated SPF/cedar combinations, but have not made any that were all cedar. So this time I decided that I'll make one using all cedar wood.

I had picked up a piece of 2x6 x 10 ft long cedar earlier this spring and the darn thing warped a little on me while it was in the basement. I prefer to do my laminated paddles by cutting full length pieces by the width of the loom and glue the pieces, and then glue on shorter pieces on the ends to make up the blades (if you go to this post you will see what I mean in the first picture...). That way I can avoid having to cut out the loom.

I ran the warped 2x6 through the table saw to get two pieces to make up the full length piece, reversed the pieces such that the curves would counteract one another, glued and clamped these pieces, and let it dry overnight. It worked out pretty well, at least to my older (but not yet 'old') eye it looked fairly straight. I glued the blade pieces on over the next couple days and took the last of the clamps off this morning before I went for a Sunday paddle....

Tony offered to come to town to pick me up but I am kind of on Gary's way and he was kind enough to pick me up this morning. It is always appreciated when paddling buddies help me out when I do not have access to my car for transporting my kayak...

There was supposed to be some wind today (SW 30 km, gusting to 48) but it never did materialize to the extent the forecast called for. So Tony, Gary, Brian, and I had a nice little paddle from St. Philips to Topsail Beach. But wouldn't you know it... when I was putting on my gear at the put-in I realized my camera had been left at home! Tony had brought his but it would not turn on, and then when it did it would not work right. So between the two of us we had a picture-less paddle for the first time in a long while.

But fear not! Here's a pic of each of the guys from previous paddles....