AUTHOR’S NOTE: This column is intended to be funny, but I sneak some good information in as well.  

Spraydecks on Canoes		Kayak spray skirt		Tuilik

Q: What is the difference between a spray skirt and a spray deck?

A: They are the same thing.  A flexible, watertight cover for a boat (usually neoprene or nylon) with a hole or tunnel for the paddler’s torso is commonly called a spray deck in Europe, and is often called a spray skirt in North America.  This is the same device as an akuilisaq or tuiitsoq in Greenland, a cubrebañeras or falda de espray in Spain, a jupé in France, not to be confused with a tuilik, which is a whole parka-like garment that seals to the kayak’s combing.

Edge a canoe		Edging guide

Q: Why would you ever want to “edge” a canoe or kayak?

A1: It gets people’s attention – You can hear them saying; “Oh look, look, that guy’s about to tip over!”

A2: It makes the hull of your boat look different to the water. Setting and holding an edge creates a new hull shape for carving an arc, circle, or turn, making maneuvers easier, faster, and under more control.

For more detail on this, please refer to: umanitoba.ca/~burchil/pm_canoe/edging 

Variety

Q: How many kayaks and canoes does one person need, and why?

A1: No more than 2 (spouse’s ultimatum)

A2: Minimum 5:
1. A long plastic one for ocean with shallow oyster beds
2. A long fiberglass or Kevlar lay-up for sea kayaking and long flatwater trips
3. A shorter plastic kayak with hatch for rapids and down-river camping
4. An open SOT or canoe for fishing and low-mileage flatwater trips (concerts, Champion Lake)
5. A 23-pound long kayak (SOT or SI) or canoe for racing

A3: Ideally the number depends on the places you want to go and the kind of kayaking you want to do, which could change over time. For example, I have had as few as one and as many as 7 kayaks at one time, and I used every one of them.

Cereals

Q: Which breakfast cereal is best for expedition trips, Captain Crunch Berries, Pop Tarts, Frosted Mini-Wheats, Honey Nut Cheerios, Fruit Loops, Rice Krispies, Apple Jacks, Corn pops, Raisin Bran or Frosted Flakes, and why?

A: Honey Nut Cheerios, because that’s the kind of cereal I like. This works especially well if you don’t like Honey Nut Cheerios, because then you can buy them and carry them and give them to me as I need them on our trip.

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IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT . . .
You should not mess with a paddler because we know places where no one will ever find your body.

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The author, Kent Walters