Wild Turkey Paddlers

Doug

WOW!, thanks for the great showing of Wild Turkeys last night. It sure is fun to play with a bunch of kayakers bopping around. A number of people commented on how many cars with kayak racks were parked outside the joint. The band appreciates all of your support. Can we play at the Wild Turkey Paddle...

Doug

Johnny Smoke, aka Dr. Smoke, aka The Smokester, aka the Smoke Doctor and aka the Doctor Knows His Business. A composite boat! I can see a whole shift of British Kayak makers going back to the pub for another round. So many rocks, so little fiberglass. That's awsome John, did it come with a snorkel, ...

Doug

Kate, unbelievable, what a great report and photos. It had to have been a very special trip, thanks for sharing.

Doug

Hello Hans, the NSRWA does co-host an annual Waterwatch lecture series during the winter. Over the years we have had speakers that shared their adventures. We had Jay O'callahan tell the story of Dick Wheeler's trip for our annual meeting a number of years ago. Dick was there to comment and answer q...

Doug

Howdy Chip, I sent Pat a photo to post to accompany this reply. I really enjoy the Swift paddles I own. The Ultrawind is a stick, the Windswift a little more practical and user friendly for bracing and rolling. I find with Swift breakdown paddles, the ferrule will wear down so the shaft gets a littl...

Doug

Dick Wheeler's story is pretty amazing and he still races in the Blackburn Challenge, he's been involved with wildlife preservation and advocacy for years, recently as director of the Cape Cod Museum of Natural History. Ben has been a life long advocate as well, he and his wife Jill have contributed...

Doug

Nelson, you old grizzled salt of the Sea, now you can hide your own Easter eggs. Happy Birthday!

Doug

Hi gang, greetings from the Land of the Midnight Sun, there is some good advice being distributed here. I'm probably the least helpful person when it comes to recommending a boat. I haven't paddled a boat yet that I haven't enjoyed in some capacity. I will echo an opinion I've posted before, people'...

Doug

Mark, greetings from the Land of the Midnight Sun, we just had a big gathering of folks that work at the branch, you would recognize a number of them from your trip a few summers ago. I'm glad the paddler who dislocated their shoulder is all right. It doesn't take much pressure to pop a shoulder out...

Doug

Turkeys Rule! Thanks to all who helped with the race yesterday. Turkeys on safety patrol included Nelson, Ron, Bea, Jordan and Chip. Pat, who continues to impress me with his selfless generousity helped shuttle folks. A number of turkeys raced in good style, Skip's boat was perfect. The NSRWA is gra...

Doug

Boy, not only did the Brits invent sea-kayaking,(according to some of them, ignoring centuries of history) they are now claiming another rescue. For paddling such heavy boats, the Brits sure do capsize a lot. Think of it, some of their boats have a self contained pump built in. No, just a little fri...

Doug

Pat!, can you say mothership? Think of it, one hand one the outboard, the distinctive clinking of glass bottles coming from the coolers as the boat gently rides along the gentle waves. Your cargo includes a charcoal grill, shrimp and steaks, fresh fruit, corn on the cob, camping gear and 15 year old...

Doug

I entered the digital age kicking and screaming, cursing that it is near imposible to find replacement bulbs for slide projectors never mind a decent kerosene lamp for shadow puppets. Lately I've been impressed with the quality of a digital image, Steve, Nelson and Ron's photos in particular sold me...

Doug

I agree rolling is fun and a good confidence builder. My experience with students is different than what Kate describes, I find students are most comfortable when they have had lots of real life experience with understanding seastate, weather, judgment and solid decision making. A confidence level t...

Doug

Hi Steve, cue up the calliope music, there's another circus in town. Looks great, looks like a fine place to have some of your special blend (coffee that is) or for sipping scotch.

Doug

Excellent points Mark.

Doug

All right it worked. Yeah, one could argue (and I will) rolling a sea kayak is a fun skill builder and a tool you can try if you failed at more basic and important sea kayaking skills, like either a reliable brace or solid desicion making skills. Over the years I have cringed to see so many folks mu...

Doug

Yeah, I'm having problems posting and receiving messages on this site. Joyce, I could not access your message. I also tried posting a long winded diatrabe about rolling and its false sense of skill level, if this goes through, I'll try again and maybe sound a little less pompous.

Doug

Howdy Steve, the prints are from a black bear, I'm searching my archives for brown bear prints. The Sound has a very healthy black bear population, we see evidence of bear no matter where we camp or hike. There is a fair number of brown bear in the Sound but, they are restricted to a few locations, ...

Doug

Thanks Todd, start saving pennies for the Wild Turkey Paddlers trip there in a few years, it is a fun place to paddle and well within the capabilities of the Turkeys. Johnny (Dr. Smoke) is in Alaska as we speak and pouring another bee.... I mean pouring over the charts. I'm afraid we might have to k...

Doug

Chip, is this trip still on? I would like to join you. - Doug

Doug

Johnny Smoke, that is a good deal and the battery tray is worth it. On a 30 day trip, I'll listen to the weather a few times a day and maybe make a few calls to other ships and I never run out of power. Leaving the squelch function on high should alert you if the radio was turned on accidently. The ...

Doug

Dr. Smoke will be working in Alaska this summer. A job well done. No doubt John will be a great instructor. My camera took on a little too much salt water on this one, so I only have a few photos. John and I will post some other's, with their permission, soon.

Doug

Craig, I'm with you on all of your points, sound advice. Adam, yeah, I wouldn't start to pretend to know what some of that cryptic communication is all about. Most of my communications would go something like this; "securite, securite, securite, all boats traveling in turkey passage, be advised, we ...

Doug

Rotation, rotation, rotation. Chip solid technique would get you there, endurance would play into it but, this is one you want to approach as the turtle and not the rabbit. One thing I constantly have to work on is concentrating to keep up with the P.E.R.L.Z. picture perfect posture, extended entry ...

Doug

Greetings from Washington state, where it is warmer but wetter. Nelson, you could paddle circles around us as we paddled fifty, a little trail food and a bottle of ale dingling just in front of you and we would ride your wake.

Doug

Jordan, if you can wait till late August or early September I would love to join you on the 50. - Doug

Doug

So Craig, are you suggesting people who's first boat might be a sunfish or Boston Whaler or say a jet ski have a more innate understanding of these things? Or they understand the science involved? My observation is that, though there are plenty of exceptions, out of all the type of boaters out there...

Doug

Adam, another great posting, you are a great resource for this site, you and Mark, among others, have your eyes and ears open for lots of practical info, thanks. On our courses we often experiment with trying to be seen, we try the folding reflectors, opening several golf umbrellas, we've even tried...

Doug

Adam, one way I've seen "others" circumvent the no on land usage of VHF radios is, while practicing, just stand inside the cockpit of your kayak, whether you are giving your class in your living room or yard, that way, you are technically broadcasting from your vessel.

Doug

Do you think we can buy them in bulk and get Ron to insribe the WTP logo on them? Maybe Nelson could hand them out as peace offerings to the authorities he seems to run up against.

Doug

Thanks to everybody who attended last night AND for behaving yourselves. It was great to have so many WTPs there. Bea, a google search for temperate rain forest & Norway has so far brought just tidbits of information, basically saying small pockets can still be found along the coast. Maybe the S...

Doug

I'm headed with a bunch of friends for a PPB after the presentation, probably to Joe's American Bar and Grill, right on the corner of 53 and 123 (Main St.). They have a pretty good selection of draft beers. It is close to the Science Center and would keep any extra driving for folks coming from any ...

Doug

Brrrrrrrr. is right but, the wild turkeys didn't come this far without being smart. Let's throw on the wet-suits or dry-suits, stay real close to shore and practice our cold water rescue skills, when we paddle, we stay close together, in a tight pod, keep our wits about us and proceed with caution. ...

Doug

Ahh, towing. I agree with everything people have said. Mark is right again, good judgment is much better than towing. If you are towing somebody and need to roll, then its time to revisit decision making 101 and graciously receive a dope slap. (Disclaimer) practicing this skill, however, is a great ...

Doug

Hello all you paddlers, I'm giving a free presentation with stories and pictures from multiple expeditions along the central coast of British Columbia. The presentation is part of the 2007 Water Watch Series hosted by the NSRWA, Mass Audubon and the South Shore Science Center. My talk is on Wednesda...

Doug

Thanks for posting the photos Pat. I'm scanning slides to i-Photo and started with our Exhumas photos. I understand Bea, Karen, Joanne etc. are headed there soon and wanted to post these before they went. The Marshfield Recreation Trip we did a few years ago was great fun, very kayak friendly waters...

Doug

Todd, thanks so much for posting those lists, a very fun read. It's a list that obviously has developed over the years, tempered by reflection and experience. Here is a short reading from John Dowd, an accomplished west coast paddler. I was lucky enough to paddle with him for an afternoon in Baja Ca...

Doug

Did somebody say scotch?

Doug

Sarah and I went to Dan's talk last night, it's probably faster to paddle to Hull than it is to drive, but well worth the trip. Dan's new boat is a beauty, detatchable femurs are needed to get into it, but it has got to be a smooooth ride. Dan's love for the design and culture of the west Greenland ...

Wild Turkey Paddlers

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