Conservation of Energy

Intense physical activity requires an incredible amount of effort. Stand-up paddling is no different. Both large and small muscle groups are involved in moving you and your board forward. With so much effort, the last thing you need is to waste any extra effort with unnecessary tension and movement. While you're paddling and training, focus on relaxing the muscles you may mistakenly tighten and tense. Whether your hands, feet, legs, or face, try to first pay attention to unnecessary tension and then let it go. Relax your grip, unlock those knees, and soften that brow. Save that energy for what you really want...forward movement. And remember to breathe.

Circumnavigation - Squaxin Island

If not for the wind, it would've been a relatively quick paddle around Squaxin Island. The open water crossing from Boston Harbor to Squaxin was a little hairy, in part because the current was still flooding through Dana Passage. Smooth water along Peale Passage until I reached Pickering Passage where it was whitecaps and 3 foot windwaves. I'd have taken photos but didn't dare stop. Fortunately, a kingfisher encouraged me along for a good stretch of this paddle. I'm pleased that I felt completely comfortable in those conditions, with both my abilities and my new board. I ultimatley found the lee to the wind as I exited Squaxin Passage and rounded Hunter Point, which was a relief to my tired shoulders and back. This wasn't my first circumnavigation of Squaxin, but it's one I won't soon forget.

Tucksel Point

Looking back over open water to Boston Harbor

Calm Peale Passage

Squaxin's Seafarm Cove

Abandoned Trailer - Reclaimed by Nature

Harstine Island Bridge over Pickering Passage

Squaxin's Salmon Point

Hope and Steamboat Islands

Potlatch Point with Hope Island to the right

Palela Bay

Almost back - clouds over Cooper Point and Eld Inlet

Words Can't Describe...

 And unfortunately my photos don't do the Canoe Journey any justice either. I'll need to some time to really think about and absorb the day, but here are some random photos from the paddle...

Soft Landing at Burfoot Park

Paddling Southward 

Thanks to the Tulalip escort who allowed me to surf in their wake

Freighter Leaving the Port amidst the Journey

More than 100 Rafted Canoes at Swantown

Canoes Arriving in Olympia 

Paddling South 

Brandee in Traditional Alutiiq Kuspuk at Burfoot

Audience and Landing at Swantown

WWJFD?

More specifically, What Would John Fairfax Do?

"After fifteen minutes of teasing one of the most dangerous animals on earth, he was confident the shark was beginning to show signs of a nervous breakdown."

Professional adventurer, open ocean rower, gambler, smuggler, pirate, and a whole lot more. Forget about that phony you may have seen in beer commercials referring to himself as 'the most interesting man in the world.' There's no way he would ever have come close to John Fairfax.  And even though he passed away this past February, his legend will live on. The question is, will it live on in you? Did he live a life that one should idealize or attempt to emulate? Probably not...

But adventure, whatever it is for any of us, whatever pushes beyond our routines and day-to-day comfort, is worth it for its own sake. To read more about Fairfax, the Ocean Rowing Society, and his Atlantic crossing, click here.

Yesterday

Downwind

Suquamish Canoes at Swantown

Pleiades moored at Swantown - a sailing vessel attempting to revive the old Mosquito Fleet

This Weekend...

Two fun and exciting events...the Elk River Challenge on Saturday and Sunday's Canoe Journey. The ERC should be a fun race, open to all paddlers and rowers. I'm just looking forward to paddling in the estuaries of Grays Harbor and breathing some ocean air. The start/ finish is from Brady's Oysters. There is a $10 entry fee and that includes free seafood from Brady's, which isn't a bad deal.

Energy is really building for the Canoe Journey. I'm finally hearing more of a buzz about it. I now see signs posted around town. Bleachers and seating are being furiously constructed at Swantown Marina. People are excited.

I think it's important to remember how important this journey is for so many people. I personally hope to be less of a spectator and more a witness to such an incredible cultural event. I love to paddle on the Salish Sea and want to be as respectful as I can, to both it and its paddlers, some of whom have made an incredible journey to get here, and not just in the physical sense. Click here for more information and appropriate and respectful ways to observe the event. And for my original blog posting in June, click here.

Paddling through Side Waves

Many of you know that the easiest way to deal with a series of wind waves and boat wake is to paddle directly into them. But it isn't always favorable to change your direction to paddle into a series of waves. You'd rather continue your course and let the waves pass by without interruption. 

Doing so requires allowing waves to 'roll' under your board, but that's only half of the effort. Having your paddle in the water allows you to brace against it, acting like a bicycle's kickstand for stability. Shorter, quicker strokes keep your paddle in the water for longer periods of time than out of it,  improving your stability. I prefer, in most cases, to paddle on the side of the board that is opposite  to the side which the waves are reaching my board. At the same time, I've found that digging your paddle into the water while in the trough of the wave and timing its exit with the wave's crest and then repeating is an excellent way to push yourself both forward and over waves. Forward momentum improves stability. So does a relaxed posture with soft knees.

Next time waves approach you broadside, relax, change your posture and paddle stroke, and paddle over the waves by placing your paddle in the water between waves and drive yourself over them. This should enable you to continue your pace, momentum, and direction without interruption.

Let Others Know Before You Go

File A Float Plan:

Communicating thoroughly with others with regards to your intented adventures is critical on the odd chance you should run into trouble. A “Float Plan” let’s others know about your planned trip, where you are launching from, your destination, return ETA, who else may be in your party, and more. Of course, it's important to avoid deviating from your plans as much as possible so that they can be of use on the chance you should run into trouble.

In the Upwelling

A great afternoon paddle where we  rode the ebb out to Big Fishtrap and the flood on the return. It was a spring tide so the current was moving. In the channel of Dana Passage we noticed some interesting glimpses and flashes of something uncommon. As we looked more closely, we saw the rise and dip of dorsal fins. Before long, we saw more and more of them. Harbor porpoises, maybe a dozen or so. Likely feeding in the upwelling of the current. I tried my best to photograph them with my waterproof camera, but photos just don't do the experience justice. 

Brandee with Squaxin Island in the Background

Flooding Current Caused Upwellings, Boils, and Standing Waves

Harbor Porpoise

It's Nice to Know Before You Go

It's nice to know how far you're going to paddle before you head out on an expedition, whether for an afternoon, a day, or a week. The Daft Logic Google Maps Distance Calculator is a great way to  measure how far you're planning on going, or after you return, how far you went. And, it even calculates distance in nautical miles.

Round Trip to Hope Island from Boston Harbor

Ominous

It was apparent as we headed out that something was in the air. Relatively warm temperatures for a late evening, even in July (70 degrees), high humidity, and the beginnings of cumulus clouds in the sky to the west and south. But glassy water lured us onward. We paddled to the north to the sailboat named Old Coot before the winds picked up and we decided it best to head back. That was when the clouds' instability started to become more apparent. We decided to direct all of our focus on our return. Not long after we made it back, lightning started to split the skies and the far distant rumble of thunder bounced off the neighboring hills. It wasn't close, but whenever lightning and water are concerned, it's still too close.

Sunset and Silhouette

Self Portrait as the Winds Came Up 

Sunset and Altocumulus Skies

Ominous Clouds to the South

Dawn Patrol with Seal Pups

Earlier this morning, I did an early morning workout. The Juniors were already at the Rowing Boathouse. Poor kids. A great workout; some power, some sprint starts. I was surrounded by seals and their pups at the West Oly log boom. Pretty camera shy though. I tried to give them a wide berth so as to not upset them and I definitely felt like I was being escorted away from the boom. 

To the south, I could see Olympia's Lakefair set up below the Capitol campus. The Ferris wheel was standing quiet, tall and proud. I thought about the swarm of attendees that will converge on Lakefair later this week and wondered, how can I get all of them to care about and invest in the beautiful saltwater world that lies just to the north of them? I guess that's where the seal pups come in...

Know Before You Go; Pt. 3 - Captn Jacks

Capt'n Jack's Tide and Current Almanac is an amazing reference tool. By locating reference points and their current velocities (in the case of the Sound Sound, the Tacoma Narrows) you can determine currents' speeds, as well as ebb, flood, slack, and direction, at other points throughout the Sound. It also predicts tidal heights, moon phase, sunrise and sunset. By understanding the maximum current flow and slack time, you can obtain an accurate picture of a current's speed through time. To do that, you need to use some simple math and the Rule of Thirds...

Rule of Thirds...

With the Rule of Thirds, you divide the time between slack and maximum flow or vice versa into thirds. Then at the point nearest maximum flow (either ebb or flood), multiply the maximum velocity speed by 90% or 0.9. The other point is 50% or 0.5 time the maximum flow. 

So, for example, maximum flood is at noon and has a current speed of 1.0 knots. Slack is at 3PM. Using the Rule of Thirds, you would find that at 1PM the current is 0.9 knots (90% of maximum) and at 2PM the current would be reduced to 0.5 knots (50% of maximum).

Now you have a better representation of the tidal current speeds for a given areas at more specific times.

First Peoples, First Paddlers

As the Canoe Journey nears and the First Peoples of the coastal Salish Sea convene upon the South Sound, it seems a good time to reflect and remember the people who paddled these waters for many hundreds of years, long before Captain Vancouver and Peter Puget ever explored them. They paddled when Western time didn't exist and their understanding of tides, currents, and weather were an innate part of their lives and culture. Such a close connection with the natural world seems difficult to imagine in today's hurried world.

Chief Leschi was a Nisqually chief who refused to sign the Medicine Creek Treaty of 1854 because he felt it unfair to his people and would limit access to the lands they relied on for their existence. Conflict and war were the result. Later, he was tried for the murder of a soldier and hung for his crimes. A year later, a different treaty was signed. Almost one hundred and fifty years later, Chief Leschi was exonerated in court for the murder.

The Washington State Capital Museum has a paddle that once belonged to Chief Leschi on temporary display. 

They are also hosting a viewing of Canoe Way: The Sacred Journey, a documentary about the Canoe Journeys, Tuesday, July 17th at 6PM.

Fun for a Good Cause

On Saturday, many of us competed in an adventure race called the Olympia Traverse. Mountain bike, road bike, paddle, and run. Through the Dept. of Ecology, we had four relay teams of four that raised money for kids fighting cancer. I was a paddler (obviously) and passed about ten kayakers on the course. We all had a really great time and the comraderie felt really good. But passing so many kayakers felt really, really good.

Friends of Mia teams

Home Stretch

Gray Ice Water

Gray Ice Water

The Struggle 

Rubber Ducky

Sunset

Nightlights

It's getting dark and you don't want to become the hood ornament for some reckless powerboat out on the water. You need an easy and reliable way to let boats know you're out there with them. Plus, aside from just being commonsense, having a signaling light at night is required by the US Coast Guard. 

Please, then, allow me to introduce you to the Knog Frog Strobe. Frogs are silicone lights marketed to cyclists. They are intended to be wrapped around handlebars or seatposts and have solid and flashing settings. Though not technically waterproof, they are water resistant. And I've used them for years on evening and night adventures, wrapped about half-way down the shaft of my paddle. Visible for a mile or more, the simple action of paddling your board allow Frogs to grab the attention of other boaters on the water.