I finally get around to actually doing Fleet Captain stuff last weekend. I stop by the club on Friday to prep a donated Lincoln kayak for fiber glassing. The left knee brace broken off and need to be reattach. Most of the close cell padding for the knee is already gone so I only have to clean up the stubborn pierces that remain. A good half hours of wiring brushing clean those up. I finished up by washing the boat inside and out. It was late by the time I finish. I get home before it started to rain.
Come back on Saturday after my race in NYC to do the actual fiber glassing. I have never did fiber glassing before so this is new territory. I can't imagine a couple of layer of fiberglass cloths and a cup worth of resin is going to be strong enough to reattach a knee brace. I have the procedure all planned out in my head before I did the job, but the actually work itself is much messier then I imagine. I cut two place of fiberglass to size and lay them out before I poured the resin into the mixing cup and adding the hardener. I thought 4 oz we be just right for the job not realizing how much 4 oz was. Once the hardener is added and stir I am on the clock to lay out the fiberglass over the join, brush on the mixed resin and try to hold my breath at the same time. The work space is confine, and upside down so I have to be on my knee as I stick my head into the opening.
The proper procedure is to put on one layer of fiberglass, brush on the resin and wet for the whole thing to dry before putting on the second layed, wait to dry then put on the third layer. The problem is I have mixed resin that would not wait to harden up. The end result being I put in all three layers as fast as I can before the last remainng 1 quartered of what I mixed harden up in the mixing cup. It did not take long for the repaired area to harden. I am surprise how strong join is after the repair. I still have to clean up the excess fiberglass that hang out pass the old knee brace and re-pad the knee brace area.
My next job is a personal project, restore my favorite club boat, an old beat up orange Huntsman. I bought two hatched to replace the old crack one. That that is a minor repair. The major repair is fixing seam line between the hull and the deck which is coming apart from the back of the cockpit to the tail on the left side and a but less on the right side. It would not be a problem it it is not also taking in water. I have to find a way to redo the seam tape so that it would prevent water from coming in. My original thought was to pour mixed resin in and let it fill out any holes inside the boat. I spoke someone at Atlantic Kayak Tours and he said to fiberglass it on the inside. That would not be a problem except for the fact that I have about 4 inch bulkhead, through a 5 inch hatch to work with in the Huntsman.
I was standing around trying to think of way to do it when Mike B. stopped by. Mike have a lot of experience fiberglass boat so I asked him to give my some advise. He end up take over much of the project. Instead of fiberglassing the inside, we removed the old seam gelcoat with a razer bladed down to the hull gelcoat. Mike then mix resin with filler, spray in some black car touch up color, and add hardener. We then put liberal amount of those stuff to make the new seam tape. It was a messed and take longet then I thought to harden up. I still have to send it down and remove the masking tape. I can't wait to finish it up and see what it like like.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Monday, July 02, 2007
Just the Figurehead
I lead my first trip this season. Actually all the actual doing and leading is done by the 2 assistants, Mat and John and the drill sergeant, Ed, who is a school teacher in real life. Ed is a short, purry man who like to give commands. He was at the club already when I arrived on Saturday morning, and put himself in charge of the Sea Kayak containers. He explained to me what he want to do and asked if I am ok with it since I am boss for the day, but there is no to turn down the offer. So Ed handle handing out boats. Mat, an experience trip leader end up doing the introduction to paddling. When everyone gets boats, lifejackets, and introduction to basic introductions witht he help of Mat and Ed, I step in to do a bit of introduction, our plan for for the trip and off we went.
I assigned each of the trip leads their rolls, John Wright, a moderate speed paddler get the lead to keep pace, Matt will be mixing with the newbies to help them along, and I would be doing the sweep making sure no one get left behind.
I asked John to get into the water first before everyone else launched while Matt helped the newsbies into their kayaks. Matt end up launch two paddlers before John as ready. I gentlely remind Matt that John is not ready yet on the other side.
The water in the inlet on Saturday morning was disgusting to put it nicely. It had been raining the last couple of night so there were overflow from the water treatment plants at the head of the inlet. It have a very milky green color to it and smell really bad. Normally I would try to get out of the inlet as soon as possible by leading everyone toward the bridge and into the bay for cleaner water but procedure now call for us to head closer to the water treatment plant to see who would have problem paddle before actually starting the trip.
So we paddled three quarter of a miles up the inlets in the foul smelling water before I called a stop, and asked how everyone is feeling. Surprisingly noone complain about the foul smelling water. Everyone feel good, even thought a couple of paddler have problem with control and maintaining speed. Since noone want to go back to the dock we make our way down the inlet to the bridge.
The water only get marginally better when we get into the Bay. I find out that my VHF radio did not work (I was using a club radio b/c I left mine on all week and it dead.) I end up having to relay my instruction to John in the front by yelling up to the nearest kayak in front of me and he/she would send it up to the next kayaker till it reach John at the front. Usually it would a request to stopped so the rest of the pack can catch up. The group tend to get separated out into three subgroup, the front - all the younger or more experience people, the middle, and then me with two ladies all the way in the back. One of the woman paddle with us before, I think she is a conditional member, and her friend, who have never paddle before but is very atletic. They have two problems, the boat that the second woman is in is not design for long straigh trip, it tend to turn a lot even for experience paddler, and the two women are simply having too much fun yakking and stopping to yak. Since I am the sweep, I can't go any faster then the slowest paddlers so I end up falling behind.
And since we left on time and the weather condition is perfect for a lazy paddle, I made a lot of stop to let everyone regroup and rests. It take all of 1 hours to get to our turn around point. We usually go into the shallow salt marsh right before Mill Basin Bridge but on this Saturday there weren't enough water to form the marsh. It was only 10:45 AM when we get to our turn around point, so I decided to continue to the Mill Basin Bridge. I asked Mat to take the sweep so I can get some exercise in. We paddled to the bridge but did not go into Mill Basin.
The trip back is always the part I hate the most when I was a newby. It tend to turn into a free for all. The fast paddlers just want to get home leaving everying behind, abandoned. I decided to make sure that this would not happen on my trip. I take sweep again on the way back, giving encouragement as needed. I have John stopped a couple of time so everyone can regroup and rest. I was happy that the group did not get spread out on the way back. We get back just after 12 O'clock, everyone help washing the boats, equipments and puting everything always. Ed again coordinated the tasks.
I promised on of the conditional members, Scott, that I would go out kayak with him after the official trip so he can try out a surf ski kayak. I did get a bit of rest stand around watching the group clean up before getting into my boat again. The worst part is the foul smelling water. Scott capsized right before the bridge where the water is still murky. I did not envy him his swim. I come along side his surfski and stablized it while he get back on top. That is the only time that I have to assist him get back into his boat. He did capside thrice afterward, twice in the bay, and once again inside the inlet. I hoped he washed himself with lot of soap when he get home.
Well that my first trip as trip leader. Wasn't bad at all.
I assigned each of the trip leads their rolls, John Wright, a moderate speed paddler get the lead to keep pace, Matt will be mixing with the newbies to help them along, and I would be doing the sweep making sure no one get left behind.
I asked John to get into the water first before everyone else launched while Matt helped the newsbies into their kayaks. Matt end up launch two paddlers before John as ready. I gentlely remind Matt that John is not ready yet on the other side.
The water in the inlet on Saturday morning was disgusting to put it nicely. It had been raining the last couple of night so there were overflow from the water treatment plants at the head of the inlet. It have a very milky green color to it and smell really bad. Normally I would try to get out of the inlet as soon as possible by leading everyone toward the bridge and into the bay for cleaner water but procedure now call for us to head closer to the water treatment plant to see who would have problem paddle before actually starting the trip.
So we paddled three quarter of a miles up the inlets in the foul smelling water before I called a stop, and asked how everyone is feeling. Surprisingly noone complain about the foul smelling water. Everyone feel good, even thought a couple of paddler have problem with control and maintaining speed. Since noone want to go back to the dock we make our way down the inlet to the bridge.
The water only get marginally better when we get into the Bay. I find out that my VHF radio did not work (I was using a club radio b/c I left mine on all week and it dead.) I end up having to relay my instruction to John in the front by yelling up to the nearest kayak in front of me and he/she would send it up to the next kayaker till it reach John at the front. Usually it would a request to stopped so the rest of the pack can catch up. The group tend to get separated out into three subgroup, the front - all the younger or more experience people, the middle, and then me with two ladies all the way in the back. One of the woman paddle with us before, I think she is a conditional member, and her friend, who have never paddle before but is very atletic. They have two problems, the boat that the second woman is in is not design for long straigh trip, it tend to turn a lot even for experience paddler, and the two women are simply having too much fun yakking and stopping to yak. Since I am the sweep, I can't go any faster then the slowest paddlers so I end up falling behind.
And since we left on time and the weather condition is perfect for a lazy paddle, I made a lot of stop to let everyone regroup and rests. It take all of 1 hours to get to our turn around point. We usually go into the shallow salt marsh right before Mill Basin Bridge but on this Saturday there weren't enough water to form the marsh. It was only 10:45 AM when we get to our turn around point, so I decided to continue to the Mill Basin Bridge. I asked Mat to take the sweep so I can get some exercise in. We paddled to the bridge but did not go into Mill Basin.
The trip back is always the part I hate the most when I was a newby. It tend to turn into a free for all. The fast paddlers just want to get home leaving everying behind, abandoned. I decided to make sure that this would not happen on my trip. I take sweep again on the way back, giving encouragement as needed. I have John stopped a couple of time so everyone can regroup and rest. I was happy that the group did not get spread out on the way back. We get back just after 12 O'clock, everyone help washing the boats, equipments and puting everything always. Ed again coordinated the tasks.
I promised on of the conditional members, Scott, that I would go out kayak with him after the official trip so he can try out a surf ski kayak. I did get a bit of rest stand around watching the group clean up before getting into my boat again. The worst part is the foul smelling water. Scott capsized right before the bridge where the water is still murky. I did not envy him his swim. I come along side his surfski and stablized it while he get back on top. That is the only time that I have to assist him get back into his boat. He did capside thrice afterward, twice in the bay, and once again inside the inlet. I hoped he washed himself with lot of soap when he get home.
Well that my first trip as trip leader. Wasn't bad at all.
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