The Future...

Looking back over the past several years I've been writing this blog, it's clear there have been changes. Not only has the visual aspect of the blog changed, but also and perhaps more importantly, it's clear it doesn't command my attention as it once did. Now that the staff have been dragged kicking and screaming from their Holiday revelries, it's time to wonder what's been going on over the last few years. Certainly many of the early kayaking bloggers I started with have practically disappeared from view, their space now taken up by newer bloggers. At some point, it might be instructive to see where my blog might profitably go in this changing environment as the new year plods merrily along.

For me, perhaps the biggest change over the last few years has been the arrival of René Seindel's 'Paddling Planet' site. Not only did this site collate most, perhaps all, of the world's kayak blogs in one place for easy viewing, it also meant that fewer people needed to visit those blogs directly. Comments have tended to be fewer in number as a result, although controversy still managed to pull people in now and then. Personally, I've enjoyed being able to read many new blogs at the 'Planet' site and even tried my dismal linguistic skills when necessary. I am particularly intrigued with many of the Scandinavian and Italian bloggers out there, from whom I've learned much.

The other big change to the blogging world has been FaceBook. Just look at the picture above to see how the 500 million users and more have straddled the globe! This has been yet another way to form a community of kayakers and one which I have found myself visiting more and more often. Unlike a blog, there is much more immediacy in these FaceBook contacts and one quickly gets to know the writers and where they paddle most often. It has however meant that what I might have once posted on my blog, instead went to FaceBook with less detail perhaps, but more interaction.

Twitter has taken over many bloggers output as well, although I have yet to figure out how to say anything in so few words...

Photo credit: The Thought Catalog

Photo Dump

I got dumped on by a fellow kayak blogger the other day for using one of his photos in my piece applauding the work of an Australian kayak maker who's using solar power in his factory. The photo looked like a cute family snapshot so I didn't think anyone would mind it being used. I was wrong. Mea culpa!

The subsequent discussion on his blog makes it clear that the issue of copyright is not as well defined in people's minds as it might be. It's also clear that the concept of copyright has failed to keep up with the internet and the way people have chosen to use it. It's become a bit like the 'wild west of yore' where one needs to be savvy if you don't wish to be victimized by people doing what I did. It's the reason why most professional photographers wishing to protect their work and receive due credit for it use dedicated, protected sites where they retain all their rights and ownership. The average person, like you and me don't bother. Instead, we use photo-sharing sites like Flickr and Picassa to store our photos online. These sites often claim ownership of our photos and many users do not realize this. We sometimes feel flattered or annoyed when our photos appear elsewhere on the net. Who owns what on the internet and how it can be used is far from clear to the average user. The wide-spread copying and using of other people's photos puts one in an up-hill battle against users living all over the world living in a variety of conflicting jurisdictions.

Does that make me less guilty? No, of course not. I used another person's photo without giving them proper credit. When contacted about it, I offered to give him due credit. I didn't get a reply to that statement. Instead I got dumped on publicly on his blog. I don't mind being corrected when I make an error and I don't mind correcting my errors if I can. It was a useful wake-up call, but unfortunately it won't really help my fellow blogger retain ownership of his photos.

Living Life Upwind

Kayaking is gradually become a cold weather - cold water activity as the season crawls slowly into winter. What we wear becomes important and for me what I wear can mean how I smell! Living life upwind can affect the lives of those down-stream, which in turn can affect you!

Paddling in Newfoundland, where one wears cold water gear all year around, presented a problem for me a few years ago. Not having easy access to places to wash out my fleecy top and pants resulted in the development of that 'paddler's aroma' we all know so well. Once, using my car to head back to the put-in, I was horrified at the odor it gave off having sat in the warm sun all day. The lady who drove with me never said anything, but I had no doubts about what she was thinking. 'Nice day of paddling, but...!'

After that trip, I began to re-evaluate my cold weather clothing choices. Now, I look at fleece differently. It's warm, easy to wash and dry when facilities are available, but rapidly takes on odors. Wool, on the other hand, is warm, easily washed, although is slow to dry. However, and this is the crux, it is much slower to pick up odors. For this reason, I have been buying wool garments rather than synthetics. I especially like the merino wool clothing put out by people like Icebreaker, Helly-Hansen and Mountain Equipment Coop. They tend to cost a bit more initially than similar fleece clothing, but at the end of the day, I'm a lot more pleasant when standing to windward!

Smoke Detectors Go Camping

I've always been a bit leery of smoke detectors. For example, how reliable are they really? How can they work when the power goes down? Is changing the battery once a year often enough? What about the radioactive thingie? Will it eventually kill you long before the fire does?

Well, there's an safe, non electric alternative at last! Not only will it work in the home, but it carries on working when you're out camping during a paddling trip. You can even take one along with you while your camping! So what is it, you ask? I'm referring to the 'Jiffy Pop' heat detector shown in the photo above. Not only will this little baby wake you up from a dead sleep when it detects heat, it will go on to feed you while your new house (or campground) is being rebuilt. Will your old detector do that? I didn't think so...

Paddle Like Your Ocean Depended On You!

Margo Pellegrino set off to paddle from Ft Pierce, Fl to New Orleans 45 days ago. Right on schedule, she completed her journey paddling her Fuze outrigger canoe. Her mission has been to increase awareness of the deteriorating state of our oceans. It seems like nearly every day we hear another gloom and doom statement about what we've done with our oceans, so it's good to hear that people like Margo are out there trying to gently make us get to work to change things. Of course she's not alone among the paddling community. Reducing our carbon output is one solution that interests me. I know other paddlers are involved in beach clean-up programs. No matter where you paddle, there's something you can do for your ocean.

Thanks Margo, great journey, even greater message!

Inuit Nunaat

At the end of last April, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) published an interesting document declaring to the world their sovereignty to the circumpolar territory they inhabit. The statement was made jointly by Inuit living in Russia, Greenland, Canada and Alaska, which is to say all Inuit on the planet!

While declaring sovereignty these days may seem a bit late in the game, what the Inuit are saying is both modern and enriching. The rest of us can learn from their initiative!

Here is an exerpt...

"Tromsø, Norway – 28 April 2009 – Inuit leaders from Greenland, Canada, Alaska, and Russia today launched a Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Arctic Sovereignty.

In developing this declaration, the Inuit Circumpolar Council (ICC) worked with Inuit across the circumpolar Arctic over the past six months to address the increasing focus by outsiders on the Inuit homeland known as Inuit Nunaat. Climate change and the subsequent race for Arctic resources have forced Inuit to address questions such as ‘who owns the Arctic?’, ‘who can traverse the Arctic?’, and ‘who has rights to develop Arctic resources?’
“Our declaration,” said ICC Chair, Patricia Cochran, “addresses some of these questions from the position of a people who know the Arctic intimately. We have lived here for thousands and thousands of years and by making this declaration, we are saying to those who want to use Inuit Nunaat for their own purposes, you must talk to us and respect our rights.”

The Circumpolar Inuit Declaration on Arctic Sovereignty emphasizes the unity of Inuit as one people across four countries, and also addresses the unique relationships Inuit have within each respective state. The declaration makes a strong pitch that internationally-accepted human rights standards, such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and other international legal instruments must be respected. It also calls for close cooperation among Arctic states and Inuit on all matters of Arctic sovereignty."

The document goes on to mention various hopes and desires of the Inuit and is well worth reading. The entire declaration can be found here.

Paddling Clothes

I saw another paddler on my lake today. Up until now I've either been alone or in the company of a few fishermen trolling quietly along. My fellow paddler was noticed some distance away going in the opposite direction from me so I didn't get a chance to meet up. His or her boat appeared to be a rec boat and the only article of clothing I could positively identify was what seemed to be a straw hat...

I'm still wearing my neoprene gloves and drysuit, the water is that cold and today's air temperature was a chilly 15°C. I'm hoping the straw hat was covering up something warmer. There wasn't much wind on the lake, but I knew a front was expected during the day and that often brings in sudden wind shifts and unexpected gusts.

In the end, I paddled back up the lake to try and locate the person. I wanted to make sure they were properly outfitted and would be able to get home safely. While driving home, I saw the boat making it's way down the lake. I guess the person made it, but I don't like it when I see people out in conditions which could lead into trouble. We kayakers need all the good press we can get!

Taking The Train To Nowhere

With the requirement for proper environmental assessments now removed in the gutted Navigable Waters Act, Canadians are beginning to see what the government's economic recovery program looks like. I'm wondering if we are about to build a bunch of tracks to oblivion? Is this a Canada looking to the future? There are hydro dams projects starting in La Romaine and British Columbia and I hear a gas pipeline project is being pushed ahead up the Mackenzie river. While these projects will generate jobs and other industrial activity, what are the long lasting effects? Are we kidding ourselves with all this activity? Are we living in the past which gave us the problems we see all around us?

Clearly two things come to mind. Certainly pristine paddling environments will be lost as this program moves ahead. Natural waterways will be ruined for many water-users from fish to paddlers. While the many parts of the world move ahead with projects for a future 'green' economy where low carbon footprint and environmental impacts are minimized, Canada's answer is more of the same old destructive activities. The retaining lakes behind hydro dams will create tons of carbon emissions as the flooded lands rot and where mercury pollution will again seep into every living thing. Natural gas from the arctic speaks of the world we ought to be leaving behind, not a bright new future. Flooding indigenous people's heritage lands in British Columbia again is old, tired thinking which benefits no one.

Sadly Canadians have saddled the country with a backwards thinking government which is leaving us mired in the past. Having recently elected this government, some Canadians are now about to take it to court to get it to act more intelligently. I wish them luck, but feel we really need to start electing people who can see the future and stop dreaming of the past. For my part, I'll be watching my nearby lakes and rivers like a hawk. I don't like where we're headed. Those tracks in the photo don't give me hope...

Swirling Decisions...

About a year ago I discovered a new kayak. I was intrigued. She was made here in Quebec; she was British in inspiration; and, best of all, she was a playful looking companion for my 5 year old QCC 600 tripping boat. I looked forward to getting out on the water to try her out in her element. That chance came in the late spring and I wasn't disappointed. It was now only a matter of seeing my banker and being patient.

All the hurdles have now been jumped, except this last one. Maelstrom Kayaks sent me 20 suggested colour combinations to choose from, yet none seemed perfect for me. In the end, I knew the answer I sought was some combination of the three schemes seen in the photos above. I think I have it right or do I? What do you think the answer is? What combination would you choose? Choose a deck colour, a hull colour, a shearline colour and the hull fin colour and you've got it! Or do you?

Key West Car Choices

One of my themes this year when blogging is to keep an eye out for alternatives to our oil dependent livestyle. While in Key West recently, I was impressed with the number of simple electric vehicles being used. Most were in the 'For Rent' category, but not all. Private citizens are making the switch to them as well. Certainly a place like Key West is idea for such vehicles. It is warm, flat and totally contained on a small island only a few miles in length. A full battery charge would easily last several days of use. Another plus is most of the technology is well known from the golf cart industry, easy to maintain and relatively recyclable. Adapting a kayak roof rack to fit would also be a simple matter...


Perhaps the downside was the almost total lack of visible solar electric panels either on the cars or anywhere else for recharging the batteries. Given that most electricity in Florida is produced via carbon based means, the actual benefits of driving these cars is not as great as it would appear at first glance. Still, people using them do get the idea that a 'real' car is not necessarily the drudgery they might have thought it was going to be and, by itself, that's a move forward.

Just Before I Leave...

I was listening to the radio this morning and heard an interview with someone who was instructing some children on safety in the pool. At first I thought it was the usual stuff about pool safety, but it turned out to be much more interesting. The children we fully dressed and being asked to do various things like try swimming and then to try getting out of the pool by clambering up slippery slabs of foam. The safety feature here was to simulate falling into a lake covered in ice. It was a great exercise in teaching the children what might happen and what techniques work and which ones don't.

Throughout the program, the instructor kept referring to "life jackets". The term "PFD" was never used and I thought that was odd. Then it hit me. "Life jackets" can save your "life". To a child, a "PFD" isn't anything meaningful, because there is no meaningful content in the three letters. Even knowing that the letters stand for "Personal Flotation Device" doesn't convey a lot of meaning to a child and probably to many adults.

So I won't be wearing my "PFD" from now on. I'm switching to my "life jacket"! Maybe we all ought to!

Please note the entire Ckayaker staff will be on leave for a few weeks.

Small Rivers Count

When we hear about alternate ways of producing electrical power, North Americans tend to turn up their noses using the excuse that only oil and perhaps hydro can really produce the goods. What we miss is the concept that to make an ocean, you need many rivers, some big and some small. With that in mind, I'm in the process of adding a small 'river' of power to my Teardrop trailer's electrical power system. I'm thinking that by doing so I'll be able to increase my self-sufficiency by enough to spend a week or more - depending on the sunlight and my consumption - off the oil-fired grid. Not total independence, but a little bit more.

With that goal in mind, I'm going to put a 50 watt solar panel on the roof feeding into a large deep-cycle battery. This will be linked into the various circuits feeding lights and other DC items including a small inverter for powering up my computer and charging my video camera batteries which I cannot solar charge any other way.

• • • • •
On another topic, Canada's government passed Bill C-10 with few changes. This is the bill which is supposed to provide economic stimulus in the current crisis, yet it is loaded down with non-stimulus items. Thus Canada will see the removal of protection for its navigable rivers, the denial of pay equity to women, the loss of millions of dollars to offshore tax havens by big corporations, the destruction of a functioning security market in Québec. This list goes on and on. The omnibus Bill is staggering under the weight of items the Conservatives have been unable to get passed previously. Hopefully the Senate will split off these non-stimulus items before the Bill becomes the law of the land or the government will do so before sending the Bill to the Senate. As it exists, Bill C-10 represents a nasty pill for Canadians from a government which in the past has had a record of not spending most of the money it has promised and which is slowly sliding into a backward do nothing, go nowhere lump of a place. Brain drain anyone?

Heading Off On Your Adventure

There are those who think of having an adventure means things went very wrong on your trip, but somehow you managed to survive the experience. Recently two Québeçois had an adventure in British Columbia, but, sadly, the trip resulted in disaster with one person dying. I look out at the photo above and realise how easy it is to become lost when you're far from home in unknown territory and the weather starts closing in... So, as I sit here planning this summer's paddling trips I can't help but wonder if I'm really ready and properly prepared to go. What if things go wrong? Am I preparing for that possibility?

The details on the couple who became lost in British Columbia are not known as yet, but their tale once more brings home the message: while you can never be well enough prepared, you can make provisions to minimize your risks. For example, it has reminded me to always let someone know where I'm headed and roughly how long I expect to be away. That someone could be a family member, a friend or in some instances the police. I would also take a SPOT device or something similar on longer, more remote trips when cell phone service isn't available. Normally I take more food than I ever manage to eat, but I'm wondering about my medical kit. It's time to renew and even upgrade its contents again...

Let's all paddle safely and keep our 'adventures' happy ones!

Do Petitions Work?

We all get asked to sign petitions for various causes, but do they work? In some cases they act as polls and in that sense they do have influence. That this is perceived as true is perhaps the reason we continue to use petitions to try and change things we don't want to have happen. If they aren't effective, then at the least, we feel we've tried to act for change by.

I've recently been active trying to influence the Harper government to separate the seemingly dissimilar issues of economic recovery and how most of Canada's rivers are modified by various construction projects like dams, bridges and so on. The link between these two appears to be that fast-tracking construction projects will help the economy even if that means little or no consultation will happen with interested parties before construction occurs and that environment assessment will have to take a hit because, well, we need to act quickly and without unnecessary hindrances if we're to save this country from economic disaster, don't we?

I don't buy that logic at all. To my mind, that's the thinking that got us into the mess we're in. More of the same doesn't save the economy for me. So one of the things I've been doing is signing every related petition attempting to influence this issue. Facebook has a petition which, last week, had a goal of 1000 names. It has already gone past 1500 signatures which is really heartening. If you're on Facebook and want to add your name, please do so by clicking 'here'. If you're not on Facebook, but want to sign, click 'here'. Thanks for being influential!

Photo from 'www.the-walker-family.org'.

Unhappy Anniversary...

In 1992 when it became obvious to many that increasing emissions of several gases, particularly carbon dioxide, were promoting adverse global climate changes, a meeting was held in Rio de Janeiro to discuss what might be done. This led to a 2005 meeting in Kyoto where a mechanism was decided upon which would help countries to lower their emissions in an effort to try to come to grips with slowing down and eventually ending the changes which were occurring. Today is the anniversary of that meeting in Kyoto.

The world map above indicates which countries have ratified the Kyoto Treaty or not. It is a bit misleading. For example, while Canada ratified the Treaty and began making provisions to lower emissions, our present government has done almost nothing. In fact, it reduced funding to the various efforts to lower emissions in Canada. Some parts of Canada like Québec, have continued to work on lowering emissions, but without a national plan, these efforts are not what they could be. Conversely, some countries which have not ratified the Treaty also have regions which have been working hard to reduce their emissions. Again, without a national program, results have been less than what they might have been working collectively.

So there's not much to celebrate on this anniversary day as nations, but I'm encouraged to read about successful efforts here and there, even when it's only a few people or businesses involved. As Red Green used to say, "We're all in this together...".

See How They Run

Dam at Montmagny, Québec
My concern for Canada's minority Conservative government's secret plan to alter the public's right of navigation on the small rivers of Canada and the removal of the requirement for environmental assessment and public consultation when "works" are undertaken on these rivers prompted me to write 13 letters to various people intimately involved in this decision. I emailed the letters on Sunday. Now I thought it would be interesting to see how long it takes the recipients to respond and in what fashion they do so. It will be a little exercise in democracy-in-action!

Today, Tuesday, is the second working day since sending my email. First to respond - Monday morning early - and the only one to write a personal letter stating he will be "looking into" the issue and contact his Member of Parliament, was William Munsey, deputy leader of the Green Party of Canada. Interesting.

Next to respond was Mario Laflamboise, a Liberal member and VP of the Permanent Committee of Transport and Infrastructure. His note was a simple acknowledgement of my email. Okay, but I wanted more.

This morning came another acknowledgement of my email this time from Jim Prentice's office. He's a Conservative MP and Minister of the Environment. This is the first email from a member of the Conservative government, but he'll need to do more to impress me.

I'll post updates on this item letting you know who responds and what measures they are prepared to take on behalf of maintaining the public's right to have unhindered access to Canada's rivers, and, most especially, that the environmental safeguards and reviews are kept stringent and ecologically sound in any new legislation or amendments.

Update #1 - Thursday, Feb 12
One more reply late yesterday, this time from Bruce Hyer, MP for the New Democratic Party. He wrote an informative note mentioning the NDP are on top of this issue and are working to see the amendments meet the goals of a wider group of Canadians than the Conservatives have in mind. This move by Harper's Conservatives certainly makes one wonder who the proposed amendments are intended for and why the environmental safeguards would be left in the Minister's hands alone?

Update #2 - Friday, Feb 13
Two more replies in today. The first was from David Lewis, Research and Operations Coordinator for the Green Party. He provided me with some additional links on the subject as well as the party's position. I have the feeling that these people are interested in this issue, although, they do not sit in the House.

The second reply was a simple letter of reception from the office of Joe Volpe, the Official Opposition Transport Critic. Other than assure me that Volpe will get to see my letter, nothing else was mentioned. Are these people interested? It's hard to say...

Banff Mountain Film Festival 2009 Tour

A few days ago I attended the Banff Mountain Film Festival. I think I've been attending for about five years now. Over those years, there have been some truly memorable films of adventures in often exotic locations, although few tour films have involved seakayakers. As I left to go home I began to wonder what criteria are used when choosing the films both for awards as well as those which travel the Festival route around the world.

Certainly we're into 'extreme sports' these days so danger and near death thrills factor into the decisions. Exotic locations also seems important and does improve the visuals at least at first glance. Still, there needs to be something more, but what?

When I think of the films which have moved me over the years, I suddenly realised that the key was the 'human story'. Films which open you into another person's world, which get you to feel the emotion of being with the characters on the screen, seems to be the key or at least, one of them. Seeing the emotional and physical changes which take place as the adventure unfolds is what makes the film memorable. Simply showing one incredible camera shot after another isn't enough, nor is 'interviewing' the people involved. It won't last in your memory or move the viewer to think further or feel deeply.

The lack of much development in this key element in this year's tour choices, left me with a flat feeling as I left the theater. Great films, amazing stunts, super locales, but nothing really memorable. The films did make me think about the making of my own videos and forced me to wonder how to get that key story element into them. Hmmmm...

Photo from Journey to the Center by Jens Hoffman

Who Will Build Your Next Kayak?

Kayaks were first developed by people who lived in an ecology of hunting and gathering. In those days, much like today, one had to face competition from others in the same endeavour. Competition was often fierce and could lead to all the usual complaints and nastiness. When the local hinterland became unproductive, people either changed their diet or moved to a new area. That was the cost of survival in the environment people were part of.

Today we don't think of ourselves as hunters and gatherers (H & G). We think more about making products which compete with other similar products in a common marketplace. A few years ago this competition was often found only a few miles away. The competition resulted in product diversity and quality improvements on the one hand, but it also drove some factories into closing their doors and brought on the usual complaints and nastiness just like in the old H & G days. In the transition, we significantly moved our thinking from 'ecology' to 'economy'.

More recently, the competitive circle has moved from a local thing to a global one. Naturally some people still complain and get nasty about the "unfair" global competition and instead of becoming more competitive, they try to set up barriers, divide the world into exclusive markets. However, the best competitors have always found ways to get around these barriers one way or another and factories still close when they couldn't maintain their now globally based market viability.

People must be ready to adapt or move and this is exactly what's been going on in the kayaking world. In my opinion, it will result in better kayaks for all of us. It means that your next kayak - unless you are building one yourself - is likely to come from almost anywhere in the world. In fact, it will probably come from many parts of the world when you figure in design and the various component parts and accessories. It is just the next step in a process that's been going on for millenia. To be a survivor, one must constantly stay ahead of the pack by innovating and changing and moving.

In his books,The World Is Flat and Hot, Flat and Crowded, Thomas Friedman discusses what has taken place in the modern world economy and then, in the second book, the directions he believes people need to go to compete in the changing global environment. Both books make interesting reading and probably much more useful than complaining about where your next kayak will be made.

Sometimes They Just Don't Get It

Curiously enough, about the same time that wild turkeys began showing up in our area, another similar breed also made its presence felt. Just as the turkeys don't seem to care if they scare our horses and panic them into charging through their fences, this other breed has little care for boundaries or the environment. The turkeys came on their own, completely uninvited. The other group Canadians collectively voted for - or at least a small percentage of those who bothered to vote did. What were they thinking, if anything?

The turkeys, I can deal with. The horses will soon learn to accept them and will settle down. The others? Well, they frankly scare me. You see, they don't get it. The world's economy and the planet's environment is under serious attack. What do they do? For the former crisis, they diddle. They wait and see. They had to be threatened with defeat in the House before they threw together a sort of plan to meet the crisis banging at the door.

At the same time, they secretly work away at plans to trash our environment by gutting Canada's Navigable Waters Protection Act Doing this will allow all the so-called "minor" rivers in Canada to be dammed, bridged, and otherwise made useless for boating without any review or assessment from interested parties. After all we have learned about gutting the rules for behaving properly in the public's good in our economy and environment, you'd think these people - did I say people? - would get it. But they don't.

I urge Canadians to visit this web site and help fight turkeys...

Sustaining Ourselves

One of the things I'll be looking at in the new year are hints that we are moving to a more sustainable life-style here on the planet. Certainly here in Canada there is much work to do, especially in moving the powers-that-be into the realization that we are doing great harm to ourselves and our collective future by living in climatic denial any longer. The nest is fouled. It's time to clean up our mess and live differently.

One little hint that change is out there, is the kayak in the photo above. While it seems to be just another kayak, it was built in Australia by Nadgee Kayaks, a company operating in a solar powered factory. If you think that might mean the boats are less than top quality products, you might be interested to learn that they have been used in a number of well known expeditions including the crossing of the Bass Strait viewed in This is the Sea 4.

This is a great example of where we need to go in the coming years. A place where "less is more"!

Photo from Nadgee Kayaks Australia