Practice packing in Sunny FloridaDry-run of loading kayak using my buddy Russell Farrow's Greenlander Pro
Date: 05/30/2008
Dry-run of loading kayak using my buddy Russell Farrow's Greenlander Pro
Preface
Date: 05/10/2012
Trip Stats
Date: 05/10/2012
Major Open Crossing Distances
Date: 05/10/2012
KNL Trip Photo
Date: 05/10/2012
Many thanks to KNL, especially Neil Burgess and Isabelle for hosting me and for their hospitality. Neil let me borrow his car to drive to the put-in for an early start, and no problem to leave the key in the car. Only in Newfoundland!
Shakedown
Date: 05/10/2012
Testing kayak and gear near Cape Broyle harbour, the day before my circumnavigation began. The dense fog lifted just a few minutes before this image was taken, and then returned. Seas were lively near St. John's at the start of the trip.
First Icebergs sighted just south of St. Johns
Date: 05/10/2012
Icebergs are a common sight along Newfoundland’s “Iceberg Alley”
Date: 06/17/2008
Shaken or Stirred?
Date: 06/17/2008
Icebergs are dangerous and can roll unpredictably. That said local sea kayakers often approach the bergs carefully, and break off a small piece to take home. When dropped into rum (or the drink of your choice) the ancient ice fizzes like alka-seltzer...
Date: 06/17/2008
Drifting 2 years from Greenland....
Date: 06/17/2008
Drifting 2 years, bergs from Greenland sail the Labrador Current, often becoming sculpted into fantastic shapes
OLYMPUS0027.JPG
Date: 06/17/2008
First night; ocean view with icebergs in the distance
Date: 06/16/2008
OLYMPUS0029
Date: 05/09/2012
OLYMPUS0033.JPG
Date: 06/17/2008
OLYMPUS0049.JPG
Date: 06/17/2008
OLYMPUS0046.JPG
Date: 06/17/2008
OLYMPUS0048.JPG
Date: 06/17/2008
OLYMPUS0008.JPG
Date: 06/17/2008
OLYMPUS0008 (2).JPG
Date: 06/18/2008
OLYMPUS0004
Date: 06/18/2008
144_4486.JPG
Date: 06/19/2008
145_4532.JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
144_4493.JPG
Date: 06/19/2008
Across St Mary’s Bay. I landed on only three sand beaches.
Date: 06/19/2008
I don't prefer a sand beach. It is very difficult to drag a fully loaded kayak on sand, especially on a solo trip. A rock beach, although requiring a stout kayak, makes the job of moving the kayak much easier. If you can find a flat rock to camp on, it's much more carefree than sand, that finds its way into everything.
OLYMPUS0001 (3).JPG
Date: 06/20/2008
OLYMPUS0059.JPG
Date: 06/20/2008
OLYMPUS0004 (3).JPG
Date: 06/20/2008
OLYMPUS0033 (2).JPG
Date: 06/20/2008
OLYMPUS0065.JPG
Date: 06/20/2008
OLYMPUS0071.JPG
Date: 06/20/2008
Night crossing, Placentia BayPaddling through night to dawn piloting via Foghorns. 18 hours to make crossing.
Date: 05/10/2012
I used GPS and the sound of a foghorn, heard about 25 miles into the crossing, to navigate. To use the foghorn, I figured out it's period in seconds, and to check my heading, counted while paddling, and then stopped paddling in time to hear the mournful sound above the wind and waves. I verified every hour with the GPS, but this required me to stop paddling as my headlamp had failed (shorted out). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placentia_Bay
145_4512.JPG
Date: 06/21/2008
144_4498.JPG
Date: 06/21/2008
145_4516.JPG
Date: 06/21/2008
145_4514.JPG
Date: 06/21/2008
OLYMPUS0006 (2).JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
OLYMPUS0027 (2).JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
OLYMPUS0047 (2).JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
145_4518.JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
145_4533.JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
145_4534.JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
145_4521.JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
145_4536.JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
145_4537.JPG
Date: 06/22/2008
OLYMPUS0005 (2).JPG
Date: 06/23/2008
Stunning Brunette Island in Fortune Bay.Spent 2 days for weather and repairs.
Date: 06/26/2008
You can just make out my Hilleberg tent, protected by a small mound of earth from predicted high-winds. Gale hit during the night, but the fully guyed-out Hilleberg handled it with aplomb.
145_4538.JPG
Date: 06/25/2008
145_4558.JPG
Date: 06/25/2008
145_4566.JPG
Date: 06/25/2008
Keel strip took brunt of wear.minor gelcoat damage from rocky surf landing.
Date: 06/26/2008
Round bilged kayaks suffer less damage than hard chines, but I like the control afforded by chines. Next time I may add a protective strip to the keel and the chines. What is amazing about these kayaks is that (with care) you can surf them onto a rocky beach fully loaded.
Boat repairs to fix day hatch leak and gelcoat damage on chines
Date: 06/26/2008