Why no posts since November

It's not that I don't want to go kayaking or diving, but I hurt myself in a bicycle accident.

I broke my clavical on the left side when the chain came off.

Since it was a bad break I had to have surgery. The two pieces were overlapping for over 1 inch, and would have grown back all lopsided.

For some reason the x-ray pictures can't be uploaded to blogger, it distorts them, so I posted them elsewhere, follow the link to see the carnage...

It will be another month or two before I can paddle.

Release Date 10/31/2007

I released this message in Greece off the island of Kefalonia during a kayak trip.

I was kayaking and camping with some friends from 10/28 to 11/1.

This is a wonderful coastline. We got our equipment from Monte Nero Activities. This is a great tour company on the island that has top-notch equipment and guides. I highly recommend them.

Like most of the Greek Islands this featured stunning coastline with a huge variety, cliffs, caves, beaches, rock, sand you name it, they had it.

We paddled along the West and North coasts and saw some great sites.

This time of year many things were shutdown, it was cool, but not too cold. In the future I want to go a little earlier in the year to get in some diving, and enjoy some lunches at the seaside tavernas that dot the coast.

Highlights were some of the amazing cliffs and caves.

On day we saw a mother and baby goat stuck in a pocket of rock on the cliff. Hopefully they were able to climb out, or the shepherd was able to go out in a boat on get them. I can't imagine how they got there, see the picture. There was a funny sign posted, which one of my greek friends translated nearby. "Don't shoot the goats".

Some of the beaches were really cool and remote, the only way to get there is by water.

I did a bit of fishing, but like my last trip to Greece didn't catch anything.

I was able to get a few nice meals after the trip, but was disappointed that I didn't find any goat on the menu.

I tied a huge pile of sandals and shoes that I picke-up on the beach to the bottle to attract attention.

Truth: Sunshine wams the soul and the body on a cool day.

Release Date 10/20/2007

I released this message while taking some friends kayaking. 2007 is the season that never ends. It just stays nice, warm, and sunny every day in September and October.

We launched from Red Hook in a pretty strong current, and fought our way North to the top of Governor's Island before turning around.

The wind was about 15 knots, and the current was ripping down the river.

Truth: It's always fun to meet new people/

Release Date 10/14/2007

I released this message right before starting the Mayor's Cup kayak race in New York.

The Mayor's cup is a race all the way around the island of Manhattan.

I paddled over from my home in Brooklyn early in the morning so I wouldn't have to fool around with parking and car drop-off logistics.

This turned out to be a good idea. I got warmed-up and stretched-out before the race.

It was cool in the morning waiting for the race to start. I attended the mandatory safety meeting at 8:30, then hung-out in the World Financial Center trying to stay warm while I waited for my start time.

I was in the 2nd heat of the touring class and we were to start at 9:55. I took absolutely everything out of my boat that I didn't need for the race to make it as light as possible. The only "safety" gear I had was a cellphone, a pump.

I put together a wacky assortment of food, and when I got to my boat before the race started one of the other more serious racers made a comment about it. On the deck I had:
package of 2 pop tarts
2 chocolate bars
1 granola bar
1 container of gel
1 can of monster energy drink
1 liter of sports drink that I mixed-up in an old seltzer bottle.

Most of the stuff had been given to me, and I was looking for an excuse to eat and drink it. I got the gel and sports drink when I volunteered to help for a swim race. A friend gave me the pop-tarts. Another friend works for Monster and gave me the energy drink.

I ate the pop tarts and drank the Monster energy drink right before starting, and took one last pee.

I decided to put my pfd on the back deck, since it slightly binds when paddling.

I got a good start, and headed out pretty far into the river to try and catch the current up the Hudson. Almost immediately I got into a hassle with the old men running the USCG Aux safety boat. They told me I was too far out.

I went in a bit, and then argued with them. I could see the first heat ahead and they were even farther out, getting a good ride in the current.

It was windy from the NW going up the Hudson, but I only had to use the skeg a few times. I tried to just compensate with my paddling.

I kept looking at the GPS to see how fast I was going. It helped as I adjusted and fine tuned my paddling stroke. The more I used my body, instead of my arms, the faster the boat went.

One of the other racers was even with me to 23rd St. or so, then I slowly pulled out ahead of him. By the 79th St. Boat basin I was closing in on some guys from the first heat, which left at 9:45, so that made me feel pretty good. I was definitely paddling faster than them. In the Hudson I got speeds of 6 kts, sometimes getting up to 7. Once I surfed a boat wake and went all the way up to 9, but that didn't last.

I knew I couldn't win my touring class, My friends Jeff and Carl are faster, but they were in the first heat. I wanted to beat out a number of the other local paddlers, but I had never tried a race like this, or even tried paddling fast for a long period of time, so I wasn't sure how I would do.

My heart rate was up, but I wasn't sweating too hard. I didn't know if I could keep up the pace for 4 or 5 hours, was I working too hard or not hard enough.

Just before I reached the GW Bridge some of the OC-2 people passed me. I just looked up for one minute, and they were there next to me, seemingly from no where. They were really going fast, and it was very impressive to watch them zoom by.

I entered the Harlem River and checked the tide table I made up for the day. I couldn't see any current on the pilings it seemed to be at slack, which is what the tables predicted. I stayed toward the middle for a while following the straightest course, then moved to the side when the table told me the water was flowing against me.

It also helped to get out of the wind on the side. I tried to stay just one or two paddle widths away from the wall.

I got to the Peter Sharpes Boathouse to get my "split" time, then just paddled on.

Other OC-2 boats passed me, then a tandem with wing paddles inched by. All these guys had started 10 or 15 minutes after me, so they were going a lot faster.

When I was in the Harlem along the seawall I was going at about 4.5 kts. I couldn't really sustain anything faster.

My friends Marcus and Kate passed me when I was working my along the wall. We said a friendly hello. I tried to draft on them for a while, but they were too fast, and their borrowed boat was so nice I was afraid I would damage it if I tired to get close.

More people passed me in the Harlem, and I just kept paddling. I tried not to ever stop paddling, and generally I didn't maybe 2 or 3 times for just 1 stroke to adjust the skeg, but nothing else. I knew the key was to keep going.

The 4 elite leaders passed me just as I was entering the East River. That was really impressive. 4 boats going almost in perfect lock-step. 2 in front, and 2 drafting off of them only a foot or two apart.

As I entered the East River I kept waiting for the current. At one point in the beginning I tried to paddle on the wall because I thought the current was still against me, and I wanted shelter from the increasing wind, but it didn't seem to help, and looked like a lot further, so I decided to make for the center, and try and catch some decent current below Mill Rock.

The current had just changed in Hell Gate, so there wasn't much to help us, and no turbulence to speak of. I've been up there when it is really rocking big standing waves and whirlpools, but there was nothing this morning because it was too soon in the current cycle.

Once I got abreast of Rosevelt Island I did start to see the GPS inching up and I knew I was getting current again.

I had been a little thirsty for a while, but I didn't want to take the time to drink anything. I also didn't want to have to pee because that would have slowed me down more. I had decided to wait to eat and drink when I got in the current, reasoning that was the best place to not be paddling. I ate a granola bar, a chocolate bar, drank some of the crappy tasting sports drink, and ate the gel packet at the North Side of Roosevelt Island.

I had some more drink a little later, and took to aspirin with codeine since things were starting to hurt a bit.

I just barreled down the East River, trying to stay toward the center to get the most current, and take the shortest path.

I saw a few other racers. At one point a double caught me, but they kept stopping to adjust things or eat or pee or something, and they never actually got past me. This seemed odd since they had gained at least 10 minutes on me to get to me, because they started later.

I got good current down the East River, and was feeling pretty good when I finally got to the Williamsburg Bridge, since that is at least "downtown" I knew the end was getting near.

It got kind of rough later down by the Manhattan Bridge. Lots of boat traffic, and a stiff wind against an increasing current.

I didn't have too much trouble with the motor boats, they all seemed to get over on the Brooklyn side for us.

I noticed the SI Ferry pulling out as I got close to the Battery. I got over near the side since I knew the current would be against me in the Hudson. Another ferry was pulling in, but I was able to beat him, but only by a few minutes. I would have sucked to have to stop for him.

I hit a fishing line along the Battery, but just went underneath.

A SOL ferry was pulling out, but I just scooted by him as he left.

I did make the NY Waterways ferry wait for me, and they were a little pissed, but I have waited for them plenty of times over the years, so I figured it was my turn.

I got right on the wall for the ride up the Hudson back to the North Cove because the current was substantial. I blew by another guy from the first heat because he was out in the middle of the current. Eric Stiller of Manhattan Kayak gave me some good words of encouragement, as I started up the Battery.

I got into the North Cove for a time of 4 hours 17 minutes. This turned out to be only 13 minutes off the leader, Jeff, so I felt pretty good about that.

I did the obligatory victory roll then changed and relaxed on a bench to wait for everyone else.

I couldn't stay till the end to get my medal and prize money because I had to get back to the Boathouse before it got dark. I was also starting to hurt as my muscles started cramping up.

A few days later now I feel ok, just a little sore. My shoulder which bothers me from time to time was fine, and the pain is in all the right places telling me I was paddling with my back, neck, and legs. Just a bit in the arms.

Release Date 10/8/2007

I released this message off of Breezy Point in Queens.

It was yet another stunningly sunny and warm October day. I think it got up into the 80's. We were trying to go kayak surfing on the sandbar out off the point, but there wasn't any predictable surf. We paddled out from Plumb Beach in a pretty stiff wind ~ 15kts from the SW.

The water was really clear, and I wished I was freediving instead.

I got to the beach early, a first for me, or at least a rare occasion. I spent some time picking up trash on the beach, and found this boat bumper, which I attached to the bottle.

I screwed around trying to surf for a while, ate lunch with my friends, then paddled down past the beach club on the ocean side to the fishing hole.

I saw a few monarch butterflies, but they seemed confused. At least 2 of them were flying North not South. This yellow plant, that they feed on, was in bloom everywhere. I think most of them have already headed South.

My shoulder was bothering me a little when I started, but it felt fine once I warmed up. I think I slightly overdid it exercising, or it was just the muscles being sore. Hard to tell.

Truth: The future can be frightening.

Release Date 10/6/2007

Released this message in the Hudson River around 12:00AM on 10/6 -> 10/7. I was coming back from an evening cookout at Engelwood cliffs park, north of the GW bridge.


It was a big group 13 boats and it really made me nervous because it wasn't a guided group, and people tended to want to spread out a lot according to paddling capabilities.

We stopped at Fairway on the way up and bought the food. We got a lot of food, much more than we could eat, for only $12 a head, including a ton of beer. As usual the park closed, but nobody noticed us because we had come from water.

We had a nice run with the current in both directions and made good time going up and coming back, although the return trip in the extreme dark with so many people, when tired, after drinking seemed like a long one to me.


Truth: It shouldn't be this warm in October.

Release Date 9/23/2007

I went on a long paddle from Red Hook up to the GW bridge to meet some friends and have a late night BBQ.

We stopped at Fairway and picked-up food for dinner, then went to a little beach near the bridge on the NY side. It's funny I was riding by this area over and over in the last year, but I never knew there were beaches here. It also brought back a number of memories that were a little painful.

It was a stunning night, the sunset was great, then the wind died the moon was almost full.

We had a great dinner. Steak on the grill, corn on the cob, and baked beans.

The paddle back was with the current, but kind of intense because it was so late, and I was pretty tired. I landed in Red Hook at 1:00AM.

Truth: Steak on the Grill is good.