Skeg Repair

Today I did something I've been talking about doing for a while - I repaired my skeg cable. I had help from XL and Yim, along with consultation from Louie and Mike. As always, everyone at the boathouse had an opinion.

What's a a skeg? A skeg is a retractable fin on a kayak. It helps straighten the boat out against the wind. There's a lot of debate about skegs vs rudders, and whether to have steel cables or simple drop ropes. In my case, the boat has a steel cable connected to a control knob near the cockpit, allowing me to put it in any position while I'm out on the water.

Here is a good explanation of what a skeg does:

http://www.atlantickayaktours.com/pages/expertcenter/equipment/skeg/Skeg-1A.shtml

Unfortunately, one of the first things that I did was kink the cable. The cable passes through a sealed tube on the interior of the boat and attaches to the skeg. You can't see it in the photo above, but basically it goes in to the upper edge of the skeg, and a screw holds it in place. One day, I came back and pulled the boat out of the water with the skeg fully extended. The weight of the boat pressed down, and the steel cable bent. It was hard to get a picture, but basically all the dame was done in the last three inches.

To replace it, I had to buy a new cable, then disassemble the control mechanism, remove the old cable, slide the new cable in, and re-assemble the mechanism.

For reference, I have a Valley Canoe Products boat. Not all skegs are built the same. I have to say, after working this one, I like it. It's used in other brands, with slight modifications. Also, my boat is ten years old, and may be different from the curent models.

Here is the control know. Forward, brings the skeg up; back lowers it. I can rest it at any position in between for alternate effects.

What took me a while to understand is the the metal rod that I can see is a hollow and movable part. The cable threads through the rod, and the knob actually presses down a screw through an opening in the rod to press against the cable itself. The knob moves not only the cable, but also the rod around it. The rod protects the cable and helps keep it aligned.

We wanted to mark the neutral position of the knob prior to removal. I'm not sure that was necessary, but you do want to know where the rod ends, because then in the up position, the cable cable only go so far forward.

Here you can see the rod with the knob removed. The knob is held in by a screw with a 2.5 mm (or 3/32) allen head. Thanks to Louie for figuring that one out!

Here is the knob.

This is not the clearest shot, but it does show just how badly kinked the cable was.

After this I'm sorry to say we go so into it that I neglected to take pictures. XL and YIM helped figure the cable length and position. XL cut the cable - it took a couple of practice attempts on the old, and two attempts on the new, but we got it right.

To summarize

Remove control knob.
Pull cable out.
Remove cable from skeg.
Remove control rod.
Cut new cable to match.
Attach new cable to skeg
Feed old cable through, including through control rod - this takes some doing as it transitions a bit entering the control rod.
Ensure the cable is placed correctly, ensuring the up and down positions.
Tighten down the control knob.

Shakedown Cruise

I took the Argonaut out for its initial voyage. This is the kayak I bought a couple of months ago from a fellow up in Rochester. After getting it delivered and stored in the Pier 96 boathouse, I was basically waiting for the water and air temperatures to be warm enough to take it out for a spin.

Here it is after I paddled up to the floating dock at 72nd street. Initially I tooled around the Pier 96 embayment - my first time back in the water this season, along with my first time in this boat. I noticed it leaned a little to the left, and so I got out, adjusted the cargo in the back, and made sure I seated center when I got back in. Once I was confident in the boat and my abilities, I paddled up 16 blocks to 72nd.

Here it is on a dolly, right after washing down. Washing water over it, I didn't notice any weird drains or crinkles in the hull. The fore and aft compartments were bone dry. 

You can see that here, along with one of the hooks the former owner placed to secure cargo. I don't travel with anywhere near enough gear to use these, but I want to.

Here is the compass. Near as I can tell, it's accurate. Sitting in the cockpit, the number closets to the paddler is the heading. I was reminded that Manhattan and the Hudson are not truly aligned along the north-south axis. It's offset by about 35-40 degrees.

The seat held up well. it's comfortable, sturdy, and adjustable.

More tie-off points, and a glimpse of part of the pump.

Here's the foot pump. I tried testing it out a little bit. It's not hard to reach, but I don't think I let in enough water to test against. I will test some more, but for now, I won't mind keeping my hand pump at the ready.

The skeg. This was the first time I really tried paddling with a skeg. A skeg is basically a retractable fin - it doesn't move except up and down. It stabilizes the boat in wind. While the wind wasn't too bad, there was a strong eddy current on the way back. I found that with the skeg down, I went straighter, but had a harder time turning. I kept it down to move forward, and pulled it up when I was ready to turn out into the main current.

So that's it. The Argonaut passed its first shakedown cruise. It was a beautiful day and I really enjoyed being back out on the water again. It's a great boat and I still can't quite believe it's mine. I'm looking forward to the summer, and getting a few years use out of this boat.

Kayak

Well I finally did it - I bought a kayak. It's a used Valley Canoe Products Argonaut. I bought it from a guy in Rochester, and a friend of mine picked it up and drove it down to the city.

Here it is at the boathouse. I can't wait to take it out after the water warms up a bit.

Trippin'

So, not so much food news, that has slowed down as I've been out and about more.

Come to think of it, I've have a very busy summer, especially of late. Last weekend, my brother and his wife were in town and I spent a lot of time with them; in return, I got to spend some time about the Barque Eagle, "America's Tall Ship", including climbing to the top of the rigging.

Yesterday, I got my first real taste of running a public trip with my kayaking club. Basically, weekend mornings in the summer we take people across the river and to points north or south, depending on the current. I'm slated to run my first official trip in two weeks, but yesterday's guide let me run it with some supervision. It was . . .daunting. You know what you should do, but making sure it happens is another thing. With other volunteers throwing in advice, it can be a bit confusing to the public - too many cooks stirring the soup - but all in, it went well. We got across the river to Mitsuwa grocery store, and came back against a stiff wind that blew against the current, causing some waves.

Sunday

I struggled, yet managed to wake up and out the door before 7 AM to get to the boathouse. I rode my bike on the now-familiar route: west to St Nicks', south to 125th, west to the river, then south along the bike path. Our guide was late, and quite a few people had arrived looking for the trip, and we had to hold a lottery to see who got to go. H was our trip leader, and N another volunteer. I got the public ready while they decided where to go and prepped their boats.

It was a gloomy, muggy day; rain was expected, and while it rained a bit before we left, we were spared precipitation on our trip. Due to the current, we headed south, and due to the ongoing recovery operations related to the air crash the day before, we stayed on the Manhattan side of the river.

Heading south along the Manhattan side is always interesting. From 56th street on down there is a lot of river traffic in general, and due to the cruise ships, the Intrepid, and the ventilation shafts for the Lincoln and Holland tunnels, there are lots of areas we have to give wide berth to.

One of our guests was a woman I recognized but couldn't place; I thought she had just been around the boathouse, but it turns out she was a PTA head from my early days at the Lyceum (the private school I worked at). She seemed in good spirits. She went through a very rough divorce. It's always interesting to see people years on from a rough period of their lives, and removed from the circumstances in which you met them.

We made it as far as Houston, where we have another little dock. We stopped to use the facilities and chat a bit, then headed back up. There was talk of crossing the river, but we decided based on time and effort that it wasn't worthwhile. We crossed in front of some ferry terminals - those Ikea ferries are fast, btw - and made it back.

I showered and rode my bike back home, where I finished puttering around the house. So many daily chores fall by the wayside when I am in school. Laundry from a week ago was finally put away, the floors swept and mopped, the skink cleaned out. I'm still catching up.

A short visit to church, then back home, where I watched a bad movie and just relaxed before going to bed.

To the Edgewater Again

Today I went on one of our early morning kayak trips. My group holds these trips Saturday and Sunday mornings; we leave around 8:30, usually cross the river, then go up or down with the tides. Today we made it as far as Edgewater, which is about 135th street. We departed from 56th.

It was a gorgeous day. It really could not have been more perfect. The sky was blue, the sun was shiny, clouds were light and puffy. There was a slight breeze, a little strong at times, but gentle and cooling most of they time.

I tried out a boat I hadn't been in before (and I've been in most of the models - my favorite, the Chennai, was out on another trip). This boat was HUGE - almost 18 feet long, and wide enought that I had to sit frog-legged in it to grip the knee braces. It tracked well, but tended to skew in the wind. One nice feature was a mini-hatch just big enough for my sandals and sunscreen.

Edgewater has a little marina to tie up at, and we got out and walked around, looking at the parrots in the park that it is known for. On the way back, we stopped at a Japanese supermarket, pulling up on a little beach and hopping the fence. I had already filled up on trail mix and fruit and juice, so I didn't each much.

Overall it was a good group. You never know what you're going to get with the public, but these folks were alright, and able to keep up. There was a little drama towards the end, as they got a little tuckered and slowed down or even stopped while we were crossing the river, and we could see a barge heading our way. We got through of course, we just had to encourage them a bit.

Afterwards, I showered, dried off, put on a sun dress, and walked up Broadway and did some window shopping. All in all, a fun day.

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Sunday

Sunday was a long day.

I volunteered with my kayaking club to support the NYC triathlon. Basically swim support means we go out in our kayaks and prevent the swimmers from swimming out into the open river or swimming into the sea wall. They're so focused on moving forward, they get off track easily.

This meant I got up at 3 AM. I was out the door by 3:30 to get to the 79th Street Boat Basin by 4. Less than an hour later, we were on the water, lining up and watching the sun rise.

The first wave came through a little before six. There were two clusters, a large group and then a smaller group. Altogether, it looked like a serpent roiling through the water, or perhaps two giant hands twisting their way through the river. These guys were fast. These were the professionals, competing for a $100,000 prize.

After that came a series of swimmers. They got less serious as they went on. We were instructed to call out to the swimmers the direction they should head, i.e. "Swimmer! Left!" or to point with our paddles. We could even bonk them with our paddles if we needed to. The first guy who ran into my boat didn't pay any attention and ran right into my side. "Swimmer, left," I gently cooed. "What? in your bloody canoe?" he scowled. Swimmers in the back half of the race apologized as if they had reached too far in front of me at the grocery store. "Sorry," they would say, and then bob in the water aiming their goggled eyes across the waves, looking for the way out.

A man had a heart attack and died. I didn't see that. There were many reports of jellyfish stings. I did see them. They look like giant muffin wrappers in the water.

Afterwards we took our boats back to where they belonged. I stayed at our spot on 72nd street even though we weren't opening. It seemed pointless to put the boats away. I turned away all walkups except one: Doris, a woman in her nineties who comes by early morning every weekend to paddle. When i told her we weren't opening until noon she was crestfallen. I let her go out - and she stayed out for over an hour. I hope someone will put me in a boat when I'm that old.

After that, I ran back and forth between 56th and 72nd running errands, then walked all over the upper west side looking for a bank, for stationary, and finally for lunch. It was hot and muggy, humid and in the  90s, brutal weather.

I met my friend TM and we went downtown to see if we could find the waterfalls. We  got out at Wall Street and walked over to South Street Seaport. We were able to see the falls under the Brooklyn Bridge, as well as a set out on Governor's Island. TM's work relocated downtown, so he took me to some of his favorite spots in Battery Park.

After walking through Battery Park we came upon the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. Behind it was the old terminal, now renamed the Governor's Island Ferry Terminal. It has a neo-rococo look, with several flags hanging out front. Only a very small space is devoted to the terminal. The rest is being refurbished, and this summer is host to an art installation by David Byrne. Because of something to do with the incomplete renovations and the ownership of the site, we had to sign waivers in order to see the exhibit. I've never had to waive my rights to see an art installation before.

The installation itself was interesting but underwhelming. An old organ has been wired to different sound effects in the building that replicate the industrial sounds of its former life.The space itself was far more interesting, one of those derelict urban spaces that reek of history and assert that they aren't through yet. Gangways for the ferry, stairs over water, and a giant brick waiting room with a dirty skylight were all on display. It's the kind of urban space I like to find.

After the terminal, we had another encounter downtown, this time with a French-speaking violinist busking for change. TM gave him money, and I thought we were through, but the man insisted that TM pose as if TM were the fiddler and the man was putting money in the case. I took pictures, then I took on the role, holding the violin to the man's exacting specifications. TM took pictures. I sent one to my father, who played violin as a child. He pointed out that I was holding the violin wrong.

Next, we hopped on the JMZ line to go up to Delancey. There was a restaurant I wanted to try in the Lower East Side. The Chambers Street station and the Delancey Street station were very interesting. The first was large and expansive, but somewhat ill-kept. The second was far more brightly lit than I remembered, and had a weird arrangement with the intersecting F line.

We walked over to Avenue C - Losaida - and sought out the restaurant. We never did find it, so we settled for Esperanto, a charming little bistro with a reasonable menu. I had appetizers - a wonderful chayote salad along with some friend potato-cod balls. TM had the house chicken, rich with coriander. Desert, a warm brownie with molten chocolate inside was wonderful. I only regret we did not try their drinks.

All along our day, the weather was brutally hot and muggy. It drained the life out of us. We kept on sunblock, and even with it on TM was a shade darker by the end of the day than when we started. We drank gallons of water every change we had. For myself, this was all on top of having gotten up at three in the morning. I thoroughly enjoyed our day, but by the time I got home - around nine - I was ready for it to be over.

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Rollin' in the River

Another day on the river. I spent more time than I expected, but I needed it.

I went down to the boathouse to go out on a trip. I assisted with two other volunteers plus our leader. we had about twelve members of the public and headed across to the Jersey side. We went up, and intended to go farther, but the wind and current not aligned well and were whipsawing us all over the place. Half my effort went to just keeping my boat straight. We headed up to about 80th street (we started out at 56th) and crossed back, coming down with the current.

I learned a lot about managing my boat in less than ideal conditions. I'm also getting my face around the boathouse seniors. I did get a little talk about staying with the group. I got out to far ahead a few times. I need to check the rearview more often and make sure I'm still with the group.

When we got back, I took a break and hopped out of the Chennai. I love the Chennai, by the way, it's an awesome boat. It's speedy and it tracks well. I wanted to try some rolling, so after a snack I went out in a Baja, which I'm more familiar with. I only spent about half an hour rolling. I got pretty good, but flubbed at one point and did a wet exit. I did well climbing back in, but by the time my buddy and I were done pumping the boat out, we were ready for some other things, so we chatted with another volunteer about hand rolling, and I plied around the embayment for a bit.

There was a huge arriving event - some sort of group trip from Albany, mostly folks in their sixties and older, plus a few extras for the last leg. Some of them had very nice, very fancy boats. We helped them out and walked them back to the lawn in front of the boathouse, then noshed on sandwiched. At one point I rode up to my usual spot to see how things were going, and later two more volunteers came up, so I rode back down and changed into regular clothes to go home.

I love kayaking. I really enjoy this particular club as well, and it's fun to ride a bike up and down the trail the city's developed along the waterfront. I learned a bit more about how the trust and authority structures are organized for different parts of the waterfront. It's really fascinating. It's remarkable what the city has done, compared with what was along the waterfront before.

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