Recent content by MrPoling

The way waves behave in lakes that we'd normally paddle is really complicated. Without deep water and many miles of fetch ocean waves cannot form. The most common conditions in smaller lakes, even deep lakes with three miles of fetch, are smaller, slower waves that are close together. These...

I think the first thing he needed was floatation. I know it is a pain, but airbags make this better all around. There is less chance of swamp and swim, less chance of pin, less damage, and easier recovery. As for hull material, I think any hull is trash after damage like that. Sure, you can...

Clemson did pretty well in those competitions. I heard they sold the canoes to University of SC students for their Boundry Waters trips.

Oddly enough, it is our canoes that need flotation to float. Because a carbon kevlar laminate is heavier than water. But the concrete they use has stuff in it to make it fluffier than normal concrete. Just like royalex is fluffier than normal abs plastic. So it floats, even if the canoe was...

It is aggregate achievement, but I have a sinking feeling that it will take more to cement their status as a great university.

As the weather has gotten more extreme here in the Carolinas, water storage has become more critical. The major cities in NC could not exist without the large reservoirs. This century we've continued to build new, smaller reservoirs. The Eno no longer spikes after every thunderstorm because...

I've been wondering if you could use a Grumman as a backcounty hot tub. Seems like you'd have to dig a deep hole underneath it or something. One of those crazy ideas that could go very wrong.

What a great puzzle. That looks like the grinder plate from a meat grinder with a stainless bolt threaded through. Could also be a drain grate. What is it for? There might be a more common solution.

Hey Bartcanoed. Wwlcome to the site. There is paddling here, much of it mentioned above. Lumber River, Merchants Millpond, Bear Island, Fontana Lake, Congaree and Sparkleberry. I recommend Jocassee. There is clear water and 4 rivers that plunge to the lake, each with waterfalls.

My experience with headlamps is you spoil your night vision when you raise your hands at the beginning of the stroke. If I needed to run lights on my canoe, I'd use a marine light on a pole that has 360 degree view, but does not cast downward. Practically, I very rarely paddle at night where...

Hey Blackrock. Those are cool canoes. The problem with Clippers is they use heavy layups. After a good round of patches it will only be heavier. Those look like loooong creases. Maybe you'll get lucky and it will hold it's shape. Then some 'glass and paint might be reasonable. But it still...

Yes, this is one of those trips. Had a whiner expressed interest we would have gone somewhere easy.

I returned to Falls Lake this evening, hoping to enjoy the sunset. Despite some much needed rain, the lake is still way down. A heron, just before catching it's dinner. Another sunset. Saw another beaver, this one swimming across the middle of the lake. Big osprey too, they are everywhere...

Riverman by Ben McGrath. It is about Dick Conant. He was a character who traveled thousands of miles on several trips. He also was basically homeless with a canoe. Despite being well read and curious he wasn't savvy about gear. His last tripper was a square-sterned Sun Dolphin Scout or...

The drought might be making the beaver shifty down here (southeast). My Falls Lake day trip report includes lots of tail-slapping. Maybe they are being more aggressive as their ponds shrink. https://www.canoetripping.net/threads/dry-falls-lake-day-trip.131379/ Thankfully they aren't...