On the cool and cloudy afternoon of February 22, Janet and I followed her directions to Greenfield Lake Park in Wilmington. We were biking on the 4-mile paved trail around the lake in the park center. But the main attraction was the beautiful swampy lake full of and surrounded by miles of cypress trees and Spanish moss. We went without Janet’s dog Gracie.
Normally, when I go on a trip, I take one or two devices with me to navigate. My main instrument is a Garmin Montana 750i with a plethora of sophisticated features and programs. Today the Montana misbehaved and I left it in the Jeep at the parking lot. For several years I have had the popular and well-known app on my iPhone called All Trails. I have read many reviews that were mixed good and bad, so up to now I had not used it. Without the Montana, I turned on All Trails and instantly saw the several nearby trails, including Greenfield Lake Park. Another couple of button pushes and we had a GPS icon on the device map following our location and progress on the clearly rendered trail. A miracle! I have never had an electronic device work so fast, accurately, intuitively, and easily. I recommend you get a copy on your phone.
The trip was just about right for Janet’s and my stamina. We never felt worn out or exhausted, but by the time we got to the end at the parking lot, we were as tired as we wanted to be. The next morning, we were both a little sore, in a good way! A good time was had by all.
On the cloudy and windy afternoon of February 21, Janet and I went kayaking in Banks Channel of the Cape Fear River from the Wrightsville Beach public access between Wilmington and Cape Fear. The wind was quite breezy at 12 knots and kicking up a substantial wave chop, but no white caps.
The view was mostly motor boats tied up at private docks on our (eastern) side of the Channel and beach houses on the other side of the Channel.
This weather was the strongest wind in which I have paddled. I was pleasantly surprised at how efficiently and smoothly my long and slender boat held its orientation against the quartering wind and cut through the waves. I felt comfortably stable. Janet in her short and wide fishing kayak did not have the same advantages, but being a strong paddler, she held her path through the water and kept up with me.
Going out, we paddled upstream almost directly against the wind. Our progress was smooth and sufficient. Coming back, the wind shifted. Instead of being directly behind us, it was quartering from our starboard stern (right, back side).
At one point for a test Janet and I were beside each other and paddling at the same speed facing into the wind. Then we quit paddling at the same time. Janet’s Old Town stopped moving immediately. My Excel coasted 15 more feet, showing the efficiency of the narrow boat. Nicely, I had no pain from my pinched nerve sciatica, or from the sharp seatback.
Almost predictably, at the takeout when I pushed back in the cockpit to exit my boat, I struggled to do a backwards pushup, and could not quite rise up high enough to sit on the back deck. My butt got caught on the cockpit lip, I lost my balance, and went over into the chilly water. Fortunately, I was wearing a full wetsuit with neoprene gloves and boots and felt fine.
Afterwards, we took Janet’s Golden Retriever Gracie to the beach and let her play by chasing balls and sticks. A good time was had by all.
On the cloudy and moderately cool afternoon of February 17, Janet and I went to Smith Creek Park outside Wilmington, NC. We took our bicycles and her Golden Retriever, Gracie. There is a paved path for walking and biking surrounding the lake. Beyond the paved path are dirt trails which are mostly unmarked, winding through the woods. Janet had been there before, so she was our guide.
We first traversed the dirt trails. Along the way, I found a rare sign with a trail map. I stopped to read it, but Janet did not see me stop and kept going. I called her a couple of times, but she was far enough down the trail that she did not hear me. Then I made a yelping sound that I learned from my Dad that's very loud and piercing, to get somebody's attention, which sounds sort of like a hog call. Janet heard me and came back to the map sign. She let me know that she did not like to be the recipient of a hog call, so since then I have used my emergency whistle.
Then we biked around the paved trail back to the parking lot, where Gracie was patiently waiting in Janet’s vehicle. We took her down to the dock and took turns throwing tennis balls and sticks into the lake for her to jump from the dock and retrieve. A good time was had by all.
On the cool and cloudy afternoon of Sunday, February 11, 2024, Janet instigated a kayak trip for us in our recently discovered Holly Shelter game land on the border of New Hanover and Pender Counties. We put in at the NC Wildlife Resources Commission boat ramp on the northeast branch of the Cape Fear River. I paddled my sleek and efficient but delicately balanced and a little bit intimidating Nigel Dennis Romney Excel 16 ½ foot kayak. Janet paddled her wide and short fishing kayak which was comfortably stable.
We were both taking somewhat of a risk by paddling in 60-degree air and 50-degree water temperatures with less than full exposure protection. Hypothermia was a clear and present danger if either of us capsized. I had on a full wetsuit with a neoprene cap, gloves, socks, and shoes, which was a lot of protection. But I would have been safer in a dry suit, which I cannot afford. Janet was even braver, wearing only street clothes. When we discussed the merits of our clothing outfits, Janet stated bravely that she will not turn over and get wet.
Janet’s dog Gracie was not with us since it was cold, we expected to paddle several miles and Gracie is suffering from such strong arthritis in one of her legs that she limps all the time.
The river had little discernable current. But the wind was moderately heavy and gusted strongly enough to occasionally push us backward. We never determined which way was upstream, so we paddled first against the wind for several miles. This direction turned out to be downstream, which would normally be backward. Then we turned around due to my sciatica pain getting bothersome and made our way with the wind pushing us back to the dock.
Another issue is that my kayak was made for rolling self-rescues. I cannot do that maneuver, but I still have a seat back which is almost non-existent and not sufficiently supportive for my weak back. With my good friend Bill Webb’s assistance, I added a foam block to the rolling seat back, but it is not wide enough or soft enough for me to paddle comfortably. With more help from Bill, we are plotting how to renovate the seat back to make it wider, taller, and softer.
Ever since winter arrived here this season, I have been a little anxious and fretful about if, or when, I could fall in cold water and have a problem. As bad (or good?) fortune would have it, when I was exiting my boat at the take-out, I made the mistake of driving my boat too far up the ramp, which made the bow tippy and changed the balance point. When I sat on the back deck, I did not have the middle width of the boat in the water to give me proper balance, so I fell in the water up to my neck.
I was surprised by how much protection I got from the wet suit. I certainly felt the cold water but had no trouble with a bad shock or being unable to save myself. Fortunately, I did not have to do a real deep-water self-rescue. So, I walked out of the creek and up the ramp. I felt better that I had gotten wet with no terrible repercussions.
After the paddle, we ate a picnic that Janet prepared sitting in the sun on the grass by the dock. Pleasant and refreshing. A good time was had by all.
On an Indian summer warm day on October 29, Janet with her golden retriever Gracie and I paddled our canoe and kayak in Martin Marietta Park. We went from the canal to Goose Creek, and then on to the Neuse River. This was my second trip onto the Neuse River and in times past I have been intimidated by the suspected current. As I am learning, this close to the coast, the Neuse has little current and is no trouble to navigate.
While Janet and I paddled our boats, Gracie swam the whole way. I am surprised by her strength and endurance. We went for several miles going out and then coming back to the same put in. In the pictures you can see a short video of Gracie swimming between our boats.
Janet and I are having a good time paddling together and it is nice practice for me to get used to my re-outfitted canoe and my upgraded kayak. A good time was had by all.
A couple of weeks earlier, Janet, her golden retriever Gracie and I had paddled Rice Creek near Wilmington, NC, going upstream first, as we are taught to do for safer logistics. That way, we can return to the takeout with the current in our favor. Then we don’t have to be concerned about the current being too strong to paddle back. On October 21 we decided to go there again and paddle down-stream first. We had discovered before that the current is so mild as to be negligible.
The weather was warm and clear, with a few drifting clouds and less wind than before. Janet provided Gracie with a nice new dog PFD (life jacket). The jacket’s usefulness was a tradeoff. It gave Gracie more flotation, which was safer if she got tired and had to rest in the water. But it also caused a drag in the water and hindered her forward progress, making her tired sooner. Janet elected to leave the jacket on for the trip.
The black water was getting a little cooler on each weekly trip as the fall season progressed. Fortunately, neither of us boaters fell in. Gracie relished the water. She never stayed still on the bank. Even after swimming with us for several miles, when we returned to the takeout, she joined us on the shore and then jumped right back into the creek to cavort some more.
Each outing I am getting a little more used to paddling and staying stable in my sleek sea-going kayak. I am working on building up my torso muscles so as not to get sore while sitting in this stilted position for the entire trip. Each outing Janet shows what a natural athlete, comfortable outdoors person and water sprite she is. A good time was had by all.
On the pleasant warm and sunny Sunday afternoon of October 8, Janet and I and her golden retriever Gracie went paddling near New Bern, in Craven County, on the Neuse River, from the Spring Garden landing maintained by the NC Wildlife Resources Commission. Gracie loves the water and is prone to jump into the river from any position when the notion grabs her. When she gets in the water, she is too big and heavy to get back into a boat. So, Jan and I did not put her in one of our boats. For the trip she either swam near us or climbed onto the bank and ran along the shore. We paddled several miles. Gracie kept up the whole time but apparently got tired occasionally and would go to the bank to rest.
Janet and I have a predilection for paddling, so most times when we visit each other in New Bern or Wilmington we go kayaking and canoeing. I have a nice kayak, but lately, I have been training for my next big trip on the Black River through the Three Sisters swamp. I will take my canoe on that trip, so lately I have been using my canoe to practice.
Janet is an athletic and strong paddler. I have probably paddled many more times than her; for a greater number of miles on the water; in more precarious and wilderness situations; with bigger loads of multi-day camping gear. So, at one point, she challenged me to a race! She won! I protested the results because during the race we were facing a strong headwind which put me at a disadvantage. She was in a kayak which is low to the water and has little wind resistance. I was in a canoe which sits higher in the water and has to work harder to get through the wind. I appealed to the rules committee, but my request for a new race was denied.
This trip was both of our first paddles on the Neuse River, which is the biggest watercourse in the Craven County area. At first, I was concerned that there would be a strong current and we would have a difficult time keeping our balance. It turned out this issue was not a concern. The current was so mild that we could only casually feel it, so we had no trouble paddling upstream against the current to begin the trip. A bigger issue was that the wind was stronger than the current. Several times on the return trip back to the put-in we had to paddle harder to get downstream.
It was a good trip, good practice in our boats, great to be outdoors in the sunny weather and on the water, and a good athletic workout for all three of us. A good time was had by all.
On the beautiful, warm, sunny early fall afternoon of Saturday, September 30, Jan and I drove to Rice Creek near Wilmington NC. We put in the water at the NC Wildlife Commission boat ramp for Rice Creek. The creek borders and wends through a swamp. We encountered only one tree that had turned to bright red fall colors. The blackwater was flat and calm, with just a little bit of wind ripples. This trip was the first time Jan and I had paddled together other than on a lake in New Bern, NC.
I paddled my canoe in solo configuration, with four airbags strapped in, while Jan paddled her solo recreational kayak. We were both comfortable with our boats and competent on the water. Along the way, we encountered several lily pad ponds with a few bright, yellow flowers. We did not see another person on the water. There were a few other small groups at the wildlife ramp, but none had paddle boats. They were all motorboats going downstream for fishing. We went upstream where the Creek is narrower and goes through the swamp. I used my Garmin Montana 750i GPS for practice and it worked fine. I was able to follow the route back to the takeout.
The trip was good practice for our paddling, and we had a fun time.
On September 22, 2023, Craven and Carteret Counties were in a tropical storm. It was not quite a hurricane, but there were strong winds and heavy rains. It was not the most conducive weather for hiking, but I had cabin fever from enduring too many months of forced indoor recuperation. I got all layered up with a waterproof outfit, including heavy leather boots, rain pants, a raincoat, a waxed canvas waterproof cap, and a hood. Fortunately, the weather was cloudy and cool, so it was not too hot under all those layers.
I went hiking solo at Flanner’s Beach recreation area on the northeast side of Croatan National Forest, adjacent to the Neuse River. The forest was, of course, soaking wet, with the wind whipping around some of the open areas. The Neuse had bigger and faster waves than I have ever seen on this river. I was glad to be standing on the land.
I had plans to do some boating in a couple of days, so I left the kayak on top of the Jeep. When I crossed the high bridge over the New Bern Harbor, my vehicle was exposed to the broad side blast of the full wind. It pushed my kayak off the roof rack saddles and onto the downwind side of the roof. Luckily, I had the boat strapped down tight enough that it did not come soaring off the roof and onto the road.
For the last week, September 14 through 20, Jan and I engaged in multiple paddle logistics activities. After one and a half years in New Bern and trading five boats, I have settled on a 15-foot solo/tandem canoe; and a 16.5-foot ocean-going kayak. Both can carry enough gear for multi-day and over nights trips. I can’t remember buying a piece of outdoor equipment, or taking it on a trip, whether paddling, backpacking or whatever, that did not need some kind of renovation or repair. Last week started with my kayak.
Due to my enduring 12 straight months of pain and disability from hip arthritis, hip replacement surgery, pulled back muscles, many months of recuperation and now narrowed discs with a pinched nerve and sciatica down my right leg, I have let my body atrophy and my equipment deteriorate. To give my back more support, I glued a thick foam rubber yoga block [yes, Paul, I finally got some permanent use from this gear] to the back of the kayak seat. It was a tedious job with multiple measurements and many jumps into and out of the boat to test the fit. Besides supporting my back, I found the foam pad pushed my body forward in the cockpit, which makes my feet and thighs flit better in the cockpit and locks me into the boat for better security and stability., I still need have to another inch or so of foam block glued into the forward bulkhead to make my feet fit even tighter. My paddling and outfitting friend Bill Webb, who sold me this sleek boat, will hopefully help me with this project.
Next, I had a Dagger canoe for about 25 years which suited me perfectly. It had three seats for solo and tandem paddling. I had put years of effort into adding outfitting, including painters (bow and stern ropes) exactly measured to tie onto the top of my vehicle; about a dozen D-rings glued to the bottom to tie in gear, two float bags, two waterproof storage bags, and more. It had beautiful wooden decks, handles, gunnels, thwarts and seats. The hull was made of old-style Royalex material, which is tough as nails, but somewhat heavy.
In recognition of my ever-weakening 71-year-old body, and in an effort to save weight, last year I sold the Dagger to a friend in Wilmington I met on Blue Ridge Outings. I replaced it with an identical size Esquif canoe from Canada, made with newer plastic hull material that was 10 pounds lighter. After a year I started suffering from seller’s remorse. The new boat was efficient but lacked character. It did not have a center solo seat, lacked wood fixtures and looked “too new” to suit my character on the river. So, last week I bought back my old Dagger canoe. I am just going to put up with the extra 10 pounds. Now I have the newer, lighter, Esquif canoe for sale at a discount price.
I set about renovating the Dagger outfitting. I added parachute cord to the bow and stern gunnels to help hold in the floatation bags. The cord was uncooperative in that the sheath was not attached to the core so it would not push through the tiny holes I had drilled in the hull below the gunnels. I had to use a lot of my prior outfitting experience to melt the cord ends just enough to fuse the components, but not too much, and make a “mushroom” shaped top that was too large to fit through the holes. Each cord end had to be cut, melted three times, and whipped around in the air between each melting to narrow and sharpen the end.
Then I retrofitted four straps on my kayak deck bag so it could be attached and removed as needed. The deck back was badly designed at the factory so that when it is attached to a boat, it cannot be removed. I needed to remove it while carrying the boat on my roof racks, and when storing it in my shed.
After that project, I retrofitted three straps on my canoe thwart bag so a water bilge pump can be attached and carried while paddling. The thwart bag was badly designed at the factory so that the buckles were attached backward.
Over several days Jan and I took four trips to the large Craven County Martin Marietta park with a lake, a creek and multiple paddle boat launch sites with ramps, rollers and docks. We paddled once the week before with both of us in the canoe, with which she was not comfortable. This week she brought her own kayak and went paddling with her dog Gracie paddling along beside several times in the lake.
The picture of the two kayak paddles shows on the left a European-style blade, which most Americans use. On the right is a Greenland (Eskimo) slype blade, which many of the older and more experienced paddlers in New Bern use. The Greenland paddle enters, flows through and exits the water more smoothly. It feels less jerky and more stable. I recently obtained the Greenland paddle from Bill, and I prefer it.
Finally, during one of these trips, the glue from two D-rings in my 25-year-old Dagger canoe gave up the ghost and pulled free. Now I have another project to glue those rings back in.