Greetings and Salutations. Wow, what a lousy time of it this year has been. I literally have been ill or fighting a bad tooth of over a month now! So last week I finally I went in and had the bloody culprit removed. You would think I would be feeling good in a day or so, right? But the fact that Mary works in a pharmacy means that she always seems to bring home the latest designer flu. So on top of the pain of my freshly removed wisdom and somewhere in the mind-numbing haze of double-dose Hydocodone I also came down with a high-fever and cough as well. Getting a cough right after you have a tooth pulled is not pleasant. So suffice to say today (low grade fever and only mild pain) is the first time I’ve cared to look back upon the web and make some notes in my journal. . . .

Oh yes, if you’re reading this I’m sorry for not answering my email in very timely fashion either. You would have just got gibberish from me anyway. I will try to address emails today too if I can.

Today it’s going to be almost 50F here. A great day to get out and paddle. I sort of doubt I’m up to it yet, but if nothing else I am going to do a “spring check”. Here are some of the things I will look at while I prepare for a new season of paddling.

---

Toggle Ropes - These things wear out quickly. I want to look at them of any sign of wear. If there is any fraying I will change the rope. Last thing you need is your toggle breaking when you carry your boat to the beach or breaking when you are towing someone of the rear of the boat.

Boat - Go over your boat. Stare at it lovingly. Look for signs of cracking, bubbling or lifting of the outer gel-coat. That may be due to some seepage that needs to be fixed. Check your keel for excessive wear. How’s your rudder or skeg working? Any wear that should be addressed? I have blown a couple recessed deck fittings in the last couple years as well. Make sure you don’t see any cracking in the gel-coat around these fittings. If you do you may have an issue. If you don’t know how to fix it take it to a paddle shop or even a body shop and have them make sure the fittings are secure. You’re life could depend on these little trinkets. Check plastic boats for excessive wear as well. Generally these new plastic boats are pretty tough.

Everything Else Rope-like – parameter lines, bungees, tow rope. . Same as above. At least one time a year I will go over them inch buy inch looking for signs of wear. Replace anything that looks even slightly questionable.

Rubber Hatch Covers - These guys get beat up in sun-light. If they start cracking or loosing their flexibility it’s time for some new ones. If you have the hard shell with the neoprene covers I would take a good look the neoprene as well. Are they getting worn? Do they still fit tightly around the hatch? Check it out.

PFD - I have a blue pfd so places that start to wear or are damaged my the sun show up easily. The yellow PFDs are not always so obvious. So get in close and look. Make sure the material is strong and not separating. Check the seems, pockets, buckles, zippers, etc. Just go over it well and be sure it’s ready for another season. IF you don’t swim in it a lot now is a good time. Check the buoyancy. Is this thing going to keep you afloat?

Skirt - Check the condition of your skirt. It seems some get tighter and some get looser as they get older. Regardless you want them working properly and exactly how you expect them too when on the water. Look for signs of wear. Especially in the seams and along the outer rims. Check the nylon tunnel material if you use that type. Look for wear along the sides where they will rub as you paddle. NOW would be a great time to either tie a whiffle ball or attach a carabineer to the release loop. This makes removing the skirt much easier when you’re upside down.

Paddles - I have both wood and composite paddles. I have had composites separate and peal before. They went right back to the manufacturer. I usually fill chips with epoxy. I also run a bead along the outer edge of the paddle blade. I am rough on my paddles and they need the extra layer. My wood paddles often need some care. They loose their varnish and water can begin to soak into the wood. If I don’t take care of that the paddle is going to go to it’s grave far too soon. Check the Ferrule for excessive wear (this is the place where your 2 piece paddle comes together with that little button) Depending on the quality of your paddle you can get a lot of slippage over time.

Knife - I leave my knife on my PFD so I always have to be checking it for signs of deterioration and surface rust. I clean it up multiple times every year.

Whistle - blow your whistle. Don’t just expect it to work. They do get old too. Also I cracked one once during a self-rescue drill. I wouldn’t have noticed until I blew it and it did not work. Then I found the crack.

Beacons & GPS – Change your batteries!! I always carry spare batteries, but I don’t want to have to do that on the water in any kind of chop. I would rather just change them out regularly.

First Aid Kit – Check out your kit. Make sure everything is good and up to date. Replace out of date medicines. Make sure you have had no moisture building up. It can soak into gauze and other paper items. I had the experience once where moisture would build and dry out and build and dry out. They may look ok, but can disintegrate when you open them up. Why not just replace all that stuff? It hardly costs anything and can really save you some issues later.

Tie Downs & Rack – After I spend all this time going over my gear I don’t want to lose my boat on the highway. So I will check and replace warn tie downs and make sure my rack is snugged up and not coming loose from the truck

Of course there are all sorts of other fiddly things I will check and we all have a variety of specific gear we use. But the point is the same. Taking time to examine all your gear before you get on the water should be a spring ritual. Something we all do before we load the boat on our vehicle for the first time each year.

-dm