It was funny. I standing with a group of paddlers in Chicago and heard out of the corner of my ear Bonnie Perry say, “Derrick and I are “bi”.” Yep! That was the first time I’d heard someone else say that. I almost blew Aquafina out my nose!

Well, I turn 42 today. So I’m off to enjoy the day. 42 is not a bad number. Remember when “Deep Thought” was asked what the meaning of Life, The Universe, and everything was. . The computer pondered the question for a thousand generations, then when he had finally computed the answer, in his deep ominous computer voice he said. . . . . . 42.

So here’s a picture from Penrhyn Mawr that I don’t think I’ve shown you before. If you look closely I think that’s Justine up by the rocks on the left. The photo was taken by Axel Schoevers and does give you some perspective of the size of everything. Which is really hard to do by the way. But the main reason for showing you this picture today is that I talked to Mike at Rockpool by email and it sounds like my baby was getting chopped into sections and will be ready any day now. I’m sweating bullets waiting to see how it turned out as I really did give poor Mike some funky design ideas. Some could be done, and others could not. But I can’t say enough how much I appreciate the work he’s done for me. I’m totally indebted.

Someone said to me recently that the Alaw Bach is not an expedition boat. Ok. We’ll, I heard once that a Greenland paddle is not an expedition paddle either. Tell that to Greg Stamer who is currently trucking around Iceland with one. Or the thousands of Inuit who used them for centuries. Get real! Some people just love to tell you why what you are doing is wrong, just to show what experts they are. Usually these are they guys who noodle around some swamp somewhere and are the first to duck out when the waves show up.

For what it’s worth the Alaw Bach is a lower volume kayak, much like an NDK Romany. No, you’re not going to haul weeks of gear, but on the other hand you will find very few kayaks that can handle the rough stuff as well as the Rockpools. Rough water is in their bloodline. These days we have so many good choices in kayaks. Many of them are great boats. But my personal taste is for something a bit smaller and speed is important, but not as important as keeping me safe and handling well in rough conditions. And of course for my Puerto Rico trip coming up in 33 days. . . there are plenty of places to stop and resupply. If I was going to the arctic, I’d me be taking my Explorer, or maybe a Menai. But in the end it’s all about personal comfort, skill and choice.

I really get peeved by those self-appointed experts and their infernal tongue wagging. New kayakers are often victims of these judgmental types. Hey dudes, SHUT UP! We are all learning, and these novice paddlers can use your knowledge but not your self-inflated egos. I can’t tell you how many misconceptions students come to classes with that they got from some guy that has no business guiding others.

So what got me on this diatribe? Well, I saw another Rudder vrs Skeg argument going on. Blah, blah, blah. . . Gimmie a bloody break! It’s one thing to share the ups and downs of both. . but I can’t believe the long winded, algebra laden, discussions that try to make such a silly personal decision sound like a discussion of quantum physics. Talk about jumping in a black hole!

So my thought for the day is this; Spend more time on personal skills than worrying about gear. If your skills are there, everything else is just cake.

CD asked yesterday about dealing with an ocean cockpit. Congrats on the new Nordkapp by the way! Yeah, in the beginning an ocean cockpit can seem a bit strange. Certainly the keyhole was designed by people frustrated with that little hole! But an ocean cockpit has it’s advantages too. What stands out to me of course is the connection you have with your kayak since there not that big air space above your knees. I think you’ll also find that you get a lot less water in the boat when you flip it. Now, how do I deal with getting in and out of it? Well, the first thing is of course that you have to sit on the back deck and slide into it. (at least I do). Which means often it’s just easier to set the boat on the beach, get in, then seal launch into the surf. This is why I have a strip on mine. Yeah, I know that’s not always possible and some of you don’t like scratches on you boats. Well the next choice of course is taking the kayak out into a few inches of water, sitting on the back deck, using your paddle to brace the boat and then slide in feet first. In time, I’ve learned to do this in open calm water much like a paddle float rescue but without the float. I just use the GP. (traditional paddle). It’s something you need to practice. Of course in deep water, the easiest way in, is just to do a reentry and roll. I have video of that on my site. The ocean cockpit will reduce the amount of water as it is, but if you can attach your skirt before rolling up all the better.

When I land, I usually just lean back then slide myself onto the back deck again before I reach the beach, but I can do it quickly too once I hit the sand. Just remember to get out on the side away from the beach so you don’t get a kayak in the ankles when you try to stand up.

When on the water I really love the ocean cockpits, but there is no way around it. . they are a bit more work now and again. Oh, and by the way speaking of ocean cockpits we’ve still got an NDK greenlander for sale. $1100. . .