Detroit Kayaking

Dominican Republic

2010-01-25T16:48:00.004-05:00

Our Leader Jason Making It Look Easy On Day One

I am currently on a whitewater trip in the Dominican Republic. Somewhat surprisingly, there is no sign of the troubles next door in Haiti although Port au Prince is about 120 miles away over a mountain range with a 10,00o foot peak. The weather has been too nice. It hasn't rained in 8 or nine days. Ordinarily this would be perfect for a Carribean vacation, however it means that the rivers are lower than normal. The trip is run by the NOC and based in the town of Jarabacoa which is know as the city of eternal spring for its cool weather. It is a vacation area for well-to-do Dominicans look to escape the heat of the big cities. Yesterday we warmed up on the Rio Jimenoa which runs right by the ranch we are staying at. Today we did two runs of the Arroyo Seccada section of the Yaque del Norte.

New Year's Paddle 2010

2010-01-03T11:11:00.006-05:00

On New Year's day, I joined the RSCK for the annual paddle down our mighty Huron.

The video below is my first attempt with some new software that came with my new desktop.

Port Austin

2009-04-19T22:47:00.008-04:00

On Friday Martha and I drove up to Port Cresent State Park, where we met up with Rick for a weekend of camping and paddling. Friday afternoon, Martha and I took a short paddle down to the Pinnebog River while Rick went to find firewood. Then Rick and I went out from the campsite for a little practice paddle.

On Saturday we put in at Port Austin State Harbor and paddled out towards the Port Austin reef light. We then had lunch at the sand bar on the end of the reef. Martha and I then headed down to Pointe Aux Barques and Turnip Rock, while Rick scouted out a passage through the reef.

On Sunday, we headed home. We made a stop in Leonard to check out Bill's antique skin-on-frame kayak. It was made in '30s by his wife's uncle and restored in the 80's. It needs a little work on the skin, but the Sitka Spruce frame looks great.

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T21:25:00.003-04:00

Yesterday Rick and I headed out from the beach at Belle Isle for a paddle up to the end of the island. The sun was out and wind blowing downstream. This made the paddle up seem like work. The paddle down took about 1/3 the time. We paddled along with several ducks and geese and a muskrat. The tree swallows were active along the banks of the channel on the north end of the island. In the afternoon I baked my (now) traditional bunny cake.

Oakland Legal News Online Covers Launch

2009-03-30T20:44:00.006-04:00

The Oakland Legal News Online ran the above photo with the following text today:

KEY STORIES Maiden voyage Andrew Wise (left) uses a can of beer to christen the kayak he and Richard Helfrick built in Helfrick’s living room in his Huntington Woods home. Both attorneys with Federal Defender’s Office in Detroit christened the vessel “Ka-Bar’s Fury” on Sunday, March 15, at Belle Isle. A Ka-Bar is a type of knife used in the U.S. Marine Corps. After the christening, Helfrick took Ka-Bar’s Fury on its maiden voyage on the Detroit River. Photos by John Meiu

Sunday on the Huron

2009-03-23T21:52:00.003-04:00

Sunday March 22, 2009, saw the RSCK hit the Huron River after the morning pool session. At least 21 of us ran from Dexter-Huron to Delhi.

More Pictures from Sunday

2009-03-17T10:20:00.005-04:00

Courtesy of Pat and Penny, we have some better pictures from the launch, including the christening and Rick's graceful exit from the boat.

Launch

2009-03-16T07:00:00.004-04:00

Sunday, March 15, 2009 saw the official launch of Ka-Bar's Fury. The weather cooperated. A small crowd gathered at 12 Noon for the christening. Then Rick took her out for the maiden voyage followed by hot dogs and beer on the beach.

What a difference a couple of nice days of weather makes. Below is a photo of the beach take Thursday after work on a scouting run:

You're Invited

2009-02-26T19:13:00.008-05:00

The official launch is scheduled for March 15, 2009 at 12:00 noon (hopefully on beach at Belle Isle)(weather/ice situation permitting). Check back here for last minute updates. We will have hot dogs and beer (PBR is the kayak christening beverage of choice.) RSVP to me or Rick or by e-mail to detroitkayaklaw@gmail.com. I am on my way to Costa Rica. No updates 'til March 10. Check back then.

Here are some pictures of kayaking in Costa Rica from my trip in December 2007.
That's me in the bottom one.

Beware the Ides of March

2009-02-15T20:12:00.004-05:00

Because of our vacation schedules, we have settled on March 15, 2009 for the official launch of the boat likely to be christened "Ka-Bar's Fury." Mike R has suggested "Chirrois on the River" but that hits too close to home.

In the meantime, I have been working on carving greenland paddles out of cedar 2x4s. Hopefully by 3/15 I'll have a nice one done.

It Floats

2009-02-01T13:38:00.010-05:00

After attaching the front pad eye and tying on a rope handle on the stern yesterday, today we took the boat (Ka-Bar's Fury is definitely the front runner in the naming contest) to the pool this morning. She seems to handle pretty well and definitely floats right-side up. Jan even proved that she will roll in the right hands. (My attempt failed.)

For those of you wondering about getting her out of the house, she went straight out the front window as the back door is still locked without a key. This may actually have been easier, or at least shorter, than going out the back, through the snow and the gate to the car.

Done (?)

2009-01-30T22:33:00.004-05:00

Two hours of work today redrilling the holes, fitting the webbing for the hatch straps and bungies and rigging the bungies. It still needs a rope handle on the stern and the pad eye on the bow and it will be ready to take out of the living room. No pictures until the formal unveilling at halftime on Sunday.

Total Construction Time: 69 hours.

Almost Done

2009-01-29T22:09:00.006-05:00

While this boat will surely always be a work in progress, it seems like the major construction work is almost done. Last night when we flipped it over, we decided to put another (6th) coat of varnish on the deck. About 1/2 hour of work. Then tonight we began the process of outfitting and rigging her. First we installed the foot braces. Then the back band. The next step was to drill holes where the bungies and hatch straps will attach to the deck. The holes were drilled larger than the screws in order to fill them with epoxy and redrill holes for screws. This is to keep water from reaching the wood in the holes. After that came the nerve-wracking drilling of a hole through the stern for a carry handle. We decided to attach a padeye at the bow (still need to find one), so no hole through the bow. Finally, we filled the holes with epoxy. About 2.5 hours of work.

One more session should have her ready to hit the water. We will need to see a substantial warming trend before we can take her outside, but I think the pool on Sunday should be a go.

Then of course the unveiling at Super Bowl party at Rick's.

Total Construction Time: 67 hours.

Last Varnish (?)

2009-01-28T04:46:00.007-05:00

Tuesday night we put the fifth coat of varnish on the underside of the boat. While it will probably require some touching up, this will be the last full coating. .5 hours of work. What remains to be done is the deck rigging, carry handles and cockpit outfitting. While I am sure that it will always be a work in progress, it is looking good for a test float this weekend.

On the naming front, Martha's submission "Wandering Rage" (courtesy of a pirate ship name generator) has emerged as the front runner in keeping with Rick's pirate theme for the boat.

Total construction Time: 64 hours.

Fifth and Final Coat of Varnish/Another Call for Names

2009-01-26T20:10:00.007-05:00

Tonight we did a final wet sand of the boat, first with 320 grit, then 400 and finally 600. We spent the extra time of the sanding because we hope the fifth coat of varnish will be the last. Then after wipe downs with water and laquer thinner, we put a fifth coat of varnish on the deck. About 1.5 hours of work.

The earlier call for names (link here) has not resulted in any submissions, so I again ask if anyone has any suggestions. I think Old Weller is also a good choice as I found a bottle in the back of Rick's cabinet when the Buffalo Trace ran out one night. Hmm, Buffalo Trace is a good name too. Any way, we need a name, so we welcome submissions and the winning entry will be rewarded and possibly announced this Sunday at the unveiling/Super Bowl party. Don't forget to RSVP.

Total Construction Time: 63.5hours.

Morning at the Pool and Varnishing in the Afternoon

2009-01-25T16:56:00.010-05:00

This morning I went to the pool in Ann Arbor to paddle with the RSCK. I tried out my new waterproof camera. (See video below). Then in the afternoon, Rick and I spent about half an hour finishing off the fourth coat of varnish. We anticipate a test paddle at the pool next Sunday before the formal unveiling at Rick's Super Bowl party in the afternoon. RSVP and request directions at detroitkayaklaw (at) gmail.com.

Total Construction Time: 62 hours.

More Varnish Again

2009-01-24T17:21:00.004-05:00

Today saw the begining of the fourth coat of varnish. Rick did the wetsanding on his own this morning. This afternoon Rick wiped the boat down, first with water then with laquer thinner. I worked to get the front hatch cover smooth around the patch. Then we applied varnish to the deck. It doesn't look much different in the photos, but in person one can see the difference each coat of varnish makes. About an hour and a half of work today.

Total Construciton Time: 61.5 hours.

More Varnish

2009-01-22T20:08:00.006-05:00

Tonight we spent 1/2 an hour finishing the 3rd coat of varnish on the boat, the second on the rear hatch cover and touching up the epoxy on the front cover.

Total Construction Time: 60 hours.

More Wet Sanding and Varnish

2009-01-21T19:54:00.009-05:00

Tonight we wet sanded the second coat of varnish, sanded the rear hatch cover, applied more epoxy to the front hatch cover (it is having a fabric patch applied under fiberglass so more epoxy is need on the glass), and applied a third coat of varnish to the bottom of the boat and the first coat to the rear hatch cover. About an hours work with a 45 minute break to allow the laquer thinner (used to wipe it down before the varnishing) to evaporate fully.

Total Construction Time: 59.5 hours.

What's in a Name

2009-01-21T16:06:00.003-05:00

Rick and I have been kicking around how to choose a name for the craft. We would like to have some kind of contest with a formal christening and award to the best submission at the official open water launch. We are welcoming submissions in the comment section or send them by email to detroitkayaklaw (at ) gmail.com for those who might have problems with the commenting section.

I personally like the good ship ipse dixit for a name.

Long Weekend, Little Work

2009-01-20T17:55:00.005-05:00

Saturday saw us applying epoxy to the exterior of the hatch covers, wet sanding the boat and applying a second coat of varnish to the bottom. About 2 hours total work. Then Rick got the flu and construction stopped until today when we put more epoxy on the covers and second coat of varnish on the deck. About 1/2 hour of work.

Total Construction Time: 58.5 hours.

Floating Coffee Table

2009-01-15T22:10:00.004-05:00

After Rick sanded down some varnish drips on the deck, we applied the first coat of varnish to the deck. The boat is now starting to look like the "floating coffee table" described in the manual. .5 hours of work tonight.

Total Construction Time: 56 hours.

Doggie Playdate

2009-01-15T10:00:00.002-05:00

No work on the boat last night due to the extra-long commute because of the weather. Daisy the dog came over for a playdate with Jake. They both tried out the boat and can't wait to get on the water.

Varnishing and Tech Support

2009-01-13T22:54:00.008-05:00

Yesterday we put another coat of epoxy on the interiors of the hatch covers and touched up the boat some more. About 1/2 hour of work. Also we unpacked Rick's new computer and tried to connect the internet service.

Tonight we sanded the touched up spots, wiped the hull down with laquer thinner, and trimmed the glass of the hatch covers. As we were getting started, Jake the dog got dropped off for Rick to dogsit for the next few days.

Jake tries it out.

While waiting for the lacquer thinner to dry, I checked the phone line we tried to get the DSL on and found it was wired as a second line. Rewiring the line in the basement and about 1/2 an hour on the phone with sbc tech support got Rick online at home. Then we applied a coat of Interlux Schooner Varnish to the bottom of the hull. 2 hours of work on the boat.

Rick can check the blog at home.

Total Construction Time: 55.5 hours.

Building the Hatch Covers and Cleaning Up

2009-01-11T17:02:00.003-05:00

Rick takes it in.

This morning I went out to Ann Arbor to paddle in the pool with the RSCK. In the afternoon Rick and I spent about 2 hours putting together the hatch covers, touching up the boat with epoxy on spots that had been sanded too thin and cleaning the living room.

T0tal Construction Time: 53 hours.

Final (?) Sanding

2009-01-10T16:40:00.005-05:00

After two days off, today we finshed sanding the boat. It is now smooth as a baby's bottom. (Rick insisted I put that in the post.) 1.5 hours of work. Now we need to get the living room as dust free as possible so that we can start varnishing.

Total construction time: 51 hours.

More Fun Sanding

2009-01-07T21:39:00.003-05:00

Back at the Sanding for 2 hours tonight. The boat is looking very smooth now that all the epoxy drips have been taken down and the glass seams mostly evened out. Still more to go with 100 grit before we move to a final 220 grit.

Total Construction Time: 49.5 hours.

Sanding is Still Fun

2009-01-07T00:06:00.007-05:00

Tonight we began sanding the hull in anticipation of varnishing it. Rick, working on his own applied the last of the epoxy last night (Monday). He also stained the hatch covers. About 2.5 hours of sanding to cover the deck and half of the hull with 80 grit.

Total Construction Time: 47.5 hours.

Final Glass on the Hull.

2009-01-04T22:55:00.009-05:00

Today at noon we trimmed and sanded the the hatch rims and coated them with epoxy. We also put down extra strips of glass along the keel at the front and back to provide protection while launching and landing. This is the last of the fiberglassing of the hull. We went back to it at 8 p.m. to add more coats of epoxy to the hatch rims and the new glass. About 1 hour of work on the boat.

Rick spent some extra time on his own trying out stain for the hatch covers.

Rick also realized the door in his living room had never been opened in the 2 years he's lived in the house. Closer inspection revealed that the door is painted shut. It is unclear if it is also locked and, if it is, where the key is.

Total Construction Time: 45 hours.

Trimming the Coaming

2009-01-03T22:15:00.005-05:00

After removing the clamps, today we trimmed and shaped the cockpit coaming and attached the hatch rims. The cockpit was coated with epoxy and we added a strip of glass to the forward port deck/hull joint where for some reason we didn't get coverage. 2 hours of work. All of the wood parts are now attached to the hull (save for optional hip braces in the cockpit).

Total Construction Time: 44 hours.

Attaching the Coaming

2009-01-02T17:16:00.006-05:00

Today we removed all the clamps, then attached the cockpit coaming and then reapplied the clamps. We also coated the inside of the hatch stiffeners with epoxy and applied epoxy and wood flour to the joints where the deck meets the bulkheads. About 1.5 hours of work.

Total Construction time: 42hours.

New Year's Day on the River

2009-01-02T08:59:00.009-05:00

No construction on January 1, 2009. Rick decided stay indoors and watch football while I went kayaking on the Huron with the RSCKC. The Ann Arbor News coverage can be found here: http://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/index.ssf/2009/01/kayakers_welcome_new_year_with.html#more

Cutting Out the Hatches and Using All Our Clamps

2008-12-31T19:07:00.005-05:00

After spending half an hour on Monday and Tuesday applying epoxy to the deck, this afternoon we cut out holes for the hatches, then applied the cockpit coaming spacers and the hatch stiffeners. About 2 hours of work today.

Total Construction Time: 40.5 hours

In the News

2008-12-29T14:27:00.003-05:00

The legal news has run their story. It's on the front page of the Detroit edition on Friday, today in Oakland.

You can find it here:

http://www.legalnews.com/Oakland/common/ShowFile.aspx?typ=editorial&FN=296914-1.html

Glassing the Deck

2008-12-28T20:11:00.005-05:00

Following up on yesterday's sanding, today more sanding with finer grits of paper, followed by covering the deck with fiberglass and applying the first coat of epoxy on the deck. Two hours of work makes it look like she's ready for maiden voyage. (She's not).

Total Construction Time: 37.5 hours

Trimming the Deck

2008-12-27T14:40:00.003-05:00

After two days off for Christmas Eve and Christmas, yesterday we filled in some of the small gaps between the deck and the hull. About 1/2 hour of work. Then today we turned the boat over and trimmed off the overlapping deck. This was followed by planing a radius where the deck and hull met. We then sanded the deck down with 80 grit sandpaper. Finally, we glued down a compass rose onlay on the center of the foredeck and filled in a few remaining gaps. 2.5 hours of work.

Total Construction Time: 35.5 hours

Attaching the Deck

2008-12-23T22:23:00.006-05:00

As we were running low on epoxy, we took yesterday off. After re-stocking thanks to Jim G., we fitted the deck tonight. It did not go smoothly. The aft section went on okay. The bow half proved trickier. We got it on, but not without a struggle. I think that we will be able to recover but it was a grueling 1.75 hours of work.

Total construction time to date: 32.5 hours

Finishing the End Pours and Tidying Up

2008-12-21T16:32:00.006-05:00

The end pours leaked quite a bit, so we had to top them off today. As this would not take a lot of time, we cleaned up the room a bit. When we took up the tarps and swept up, the place looked like it was ready for the New Year's Eve party. Then we laid the tarps back down and finished off the end pours. 1.25 hours work today.

Total Construction Time to Date: 30.75 hours.

Sanding the Interior, Drilling for Footbraces and End Pours

2008-12-20T20:40:00.004-05:00

In anticipation of fitting the deck, today we sanded out the rough edges on the interior of the boat. Then we drilled holes for the foot braces. This involved putting boat on the floor and having Rick sit in it. It seems pretty solid. After laying strips of fiberglass where the foot rails will go, we poured thickened epoxy into the ends. About 1.5 hours work.

Total time to date: 29.5 hours.

Planing the Shear Clamps

2008-12-19T20:18:00.006-05:00

After another coat of epoxy in .5 hours on Wednesday, today we trimmed the glass, turned the boat over, fitted the deck beam and began planing the shear clamps. 3.5 hours of work (mostly by me, as Rick did not feel competent wielding a plane.)

Total Construction Time: 28 hours

Epoxy and a Photo Shoot

2008-12-16T20:45:00.009-05:00

The hull requires at least 3 coats of epoxy over the fiberglass. This is to fill in the weave in the glass to a level where it can be sanded smooth without cutting into the fibers. This means only .5 hours tonight and the same last night.

We had a visit from John, the photographer from the Oakland/Detroit Legal News. Rick was at a function for Legal Aid & Defender recently and met an interested writer. Look for it in print soon.

And since there is now a picture of a person on the blog, Rick has a message for his army buddy.

Total Construction Time: 24 hours.

Glassing the Hull

2008-12-14T21:04:00.000-05:00

After sanding the hull down with 80/100/220 grit sandpaper, we draped it with fiberglass and then applied unthickened epoxy. About 3.5 hours work.

Total construction time to date: 23 hours.

Sanding Is Fun

2008-12-12T00:04:00.001-05:00

The folks at clc repeat the mantra "sanding is fun" throughout their instructional manual, video and website. Tonight we found out that while it may not really be fun, it was not as bad as expected.

First, we flipped the boat over and removed the tape and stitches from the outside of the hull. Then, we smoothed over the seams, and evened up the ends with a combination of file/saw/surform/plane/hammer and chisel/sanding block & orbital sander. The orbital sander is connected to the shop vac which did an amazingly good job of not filling Rick's living room with dust. Finally, we filled in the low spots in the seams with more epoxy and wood flour. 3 hours of work.

Total construction time:19.5 hours.

Inside Is Done

2008-12-09T21:51:00.000-05:00

Tonight we trimmed the glass from the cockpit, put a second coat of epoxy on the interior and loosened the wire stitches in anticipation of trimming them off. One hour of work today. Next we begin sanding the exterior of the hull.

Total Construction Time: 16.5 hours.

More Glassing

2008-12-08T21:27:00.000-05:00

Tonight we filled in the seams in the cockpit with an epoxy/wood flour mix, laid down fiberglass tape over the seams and then glassed in the whole cockpit. About one hour of work.

Total construction time: 15.5 hours.

Yesterday, no work on the boat. I did actually get in a kayak at the pool in Ann Arbor for the last RSCK pool session of 2008.

Saturday I lost my phone with the photos of the boat, so here is a before picture from tonight.

First Fiberglass Goes On

2008-12-06T21:34:00.000-05:00

After masking off the keel and chine seams we filled the seams of the bow and stern compartments with epoxy and wood flour, covered by fiberglass tape and then a layer of unthickened epoxy. Put in 3 1/2 hours.

Total construction time: 14.5 hours.

Fitting bulkheads and fairing the hull

2008-12-05T00:14:00.001-05:00

Tonight we put in the bulkheads and aligned the hull. Not much progress to the naked eye but a solid 2 hours of work as the bulkheads required substantial trimming and the hull is ready to be fixed solid with epoxy and fiberglass.

Total construction time: 11 hours.

Looks Like a Boat

2008-12-03T22:38:00.000-05:00

After picking up some wire after work, (18 gauge as described in the instructions is slightly thicker and harder to work with than the wire provided with the kit) it was back to stitching the panels together. Some adjustments to yesterday's work was necessary to eliminate the "bubble" in the side panel seen in yesterday's image. We also needed to do some work with the plane to adjust for a slightly misaligned scarf joint in one of the keel panels. After 2 1/2 hours we have something that looks like it could float some day.

Total construction time 9 hours.

Taking Shape

2008-12-02T21:34:00.000-05:00

Today we began joining the panels together and it's starting to look not entirely unlike a kayak. We put in about 2 hours. Had to stop "stitching" the panels together with copper wire because I cut the lengths too long and we ran out. I will need to pick up some 18 gauge copper wire before construction can continue.

Total construction time: 6.5 hours.

First Blood

2008-12-01T21:12:00.000-05:00

Rick sustained the first construction injury tonight when cutting PVC pipe for clamps.

We then used the clamps to secure the shear clamps to the side panels. Took about 1 1/2 hours to clean up shear clamps, cut the new clamps and secure the shear clamps to the side panels.

Total construction time to date 4.5 hours.

Construction Continues

2008-11-30T17:48:00.001-05:00

Today we glued together the deck and the shear clamps. Put in about an hour.

Total construction time: 3 hours.

Kayak Construction Begins--Saturday 11/29/08

2008-11-30T17:33:00.001-05:00

Yesterday Rick and I began construction on a Chesapeake 17 LT in Rick's living room. The first steps were gluing together the side and bottom panels. We put in about 2 hours. The fruits of our labors are pictured above.

Total hours of construction: 2

Peche Island

2008-10-18T18:38:00.000-04:00

Put in at the usual Belle Isle spot. Sun was shining, air temp about 50, water 63. Paddled up the water department channel and out into the river between Belle Isle and Peche Island. As I approached the light, I noticed an armada that appeared to consist of a dragon-style boat and 6-8 kayaks heading from the island to the Detroit side of the river. I was too far away to attempt to join up, so I got out of the wind on the Windsor side of Peche and paddled up stream. In a little cove across from the Windsor Yacht Club, I saw 5-6 Herons, 5-6 Egrets, many ducks, geese and cormorants. Got back into the wind and waves on the lake side of the island and ran back to Belle Isle on the Detroit side.

Saturday on the River

2008-10-11T14:38:00.000-04:00

Put in at the DYC at about 10:30 a.m. Paddled downstream to tri-centennial state harbor to check out Detroit's waterfront from the waterside. On the way back upstream hugged the Detroit shoreline until across from the DYC and ferried over to the island. Then paddled up through the channel by the waterworks and back down the outside of the island. Beautiful day sunny with temps from 56 to 72. The wind was strong from the east, which made the upstream paddling a little tough. Next I hope to either get to Peche Island or to run the river from Belle Isle to Trenton or Grosse Isle.

Sunday in the Pool

2008-10-05T21:50:00.000-04:00

Sundays mornings the Raw Strength and Courage Kayak Club holds pool sessions at the NCRB in Ann Arbor. I used to go to these sessions my freshman year at U of M in 1984-85 and then dropped out of whitewater paddling for 20 + years. Started back with the club last spring. Went out this morning and paddled little plastic boats in the swimming pool for a couple of hours. The roll is progressing but far from pretty. Brought the Lil' Joe and tried out one of the club's new playboats, a wave sport t-3 (I think.)

October 4, 2008

2008-10-04T14:07:00.000-04:00

Just back from a kayak circumnavigation of Belle Isle in the Detroit River. Air temp in the high 50's water temp in the low 6o's. Partly sunny with wind blowing downstream at 10 knots or less. No waves to speak of. Put in beside the Detroit Yacht Club. Paddled upstream on the Detroit side and down the Canadian. Only paddle craft in sight. Passed by the freighter Michipicoten headed downstream at the upstream tip of the island. Saw many cormorants & canada geese. Paddled alongside a muskrat for a while 10 yards off the port side by the DPD Habor Master station. Finished with some bracing practice off the beach and a roll at the takeout.