Sold my Sirocco and bought, drum roll please, an NDK Romany Surf!

I say that with an exclamation as I am really excited by the boat. Some pictures...

Out with friends Friday 5-2-14. Credit R Dennis Green

Kat in her n-used NDK Explorer, Becky, and myself. Credit R Dennis Green

House shopping from the water. This is the one! On Massey Creek Fairfax County, VA. Credit R Dennis Green

Just for comparison: My Surf is supposed to be 16' 3" and Kat's Explorer 17' 8". While the size difference looks obvious in this photo it eluded us in person. I think the Explorer was trying to bamboozle us into thinking "she" was fun-sized, rather than the stately lady "she" is. One can also see the difference in the key hole cockpit size. While I find the entrance to my Surf roomy, the Explorer is more cozy, aka, tight getting in and out.

Here the silky slack waters at high tide beckon us out from Leesylvania to cross to Mattawoman Creek. Once there we practiced bracing and turns. James's CD Gulfstream is still pretty new to him as he doesn't get out as often as I do.

Charmed by the new boat

Selfie 5-3-14

James tried out the Surf and declared the seat more comfortable, and cockpit more roomy, than his Gulfstream. This, despite the fact that the Gulfstream is a full two inches wider (23.75") than the Surf (21.75"). I believe the issue with the Gulfie is the plastic stabilizers that run from the cockpit coaming down to the seat at the hip area. While my CD Solstice GTS has the same kind of arrangement, it is not tight while the Gulfstream is. As a matter of fact I cannot sit in the Gulfstream for more than a handful of minutes before I am threatened with severe hip pain. My hips are crap, that's a given, but I find it odd the seat area is so tight when my Solstice is not.

Why so serious? He says, "Meh, my Gulfstream turns more easily." He and I never agree on boats. This is good as we will likely never share a boat. This is bad for the same reason. We will eventually run out of room.

I hope my CD Sirocco suits her new owner better than me. She was just too big. The gal who bought her found she fit just right. Every one deserves some new boat joy!

Scratch that last statement about the Sirocco

Today I had two epiphanies about my Sirocco.

A preface first: Friday morning I had lifted my arms to braid my hair and I felt something in the left shoulder catch. I couldn't raise it or lower it. I ended up pulling the arm up with my other hand and felt a massive "pop" and incredible pain swept all over, like an electric shock, down to my toes even. My eyes teared up and I briefly thought I was going to either fall down, or barf, or both. This morning I woke up and had almost no pain. Elation!

Also Friday, before a giant sucking sound was heard from my wallet during a dental appointment, I took the Sirocco out to practice ruddering and braces. I am a bit fond of the boat. I have gotten comfortable laying the boat over and gently righting it, using a low brace, without jerking it or feeling alarmed by the lack of push-back.

Then, with an eye towards that class next weekend, I took it out into the windy chop of Belmont Bay today, with my husband in his Gulfstream. I remembered how well it handled the rollers down in the Keys. And it did again. But with a more discerning eye today I realized that while it climbs rollers well, when one turns the boat around and the seas are "following," that great performance disappears. The swells sweep around the boat, not lifting it or allowing one to "catch the wave," the way my Necky Elias does.

Instead, the boat was constantly working to turn broad beam to the waves. I think most boats will try to do that anyway more or less. The Sirocco is a long and heavy boat, turning it back straight took a lot of work. Ah so. Turning the shorter lighter Eli back takes a stroke or two at most. I want to take the best boat for the class. I worry if I am working so hard to keep the boat going straight that I will have less opportunity to learn the other skills I will be offered.

Leaving the water today I was already leaning away from taking the Sirocco. James helped me carry the boat over to the car and nestle it into the Hullavator cradles. I tied it down and then started lifting it. The Hullavator doesn't pop up with the Sirocco in the cradles, it is too heavy. So I have to lift the boat up on my fore arms, and then change the position of my hands half way up and continue lifting the boat. That's when I had the second epiphany: My left shoulder was struck by searing pain. Holy cow! I thought back, oh my goodness...my shoulder started getting *really* bad right after I bought this really heavy boat.

The Solstice weighs 48 pounds per the Current Designs website. That boat pops up in the Hullavator cradles so fast and easy it's disconcerting. Almost as though the boat is going to keep right on going, catapulting away. The Eli goes up with a bit more work, it weighs 56 pounds per the Necky website. Now, the CD website says the Sirocco only weighs 60 pounds. I just don't believe it. The Eli feels at least 10 pounds lighter, both in my hands and on the Hullavator, than the Sirocco. Brian suggested it would be worth weighing my boat sometime. I think my bathroom scales and I have a date with my boats. More on that to follow.

New toys!

I have a Sea Kayak Carolina "sea kayak surfing"class with Dale Williams coming up at the end of this month. I am really glad to be getting out of northern Virginia for a few days. It should be warmer in Charleston and I am hoping for good weather.

 I am somewhat intimidated by the class. I am planning to bring my CD Sirocco. I have enjoyed this boat in surf and find that it handles rollers and following seas well. The boat gives me confidence, it is a platform to build upon. Downside would be I haven't been able to complete a roll in it. But I have practiced wet exits and heel hook reentries in it very recently. As I said, the boat gives me confidence, so I am not worried so much about biffing in the waves as I might be in another boat, like my Solstice.

myself and the Sirocco

Brian did warn me that I might need to reenter multiple times and that I will likely "get tired." This has been so present on my mind that it drove me to start running again a few days ago. I had been waiting for my busted knee to heal, but decided I couldn't afford to wait any longer. I have been running farther each day. I plan a five mile course, alternately running and walking. Today I managed to run an entire mile & 1/2. This might only be impressive to me, but then again, I'm my own worst critic as well.

I am also looking forward to getting back on my bike. It's been a year since I rode with any regularity. I had been riding two or three times a week until last spring when my neck pain became just unbearable. Taking a break from regular rides improved the situation. I guess the best I can hope for is one ride a week. Having several bikes at this point seems silly so I plan to keep only my cyclocross bike. It's been my main ride all these years and I really can't see the point in keeping the others.

Me heading out on the C&O Towpath with my main ride

With the Dale Williams class, then the East Coast Paddle Festival and several other symposiums coming up this year I decided it was time to fill in any holes in my paddling kit. So I purchased my own radio this week. I wanted one that was a little smaller than the one I have used for the last two years (which is really my husband's but he doesn't need it often). I also ordered a tow belt and 18 foot line. During the two trips to Florida I noticed several other paddlers had quick release lanyards they used to tie up when taking breaks, clever, and so I ordered one of these as well.

Maybe I went a little "wild" as I also ordered, drum roll please, a dry suit for my husband. Amazon knows how to reel in a sucker. They sent me a notice that the same suit I have was available in an XXL for 30 bucks less than I paid for mine. I considered my suit a great deal so there was no way I could pass up this one. Purchasing it solved my husband's two piece dilemma, neatly. Now I have my bottoms back so that I have a two piece back up dry suit and he will have just the one suit. He will need it way less often than me so this seems a good solution.

new toys!

I am planning on getting out tomorrow morning just to practice strokes, and then paddling the big water off my friend's beach in Coltons Point, MD, on Saturday. We will celebrate the arrival of spring that night before heading home to NoVa. Sunday will find me looking for a quick paced "exercise" paddle and hopefully a low-key bike ride.  My week starts over again.