Hans Brinker

When I am abroad I often get questions how sea kayaking is in the Netherlands. And what the difference is between the Netherlands and Holland.

People in the US are always keen to tell me that they heard of the famous kid (Hans Brinker) that stopped flooding in the Netherlands by putting his finger in a hole in the dike. In turn, I have to confess that I have never learned about this amazing feat in my early school days. It is only because of my travels that I learned about it. Getting this story fed back to me on my last visit to Anglesey by a Brit (or to be more PC, a Cornish guy) had me looking it up on the Internet...

"Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates" is a book written by Mary Mapes Dodge in 1865. The writer implied that her story is based on fact, while in reality she wrote a book on the Netherlands, a country that she never ever visited. That explains a lot!

If this is the case, then how about all that other Dutch folklore like windmills, wooden shoes, tulips and dikes? They are all 'true' and the Dutch tourist board is keen to reinforce the images that are already embedded in the minds of prospective visitors.

So how about paddling in the Netherlands? We have lots of water; sea, lakes and inland canals. What better independent and fresh view then from a sea kayaker that has just recently moved to the Netherlands and is logging her trips. Rhian has started her blog with the first trip in her new sea kayak.

Holland is technically the two western coastal provinces of the Netherlands. The historic significance of Holland (with Amsterdam) lies in the our golden age during the 1700's with it's Dutch East India Company (VOC) and it's infamous 'tulip rally'. This tulip 'mania' is considered to be the first recorded speculative bubble. There are many, many similarities to modern-day (pyramid-scheme) events like the internet bubble, banking 'crisis' and housing market 'crisis': Greed feeding an unsustainable 'growth'.

Does my mind wander off too much trying to point to a modern day "Hans Brinker"? Is it our "finance ministers" trying to put the finger in the financial dikes? Sure I would say that they try to plug the hole from the wrong side. And committed like this there is no way to look over the dike to actually see what the real problem is. So forget about Hans Brinker; a metaphor for incompetence.

The picture of Hans Brinker is from the "Madurodam" theme park in the Hague; a miniature version (scale 1:25) of the Netherlands on one square kilometer. Visit the whole of the Netherlands in only a day.

Waves of reflection

A northwesterly storm force 8 is raging. I went on a coastal hike from Holyhead to Porthdafarch. From Soldiers' Point I had great views of massive breaking waves reflected off the Holyhead breakwater. My hike continued towards North Stack. From there I went up Holyhead Mountain and down towards South Stack, continuing towards Portdafarch. Walking back along the road past Anglesey Outdoors Centre. Familiar scenes seen from a different perspective.

Here, there and everywhere

I arrived in Anglesey on Thursday in Spring time weather for NDK business. Justine and Barry are around and they invited me to come over for a Sunday paddle. Unfortunately Barry had work to do, so Justine and I headed down the Llynn Peninsula for Aberdaron to paddle to Bardsey Island. It was way back in September 2002 that I last visited Bardsey. Justine is trying-out her new Sanoodi mobile phone GPS tracking software, so our route is well documented (Bardsey & Bardsey Return).

On Bardsey, after moving our kayaks higher twice (just in case), we headed for the farm house. It is lambing season and the farmer family have a busy time of checking all of the 300 ewes that can give birth anytime. A sure sign of Spring. Holding a day-old lamb feels as soft and warm as my woolen hat. After three hours on the Island we found our kayaks still safe. It would not be the first time that somebody looses their kayak to the tide while visiting this wonderful Island. Heading back looked easy. The wind had dropped and the sea flattened. Halfway across we enjoyed some surfing, that could now only mean that we paddled against the current coming out of Aberdaron Bay. It is around neaps, but the tidal current increased coming closer to the headland and showing multiple eddy-lines and boils. I separated quite a bit from Justine being just in a different current line. It turned-out to be quite a work-out on the last bit. Using surges to 'wash' around headlands against the current. Back at the house, next to a fire pre-lit by Barry, I quickly fell asleep on the sofa, counted three cuddly lambs, feeling woolly warm.

P.S. I have been working late today Monday and only now found the time to upload this post. To reduce some carbon footprint you can look on Justine's blog for more pictures and her account of the day. It is now very windy and chilly in Anglesey, waves crashing over the Holyhead breakwater. My thoughts are with those new born lambs on Bardsey.

Invasion of "Paard van Marken"

Saturday 52! paddlers gathered at the dike to Marken for the trip to the "Paard van Marken" and Volendam; a Peddelpraat club trip tradition of some decades.

Although this enormous group size (an all-time record) is an outright nightmare for group control, it has become a social gathering of some magnitude, that the organizers try to facilitate as best they can. Marianne, today's overall trip leader, assigned tasks for buddy-ed-up front, back, left and right boundary paddlers.

The whole flotilla moved surprisingly compact towards Marken in quartering force 3/4 winds, every now and then surfing. The 'trick' with the boundary paddlers paying off. And being a social gathering nobody seems to see this trip as a work-out.

Arriving at the "Paard of Marken", a historic lighthouse landmark, for a coffee break probably looked like an invasion by the lighthouse keepers. The lighthouse keeper is planting flowers and we are welcomed.

What do sea kayakers do first when they land? They go for a pee. It has already surprised me often what paddlers think of the best place to pee when there is water all around... Today the favorite spot seems to be the reeds. Not that it provides more privacy. It triggers a strong angry response from the lighthouse keeper, ouch! She tells us that she has to deal with many visitors. Specially for them last year the council established a visitor toilet. She complains about the smell from the reeds she has to cope with. Apparently it is the favorite spot to pee. Only a week before another large flotilla of kayaks invaded their property and did their thing...

So everybody who visits "Paard van Marken", please use the available toilet unit! The picture from above is taken by the lighthouse keeper. Visit their website for more information, stories and beautiful pictures of living at "Paard van Marken" historic landmark.

P.S. The toilet-unit is just out of sight of the Lighthouse keepers, behind the green shed, and it's clean and free!

Kayak Pro

The Watersport Council invited me to give a lecture on sea kayaking at the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show. Lacking any kayak/canoe specific show, the Dutch canoe union (NKB) this year linked-up with the Watersport Council stand at the HISWA. The watersport council had lots of activities going-on. Long lines of youths signing-up for the many water basin activities, including kayaking, waterskiing and wind-turbine dingy-sailing. A smoothly organized operation with lots of volunteers. The slogan "ikwilwatersporten.nl" seems a catching phrase, at least with the youngsters. The cold unheated pool water did not deter any of them.

Prominently at the NKB stand the KayakPro Speedstroke kayak trainer/ergometer. Again lots of attention from youngsters for a simulated race projected in front of them. When I first heard of the KayakPro, I joked that next would be racing with others on the internet in simulated environments. Well so far for my joke as this kind of simulation is already reality, or at least in beta. You never have to leave your home again for kayaking... The same could be said of Justine's This is the Sea DVD's, snippets from #1 playing at the lecture arena in-between lectures. Maybe something for future versions of KayakPro add-on software? Paddling in Penrhyn Mawr, Skooks, Baja, circumnavigating Tasmania, never having to leave home to kayak... And everyone can paddle with Justine. I Wonder if one could roll with a Kayak Pro.

New Year Sunrise

Paddling through a Milky Way of shooting stars. Bioluminescence lightens-up the sea milky white where my paddle blades are pulled through the water. Our sea kayaks are infrequently hit by flying fish, startled by our early moving presence. Up above the last of the brightest stars fade-out into the new sunrise. The first sunrise of the New Year. Turning the eastern sky bright red and reflecting red-purple off the Sierras de la Giganta in the west. While the world turns and going in circles around the sun. Day in, year out. Never ending new beginnings. Here I am, at the south end of Danzante Island, the Dancer. Sharing the start of the new year's day with two of my very best friends. A happy New Year!

I look at the world and I notice it's turning
While my guitar gently weeps
With every mistake we must surely be learning
Still my guitar gently weeps

FiRST FSRT

An American sea kayaking guide travelling from southern Chile taking a BCU course in Baja California Sur with a Dutch BCU coach from the Netherlands...

As many of you might know already, Ginni Callahan migrates South every Winter to guide sea kayaking trips and organize (BCU) courses and guide training in the Parque Marino Nacional Bahia de Loreto for her company Sea Kayak Baja Mexico.

The new BCU courses Foundation Safety & Rescue Training, Navigation & Tidal Planning Training and the 4* Sea Leader Training ran for the first time in Mexico.

We had excellent conditions, even surf, for the 4* training.

For the FSRT, that requires various craft, Ginni arranged a double sea kayak, a single sea kayak with no bulkheads, a WW-kayak, an open canoe and an inflatable sit-on-top. I was greatly impressed with the selection. And naturally there were proper British design glass-fibre sea kayaks from Ginni's fleet. He!, I am biased!

The one thing we did NOT have was a lecture room with overhead and digital projector, as the syllabus states for the proper venue for the Navigation & Tidal Planning Training. The only thing projected 'overhead' was the Sun and stunning surroundings.

I am here for a few more weeks. Next week I join Ginni for a guided Christmas trip. I took loads and loads of pictures all during my stay. But because of 'Baja Midnight', which generally is around 7 PM, and very limited electricity at camp, I have a major 'backblog'. And this is just not the environment to voluntarily work behind the computer during daytime.

I wish everybody a great Christmas time!

The Coolest Hike

We cannot go up any further. A waterfall blocks passage that Ginni has taken many times before, preventing us to go up even higher. Ginni, David and I have gone this far on one of the most amazing and rewarding hikes I have ever done. Hiking into la Sierra de Giganta near Loreto in Baja Mexico Sur. Up a narrow creek-bed canyon, big boulder strewn, rock clambering, jumping rocks, wiggling my body between the spaces left by jammed car-size boulders, up a body-tight tunnel, wading chest-high holding our day packs over our heads, reflective pools, waterfalls, palm trees, scenting flowers, toads doing 'their jumping thing' and every now and then saying their hello's to us. Butterflies in all colors and sizes. Dragonflies, hovering and the ones caught in the many sticky webs of the various spiders. Passing-by a Tarantula. Mostly hiking in the cool shade of the steep canyon walls. Vistas of the Sea of Cortez to the east.

A few weeks ago it had rained a lot here in the aftermath of a coastal hurricane. The result is a desert that is green and even more alive.

I cliff jump into a pool and cool off, followed by sunbathing on the flat garage size boulder next to the pool. Another cliff jump, another sunbathe. When the canyon wall casts it's shadow over me it is time to get going again. Reversing the way we came, down the tunnel, wading chest-high. Down the geological jungle. When the canyon wall widens we are continuously in the sun again, getting hot, desert-hot. Behind me, the coolest hike I ever did; a paradise, an oasis that waters the soul.

Islands in the sun

I am back in Bahia de Tortugas from a week of Magic Pacific Baja paddling with Ginni Callahan to Isla Cedros and Isla Natividad.

The information we had of this area was one, not so detailed, nautical chart and one general information page in a pilot. Depending on local knowledge, all we got was that there was ´curriente´. I could write pages and pages on this wonderful explorative trip. But I am typing this in the local Internet café so I keep it short. Meeting great people along the way, Ginni´s Spanish made all the difference. Sunny days, beautiful beaches, ocean wildlife, great aroyo hikes and good food.

I still have no good feeling for the Pacific swell. 11+ second swell sets from both the south and the north give some (for me) hair raising adrenaline-rich landings and launchings on dump-surf beaches. Lost my good old Lendal cap in one of those. Standing safe on the beach I am thinking ´is this all that I have been anxious about?´, noting special, until that big set arrives... Not that familiar and predictable North Sea wind-generated surf. After a few days we had worked-out the tides and our circumnavigation around Isla Natividad was completely done with a favourable current, or was it us just lucky by coincidence?

I cannot upload pictures yet, to be followed.

Read more about this trip on Ginni´s Blog.

Migration

Above picture of a lone Puffin was taken at Carmel Head in Anglesey at the end of September. Rather late for a Puffin to still be here. It's colorful outer part of it's beak almost shed. It's mates long migrated north to spend the winter at sea in the North Atlantic. Is it ill? Is it missing the genetically imprinted instinct to head north? Or does it just want to be there? Do birds have a choice or only act on instinct? Why is it not taking to it's wings?

I am typing this flying across the North Atlantic, heading west, then south. Taking jet-powered man-made wings of an airplane. Flying over the Winter habitat of the Atlantic Puffin. I am 'migrating' too. For the first time ever I will be spending some Winter months in a sunny and warm environment. Not to flee the cold Dutch Winter. Leaving friends and family behind for more than just a few weeks, emotional good bye's. No forwarding address, maybe some sporadic mobile phone coverage, and for sure, the internet access life line.

Iceberg Territory

We returned from two days of supervised coach practice on the West Coast of Scotland. The second day we where at the Falls of Lora tidal feature. This time I did not swim. Well, this time around I was coaching and although I did not 'capsize', there were some 'wobbly' moments, from the coaching perspective. A dynamic environment of flows, counter flows, whirlpools, boils and waves, rushing sounds, rapid moving scenery. Different learning styles, past experiences and comfort levels. Tense and smiling faces. Sunny, with some liquid spells.

Dreaming of one time being a certified BCU level 5 sea kayak coach? I enjoy and value the journey more so. Yesterday we, the trainees, wrote down our 'action plan'. Not a detailed road-map, maybe some hints towards signposts we want to be watching for. For sometimes we worry if we are heading in the 'right' direction. What is the 'right' direction anyway? Maybe it is 'just' the way forward.

One of the ways to describe the 'goal of coaching' that got me thinking was:
"To join someone on their map and, by providing experiences that challenge their perception of the territory, our students might redraw their map."

What if I would invert this description to: "Gaining experiences that challenges my perception of the territory, possibly redrawing my own map."

Transferring rolling skills

Last evening some of us at the course had a go at rolling a bagged-out single canoe with knee straps in the Lodge's swimming pool. Watching Dave rolling, I noticed a strong resemblance of his roll to the Greenland storm roll. Naturally I wanted to give it a go and was surprised (maybe not so) that after two tries I could roll this 'massive' canoe. There where more takers for having a go and within a short time both Biscuit (forgot his real name, but he made sure at the course introduction that his nickname sticks) and Callum nailed it also for their first time.

Click on the picture of Dave and Bisquit, mentally preparing, to see a short video of Dave rolling an open boat.

Coaching Life

I am in Scotland at Glenmore Lodge for my second attendance of a BCU Level 5 training course. It has already been almost three years ago that I did my first one, then at Tollymore in Northern Ireland. Because of the new UKCC scheme I feared then that the course would soon stop running. It was the best (coaching) course that I ever attended. I learned lots and learned even more from applying and experimenting with the things I learned then. After taking the course one has a maximum of three years to prepare for an assessment. Three years have passed quickly. Lots of 'interference' of personal and business nature and I felt there was more to learn. Thus my second attendance now in Scotland. Today, within an hour, I already recognized that this course will not be a 'repeat' from the first one. Some of it is new and other stuff I feel I can much better relate to from personal coaching experience than ever before. I am still on a journey. A journey that won't follow the shortest route to become a BCU Level 5 sea kayak coach. It is not the destination that counts for me, but the long and winding road that takes me there.

Stacks on the flood

This could well have been my last day in Anglesey in this year. Many times I have started at Soldier's Point to run the ebb towards North Stack race and along South Stack ending at Port Dafarch. Phil decided on a Stacks run, but not in the usual way. Now paddling against the flood, tucking into eddies, we paddle along the Hogarth Cliffs. The whole scenery has a different feel to it because of the lower water levels at this stage of the tide. At South Stack we can play in a gentle tide-race. My pictures of it look a bit unfamiliar. Kayaks surfing 'the wrong way'. Surfing South Stack race on the flood.

In to the deep end

Today I joined Barry and Justine on a paddle around Holy Island. I had never before paddled around it. Barry had planned it anti-clockwise, that is different from the general way of paddling around it. It required paddling against the flood (using eddies) to Silver Bay. And I was wondering if the water level, with this high spring tide, was low enough to get us under through Four Mile Bridge, but we did! Just at the moment when I was committed, thoughts came to my mind about what would happen if I got swept broadside... That was the bit of adrenaline rush for the day. We arrived at Stanley Embankment very early for a long and sunny afternoon break. Barry hopped in a play-boat for his first time surfing the Stanley stopper wave. The more I paddle with Barry, the more I find out that we have a lot in common. Meeting him in Penrhyn Mawr some years ago and today at Stanley... The tide was pouring out of the gap with a group of play boaters providing some skillful entertainment. A few runs at North and South Stack tide-races and by 19:00 we where back at Porth Dafarch.

Tide races in Anglesey

I just finished a week guiding in Anglesey for a group of the Uitgeest kayak club. The week before I was at the NKB Vlieland week (read about it on Hans' blog) and had only a few hours at home re-packing before taking the ferry across to the UK. The wind was weak or moderate all week and with a big September spring tide gave us lots of opportunities to paddle the Anglesey tidal races 'at will'. There are many ways to describe a 'perfect week in Anglesey'. Hitting Penrhyn Mawr during a big spring tide on max flow is maybe less than perfect (just intimidating). Just getting to the lunch spot, to get a breather, proved to be a challenge of it's own. But after a while the tide dropped just enough to a very playful end. And, like it 'always' does, the sun shines on the Skerries!

The Wedge

I noticed some leakage in the rear compartment of my kayak. Turning my kayak around showed the reason why. I remember 'gently' being set on a rock ledge while ferry gliding earlier today. Glass fiber sea kayaks and rocks... Handling this in the way that I learned on my First Aid course: not pulling out anything that is sticking in or out. Covering it (with duct tape) and take it to 'hospital' for further treatment. The wedged rock splinter actually prevented most leakage, plugging the hole.

Lower Columbia River Kayak Roundup

It has been a very busy and enjoyable week. This year's Lower Columbia River Kayak Round-up has come to an end. Good paddling, good company and good food. Thanks Ginni, thanks Dave! A long day of hard work and Slow Boat Farm resembles (again) more of a farm than a kayak round-up. Preparations for next year's roundup have already started!

Follow the (link on the) sign for a Lo Co Roundup slide show.

BCU Entanglements

I just finished a two day BCU Coach update course at Ginni Callahan's Slow Boat Farm on Puget Island in Washington State. Yesterday, we learned about all the changes in the new BCU coaching awards and performance (star) awards. Phil Hadley from Britain had us quickly very enthusiastic: whatever level we are at now, we now all WANT to attend the new BCU Level-1 course! The afternoon was spent mostly on the water discussing the remits for the new 3 and 4 star sea awards.
Today it was all about the new Foundation Safety & Rescue Training. It is a revamped Canoe Safety Test. And yes, it is now a training and not a test. There were some hairy rescue stories involving buoyancy aids, that had my heightened attention... Too many ropes and lanyards on my buoyancy aid to get entangled with.

What am I doing all across the ocean for a BCU update course? Tomorrow starts the Lower Columbia River Kayak Roundup. The second year running it is now an official BCU endorsed event. I am "updated" now. The more I know from the new BCU schemes, the more I can say that it is the way forward, despite all my 'entanglements'.

Thunder and lightning and other hazards

I am writing this on the day that a thundery weather system is following the Dutch coastline and over our base camp in Anna Paulowna. The sea kayak safety test is cancelled for now, in fact all on-water kayak activities are canceled. Maybe some clearing in the afternoon gets us back on 'schedule'.

Yesterday I joined the Sea Proficiency Extra group on their trip to find some surf on the Noorderhaaks sand spit. Surf we did not find, but we did find something that needed reporting. We lunched next to a full container that on examining the label proved to possibly contain a very toxic and dangerous substance: "Hydrofluoric Acid / Sulphuric Acid"; it's contents and container to be "disposed of as hazardous waste". We reported the finding with the GPS location to the coast guard and later learned that the Coast Guard vessel "Zeearend" had dispatched it's RIB to pick-up the container and delivering it to the Den Helder fire department and thanking us for reporting it. All the time we did not know for sure what the contents actually where, it could well just have been just water. But the unfaded label and May 2008 packaging date (and 1825 days shelve life) was too alarming to ignore.

Rain and thunder have drifted away a bit, let's see what the afternoon brings us. It appears that the years of August heat waves with flat seas are gone. For the last few years it has been rainy and windy. Wind that is excellent for sea proficiency paddling, when only there would not be thunder and lightning.