Sail Amsterdam 2010

Bringing a salute to the tall ships of Sail on the Saturday morning has become a tradition, organised by the 3 kayakclubs of Amsterdam on every edition of Sail Amsterdam. This morning a group of 380 kayaks and canoes paddled along the imperessive Sail-fleet in the IJ harbour in Amsterdam, under escort of the water-police.
I got up early to meet Natasha, Hanny, Nynke, Paul and Jan at 6 AM at the boathouse of KV Wyrda - the local kayakclub. We loaded 2 canoes and my Tahe Greenland-kayak on the clubtrailer and drove to Amsterdam: the kayak-salute was scheduled from 8.30 till 9.30 AM. After the coffee at the Amsterdam Marine Emplacement I said bye to my kayak-friends from Woerden and slipped back into the Greenland to paddle home to Woerden. Starting in the canals of Amsterdam, I paddled a long list of Dutch rivers and canals: Amstel, Bullewijk, Waver, Winkel, Vinkeveense Plassen, Ringvaart Polder Mijdrecht, Wilnisse Zuwe, Heinoomsvaart, Kromme Mijdrecht, Kamerikse Wetering, Grecht and Oude Rijn. A nice trip through the Green Heart of Holland: it's amazing how close the countryside is to the Dutch capital...

According to the GPS I paddled 47,1 km from the Marine Emplacement to Woerden. With the visit to the Tallships added, I paddled a total distance of about 60 kms today. It was the first time I paddled such a long distance in the Tahe Greenland and I never paddled such a long distance with a Greenland-stick. It felt good. More on that later!

More pictures of the Kayak-salute to Sail 2010:

sail 2010

Back on the water - in Woerden

Woerdy: the mascot of the local youth summer-activities

Back home from hiking, biking and climbing in the Alps. After 4 weeks of abstinence I felt the urgent need to go for a paddle and to check if it still works: the paddling thing. Well, I am not disappointed: I could keep up with Guus ;-), a little training for the longer distances would be fine though (next Saturday 65 paddling-kms on schedule..), the rolls still worked.

On the local water some changes: temperature of the water has risen (fine for rolling), the water has also got a bit smelly and green (not so fine for rolling, keep the mouth shut and nose and ear-plugs in...), and Woerdy has come.

Paddling on the Oosterschelde - circumnavigating Galgenplaat

Slideshow of the trip 9 days ago, on a very hot saturday. Thanks to Stef and Monique for the hospitality!

Dutch seakayakers in deep trouble...

Update:
- The incident report is now also available in an English version: click here;
- Axel posted 2 posts about the incident on his weblog: The incident, The incident revisited.

5 weeks ago an incident with a group of seakayakers was "breaking news" in Dutch media (radio, TV, web and newspapers). I can't remember this happened ever before in the past 15 years (= the period I am involved in Dutch seakayaking). For some extent the buzz will have been because there was no other news in summertime (we call this: "komkommertijd" the Dutch expression for the "silly season"). But it was a really serious incident: a group of 9 paddlers got into trouble in big and steep breaking waves of 2-3 meter above the sandbank "de Razende Bol". The group got split up, 3 paddlers lost contact with the group, 2 of them capsized, 1 lost his kayak, the coastguard and 2 lifeboats from the KNRM were involved in the search- and rescue operation. Fortunately,no one got really (physically) harmed: the lifeboat rescued the capsized paddlers and the 3 lost paddler finally had radio contact and managed to get back to the group. One of the swimmers was brought into hospital with signs of hypothermia - but in the evening all were safe and healthy home. A broken seakayak and 9 broken ego's were the final harm.

The incident has raised many questions in the Dutch seakayaking community: Who was involved? Were the paddlers experienced seakayakers or not? What happened? What went wrong? What were the conditions? Could this incident have been avoided? What can we learn from this? Answers to these (and many more) questions can be found in the extensive and thoroughly report the group has published last week. You can find this report (in Dutch) and read it yourself via the website of Peddelpraat, or by clicking HERE. (The report reads like a new chapter in Seakayaker in Deep Trouble - the book of true stories and there lessons from Sea Kayaker magazine by Matt Broze and George Gronseth).

For the non-Dutch readers: I am sure there is an English summery on it's way. The group consisted of 9 experienced kayak-guides and coaches. The conclusion of the group is that the incident occurred just because it was an informal meeting of tour-leaders, paddling "as friends together", forgetting and neglecting some real essentials of leadership and safety. The group realizes they made basic mistakes. On the other hand: their experience and trained nature contributed to the "good" ending and prevented to some extent things getting worse - All realized it could easily have ended much more dramatical.

I have great appreciation and admiration for the open and honest way in which the group has reported about the incident! It makes all of us aware of our vulnerability. Don't say this can't happen to you...

The end of the radio silence?!

Never before it has been quiet on kajakwoerden.blogspot.com for such a long time. Just like earlier periods of silence it's (partly) because I was busy with other things. Actually these were "nice things" mostly: I enjoyed working for the Dutch provinces (which is quit busy lately, but also fun in a period of an uncertain constellation in national politics), supplemented with a lot of diversion in the private context: biking (Alpe d Huez with racers), biking (with bikers), biking (with family) and more outdoor-activities for the balance between body and mind ;-). A more basic reason for the silence is, that with the weather being very hot during the last weeks, it wasn't too inviting to spent leisure time behind the PC.

But there was also a different issue that kept me from blogging this time: let's call it a serious kind of blog-fatigue. This became very obvious to me after the Dutch seakayak-incident (I'll write more about it in a following post) some weeks ago. On June, the 13th. a group of Dutch seakayakers got into serious problems. In a big rescue operation 2 lifeboats were involved, one paddler was taken to hospital. Fortunately nobody got injured, but the incident received a lot of attention in Dutch press. The temptation to write in my blog about this incident was great for me. But I hesitated to do so. The reason was that, though I wasn't personally involved in this incident, I felt very connected: personally - because I know most paddlers of the group and call them good friends, functionally - because most of the paddlers are NKB-coaches (and I happen to be in charge for the NKB-seakayaking committee...). The activity on the 13th. wasn't part of the NKB-seakayaking-program but was a non-formal meeting of tour-leaders and coaches who are active for Peddelpraat. The people involved wanted and deserved time for reflection and to get the chance to publish their own story. I respect this and decided not to make things more complex by commenting from the sideline. A short, neutral and factual message was issued along the "official channels"of the Dutch seakayaking-organisations and a more thoroughly report was announced.

The incident gave rise to a discussion within the committee about the blogging activities of some of their members. Although my weblog-activities are strictly on personal title: it's the same person writing who is in charge for NKB-seakayaking... I do realize this and try to keep things apart - when needed. It's good we have this discussion once in a while. It's good to be aware of one's responsibilities. But I admit that thinking about what I can write and what I can't write sometimes takes a bit of the spontaneity. In combination with the other factors this made me rethinking my intentions with this blog. It started 6 years ago with the idea of an easy method for sharing pictures and reports with the people I paddle with. In the beginning it was a blog in Dutch only visited by a small number of fellow paddlers. Soon it grew into this exercise in writing a kayak-dairy in English, visited over 100.000 times by people worldwide...

The idea of sharing experiences and pictures is still leading. But I think it's time for a refreshment. Back to the roots - more room for pictures, shorter and more spontaneous messages and back to the interaction with fellow paddlers. Nothing wrong with a bit of ambition ;-)
Lasty week I started gently with a slight restyling of the blog (more space for pictures) and I am exploring how to make it more direct, responsive and interactive - I am thinking about integrating the blog into facebook or another social network. It will take some time before changes take place, and there will also be a period of silence again (holiday in the Alpes . My short term intention is not to bore the reader with text as long as this one ;-)

Men in their 40's, 50's and 60's....

A quick glance through Mont Purgatoire. from Habbekrats on Vimeo.

...cycling up the steepest mountains. Photographer Adriaan van der Ploeg zooms in on the faces of the nameless peloton of aged men. At first glance his work looks like classical sports-photography, but on a closer look it reveils this aren't cycling idols, but anti-heroes looking for their individual experience. The exposition of Adriaan's photo-project Montpurgatoire opens tomorrow in the Kunsthal Rotterdam.
What a timing: this middle aged men is on the road tomorrow for his own sporting challenge: the Alpe d'Huez: just for fun ;-)

Completely different, but no less interesting photo-expositions:

Wild Wonders of Europe, until August, 30th in the city of the Hague: top-nature photography in an unique 24 hrs a day open outdoor exposition. I jumped by at the opening last week - one of the little priviliges of working in the Dutch residence...

De Ontdekking van Japan - exposition of the Japan-project of the iconic Dutch Photographer Ed van der Elsken in the new Gallery "Fotogalerie in de Gewelven" in the castle of Woerden. Fabulous!

Voordelta: 80 new information panels for 16 million people

Last week I was invited for the official inauguration of the new information panels in the Voordelta. On 80 different locations in the Voordelta brand new information panels now offer the visitor information about the characteristics of this unique natural habitat and about the regulations. The maps look good and the text is clear. They are no substitute for a nautical map (to navigate), but the information panels offer a (far more) detailed overview of the restricted area's and do also explain in detail about the rules in force for every part of this area.

The now finished project with the information panels was one of the final steps in the implementation of the "beheerplan Voordelta". I've written about the impact the new rules have for seakayaking in this area 2 years ago - click here. The Dutch seakayak-associations were consulted and the interests of the seakayakers are really taken in account: compared to the situation some years ago there are restrictions, but the Voordelta still is a very attractive area for seakayaking!

8o new signs: it's a lot. The necessity to illustrates how crowded the Netherlands are: 16 million people living here. In 1995 Guus Meeuwis sang his song about a relaxed and tolerant Dutch society: "15 million people living on a tiny strip of earth". Much has changed since then: we've lost our innocence...

Ready for the Alps?

I neglected blogging a bit lately. This is partly because my current focus is a more on biking than on kayaking. In just over a week I'll go the French Alps for a road-bike-holiday with a group of sportive colleagues. I am looking forward to the little break in the busy days. It's a relaxed idea to have some days of. On the other hand, I do feel some tension: although this biking-event is purely recreational, I must admit being a little bit eager to perform ;-) I don't want to lag behind the group climbing the mountain roads. I also want to perform a decent time on the time trail on the Dutch Mountain: the Alpe d'Huez. That's one of the reasons I have spent more time on the bike than in the kayak during the past weeks. (The dominant reason for biking is I enjoy every moment with my good biking friends Linda (on the road-bike) and Alex (on the MTB)!).



I can't tell if all this biking is a truly effective preparation. We biked on the bigger humps nearby to do some climbing: at first glance the tracklog-profile looks impressive. But on the second look it's ridiculous: the highest point is just about 60 meters high (de Amerongse Berg). That's what we call a mountain here: You're biking down before you've even noticed you were climbing...

Jazzin Woerden: Caro Emerald

"Woerden bruist" - the next party in Kajakwoerden's hometown is Jazzin Woerden - the Music Festival. Top-act of the festival is Caro Emerald, successful in the Dutch music charts and outside our borders perhaps known from the latest Martini Moments-campaign:

Caro Emerald is the new kid on the block, but boy does she sound like she's been around! A voice so seductive and sultry it's hard to believe she just recorded her debut album, a mix of 1950's inspired ballroom jazz, cinematic tangoes, groovin' jazz tracks, infectious mambo's and banging beats.

Woerden Triathlon

The Triathlon is every year one big party in Woerden. Volunteers from KV Wyrda escort the athletes in the water-segment.

Meeting of the Salwasserunion coaches and guides on Spiekeroog

SAU BC treffen spiekeroog 2010

Click on the icon above for a slideshow of the pictures of this weekend. It was amazing cold and chilly in Northern Germany (need to wear gloves, scarf and and a warm cap at this time of the year?!) - but a great weekend nevertheless! The theme of the training this year was seakayak-communication with VHF radios. Some interesting results. More on that later.

Low pressure is steadily coming in...

I've seldom seen such a beautiful linear pressure graphic on my watch: alas it's going down ;-)
Better pack the rain-wear for this weekend!

Packing for the next trip

It's a short break in Woerden: Yesterday I returned from the Anglesey Seakayak Symposium, tomorrow I'll leave again to join the meeting of the kayak-guides and instructors of the Salzwasserunion at the German Wadden-Isle Spiekeroog.
On Anglesey it was camping the luxe. At Spiekeroog it will be "back to the basics": everything must fit in the kayak, because we'll paddle to Spiekeroog. And packing volume in a Tahe Greenland kayak is limited...
"Als de kat van huis is, dansen de muizen": because the family wasn't home today I took the opportunity and packed the kayak in the living...

Anglesey paddling week slideshow

Goodbye Anglesey

Anglesey Symposium - Day 3 - Soldiers Point - the Skerries

The third day of the symposium offers no open workshops: the first BCU-courses start on Monday. Guests that don't take part in one of the BCU-courses are invited for half- and whole-day paddles. The paddle to the Skerries was announced for hard core paddlers looking for a struggle: an increasing Northerly wind force 4 Bft. would guarantee 12 km paddling against the wind on the way to the skerries. Well, the wind was not as strong as expected: the trip to the Skerries was a very relaxed paddle - a fitting final of a nice week paddling in Wales!

Anglesey Symposium - the bird

Anglesey Symposium Day 2 - moving water workshop

Fiona and Axel did a workshop on foundation skills on movinbg water: reading the water, ferry gliding, breaking in and out of the eddy-line, feel for the boat: edging and sweep strokes. The Menai-street was an excellent playspot for this workshop.

Anglesey Symposium Day 1 - the Crash and Dash workshop

The Crash and Dash-workshop is about kayak repair on and off the water - but first a kayak has to be crashed. Which turned out to be a hard job. Graham did the first attempt and then Carin threw herself dauntlessly on the rocks - cool lady this Carin ;-)

Anglesey Symposium Day 1 - Freya Talks

Full days at the symposium - in the evening presentations are held. On Saturday-evening Freya Hoffmeister talks about here record breaking "Race around Australia". Shark bytes, the discomforts of sleeping in a kayak at the ocean, motivational and relational issues, magical rudder blades - no detail is forgotten. It was late before the bus drove back to Anglesey Outdoors centre. There an Irish folk band in the lounge of the centre and Karaoke in the Paddlers Return- Bar - hardly any time left to update the daily reports!