Yaayyy!!!
“Not another photo gallery?” You may question.
Yes, Yes! It’s another photo gallery!
During the summer of 2014 I did A LOT of paddling, more than ever before! As a result I spent a LOT of time on the water, in a kayak, and yes, paddling! As a result I got to visit and see lotsa nice, cool, awesome looking places. If you haven’t guessed it by now, I did take a bunch of pictures while I was at it!
These pictures were taken along the coast of Finland, between Virojoki and Tornio, one place or another…
The sunset of paddling day #2. Someplace south of Kotka.
Helsinki skyline during sunset.
On day 11 of the finnish coastal paddle the swedish brig “Tre Kronor” passed by on its way to Helsinki.
A short break on day 11. Here the weather was turning for the worse. Someplace east of Hanko
Sunser @ Södrä Yttergrund.
Sunset @ Västerö Isle, some place north of Vaasa.
Approaching Kristiinakaupunki.
Raippaluoto bridge. At this stage we have logged approx 900km on this trip.
One of the handful moments of calm during the trip. Someplace north of Vaasa, South of Kokkola…
Another serene sunset @ secret camp 251
Day 35 of the trip. Approaching Poroluodonkari, north of Kokkola. Here we were approaching an restricted area which is frequently closed due to military shoostings. This day however, all was calm, even shoosting wise and were able cross directly. This was also the first for long crossings; 6km, 17km and 14km crossings. After the first 10 kms.. the paddling got to be VERY boring! I hate long crossings.
Day 35. right in the middle of a military live fire zone, which was inactive.
Towards the end of day 35. The last long crossing. reception of FM radio channels was next to nonexistent..
At the begining of the first actual night paddle. Our schedule was badly delayed due to constant headwinds during the trip and our last resort was to paddle during the nights (and rest during the days) when the wind died. Paddling at night was pretty inneresting stuff!
Second nightpaddle, as the sun was going down. Here we are either south of or north of Raahe
A nice 6km sand beach, with no-one else around! This was a welcome rest stop after the 2nd night paddle!
Sunset @ Munahieta
@ our last camp a very dramatic thunderstorm approached us from the sea. Fortunately it blew over us to the mainland and only after that opened up with its full fury!
Right after the Åland paddling trip, I went on a shorter paddling trip with Marko who wanted to try out his sealegs, in the Archipelago National Park. The nature of this trip was to take it easy and get the sense and feel of the sea.
The rough route of the trip went as follows: Parainen ferry landing-Paraisten portti – Högland – Sandö – Högsåra – Tunnhamn – Yxskären – Vänö – Örö – Häran – Bötskäret – Hangonkylä.
Apart from the first day the weather was grey, drab, rainy and windy. So pretty typical of the time and location in question. However I was able to get some decent pictures of the overall trip.
View to the west from the hill on Högland isle
On the Western shore of Högland.
Lunch Break on Sandön
Easternmost spit of rocks on Sandön
On the western shore of Högsåra, there was a small sandy beach.
Some naval traffic passing by..
Only to be followed by more naval traffic the next day.
Högsåra camp
One day was spent ashore as the weather wasn’t too friendly looking.
Sunset after a windy day, these are the moments to remember and savour during the cold and dark winters!
Same sunset sans kayaks
And yet another one with slightly different tones and shades.
North of Vänö/Yxskären there was a pretty busy boating lane. After about a 30 minute wait there was a gap big enough to dare a crossing.
Campsite @Yxskären. The sheep and cows were too shy to get in the picture.
Yet another campsite somewhere north of Örö isle, on some unnamed rock
Some sun to try to dry equipment!
After an aborted attempt to the lighthouse isle of Bengskär we had lunch stop in this labyrinth of isles..
Sail vs. non-sail… which one looks like a “cool cruiser” ? 😉
Now be honest! Have you ever fantasized, in a following wind, under a heavy load , somehow .. harnessing that wonderful wind to help you get along….? Now don’t lie! I suspect EVERY sea kayaker has in one point or another thought like this. 😀
Springtime 2015 I found myself trying out something completely new. GnarlyDog convinced me to give kayak sailing a try. Uptil now I’d only tried using windpaddle sail briefly, but did not like the concept at all as it is strictly downwind sailing and while it does not require a rudder equipped kayak, it works better with one… And I’m not going to install a rudder on my kayaks. End of discussion! Also it ties ones hands to operating the sail…
First time kayak sailor getting the hang of it! After about 45 minutes 😀 Lake Vanaja, Finland
Gnarly suggested SeaDog Sails, whom I contacted and some weeks later I received my first SeaDog Sail ! Its been fun ever since! It was early may 2015 when I was able to go out and start learning to use the sail.
About the sail, it is surprisingly smart set up. Contrary to common beliefs it DOES not require a rudder for installation! A skeg would be nice to have but basicly one can sail decently without a skeg installed, however here one will need to use corrective strokes or a paddle rudder quite often. That said I will be retrofitting a skeg in all of my kayaks!
Vortex and Whisper installed with SeaDog Sails. Sails are “up”
The sail basicly operates as follows: When you want to sail. You release it from “Stowed on deck” configuration, pop the mast into its “mast up” configuration, cleat the up haul line and “Voila” ready to sail! If the going gets rough or you need to go into the wind, then you reverse the previously described operation and your kayak is back in its “pure kayak – mast down” mode. Quite simple! With a little practice each operation takes no-more than 5-7 seconds to perform.
High wind testing and learning. This was Markos (orange kayak) second time out kayak sailing!!! No he didn’t swim
While under sail, one can still use the paddle for correcting strokes, stern rudder or bracing… or not! So the sail does not tie the hands while sailing. Only during mast uphaul or downhaul, and tweaking the sail angle with the cam-cleat, ones’ hands will be doing other than paddling. This last feature is one of my favourites!
Peacefully ghosting along autumn 2015, Lake saimaa, Finland
Another misconception is that this sail is purely for downwind sailing. Not true! Depending on the sail set up, kayak configuration and your sailing skills one can sail beam reach and perhaps even close reach. My rough best estimate has been to sail maybe 25 degrees into the wind, on a sharply chined kayak and quite a bit of edging…
However there are some little requirements or rather common sense suggestions before one should start installing a sail on ones kayak!
One should be a confident and able kayaker. Minimum requirement (in my mind ) for kayak sailing is that one should be able to do self rescues, braces + some kind of eskimo roll. I haven’t had to do a single roll or self rescue under sail, but the fact that I know I can perform these gives me all the more confidence to handle the kayak under sail… me hopes ! 😉
Some understanding about the concept of sailing comes handy.. though starting with light winds and an instructor close-by one can be self taught quite quickly to kayak sail! I’ve had two “experimental students” to test this claim and both are still alive and breathing and in friendly terms with me.. 😉
Punching thru.. Lake Vanaja, Finland
While kayak sailing isn’t for the first or second time, “beginner” kayaker it does open a whole new world for the more experienced confident kayaker- A world of fun if nothing else!
At the writing of this I have logged some 360 kms with sail, of which approximately half have been under touring/expedition conditions. Most if not every km has been either fun or educational and thus very interesting! Introducing the sailing concept into kayaking also opens the world of sailing and wind in a new way to the kayaker.
I will not dwell into sail installation in this post, that will come later. However there are a couple of excellent blogs that covers sail installation: Douglas Wilcox’s site and GnarlyDog News
Contrary to common beliefs.. A kayak sail will not make the kayak go faster! Well THAT fast. Usually the defining factor is the maximum hull speed. But it does help make the kayak go at hull speed with minimal paddling! Going above hull speed will require high winds and following seas.. and that while is FUN as anything, it does add certain risks. I’ve usually been able to clock 9-11 km/h in winds of approx 10m/s. This wind speed I have found to be the maximum safe wind speed. Any higher than 10 m/s one needs to be on ones toes, alert, awake and accept the fact of a cold bath. I think the strongest winds I’ve encountered and still stay upright was in the 14 m/s range. The highest speeds that my GPS have logged momentarily under sail, high winds+following waves have been 16.4km/h and 17 km/h. This was with the Guillemot Expedition Single without any load.
Coasting along in a light to moderate breeze. SeaDog Commander installed on the Guillemot Expedition Single Lake Vanaja, Finland
Under full expedition load I have been able to coast along at 6-7.5 km/h in a run or a broad reach, using the paddle as a rudder only. With light assisting strokes I have been moving about 8-9.5km/h.
The newest SeaDog sail , the Commander is my favorite, the added reefing points add more versatility to the sail. The sail is more efficient sailing into the wind than the previous models. The older Code Zero Black Diamond maybe easier to handle for a beginner than the Commander, but the commander has the reefing option so this changes the balance quite nicely. I have ordered the sail with the lower panel with Clearview panel, giving me some forward visibility, which can be useful in narrow (and congested) waterways.
Clear skies and almost no wind.. SeaDog Commander installed on the Guillemot “SnG”, Night Heron kayak Lake Saimaa, Finland
All of the SeaDog sails I have used thus far have excellent work quality!
Autumn sailing in Lake Saimaa
Here’s a couple of my favorite sailing videos that I’ve found online – from downunder. Courtesy of GnarlyDog The first one shows how the sail works.
And some just sailing that brings a smile on your face..
Some pictures AND a map of last summers paddling trip in /around of Åland archipelago.
We started from the Ferry stop of Vuosnainen, Finland. The trip lasted some 2 weeks. The planned one day of rest in Maarianhamn, grew to two days! It was such a nice town to see! Much recommended! We finished at the ferry stop in Parainen, Finland.
Overall it was a great trip, but we had to keep a constant watch on the changing weather and plan and re-plan our routes accordingly. Fortunately we were able to come up with alternate routes in the labyrintine passages of the archipelago and weren’t held ashore due to bad weather. We were lucky in that respect.
Paddlingwise, year 2015 was kinda lazy. Not as much touring as the previous two years. I spent only about a total of 5 weeks “out” kujuking. The trips weren’t as long as I’d hoped either, but still 2015 had some definite highlights.
Second time trying kayak sailing, with ‘Viatrix’ on Lake Vanaja, May 24th 2015Welcoming committee on entering Åland waters.
Paddling around the Åland isles was one definite highlight, another highlight was getting started in kayak sailing!
Paddling in and around Åland had been something I had been putting off for some time now. Mainly due to the fact that the isles “were out there”, at least from my limited experience/perspective. After reading and hearing many trip reports, not to mention photo blogs of said isles, I decided “what the heck” and went for it. It was a great trip, at times somewhat demanding due to weather conditions but we got through. Lotsa places seen and explored, yet (thankfully) many more left to be explored at later tripS.
There were lotsa (odd) things to see in Åland…One of the odd things to see in Åland.. we saw only 4 snakes during the 2 week trip.Sunset , somewhere in the Åland islesOne of the many nice sunsetsYet another quiet camp location .. somewhere in Åland.
The second “super-duper-I’am-So-EXCITED-I just can’t hide it!” highlight of the year was: kayak sailing!!!
Kayak Sailing had been something I’d read and heard about and always thought that “maybe some day” I’ll give it a try. Then with some coaxing from Gnarlydog, (it really didn’t take that much), I ordered my first kayak sail , from Sea Dog Sails, and that “some day was” here ! Its been great ever since! Kayak Sailing has brought many new aspects to sea kayaking. With some 360 kms of sail assisted kayaking/sailing logged for year 2015,n salt waters as well as fresh, it is safe to say I will have a sail installed on all of my kayaks eventually! One might be as bold to say that kayak sailing is just about the best thing to do with one’s pants on!
Whenever there are fair winds to enjoy – Up goes the sail! 😀
‘Whisper’ got her own sail just in time for the Åland trip.
Learning to sail in slightly rougher conditions, has been very rewarding and helpful in finding ( some of ) my limits.
Trying out sailing in slightly rougher winds. Lake Vanaja October 2nd 2015Zooming along in wind and waves, Lake Vanaja october 2nd 2015
Didn’t build that many new paddles but just enough to keep the interest going. A couple, (well a bunch really) of prototypes are on their way for 2016 paddling season as well.
A bent shaft Aleut paddle in the making
Kayak building was quiet, but I did manage to build one kayak. ‘Viatrix‘, a Guillemot designed Night Heron “Stitch and Glue” kayak, was first afloat almost as soon as the waters were free from ice, also she was the first one to have a sail installed on her. On her own a very fine kayak for waves and light touring BUT excellent fun with a sail !! Best overall kayak I’ve built thus far…
The cockpit opening of ‘Viatrix’ slowly taking shapeAdding some peace of mind aka extra strengthening elements here and there in ‘Viatrix’. In this case its carbon/Glass hybrid cloth..
Already many new kayaking adventures are on the drawing board for 2016 (and beyond) ! Here’s hoping that I will learn to be a bit more diligent in my blog postings as well….
Cheers!
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsSure thing
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.