Toggles

We all know Valley's toggle system with bungee and a hook. On a few occasions I have seen the hook catch the other boats lines, during a rescue. Obviously this is not very good - at all.! The hook has also slipped off, while I was pulling the boat on land, resulting in serious pain from the finger that got hit. Strangely it tends to hit the exact same spot more than once....

That there is quite a few issues regarding toggles and safety, it does matter how you alter/make these things. Gnarlydog has a couple of good points on this subject.

This is not at all my own idea - once more, stolen from Gnarlydog :-)

Who needs Kari-Tek

I have chosen to use a trailer for kayak(s) and gear, but I also chose not to pay bucks for a rack - this is what came out of it.

 Though I am a journeyman smith, I opted for a wood solution that I had it at no cost at all. Honestly, this wood-thing was meant to be a test - something temporarily. Like always, making something temporarily that works, you end up using it for ever.

Some steel does not hurt :-)

Latched together everywhere.

 

By moving the posts aft, I still have the full size of the bed.

 

We do not want want the strap to slip, do we...

GPS, or not to GPS - that's the question

That I like the art of navigation, I get by without using a GPS for this purpose.  I prefer using chart, compass and watch. Until now I have (almost) always been close enough in knowing my whereabouts and finding my way. On the other hand, I do like to see my track - either just for fun or to geotag some photos.

Android

Hence I do not want to use power consuming software, on my mobile. I use one of either: My tracks, Move! Bike Computer or GPS Logger. They have various ways to either share or send data, but My Tracks feature to make an export to Google Docs, does kind of appeal to me. Power consuming software like i.e Endomondo, just don't get a chance here.

Logger

i-gotU is an other option. Especially useful on multi-day trips, due to it's battery life (if set to longer log-intervals).

Vis Sydfynske Ø-hav 2010-07-08 --> 13 på et større kort

Garmin

On occations I have used a Forerunner - just another option. Here from a trip around Fanø.

This is the Roll - from Cackle TV, Justine Curgenven

Cheri Perry & Turner Wilson has made this DVD, with an approach to:
 "...focus on the most useful rolls to you in real water conditions."

I ask no more.!

All too often I see people performing maybe 10-15 different rolls in poolconditions, whereas they are unable to roll in real conditions  - this leaves me absolutely indifferent. Happy to see a DVD that shows you stuff that works, and the importance of it.
There is also a lot of focus on forward finishing rolls, rolls where you recover tucked forward - very good !
"Boat first, head last" - haven't we all seen the opposite a thousand times or more. Getting it right from the start, makes everything else so much easier.
Loads of brilliant  keypoints. The shoots are taken from different directions, helping you to mirror, or see, just the detail you are missing.

This video actually made me want to play with this stuff. Who says an old dog can't learn new tricks.? Certainly hope I can.!!

PS - no, I do not have any personal interest in this, other than I like to see people getting past their circus-roll, and closer to a bomb-proof roll.