tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3380351627637634232024-03-19T21:19:19.771+10:00Gnarlydog Newsgnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.comBlogger333125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-12138439522783765102019-05-07T11:04:00.001+10:002019-06-13T11:11:03.591+10:00Returning to my roots: motorcycles
Sea kayaking is no longer what it once was, for me.
I used to have a close-knit group of enthusiastic kayakers that was interested in challenging paddles, camping trips or advancing skills. The people and the activities wed did was the driving force for me to be on the water.
Between the major events I would also fill-in my desire to be outside with day paddles, often in calm waters. The Bay gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-13951114216560405432016-09-29T09:55:00.000+10:002016-09-29T10:26:01.052+10:00West Coast DreamThe wind was blowing that afternoon as we crested the coastal hill to view what lays ahead for tomorrow's paddle.
select 1080p to view video in full HD glory
Johan Wirsen offered us to test two new kayak he recently designed: the Rebel Husky and Big Dog.
We were now paddling the West Coast of Sweden, North of Gothenburg towards the Norwegian border.
We mounted sails onto the decks for gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-40515114568903088232015-09-03T06:00:00.000+10:002015-09-03T06:00:06.078+10:00Photo: camp at Japanese GardensAfter one of the most intense days of paddling and sailing in swell against rebound against high cliffs the sheltered camp location we found was stunning.
The carefully arranged although natural setting of little ponds and low vegetation reminded me the look of Japanese gardens.
more images appear on my photo blog
Polished granite slabs make camping easy as nothing gets dirty while sitting gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-39019840117060820592015-06-25T09:53:00.002+10:002015-06-29T21:11:41.142+10:00Digital camera hand grip modification.
I reached the limit of tolerance with my pocket compact digital camera as I realized my images were lacking sharpness when light conditions were not ideal.
Most of my images are displayed on monitors (web use) and only occasionally I print the very best pictures of mine.
While all images look great when displayed small things don't look so good once they are enlarged.
Add, low light and the gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-81698255525902484502015-06-15T06:00:00.000+10:002015-06-15T06:00:03.408+10:00Hail hellby Tess Dodd_Adveturetess
I am almost halfway across, enjoying leaving the demands of a busy morning further behind me with
every paddle stroke. My thoughts are filled with plans to paddle in Alaska.
Reading Audrey
Sutherland’s books (87 days solo kayaking in Alaska, swimming and kayaking remote sections of the
Hawaii coast); I recognized her spirit and felt inspired by her gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-5395236187352635572015-06-11T11:22:00.000+10:002015-06-15T23:02:59.803+10:00Photo: Pot of GoldLegend goes that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Maybe it's true.
SeaDog Commander in the sun shower
.gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-51425619773266318832015-06-03T07:45:00.001+10:002015-06-03T07:45:40.972+10:00VIDEO: Restocking supplies on expedition in the BalticPaddling a sea kayak along the archipelago of the Swedish Baltic coast required occasional restocking when on a 5 week trip.
Drinking water was available on most inhabited islands where a hand pump was most times operational. Only on the outer skerries we had to carry water for several days.
Food could be had on some larger islands but Rödlöga topped them all.
The little village had a gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-32254413421804751102015-05-25T06:00:00.000+10:002015-07-03T21:08:54.421+10:00GEAR: SeaDog Commander.I fell in, again.
I have been surfing for an hour and now I was heading home.
I sailed for a while but then I turned directly into the wind and I wanted to stow my sail away.
Stretching myself forward trying to reach the shock cord to secure the folded bundle of my sail made my loose my balance and I kept on falling in.
I realized that I needed a sail that would fold easily on my kayak deck.gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-58872367099605605542015-04-02T06:00:00.000+10:002015-05-01T08:57:12.134+10:00Video: I Have A DreamSome dream of power, some dream of money.
Some dream of a slimmer waist and a bigger chest, some dream to have more hair on their head.
Some dream of a fast red car or those pretty shoes they saw in the window...
My dream is different.
reward yourself with full screen viewing in high definition on a larger screen, this one was not meant for mobile devices...
My dream is to be gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-49209022168218433192015-03-10T06:00:00.000+10:002015-03-10T11:53:01.981+10:00Photo: beach armyEmerging from their hiding places below the surface they invaded the beach.
As the sea retreated at low tide they came in swarms and like a massive stampede they roamed the exposed sand.
I could hear the noise they make when their tiny claws; hundreds of them collectively sounded like a swarm of locust.
I lowered myself to a foot above ground and a magical world gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-61010377624740426582015-02-24T06:00:00.000+10:002015-02-25T13:08:32.170+10:00Video: Petra surfing DugongLet's name her Dugong!
Short, stubby and just a bit "a face only a mother could love" look... the Whisky16 (designed by Nigel Foster) is not a pretty kayak in a traditional sense.
Dugong seemed an appropriate name for Petra's new kayak.
While looks are often deceiving, this kayak fits Petra very well and being very maneuverable spurs confidence in rough water.
The inspiration for the name came gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-48149338324132288022015-02-12T11:32:00.000+10:002015-02-12T11:32:53.607+10:00Photo: walking on the beachA walk on the beach helps me to focus on what matters in life.
Even more rewarding if remote and later in the day.
Barefoot, at water's edge, the sun close to the horizon.
.gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-40967781416106266072015-02-03T06:00:00.000+10:002015-02-03T06:00:01.137+10:00SHOP: filling-in the compass recess.
Mounting a sail on a sea kayak requires a few considerations: position and deck strength.
On the newly acquired Whisky16 the front hatch is positioned surprisingly way far forward.
In front of that there is a deck-mounted compass recess.
The previous owner of that kayak had a small sail mounted there and I used the existing holes to mount mine.
first run with the Whisky16
A test run revealedgnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-11581067854423327612015-01-28T06:00:00.000+10:002015-01-28T06:00:00.786+10:00Video: Best Moments of 2014 in Moreton BayOnce a year a new video is edited focusing specifically on local paddling's best moments.
This one was shot over 2014 in Moreton Bay alone.
Of course, only a very small portion of "the fun stuff" is recorded despite spending most weekends on the water.
I compiled mostly "orphan" clips that were not previously included in a other videos; the shots are short and highlight the best momentsgnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-17636854894254401672015-01-12T06:00:00.000+10:002015-01-12T06:00:01.463+10:00Photo: sail-surfing the New YearConditions were just right: a running out tide met by an opposing 15 knots of wind created waves steep enough to be caught by a small sail.
Petra sail-surfing with Northern Light paddle and SeaDog sail.
.
gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-12518505030258445252014-12-23T06:40:00.000+10:002014-12-23T06:40:00.323+10:00VIDEO: beyond the action camA few years ago I fell in love with action cams.
I started using the newly "invented" waterproof compact camera to capture images first and then I discovered that some scenes were best captures with motion pictures.
I brought the little Olympus 720SW into the surf zone and devised mounts to go onto my kayaks.
It was fun for a while but the metal bodied cameras don't last in salt water. gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-19450312671063987262014-12-17T06:00:00.000+10:002014-12-17T06:00:02.592+10:00To club or not to club.
"Keep on pumping, don't stop, you are doing fine!"
Those were the words of encouragement that I was saying to Tim* hoping he could hear me; he was clearly shaken by the experience.
It was windy and the waves were large enough that he no longer could brace efficiently and eventually he fell in. I was holding his flooded kayak stabilizing him while he was furiously trying to empty it gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-54713512773575939562014-12-02T07:00:00.000+10:002014-12-02T07:00:02.288+10:00Photo: foreshore sunsetsFor too long I have not been holding a serious camera in my hands.
Engrossed by the brilliant results of my GoPros and the incredible capabilities of my other compact point-and-shoot, I have lost interest in cameras that allow more creativity than just full-automatic settings.
I used to schlep a Hasselblad around and then suddenly go sick of the heft: small or nothing was my new motto.
I secretlygnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-57342799127140292782014-11-25T07:00:00.000+10:002014-11-25T07:00:03.461+10:00VIDEO: sailing with SeaDog 0.7This time the wind was really blowing and I was glad that I had my smaller sail installed on my kayak: the SeaDog 0.7m².
I could feel that there was less heeling as I didn't have to transfer all my weight to the windy side.
My large sail of 1.0m² would have been too much and harder to handle while my SeaDog 0.7m² was still giving me plenty of speed to surf the waves with ease.
Here is a short gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-38177083192689405352014-11-17T08:29:00.004+10:002014-11-17T13:13:35.496+10:00Vandal or innocent fun?At my favorite camping spot I was confronted with this scene.
To paint the picture a bit I should mention that it is a National Park heavily frequented by motor boats; a popular destination for day trips or overnight camping; in other words a busy place, not remote at all.
I did not know how to react and experience has taught me not to engage too much with somebody possibly not doing the gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-49625701554832454862014-11-11T08:05:00.002+10:002014-11-11T08:10:21.523+10:00Video: Radikal Kayak SurfingI love this video.
Beside the incredibly smooth kayak surfing demonstrating outstanding skills using an unconventional paddle, the footage capture and the editing is really captivating.
It inspires me to get out more in the rough stuff and play.
My aspirations: to be one day half as good as Marc.
.gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-42648726153485791312014-11-07T09:17:00.000+10:002014-11-07T09:17:14.445+10:00Photo: candle lit tent.
First outing with the new "summer tent".
I need a roomy tent for tropical conditions, for when the nights are humid and hot, or for when it's raining. Small tents are a sauna in the Queensland heat and ventilation is critical.
While not super light (2.7Kg) and not very compact it still allows me enough elbow room for maybe a game of cards with a few buddies?
I got this one for a steal at REI.gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-62649017034593835872014-11-03T11:41:00.000+10:002015-05-22T13:04:12.119+10:00GEAR: cheap light stoves.
There are a few things easier than cooking on a gas stove when camping, eating cold food is one.
I love the simplicity of canister gas stoves: turn the control knob, light the flame and we are "cooking with gas"
I have made a previous post about the virtues of compact gas stove here.
I have since updated my stoves and opted for something that is stable but still light.
I prefer to cook with gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-12483767369276011422014-10-22T08:22:00.000+10:002014-11-06T13:27:48.602+10:00GEAR: SeaDog sail Code ZeroI nearly tipped in and went for a swim when a small set picked up my kayak and I started surfing.
I was in my "tippy" kayak and half an hour into testing a new sail: the SeaDog 0.7 mt² in Code Zero .
I was having fun trying to catch the short wind waves that the tidal flow against a healthy breeze was producing.
I am familiar with this location and often I wait for the conditions to be just gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-338035162763763423.post-42394337680070492772014-10-08T12:40:00.002+10:002014-10-08T12:40:34.333+10:00Photo: Back to Magic Island.
We found it again despite not having it clearly marked on our map last summer.
The weather was warm this time with less wind; the clouds benign and not threatening a thunderstorm.
photo: Petra Ries
The sun was baking the polished granite shores and soon we would be laying on them drying our bodies after a refreshing swim.
We were back to our Magic Island
.gnarlydoghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02783031534973509076noreply@blogger.com0