West Coast Dream

The wind was blowing that afternoon as we crested the coastal hill to view what lays ahead for tomorrow's paddle.

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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 added fun hoping that the wind will push us along.

*This video is a follow up on the theme: I have a Dream

Video: I Have A Dream

Some 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 lost in a sea of islands, midnight sun and good friends.
A place where I don't need to keep time or answer my phone, no updates and no "likes".
And then the presence of mind to take it all in.

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Video: Sailing with Vixen

Of the kayaks in my shed Vixen is the most demanding.
I have kayaks that are high volume and are great on extended trips although I find them a bit dull for sheltered waters paddling.  I have low volume kayaks that are oh so easy to roll and a bit tricky to handle in rough waters, I also have a kayak that despite having a tendency to lee cock a bit it is very easy to live with when I do hand's free photography on the water.
And then there is Vixen: a Point65North XP designed by Johan Wirsen.
I need to pay attention when I paddle that kayak; she won't let me be sloppy or careless.
I find her a demanding in short wind waves; because of her longer waterline she tend to bury bow and stern (video here).
With her deep V shaped keel she wants to sit on one side when stationary and novices find it disconcerting.
Vixen however is great for sailing: the deeper keel prevents some of the lateral drift in a beam wind and I can maintain a straighter course over waves.
The longer keel line in the stern resists broaching and I have to use less correctional strokes compared to my other fish-form British kayak.


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Over the week end the Westerly wind really picked up an despite the shorter fetch over the waters of Moreton Bay I had times when the wind was up to 30 knots.
It was then where I no longer could sail as the bow was getting pushed downwind; maybe a smaller sail could have been still manageable for the beam wind?
Even with the sail stowed on deck I had to take care of occasional lee cocking when the bow will crest a wave and then be blown downwind.
Myself and AdvetureTess had the bay to ourselves with only the occasional yacht enjoying the strong wind.

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VIDEO: Swedish Baltic coast

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It rained all day and the wind was blowing hard from the land as we paddled to a remote island to meet with Pia and Erik. All we had was a name for a location that was marked on our map, no other details.
We were not sure if our friends would show up: conditions were not that great for camping.
In the afternoon the rain eased and the clouds parted to reveal a colorful sunset. Shortly after our friends landed to then join us for a few days on our 4 weeks expedition along the Swedish Baltic coast.


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I love the outer islands of the Stockholm archipelago with their polished granite shores.
The sensual shapes are very inspiring luring me back to experience them again.
This summer (Northern hemisphere) I will be kayaking again in the rocky labyrinth, possibly crossing to Finland.

Contact me off-line at gnarlydognews(at)gmail.com if you want to catch up.

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INTERVIEW: Johan Wirsen, the kayak designer

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Johan Wirsen is today one of the most prolific kayak designers.

His home is in Scandinavia and his heritage of sea fearing Vikings is well represented with his skillful art of designing modern sea kayaks.

I was lucky to meet Johan in 2011 when I invited him on a trip to the Queensland tropical coast.

A very understated person with great insight, Johan is an incredibly likable character.

Humble and considerate in his thoughts and trusting by nature has not always been an advantage in the cut-throat business of sea kayak manufacturing.
He has been designing and constructing boats and kayaks since early teens and it is his livelihood.

Last July I visited him in his hometown of Borgholm on Oland Island, Sweden and he revealed to me that something big was brewing in his shed.
After years of designing and working for other manufacturers, fed up with some of their attitude and malpractices (he got ripped off several times)  he decided that it was time to launch his own brand: Rebel Kayaks.

Ann-Kristin Skinlo at Göteborg Boatshow_ image with permission from Lars Jönson


I took the opportunity to interview Johan Wirsen:

gdn) You have started a new brand of sea kayaks called Rebel: why another brand ?

JW) -You know, since 2001 I have been working independently with kayak designs for a number of companies. Of course I was building and designing my own kayaks before that so I more or less took the experience I had and transformed that from “one off” designs to a serial production. But as you know, the kayak business is also quite dirty and some of the companies I have been working with were also very greedy, so I have decided to terminate some contract with the “big ones” and start all over with this new little company Rebel Kayaks and try to keep the passion for the sport and paddling alive for myself.

Where and when will these kayak be available?

- For the moment we are that lucky that we have been contacted by so many high end retailers, dealers and customers that we can’t satisfied them all!! 

The truth is that we are too small and can’t produce that many kayaks, yet. When we shift our production to Poland we naturally will start to sell our kayaks here in Northern Europe.

image courtesy of Janusz Kowalski from Rebel kayaks

What style of kayaks are you focusing on under your brand Rebel?

-    The first two models that we put into production are my two Greenland styled kayaks: the “ILAGA” and the ”T”. Those are the type of kayaks that I personally feel a lot for, and since they are well known they are like a signature for me. It feels important to me that I design and in the future build kayaks that I would like to paddle myself. 

Since our production capacity is not too big, we also prefer to put the effort into building light and stiff. – Why build something you would not want for yourself ?

Are you still designing for other manufacturers?

-Yes I still do some work for other companies, and for the moment I am working on a Coastal Rowing boat.

I notice a certain consistency of style in your creations even if the kayaks that you have designed have different goals in mind. How did you get involved in boat design and what is the driving force for your passion?

-Born on an island, and growing up with a father that had all kinds of boats (anything from fishing to sailing and even a water-ski boat) it is not that unusual that I got this interest and eventually I went to school to become a boat builder. I have always tried to build or rebuild my own stuff, even motorbikes! 

But boats and especially traditionally boats with smooth lines have always appealed to my eyes. And there is something special about boats and the tree dimensional shapes that should be put together in a smooth way (to achieve less drag).

For ex. The single coastal rowing boat that I recently designed where I had to learn new traits while listening to skilled rowers to get the ergonomics right. I am not a rower myself so there was a lot to learn.

Another kind of boats I love is our traditional wooden boats and of course to sail them. 

 The picture shows my 17´ “Sandbacken” which is our traditional type of boats from our Island

What? Rowing boats???  

- Yes, this is actually really funny.

It started as a small project that then won tree medals in last World Championship!! (Gold and Bronze – men, and Silver – woman)

Mats Leo (rower and the owner of the project) asked me if I could help him to design a boat and together with one of the most skilled rower here in Sweden, Peter Berg, we got this far!!

-For more info check    www.leocoastalrowing.com

Pictured Peter Berg. Recently Peter Berg also won a race in Monaco

Sea kayak sailing: what do you think of that?

- I must admit that I have not experienced sailing with a kayaks before I visited Australia. But I really got hooked!  It is fun, it is energy saving and the “Flat Earth Sails” are working well. The position of the mast is not ideal on a sea kayak, however at the same time you don’t want it to interfere with paddling. But it works, and I recommend paddlers to try out.

Swede form or Fish form: what is the best hull shape?

- A quick explanation, or to say when and where is best would be hard to describe here in a short form. 
A Swede form (the widest part aft of centre of the hull ) creates less drag and wave resistant on the surface resulting in more laminar flow and less turbulent flow than on a fish form, that has the opposite shape. However there are also so many other things to be taken in consideration when designing a kayak or a hull.
In my current designs I concentrate on the thought of how strong we are as a paddler, and I try to make a kayak as fast as possible in the low speed area, let say in 3 – 4 pound drag area; because this is where most of us ordinary paddlers fit with our “touring sea kayaks”. 
If you would like more info please visit www.marinerkayaks.com and click the link at the bottom about designs. It does not tell every thing but can give you something to think about.

When I am working on a new design, in most cases I also build and test paddle my kayaks. It gives me the possibility to make adjustments before the kayaks goes in production, unlike many other producers today that make something up on a computer and then email it to a CNC-machine shop. Furthermore, in their catalog,  they will then tell you all about the kayak's advantages before they even ever built the first one.

Johan, you know that this is a passion of mine: What do you think of Greenland paddles?

- In the beginning I did not find the Greenland paddles interesting. I had been using a Euro paddle produced from our Swedish brand VKV for many years and modified the size of the blade more for a touring paddling, since the original blade was too big for long distance paddling; I also made the paddle shorter and I was happy with that. 

When I started to become more focused on rolling and was paddling more Greenland style kayaks I had to re-think. I can’t say that I have a pure Greenland paddling technique and while I do more what is intuitive and adept to the situation I almost never use anything else than a “stick” today.  If speed is a concern the Greenland paddle is not limiting, and if we talk about feeling I have the biggest respect for that paddle. 

I love to hold onto a wooden paddle, even if I have had in mind to make some carbon ones. However hollowed ones made out of cedar are around 650 gr.

image courtesy of Janusz Kowalski from Rebel kayaks

- If anybody here in Scandinavia is interested in learning good rolling, or paddling techniques, consider Helen Wilson and Mark Tozer from Greenland or Bust in partnership with Rebel Kayaks, on their “Nordic Tour 2014”:  a three months long tour around Sweden, Denmark and Norway.  For more info visit www.greenlandorbust.org

I have seen you tool around with the shape of the Greenland paddle and I have seen an interesting twist to the traditional shape. Thoughts on that?

- I started to make my paddles like that a few years ago. I like the shoulder on the loom as a position for my thumbs; at the same time I just make the other (top) side smoother for my hand to hold onto. What is most important is that the edges of the blade should be sharp so the paddle works quietly. I also have my tip of the blade more rectangular and at a slight angle. Some of my paddles have been copied and are for sale at Rebel Kayaks now. The paddles are made of cedar with ash edges as a harder more durable wood. The length of my paddles is often around 2.18m total, while the width of the blade can vary. 

   
Last words?

 Well I guess that would be: With paddling try to make it your own journey.

 The experience I have is not “one size fits all”. We all have to listen to our self and it is not always that important what gear we are using or if we go to the most exotic places; your own bay is often good enough. Paddling or sailing is mindfulness in itself for me, and hopefully for you too. 
/ Johan Wirsén

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Photo: warp speed

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Not really "warp speed" but faster than I could ever possibly achieve under my own paddle power.
Gusting on 20 knots ripping it up with a 0.8 Flat Earth sail.


using a Northern Light Greenland paddle in a Johan Wirsen design PT65North XP
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VIDEO: Surfing Vixen

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My new kayak is tippy, with me on board.
A narrow beam and a deep V hull give me less initial stability but allow slightly higher speeds.
I have used the Johan Wirsen designed XP on the bay a few times; in milder conditions I chased the little short wind waves with ease as I can glide where usually I can’t with my other kayaks.
In steeper waves however the longer and less rockered kayak becomes more difficult to keep straight on the short waves. The bow seems to get caught in the wave in front of me while the stern is still getting pushed by the following wave, broaching the kayak.
Then every so often I get a decent longer wave and linking the one in front I get a free ride.



Conditions were rather windy with recordings of winds in excess of 25 knots all around the bay. The tidal flow was opposing the wind and the waves were starting to get blown over, flattening them. After an hour of surfing I no longer could paddle out against the wind as it increased beyond my skills: I had to call it quits. I pulled the kayak back to my launching spot and battled the wind trying to keep it in my hands once out of the water. I was tired, a bit frightened but happy to have overcome the initial tippines that I felt in the XP.

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Why a tippy kayak can be a good thing

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A few months ago I paddled a new kayak that really impressed me: the XP designed by Johan Wirsen.
He lent me his personal kayak for a 500 km trip along the Swedish East coast. I had never paddled that kayak and I knew it was going to be very different to my British kayaks.
Along the way I really had a chance to test the kayak properly and I fell in love with it. The kayak was loaded with supplies and camping gear and it sat relatively stable in the water; I never had the chance to paddle it unloaded. I really wanted that kayak because it fitted me so well and allowed me to sit with my legs together, not splayed wide to fit under the thigh braces. It paddled with ease and responded very well to edging.
Once back in Australia I was lucky to get hold of a rare ultralight version; the XP is no longer in production because of copyright breach on the part of the manufacturer.
When I finally got to paddle the XP in my local waters I suddenly realized that this was a very different kayak. While the mould and shape were identical to what I had in Sweden I felt that my kayak was now so incredibly twitchy.

 

With its rather deep V hull shape and a narrow beam the unloaded kayak sat very differently on the water.
My first paddle in choppy conditions found me not in the usual relaxed style but I was bracing every so often to avoid falling in. I was concerned that this kayak might get relegated to “calm” days only but I really wanted to use it in all conditions. I took her out on challenging weather and despite feeling uncomfortable and needing to brace often I persisted.
Slowly my body got used to the tippiness and while I am not totally relaxed in her yet I can come back from a paddle no longer white knuckled.
I remember buying a few years ago another kayak (no test paddle) that I was disappointed with: I kept falling in. I was ready to on sell it but somehow persisted and developed the skill to paddle that demanding kayak. It later became my favorite surfing kayak, unfortunately the cockpit does not fit me that well.
As some say there is no such thing as a tippy kayak, just tippy paddlers I find that it takes a bit of time to overcome the initial low initial stability of a narrow hull. What I gain from my new kayak is increased skills and performance on small waves: I can easily surf wind waves that I can not in my British kayaks. While not perfectly suited to all the conditions that Moreton Bay offers (it’s a handful in short steep tidal flow driven waves) I find the performance superior to other kayaks I have.

Jeff Allen in Ocean Paddler magazine writes:

The other point about stable sea kayaks is that, if we take a beginner and put them straight into

a stable design, we gain instant success; they don’t need to learn a high degree of balance or effective bracing, they get away without the need to develop those most fundamental of skills. They develop the strokes in a stable craft /environment, but, when they move onto a more dynamic environment and try a simple sweep stroke in bubbly water, we see them capsize. 

A lack of balance and supporting blade angle are usually the culprit, which would have been their

first lesson had they started the process in a less-than-stable sea kayak. That is quite a radical

thought however, and (I hasten to add) is only my opinion. Much of our industry is based around

maintaining a good client base; happy customers will keep coming back for more.

 

In my previous life I used to ride passionately mountain bikes. My regular riding partner has a similar trail bike to mine. She was usually lagging behind a bit and I had to wait for her on some rides. She then decided to try riding a single speed on hilly trails. I thought she was mad to forego gears and make her riding harder; she sure will be a real drag…
And she was, for a few weeks. Then her technique improved, her riding style changed and her strength increased as she no longer wanted to get off on the hills she could not ride with the single speed. In a month’s time she was on my wheel and soon after she started to leave me behind.
I realized that by making her conditions harder she became a better rider since she wanted to ride that bike and not walk it, while myself I never pushed hard enough riding my geared bike: I could simply downshift on harder terrain. I never had the courage to go singlespeed but I wished I did; I would have ridden those Californian trails with more finesse and strength.
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Photo: Kiss in the Storm

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A summer storm can't dampen the spirit of love.

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Photo: ominous evening sky

Evening brought heavy skies and wind.
The small cove of a rocky island was going to be home for the night.

Kayak swapping

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I know I live in a great part of the world where sea kayaking is really beautiful and easy.
Australia, and especially Queensland is a very desirable destination coveted by paddlers around the globe.
While I receive a lot of comments of how beautiful my part of the world is, I occasionally connect on a deeper level with some paddlers. Johan Wirsen, designer of my Zegul 520, was interested in my paddling style and we came to know of each other. He sounded friendly and considerate and after a few emails I invited him to come and visit me to paddle warm waters while his Baltic sea was gripped by a thick sheet of ice. I have enough kayaks that would fit a range of paddlers and enough gear to outfit a small party. We spoke on the phone and travel was arranged soon after; Johan trusted me to look after him. All I had was one small picture to go by to spot him at the airport pick-up but there was no mistake; somehow I recognized him from the distance. We planned a mini sea kayak camping expedition to the warm waters of the Capricorn coast.



Johan tried kayak sailing for the first time and we exchanged ideas and shared the passion for paddling and kayak design. Johan’s personality suited well; mellow enough to go with the flow but with great skills to feel comfortable in demanding conditions. We have similar goals too: no rush, no racing, no destination fever, just happy to explore and play on the water. The rest is just details.
I was invited to visit him in his native country in the Baltic archipelago. Johan has a shed full of kayaks (he is not sure how many) and lives on the water of the Swedish East Coast.
I have been longing to see Scandinavia again since I first traveled there in my teens but little I knew that the coast is a paddler’s dream. Thousand of islands litter the rather calm sea that has very little tidal influence. Those images of tents pitched at almost water level on polished granite slabs are not staged, one can really do that. 





This year things fell into place and I am currently lost somewhere among those islands. Johan has limited vacation time in summer and only paddled with me for a short week, while I am continuing my sea trip heading North.
At the last Rock&Roll I was lucky to meet Petra, on her extended visit to the land of OZ. A very keen sea kayaker from the land locked Austria, she is my travel companion on this incredible trip although her “training” already started Down Under where she learned to roll in the warm waters of Moreton Bay.

It is wonderful how this little sea fearing vessels that have such ancient roots can bring people together from around the globe. The paddlers that I have met share the same passion for self reliant travel and simple life styles; I am drawn to them through this primeval need to be in contact with nature. I have shared amazing times with people that seek outdoor diversions to the structured life we lead. I have met sea kayakers that are authentic and honest, willing to open their hearts and homes to help and host travelers. It seems that the values of hospitality of the first kayakers of Greenland is now passed on to us.


2nd, 3rd and 4th image courtesy of Erik Sjostedt

I am not sure where I will end my trip but I will know when the time will come to get off the water and catch a bus back to my car.
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VIDEO: first time with Flat Earth sails

If you have never kayak sailed you don't know what you are missing out.
While sails on sea kayaks are rather popular in Australia, they are not as common in other countries.
USA and Great Britain have recently been introduced to Flat Earth Sails but my Swedish friend assured me that it has never seen a sail on a kayak in Scandinavia
Beside designing brilliant sea kayaks, Johan also designs, builds and sails small sailing boats so sailing a sea kayak was a must-do while on a visit to Australia.


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I don't think words are necessary to describe the feeling of gliding along the sea under just wind power.
What is surprising tho is the immediate know-how that Johan displayed when sailing with a Flat Earth kayak sail for the first time: the sails are simple, easy to manage and forgiving in a lumpy sea.
While sea kayak sailing is not strictly sea kayaking and some people frown upon its use when "records" or "firsts" are claimed, I regard them as an integral part of the fun that I can have on the water.
As long as it doesn't have a motor it's all good to me :-)

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VIDEO: tropical island paddling

The plan for cruise paddling in calm waters was not going to happen and only the bay where we camped was actually sheltered. Despite the wind, the weather was warm and late afternoon paddles were a delight.


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Poking our heads around the corner revealed a much bigger sea than what I usually paddle in and certainly a novelty for my Swedish friend Johan.
It seems that the traditional paddles were not ideal for rockgardening, lacking the raw power a large short bladed Euro style can offer, but it was a godsend in the head wind.
This trip was not structured around a rigid plan where miles had to be paddled to reach our destination; the destination was already reached and only playtime was our schedule.
We took time to smell the roses, or shall I say the seaweed, followed sea eagles soaring and took time to watch the sunset; we were in no rush.

Thanks to Cesare Ferrero for the video editing critique.

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VIDEO: wave dump recovery

The wind subsided but the swell was still there. Myself and Johan Wirsen wanted to have a closer look at waves smashing onto rocks but misjudged the sets.


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It would have been wise to wear some helmets but we didn't have them with us on this mini-expedition. After this little incident we distanced ourselves from the rocks and went sailing instead (video coming soon)
For full story of the trip click HERE

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Photo: playing at sunset

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As the sun was setting we didn't want to miss the last opportunity for some paddling before dinner.


Johan Wirsen playing in Queensland tropical waters

Photo: the designer of the kayaks

It has been an honor to host world class kayak designer and boat builder Johan Wirsen from Sweden.
Johan Wirsen is the man behind the brilliant design of two of our favorite kayaks: the Tahe Greenland and the Zegul 520.
He paddles those two kayaks back in Sweden and he obviously felt very comfortable when borrowing ours.
Johan is a very good paddler and roller and we had a quick session on the shore of Redcliffe. He was all smiles still incredulous of how warm our waters are; as he left Sweden a week ago the ice had just melted!
Forward ending rolls with a Norsaq were particularly interesting.


Johan Wirsen paddling Stika's Greenland
We took the opportunity to spectate the start of the Brisbane to Gladstone yacht race from the water, in a kayak.


Johan and Stika waiting for the sailing boats

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