Chine bLog - 7. Destinations

Cuttyhunk for Memorial Day - boats, but no boating

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Thu, 29 May 2008 04:09:50 +0200

I got out to Cuttyhunk Island for Memorial Day to open the house there. No boats to play with, but I did get a chance to snap a few pics. Enjoy!

The sea was angry that day, my friends...

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 04:15:50 +0100

... well, it was a little miffed... Some pictures from a Thanksgiving eve outing to Pemaquid Point, Maine, a fantastic spot for a clamor.

Northern Forest Canoe Trail benefit auction

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 03:08:40 +0100

I mentioned the Northern Forest Canoe Trail a bit ago. I see in Paddling.net's newsletter today that they are holding a benefit auction online. Check it out.

Boats of Lake Malawi (Lake Nyasa), Africa

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 04:06:19 +0200

We bloggers tend to pay a great deal of attention to our web stats - page views, visitors, visits, etc. It is a tangible validation that somebody is paying attention. Or, in my case, 50-75 somebodies a month, pretty consistently (you know who you are). One area I am always eager to see is the geographic location of visitors. A visitor from a new country - even just one person - is such an exciting and exotic touch-point. It sends me looking for more on a theretofore less known land

Tonight was no different, and tonights treat was a visit from Malawi, in Southern Africa. Why so interesting, it being land-locked and all? Ah, but it sits astride Lake Malawi (also Lake Nyasa), one of the largest lakes in Africa (in fact, 9th largest in the world). I figure any large body of water must be navigated, and I was curious to see what kinds of boats one would find there. There weren't many sources to find, but I did get a couple good glimpses via Vintage Africa Safari's site.

Click to enlarge

It appears that the boats are a mix of pirogue-type flat-bottomed canoes and dugout canoes. The dugouts are interesting in that they are shorter and more enclosed than others I have seen. They appear to keep more of the top of the log, giving the boats pronounced tumblehome and not a ton of room for the crew. It would be fascinating to know more about why this is the case - the nature of available wood? Something about the fishing techniques on the lake? Custom? Please comment if you can add any insight here.

By the way, Malawi looks beautiful and the lake appears to have some small boat touring going on. Add this one to the list...

Location: Monkey Bay, Malawi

Excellent paddling - Summer vacation at Cuttyhunk Island

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 05:04:00 +0200

Ah, and so comes to an end our Summer vacation, but what a good one it was. Highlights included some excellent paddling, as seen in the pictures below:

You can also see these plotted on a map.

More from Cuttyhunk - treats in the harbor

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 05:03:50 +0200

One nice thing about knocking around Cuttyhunk is that there are usually a modest number of boats worth ogling. Here are a few choice ones from the trip:

And while I am thinking longingly of destinations... The Northern Forest Canoe Trail

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:15:22 +0200

The American Rivers blog found this enticing idea - The Northern Forest Canoe Trail, a paddling trail from upstate New York to Northern Maine using traditional routes.

On my list - paddling Baja

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Tue, 07 Aug 2007 19:00:19 +0200

In case you haven't tried it yet, among the benefits of Paddling.net's newsletter is the weekly dollop if insiration in the form of a paddling photo of the week. Some are predictably generic (another sunset over the bow of a canoe / kayak, anyone?), but some are nice. Here is a recent favorite of mine, from Baja California. Mmm-mmm-mmm - got to get there.

And more - the Vietnam Wooden Boat Foundation

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Fri, 02 Feb 2007 02:30:00 +0100

WoodenBoat was also good enough to highlight the Vietnam Wooden Boat Foundation, which is:

Dedicated to preserving the maritime history of Vietnam with an emphasis on the art, craft, lore, and history of traditional Vietnamese wooden boat building.

I can buy into that. They seem to be small, but ambitious. They are collecting and publishing information and also seem to be intent on making some sawdust on both sides of the Pacific. And there are some really interesting boats to preserve.

One project is to build a boat called a Ghe Nang in Vietnam and bring it over here. I like this boat - it looks great and, according to the foundation, was known as the fastest of all Vietnamese sailboats. Interesting rig description too:

It was double ended and had a slotted stem-post forward which held a removable centerboard, and a slotted stern post aft which held a removable rudder. It fished using driftnets secured to booms set fore and aft. The centerboard and rudder were raised out of the water during fishing operations and when beaching the boat. Another unique feature was that the hulls were typically made from woven bamboo attached to a top wood frame. Woven bamboo hulls are common in central Vietnam.

Their web site includes photos of a number of other types of boats. A taste:

Continue reading "And more - the Vietnam Wooden Boat Foundation"

Postcard from Vietnam - literally - a panorama of traditional boats

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Wed, 08 Nov 2006 03:36:37 +0100

My sister recently went to Vietnam and sent us this great postcard:

This is apparently a floating market, and, while no doubt somewhat touristy, this is still a country with emerging tourist infrastructure - its probably not too far off traditional maritime life. I like that there's quite a diversity of boats, with small pole / oar powered "launches" and larger power boats, all of which appear to be wooden. Give me one of those little canoes like that one in dead center and let me poke around that anchorage - that would be cool. There are probably some interesting boatbuilding techniques and traditions there - use of bamboo, for instance. Always good to be reminded of the numerous maritime cultures out there in the world and how each has approached the water given its needs and available materials. Here's hoping that these traditions don't get squashed as this country develops.

Location: Can Tho, Vietnam

More from Rare - traditional dugout canoes for Honduran ecotourism

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 05:12:57 +0200

My new client, Rare, who had a project I blogged about recently, has redone their web site and now includes, among many other nice features, some nice photos from its work supporting an ecotourism venture in Honduras. Such work is always exciting because it tends to be such a win-win-win-etc. proposition. One highlight of this story, in my mind, are pictures of tours in traditional dugout canoes they call pipantes. They are gorgeous boats - long and low and exquisitely carved. They seem tender as heck, but in the right hands... they clearly are not reserved for flat water. I love that this venture is incorporating traditional boats into its larger offering. Not only will this preserve the craft of building these boats boat it also introduces visitors to the great boating skills the people of the region must possess.

Check out La Ruta Moskitia for more info - this looks like another venture worth supporting.

Location: Cusuna, Honduras

Kayaking the magical waters of China

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Thu, 05 Oct 2006 04:10:48 +0200

I loved this piece about kayaking the Li River in the region around Guilin in China. This one is high on my to-do list.

"Cold Days on Lake Superior" - Week two of the Superior Waters Project Trip is Up

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 19:06:54 +0200

Check out entry two of the Superior Waters Project trip journal.

Discovering Lake Champlain

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Tue, 12 Sep 2006 04:46:00 +0200

As I mentioned, we recently returned from a nice, long vacation in New England. We had two ports of call, the area South of Burlington, Vermont and Midcoast Maine. [Big sigh] It was great. One of the highlights of the first segment, in Vermont, was discovering Lake Champlain. Oddly enough, I haven't spent much time in Vermont, and had only seen the lake in Winter, mostly through a blizzard. What a revelation! It is gorgeous AND it appears, from what I saw, to have a highly favorable boating environment.

And pipe down, native Vermonters, with the "no s**t, you ignorant flatlander" comments! ;^) At least I am trying to right my wrong.

Continue reading "Discovering Lake Champlain"

A wonderful morning of paddling - Castine, ME

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 04:24:00 +0200

My wife and I got out paddling on our vacation, spending a fantistic morning off Castine, ME. We launched from the town landing just Northeast of the Maine Maritime Academy and headed Southeast across the Bagaduce River to the opposite shore. The tide was dead low and the current light. We found a rocky beach and rifted across the shallows and through rock gardens. Starfish lined the bottom, along with the odd crab. We continued along the shore of the large bay, finally scaring up some seals as the tide rose. The announced their presence with that "who the heck is that breathing heavily behind me?" schtick of theirs. Great morning!

June 2006 is National Rivers Month

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 18:30:30 +0200

American Rivers lists a number of events related to National Rivers Month, June 2006. Several interesting options here.

Cuttyhunk Yacht Club

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:17:00 +0100

Of course no discussion of Cuttyhunk would be complete without a shout-out to my beloved Cuttyhunk Yacht Club. Pipe down - it isn't a yacht club like you think about - the main building is a garage with college-kid-Summer-dive appartment above it [having lived there for three Summers, I can tell you it is the best deal going - the view itself is worth a mint]. What it is is a quality sailing instruction program for ages 6 to 16 or so. We race other clubs around SE MA and do well, but have intraclub competitions that are low-key and good-natured. All in all, a great mix of seamanship and sportsmanship. It turns 50 this Summer - here's to ya, CYC!

Continue reading "Cuttyhunk Yacht Club"

Cuttyhunk Island

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Wed, 01 Mar 2006 03:16:00 +0100

I imagine everyone who loves boats and boating has a patch of water that eclipses all others. You love the views, you know the intricacies of the shore, you just "get" the rhythms of the winds and waves. For me, that spot is Cuttyhunk Island, MA.

Continue reading "Cuttyhunk Island"

By the way, Mighigan's Upper Penninsula is gorgeous

nospam@example.com (Tim) — Sun, 15 Jan 2006 20:00:00 +0100

I loved the bit of Michigan's Upper Penninsula I saw. It would be a tremendous place to kayak, canoe, or sail. A must go destination.

Check the pics...

Continue reading "By the way, Mighigan's Upper Penninsula is gorgeous"