A woke up to a sunny and almost calm day. Time for a short trip in my kayak after the last few times of indoors "kayaking" practicing rolling. As the forecast said W-ly wind I decided to go to Dalborg an paddle up to Hjortens Udde.
The peninsula on the west side is Hjortens Udde.
Almost no clouds on the sky and very weak winds made for a pleasant trip at first. The sun was actually warming me a bit. Under my drysuit I only had a Palm Kaituna neoprene top and normal long-johns. I was a bit worried that it was going to be to cold but it was definitely not. I was warm enough and didn't feel cold even when I had my short lunch break.
I had bit cold fingers on and off but mostly I had cold feet the last hour. I am now very tired of having cold feet out kayaking and really look forward to spring and summer now.
On the way i saw to eagles (sea eagle probably) circling high up in the sky and I scared another one sitting on a small reef. One small fishing boat and me were the only ones moving out on an otherwise empty lake Vänern (the small part I could see at least).
I took my lunch at the nice beach at the lighthouse keeper's house at Hjortens Udde. My "lunch" was a thermos of tea and an apple. The house belongs to Sjöfartsverket which is the organization I work for and the employees can rent that during the summer season for a week. A popular place but now very deserted. I had to break some ice to be able to reach the beach so I think it's not strange no one was there.
On my way back some clouds was making the sun less warm and a S-ly wind started. But it was only nice to have some exercise in the headwind on the way back. My forward stroke is getting to be a lot better now I think. I had some instructions from Tony at Kajakguiderna in October and since then my forward stroke has been a mess. But now, finally, I think I'm doing it right most of the time.
As the sun is up a lot longer now it was still daylight when I got back to Dalaborg which is the ruin of an old fort built 1304 and destroyed 1434. It was an important place 800 years ago.
Cold start. -2° C
Where I start at Dalaborg
View over Lake Vänern
The light house Hjorten Udde
I had to break the ice into the beach. The old lighthouse keeper's house.
Efter a long week work in our ship's simulator in Göteborg I had the chance to go to the local swimming hall with some friends and practice the roll. It was in Rådahallen swimming hall and they let us in after it was closed for the public. Very nice of them!
It was me and my first kayak friend Fredrik, Anders whom I met at a rolling course with Helen and Mark at Greenland or bust and two new kayak buddies.
From a couple of broken paddles (no questions please) I have made some norsaq an tried to roll with one of them. It didn't work! I need a lot of practice with that one, also I like to try to make a forward storm roll but I have the feeling I need someone to help me on that one.
One of my norsaq
I have found a very good site for kayak rolling is the Qajaq Rolls
Two videos from our rolling practice, I just put them up in a low quality. Updated to better quality!
On Wednesday evening I was with Friluftsfrämjandet (an outdoors organisation a bit like The Scouts) in Vänersborg to practice rolling with my kayak. It was a lot of fun! Of course I brought my own kayak, the Anas Acuta which is such a joy to roll with.
I did my normal roll, a butterfly roll and re-entry. The last is where I get in to the kayak under water and roll upp. I also tried to do a hand roll but didn't succeed.
As I was working on the Ships Simulator in Göteborg this week I had to go upp to Vänersborg after work and then in the night back to Göteborg and have a few hours sleep in the hotel before working again. It was worth it!
For the first time I did the video in GoPro Studio program alone. Normally I start there but then finish the movie in Microsoft Movie Maker. GoPro Studio is a good program but I have som issues with it now as it keeps crashing for me. I think it's my computer rather then the program.
After two weeks of very cold weather and one week of storm and rain it was finally a nice day. And what a day! Last time I was out kayaking was January 1:st and the sun barley managed to get over the horizon, today it was like a beautiful spring day. The sun was warm and stayed up an hour longer, fantastic!
I had a good friend with me, Christer, and we both agreed that it was the best day yet this year.
We started at Sunnanå yacht harbor, on Lake Vänern, where we found a place without ice to get our kayaks in the water. Than we more or less followed the ice edge up to Köpmannebro where we had to break the ice in several spots to be able to reach the two bridges and the current. At that place we turned back again.
Two breaks during our trip, the first one on the sunny lee side of a small island. The sun was actually keeping us warm! I think it will be a spring and a summer also this year.
We came back to Sunnanå just as the sun was setting and it got cold very fast. The water on our kayaks was starting to freeze. As the water was rather murky at Sunnanå I didn't do any roll today. On the other hand I was invited to be a roll-instructor last Saturday in Lidköpng, indoors in a swimming pool and a bit warmer. That was fun and I was honored to have that invitation. I think they were pleased with me.
