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| Winnipeg River (photo by V.A. McMillan, 2024) |
First Paddle of 2024
May 2024
After much too long, I
finally got the Folbot out on the water again. This folding kayak is a circa
1967 Folbot Super Sport (16’6”) two-seater, with a wood and aluminum frame and
a Hypalon hull.
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| Folbot Super Sport (photo by V.A. McMillan, 2024) |
Yesterday I had to do
some overdue maintenance and a coat of glue was needed on a couple of the
plywood parts to get them ready for the water. A few of the brass parts need
some attention, too. Today’s mission was to get the Folbot setup and back on
the water, where it belongs. Assembly took more than half an hour, but it went
together on the first assembly. Water conditions looked good from shore, but
the wind was the variable I was not as sure about. With only one paddler in a
two-seater can be tricky in windy conditions. One other thing I should mention
is this Folbot does not have a skeg nor a rudder, so steerage is achieved by
paddling or leaning. More about that later. The trip I wanted to achieve was to
circle Hind Island in the Winnipeg River.
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| Map from Google Maps (2024) |
The route around Hind
Island is about 7.5 km, unfortunately the wind was so strong on the far side of
the island that I only made it 3.63 km, before I was forced to return the way I
came. I also learned that Sharkey’s Channel has a rock weir like structure that
prevents large vessels from traversing the channel. Thankfully, the kayak has
a shallow draft and 6” of water over the rocks was more than enough to float
over. Here is a picture on the outbound trip:
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| Sharkey's Channel Looking East (photo by V.A. McMillan, 2024) |
While these pictures
captured the moment, they certainly do not share how windy it was. Of course,
in the windiest places I was too busy paddling to stop to take pictures.
Another point to share, was the photos were taken with a cellphone camera, not
my good camera. First voyages and risk assessments don’t take the good camera
without a dry bag or floating camera bag…until you know the vessel is still
serviceable.
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| Parking on Sharkey's Channel (photo by V.A. McMillan, 2024) |
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| Looking West to the Main Channel (photo by V.A. McMillan 2024) |
I did take a few breaks
to walk on terra-firma trying to wait out the wind. Here (above) is a nice parking spot
for the Folbot. The next image is looking from Sharkey’s Channel west towards
the main channel. My route takes a right turn onto the main channel, but the
wind was harsh. With no weight or a second paddler, when traveling bow into the
wind, the kayak gets pushed all over the place. So, to get back I spent a lot
of time back paddling, leading with the stern. This caused a couple of moments
of concern when a wave or two broke over the stern and some water got inside.
Not enough to bail out, but I was paying attention.
There was plenty of wildlife
to watch…geese, ducks, hawks, even a Bald Eagle. The interesting critters
included a pair of King Fishers, a beaver, and a few turtles. Some of the lakes
I paddled as a kid had turtles, but they were pretty elusive. So, it was great
to see some turtles today in the natural element.
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| Turtles on a Log (photo by V.A. McMillan, 2024) |
Until next time…whether
you are paddling your favourite 50-year old kayak or a shiny new craft…
Get out there and have a
great time!
Mountainman.
NB. Click on the pictures to see a larger version.