The original kayakvb web site was not initially designed to handle the things it does, I had the grand idea a couple of years ago to rewrite things in a more robust and more manageable form. After several attempts in several different programming languages, added to an increased schedule, I had to find another solution, the maintenance of kayakvb.com, and the dread of having to add a trip, became an excuse for me to blow off kayaking and go do something else, because I am compelled to write about any kayak trips for some strange reason.

Well to make a long story short, while working on another project, I came across a content management system (CMS) that looked like it was what I needed… So I have started working on kayakplaces.com (take a look) essentially a offshoot of kayakvb, not sure yet on the direction I am going to take kayakvb.com, but it will not be going away anytime soon, but it will be improved…

If you have any feedback feel free to leave it here in the comments, or email me at paul at kayakvb.com….

Going forward all my future trips are going be at trips.kayakvb.com.

Rewriting the whole thing was getting to be just to time consuming, and my job is busier then ever. Add to that the changes in how I process pictures, caused them to look really bad…

Hopefully this efficiency  will free up some time and I can continue to add to the launch site list, and make improvements there…

Basically here are some better pictures of the Necky Elaho 16 I have for sale…

It is pictured here… Post a comment or send me an email if your are interested…

Green Necky Elaho

 I am selling it because it is basically to small for me.

I was holding it because someone kept telling me that they wanted to buy it, but I have waited a year for them to make up their mind.

The thing that I have found out is that it is something to do with resizing the image, and I think I have a short term fix in place. where when I scale down the image, I scale it to the same size that is being resented on the page itself. I am resizing the images, because when I started this, storage was limited, and I had some design issues, the watermarking etc… I am tempted to start uploading full size images, because I have a lot of space now, I think when I started I was limited to 5GB of storage, and now I think I have somewhere around 500GB available and Im using about 50GB…

I am working on it, and I am my worst critic…

Well Ritz called on Thursday, to inform me that the lens was back and good to go. Sure enough I go there Saturday, and the lens is alive and well. I had my doubts, as I have been burnt in the past on these things, expecting the old “Well you dropped it and thats not fully covered” and having to shell out $20 or $30+, but that was not the case. I stopped by, and me being the dork I am, I forgot the camera at home, but we went ahead and tried it on an E-410 they had on the shelf. Everything is now happy and I am back to a 100% on the camera front, now if I could only get the talent part up to that also, I’d be a happy camper. And I didn’t have to pay anything for the repairs.

So if you’re looking for a camera, and plan on using it in a less then camera friendly environment, like kayaking, I would highly recommend the Ritz Camera extended supper whammo-dyne service plan, because I think to replace the lens would have cost twice what I paid for the service plan.

The warm weather is pretty much here for the summer, with maybe a couple of cold nights left, so I felt it would be a good thing to remind everyone of the potential bad things out there, that could ruin more then just your trip. These things are so much more important if you tend to kayak solo, because you are your support network.

The Basics:

• Make sure someone knows where you are going, and when you plan on returning, and if your plans change make sure you communicate that change.
• Communications, take your cell phone with you, and leave it on. If you know how to, you may also want to turn on the E911 feature, which essentially turns your cell phone into a radio beacon, it is essentially on, all the time, but as I understand it, it makes it easier to find your phone. BTW VHF is still the recommended method of requesting help from the Coast Guard, and Cell Phone 911 call is secondary.
• Weather, a lot of people do not realize how fast the weather can change this time of year. You should check your local forecast from the National Weather Service and also check the Storm Prediction Center for and potential severe weather in your area. Don’t rely on the local TV weather person, that would be stupid.
• Water water everywhere, and not a drop to drink. Always bring more water then you need, and drink it, getting dehydrated in the middle of a lake would be stupid.’
• Sunscreen and a hat.
• Oh yeah, Take your PFD and Wear it.

Nasties and Bities, Flora and Fauna

Insects are everywhere you will be kayaking, use a good bug/mosquito repellant, and keep a watchful eye for spider webs, and check for ticks when you get home.

Then there is the fun of Poison Ivy, which will add to the fun of any trip. I believe the saying is leaves of three let it be. The simple fact is that Poison Ivy can grow just about anywhere. So pay attention, not only to what you are going through, but also what all your equipment is touching and bumping against, because you don’t want to bump into some poison ivy while turning around in a small creek, and not realize it until much later after you have loaded up the the kayak, and get secondary contact, as I understand it, the oils can remain active for up to 5 years.

So now we come to everyones favorite snakes, there 4 species of venomous snakes indigenous to Virginia, and they are the Cottonmouth, Copperhead, Canebrake Rattlesnake, and the Timber Rattlesnake. the Cottonmouth, Copperhead and Canebrake are all capable of being in the areas that you may be kayaking, and the most likely encounter will be with the Cottonmouth or water moccasin. I regularly encounter Cottonmouth, almost on a weekly basis, usually at a distance when I see them crossing the water ahead of me, and I have had several closer encounters. I have not had to deal with any real aggressive cottonmouths, but have had them hold their ground.

There is a lot of confusion with Brown Watersnakes, Northern Watersnakes and Cottonmouths, and in many cases they can look like each other, with two exceptions. Cottonmouths have a triangular head that is common to vipers, where watersnakes heads blend into the body. When swimming, a cottonmouth will float on top of the water, while the watersnakes swim with majority their body submerged or below the surface of the water. A good rule of thumb, treat them all as if they are venomous, and give them a wide berth.

A Comparison of Watersnake and Cottonmouth.

This is a watersnake, not the head blending into the body.

This is a cottonmouth

And an angry Cottonmouth

Here we have a pair of Copperheads

I have been asked several times about Alligators in the places I kayak, and to the best of my knowledge there no WILD Alligators in Virginia, there may be some that were pets and released into the wild, but no naturally occurring gators in Virginia. The closest Alligators to Virginia are in Merchants Mill Pond in North Carolina, and I have heard rumors of gators on the Pasquotank River, but never any proof.

So what we have left, is things with hair, and for the most part anything you come across with hair, is going to avoid you, and if it doesn’t, be sure to avoid it. There is a bear preserve just across the border in North Carolina, and I have no idea on how many animals there may be there.

Just be careful, and don’t be stupid, look but don’t touch.

As Described by the author…
Smart Start Kayaking
“Kayaking for Beginners! A guide of basics, how to buy a kayak, kayak types, paddling gear,
safety, techniques, common sense and more.”

I have taken a look, several times at the site, and although I think the navigation is a bit disjointed, I think it provides a nice overall resource for a beginners and soon to be beginners, but keep mind that this is one persons opinion and advice, your experience may differ.

This one comes to us from pinktentacle, man it must be nice to have that kind of free time…

• MAPA – Mid Atlantic Paddlers Association
• Coastal Canoeists
• TKAA – Tidewater Kayak Anglers Association
• WKFA – Williamsburg Kayak Fishing Association
• POL – Pirates o’ Lynnhaven
• CPA – Chesapeake Paddlers Association
• Williamsburg Boat Club (crew team rowing)
• CASK Chesapeake Association o’ Sea Kayakers
• TATC – Tidewater Appalachian Trail Club
• Williamsburg Fowl club
• EVMA The Eastern Virginia Mountainbike Association
• Frisbee Golf Club
• Colonial Road Runners
• Williamsburg Area Bicyclists
• BikeWalk Virginia
• JROC – James River Outdoor Coalition
• Peninsula Bicycle Association