"Railing - Past Half Moon Brook"

Peter Noel one of Newfoundlands' sea kayakers', yatchsmen, and navigators' and god knows what else, said this year at a kayaking navigation presentation that we as kayakers are often "land railers". He may have said hand railers but you probably get my point. We hug the coast line when we paddle more often than we probably do major sea/ocean crossings. We may rail from island to island with small crossings but we still have to be cognizant of navigation skills and basic seamanship to be adequately prepared for the water and for our water trips. Another prominent paddler in our community Malcolm Rowe is quite learned in the aspects and distinctions between navigational skills and seamanship, they are different but comlplimentary you realize this when you paddle with paddlers who possess this skill set. Neil whom I paddleed with on this outing, always has map on deck and I know he knows, exactly where we are at all times. Utilising these skills all the time makes for a successful navigator.

I enjoy this aspect of kayaking but I employ it more on longer outings. This year though I want to employ it more on our shorter paddles. I want the practise. I like the basic dead reckoning type of tripping that we do as well as piloting and using natural and man made ranges. All of which can be done while in a kayak and sometimes maybe even unnoticed to yourself at the time that you are employing some form of navigation.

Isabelle and Neil are paddling along an exposed bit of the Avalon just past Half Moon Brook I believe. If I had of been navigating like Neil was during this trip I would have remembered for sure.