"QAJAQ Hits Home"

Well I was delighted when I got home from work yesterday and checked the mail. A Christmas gift to myself showed up just in time for the season. A membership to the QAJAQ Greenland Kayak Association American Chapter. I opened the package and of course like a curious kid a Christmas time I went through the components and read the very nice welcoming letter from president Ed Zachowski. I've had the pleasure of meeting the previous president Greg Stamer a few times on his visits to Newfoundland and participated in one of his Greenland paddle clinics at one of our retreats a few years back.

I can honestly say that Superior Greenland paddle Greg had sure felt good in my hands. Never thought I would ever own one. I did eventually get one a couple years later and have had it for less than a year and haven't used anything since. Thus began my interest with Greenland paddling.

I have since made one of my own, a greenland paddle that is,  and now I am interested in the boat. Though I do not have a garage I am scheming how I can put one together for next year.

There is an interest in Greenland paddling here on the Island and people have been using the paddle and the boats long before me of course as my interest is recent. Some of my friends I paddle with are hooked on the paddle and have made many of their own with some unique and original designs. Sean Dawe continues to make GP's with considerable ingenuity with incorporating hollow shafts and blade protections for those rocky zones.

Malcolm Rowe has praised the paddle and the Greenland history as well as the Greenland kayak designs having paddled many of the designs from Valley Kayaks including the Anas Acuta.

Brian Duffet one of Newfoundland's most excellent paddlers has built a skin on frame and other kayaks of various materials over the years.

Neil Burgess has used Greenland paddles and hosted Greenland Paddle constuction clinic ( of which I participated) in the basement of his home last year. He also attended this past September a Greenland Camp put on by the Ontario Greenland Camp www.ontariogreenlandcamp.com/  which he said he thoroughly enjoyed and took away tons of good Greenland Paddling info. He will share some of this at an up and coming Greenland Paddle pool workshop at the Aqua arena on Feb. 5th, 2011.
 I am sure these people and others I do not know about have been at it for a while in terms of their intersts in Greenland Paddling. Hopefully I will be able to now tap into some local skills and knowledge and enhance it with the experience and organization of the reputed Qajaq group. I have visited their site many times and I am very impressed with what they have to offer in their efforts to promote the traditions and techniques of  Greenland kayaking. If you are at all interested in this area of kayaking I suggest you visit their site http://www.qajaqusa.org/  you won't be disappointed. The Onatrio Greenland Camp site is also an excellent website for further info about Greenland paddling.

Now if it would only stop raining I might be able to put a sticker on my rig.

"Paddle Tale"

You've often heard the phrase ,"if only those walls could talk". So, I wandered what my paddles would say. Their most significant tale might be.......

From The Left:

Werner Ikelos: Graphite
Would probably relate how it came apart on an unsuccessful roll I attempted in a sea cave where I was pitched over by incoming waves from both ends and thrashed around in a little rock garden in the black of day. It was an experience I shall never forget and the only time I had to be rescued by another kayaker. Luckily I was with two very skilled paddlers at the time. I had a two piece dry suit on and it filled with water. The gaskets at the ankles held the water in. I was like an anchored buoy in the ocean unable to get back in the boat. The paddle separated probably because my hand went over the release button on the shaft. This was before Werner came out with the fix and button cover. I put a lot of miles and rolls since on that paddle here in Newfoundland. It is a bent shaft and ,well, one of my favorites.

Aqua Bound Seafarer: Carbon Fiber
This one would relate most of my paddles in British Columbia when I lived in Fort St. John. This paddle has been dunked in the Pacific and the Atlantic as well as many rivers and lakes up in Northern BC. It was one of my first paddles. It Also accompanied me when I followed part of a route that Alexander MacKenzie took to find a trading route to the far north. I was the first to solo kayak Williston Lake from the put in at a community called MacKenzie in the Parsnip Reach(after Alexander, I actually put in near a rock he engraved)to the Peace Reach some 150 miles away. I was paddling 30 miles a day and did the paddle in 5 days in June. The weather was unbelievably nice for the whole trip. Williston Lake is actually a huge reservoir backed up by the WAC Bennett Dam on the Peace River. It meanders through the Rocky Mountains and remains one of the best trips I've had to date. The scenery was simply stunning. I saw only one boat on the whole expanse of those waters during my trip. This trip was a fund raiser for the Hospital Foundation of which I was a member at the time. I raised $8000.00 for wheelchairs for our hospital.
I also taught my son to kayak and to roll with this one so it has special meaning draped all over its' surface.

Superior Greenland Stick: Graphite
Is one of my newer paddles I took command of about 3 months ago and haven't used anything since Sunday's past paddle when I used the one I made. I fell immediately in love with this paddle for all it has to offer. The light weight, the buoyancy, the feel, the aesthetic look and the confidence in solid construction with the Lendel paddle lock to keep the two piece paddle solid when on the water. I've put a few miles on this already and I am prepared to add many more. Some of my funnest rolls to date have been with this paddle and I intend to learn many more.

Stan's Greenland Paddle: Wenge Wood, Spruce and Cedar Laminate
This paddle was christened on Sunday Past, May 16th,2010. I was surprised how well it turned out. It did take me a bit longer to carve than expected because I got a cold in the midst of construction and felt like hell. I was determined to finish it though and still have its' sister the storm paddle ready to complete. I gave this paddle a good workout on Sunday. I gave myself a good workout on Sunday. I really put myself, my boat and my paddle in conditions I haven't been in in a while and in conditions I've never been in. This was along the rocky shore of the Avalon Peninsula in Witless Bay. I had tremendous fun and this paddle stood the test that none of the others have ever been put through so I suspect that it should serve me well when I choose to use it. It felt extremely nice in the water with just the occasional flutter.

Seward Saturna: Carbon Fiber
This paddle really only had one major trip by me and that was a week long paddle in the Gulf Islands of British Columbia on a fund raiser with 10 other paddlers for breast cancer. It was one of the paddles in The Paddle To A Cure Campaign put on by The Breast Cancer Foundation In Ontario and sponsored by Seaward KAyaks of LAdysmith on Vancouver Island. That paddle remains one of the most emotional paddles I have ever been on and the most rewarding experience in human nature I could ever have imagined. What I learned about the disease, the people around it and the efforts to fine a cure could not be expressed in such a short note, suffice to say, it has made me a better person inside. I trained two breast cancer survivors from the area I was living in to make the trip. I wasn't totally sure they would go through with it. One was ill the other in remission. One of the ladies passed on one month after we got back. It was sad but she had a picture framed of me fishing off a rock one evening on the trip, I didn't know she took. She gave it to me when we got back and thanked me for one of the most memorial experiences she had in a while. I was humbled and indebted to all the women for what they all had given me, a sense of hope, unconditional kindness and an adventure in the understanding of love and human nature I shall not soon forget. A very special paddle. It has been used as a spare on some trips. But it is close to my heart.

There are many other stories wrapped up in these blades based on comraderie and friendship of those who accompanied me on many trips like my pal Tony Rosetenberg whom has logged many hours and km with me on the water in the past few years. Thanks Tony and you will be pleased to know that you have paddled with four out of the five paddles. lol I'm sure we'll have more.


So I guess every stroke we take has a deeper meaning than sometimes we realize. The motor of our craft, our tool of propulsion our work of ingenuity and in many cases engineering. For me paddles are the lungs that allow me to breath life into my journeys and dreams into my adventures and sometimes hopes into successes. Paddle Safe, Paddle Hard!

"Guess What?"

I'm Done!

What a treat to be finished and what a good feeling to have almost what I wanted in terms of shape and color. She's done byes and the Tung Oil is drying. Observations: Having worked with stain before I should have used a cloth instead of brush for a more smooth and gradual transition to the tone I was looking for. I like the final result and it kind of has a burnt look about it. I can live with that. The tips came out really nice and are solid. The Tung oil went of well and I have buffed the surfaces twice now and will let dry for a final oiling tomorrow.

My Superior paddle is ,well, superior, but they seem to complement each other and I can't wait to christen my new blade. They both feel spectacular in my hands and I think that should mean something.

"Grain Stain"

The side of the paddles really stained nicely and exposed well after much sanding, rubbing with felt and the final application of Tung oil.


Good to be finished the project started almost three weeks ago. I achieved the burnt look of the wood with dark tips and fairly much got what I set out to achieve.I could have stained a bit different but originally I put it on thick and had to sand lots off and didn't really want to mess with it any more after all it is a paddle, a propulsion device. I think Gullfeather will be happy though. I am!

"Bientot Finis"

Well tonight I was able to get to the finishing of my paddle I started a few weeks back. I love using the spoke shave that you see here, Neil taught me how to use it properly. I marked the blade last week and got to shave it to dimensions. Took it home and tonight instead of being on the water with the guys I too advantage of the sun and went to work on the deck. I set up my Black and Decker work bench and started the finishing trim work and then started sanding.

My homemade paddle I can honestly say is not totally symmetrical as I was just using my eye and sense of touch, getting that "organic feel" that Chuck Holst spoke about in his directions. I was looking forward to that part of the construction as I got to influence more and more the final shape by sanding and a few more spoke shaves. The paddle when it was done and my tips "rasped" and sanded, man oh man, did it feel good. My paddle started out a bit warped and it took me a while to get the markings down to try and get some of it out. In the end I was very pleased. For my first one I'd give me a 6 out of ten because I can see lots of things I would do differently next time. First and for most I would make the strips extend from blade to blade, not just glue a bunch at the blades and a few at the loom. See previous posts. I think this would help with two things: the warp, if the Wood is a bit wet at the beginning the solid strips going the length of the paddle for a laminate construction, I think might help with that somewhat (better to start with very dry wood, Dah!)secondly that type of laminating would also allow you to cut out the shoulders of the paddle better which I found because of the awkwardness of the blade laminations, was unable to get the perfect shape during the cut. Now that was just probably me. Just my observations!

She is a beaut. To me.

All I have left to do is to bring out the grain with a wet down. Chuck suggests showering with it if you are not near a lake. So tomorrow morning I have my first shower with a paddle. I know I'm leaving myself open here but this is a time of "firsts".lol I also went and bought some ebony stain that I intend to apply lightly with intermittent fine grain sanding, 220 grit sandpaper and then after a few stains to taste I will apply Tung Oil that I also purchased this evening. I am hoping that the ebony stain will add a nice match to the chocolate brown partridge pattern of the Wenge Wood tips of the Congo, hoping not to mask too much of the grain from the cedar and spruce laminate strips. Voila! The final product in a few days. OOPs! THe pictures are in reverse order. The picture in the header is of the sky the last evening I was at Neil's shaping and planing the paddle. What a beautiful view he has in Flatrock and like he says, "I love to watch the changing moods of the ocean". He can do that very well by day and by evening he can watch the changing moods of the sky. Thanks Neil that whole experience was good for the soul!

"The Tip Look"

I should mention that the plans we are using are those of Chuck Holst and can be found for easy download at www.quajausa.org site. An excellent site for Greenland style paddling information.
I was wondering how solid the tips would be anchored to the ends of the paddle blade using our dowel attachment with epoxy. It was solid and planed very nicely considering the much harder Wenge wood tips.

Soon the ends will be rounded and the sanding and rasping will allow the paddle to get its familiar Greenland look and that rich organic feeling of holding a made at home paddling device. lol.

"Almost There"

The rough paddle with tips attached but still needing to be cut out to shape. We used a jig saw to cut a rough shape and finished with a hand plane. When cutting, it is a good idea to always check the other side to ensure that you are within your markings.


A closer look at the GP blade.


Cut to shape the GP begins to get some character. Planned and reasonably shaped it still needs to be maked for carving and rasping.

"Wenge Wood"

As promised from yesterdays' post a picture of Wenge wood. You can see the deep rich chocolate color as well as the "partridge" pattern that courses the grain. Follow on to see tip attachment.

"Greenland Paddle Making Cont'd"

I decided to use some Gorilla glue for the laminating of the cedar and spruce strips of the paddle. I wasn't sure how that would work as compared to epoxy and it sure looked messy.

But after a bit of elbow grease with a hand plane. I hear there are electric ones out now! It finished up pretty sweet.

Now the different laminates become cleanly visible. The paddle will be 90 inches when completed. The loom will be 22 inches and the blades will be 37 inches. The blade lengths were already adjusted for the three inch tips that will be added next.

"Dowling A Little Jig"

We used a dowel jig to impregnate the paddle blade with three holes a half inch deep and a quarter inch in diameter to prepare for Wenge wood tip attachment. We used a handrill with a drill bit for wood to make the incision.lol

In the three holes drilled on the blade ends we inserted dowel centers so as to mark the hole placements (in the tip to be added) so that the dowels in the blade would line up perfectly with the holes in the tip. They did toO!

Of course we had to do a little jiggin' to get the holes in the tips.

"Attaching The Wenge Tips"

With the Weenge wood cut for the tips and the holes drilled for the dowels and the dowels epoxied in place in the tip, it was time to connect to the ends of the paddle blades.

Before attaching to the blade Neil mixes a bit of fine sawdust from an oak floor that was sanded and adds to some epoxy. This will help fill in any gaps between the tip and the paddle surface and help further strengthen the bond.

We then had to figure out how to get a horizontal clamp on the tip and paddle blade. Neil came up with an ingenious idea I thought which was to clamp a clamp to the blade then use another clamp to clamp the tip onto the clamp secured on the blade. A horizontal clamping technique wit enough pressure so as not to turn up the tip.

The finished structure awaiting union. Soon the Wenge wood of the Congo will be one with the Spruce of the maritimes and the Western Red Cedar of BC or wherever the woods came from.
Next session will see me carve the final shape and begin sanding. After which I will apply and ebony stain and oil and soon the project will be completed. I also marked of a piece of solid Western Red Cedar for my storm paddle I have also started.

"The Making Of A Paddle"

What do kayakers do when they aren't kayaking? They "jerry-rig the next gadget", or make paddles. Neil hosted part two of his Greenland paddle making workshop of which I was able to participate in this Saturday afternoon with Sean and Dean. Very generous of Neil to give up his time and tools and home for this endeavour, and it was greatly appreciated. I feel a nice dinner coming soon.

The air has a bit of dust suspended and the light from the flash is reflecting of it. Looks like it is snowing inside. Only dust, dust in the basement. Great fun guys thanks for the opportunity.

Once cut our Greenland paddle of spruce and western red cedar began to look something like what could be called a paddle. No glue and still pretty raw.

A close up of what will eventually be a blade shows how much more carving , rasping, shaping and sanding still needs to be done.

Almost looking like a dessert the paddle is glued and clamped and set to dry. Set to dry only to soon be immersed in water. Kind of ironic I guess that it has to dry to serve its' function being primarily wet.

To this paddle which we laminated with spruce and cedar I will be adding tips from a wood called Wenge (weng-gay). It is a tropical timber, very dark in color, with a distinctive figure and a strong partridge pattern. The wood is heavy and hard, good for paddle tips. The wood is a product of the Millettia laurentii tree, native to the Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. It has also been called by these names African Rosewood, Congolese Rosewood, Faux Ebony, Dikela, Mibotu, Bokonge and Awong.

I chose it because of its' dark color and very distinctive pattern as mentioned above. I plan to stain my paddle a hint of black and I thought this would match. I will post a sample of the wood and eventually you will see the end result, paddle, tips and all. I am anxiously awaiting the next step.

Interestingly enough the dust when cutting or sanding Wenge can cause dermatitis similar to the effects of poison ivy and needless to say is an irritant to the eyes. The dust can also cause drowsiness and the splinters are septic. That part I can attess to as I already have had to pluck out two. What a beautiful grain though.

"Off To The Presses"

There eventually comes a point in Greenland paddle making when what you cut has to come together. This is it. Dean's Greenland paddle in its' infancy being clamped. Neil making sure enough clamps are applied. Because I was clamping as well there was a strain on supplies but we made do with even an old wooden antique kind- of- vise- clamp. It all worked well me thinks. Next week will tell. As we gather for our marking and carving. Should be fun once the maiden christening is had.