Broken Greenland paddles and the Kelleq

The past few years I used the Greenland paddles a lot alongside the Kinetic Wing paddle. Unfortunately in the winter of 2023 the small one broke during rolling excercises in the swimming pool. Apparently, the forces on the paddle are quite high when using it elongated with both hands on one side. 

About a year later, under the same conditions, the "powerblade" paddle also broke. I did not expect that as this paddle is thicker and more robust. So, I was quite dissappointed in the (lack of) strength of wooden Greenland paddles.

Looking for alternatives I came across some carbon paddles at the local kajak shop. I was very interested in the Greenland Ipik made by Gearlab Outdoors because it has a wide oval grip and clear "shoulders" between loom and blades:

However, it was only available in 219 cm so I left the shop with a 230 cm Kelleq by the same manufacturer. The Greenland Kelleq has a round shaft and no shoulders:

The blades have very thin edges and plastic end caps protect the tips:

I have made only a few trips with it. The shoulderless design feels a bit different but is easy to get used to. It certainly is the best Greenland paddle I have ever paddled with!

The last Baidarka

This is about my last P&H Baidarka Explorer. The yellow one has been sold a year ago but I had already collected a nice orange one. With the orange deck this boat looks absolutely beautiful:

This one doesn't have a variable skeg. My latest experience with the yellow one showed that the variable skeg wasn't really necessary: weatherhelm is easily controlled by effective correction strokes especially with a Greenland paddle. 

My original plan was to rebuilt this one with an extra hatch and foot pump. However, due to lack of time and urgency I decided to sell it: I don't need an extra sea kayak with the specific characteristics of the Baidarka. Selling it would also free some space for other vintage boat projects. So, about a year after the yellow one had been sold, the orange one has been sold also. The new owner being very happy with the almost prestine condition of this vintage kayak. 

Lendal Kinetic Wing revisited

The Kinetic Wing did a good job during the circumnavigation of Flevoland giving me more power than the Greenland paddle with the same forward stroke technique. It has become my main paddle but there are some minor issues that I wanted to be solved: increasing the shaft diameter and removal of the oval shaped grip for the right hand. Both lead to a bit cramped position of the fingers. The shaft diameter is only 29 mm, except for both ends having 30 mm. 

the right hand oval grip

I ordered a thin walled carbon tube with inner size 29 and outer size 30 mm. So it could be sleeved around the thinner part of the shaft. It's length is 1000 mm and that will increase the paddle length a few centimeters up to 227,5 cm. Quite nice. Due to it's thin wall it will not increase the weight of the paddle too much. The tube is already lacquered for UV-protection and has a smooth surface.

the new carbon tube in between both halves

it is a thin walled tube

First, both hand grips needs to be removed. They were quite easily stripped off after a small incision. The plastic insert that makes the oval grip is also easily taken off.

stripping the old sleeves

the stripped off parts

The new tube in place over the shaft until it reaches the thicker ends:

all 30 mm now

very nice

No glue has been applied yet. The seems are sealed with tape to prevent for incoming water and rotating of the blades. In this way it is possible to disassemble it.

finishing tape

Update: the sealing with tape did not prevent the blades rotating a bit. I have glued all parts now with epoxy.

Lendal Kinetic Wing paddle

The Lendal Kinetic Wing paddle has always intrigued me. It's blade shape is somewhere in between a Euro and a Wing paddle. It seems to me an interesting paddle to use with the 'wing paddle style' forward stroke, similar to how you can use the Greenland paddle. The Kinetic Wing is not in production anymore and are hard to find now. When I got the opportunity to buy a Kinetic Wing paddle from a club member I bought it. So here it is, next to my largest GP:

I have used it on one trip with the Zegul 550. The first strokes felt very unconvenient as the blades went all over the place: sidewards and under the boat. But after some time everything settled down nicely. The blades move easily sidewards as expected, more easy than with the GP. When paddling against a Bft 4 wind the blades created a firm grip in the water while moving sidewards. I think this is a good paddle to use it in the same way as I use the GP. May be it can give a bit more power and speed. 

A trip from Enkhuizen

I had registred for a trip on the lake IJsselmeer last Sunday. The starting point was Enkhuizen. The planned destination was Laaxum, a small place near Stavoren on the opposite site of the IJsselmeer. Due to the strong wind in the morning the destination was changed to Wijdenes. So we didn't have to work against the strong wind. The wind would diminish during the day so this was a better route. 

Start at Enkhuizen

The first leg of the trip was the most spectacular with some nice waves. Soon we rounded Enkhuizen and went through the locks from the IJsselmeer to the Markermeer. To Wijdenes we could surf a little but the wind was already diminishing. We took a rest at a little beach at Wijdenes.

beach at Wijdenes

view to the South

view to the East

The way back was against the wind but as it was diminished it was no problem anymore. We went through the locks again and entered short the historic harbour of Enkhuizen. After rounding the coast we returned at our starting beach.
The other group members were all very seasoned paddlers that uses a variety of good sea kayaks. So there was someone with a Dawn Treader Odin, some Explorers, a Nordkapp etc. My Shadow did get some attention too. Also nice to see two other paddlers using a Greenland paddle.

Vlieland training week

Last week I was on Vlieland isle for a sea kayak training camp with www.zeekajak.nl. As planned I took the Shadow with both Greenland paddles.

Shadow with both Greenland paddles on deck

The Shadow convinced me this week that it is a good sea kayak. It was comfortable in all kind of waves, and very controllable, also in a surf. The day hatch kept dry but the cockpit rim did leak a drop or so. Another member owned a Silhouette (the smallest version in the Silhouette - Legend - Shadow range). She told me she had completely removed the cockpit rim because it was only fixed on three spots with polyester, the remaining rim was filled with kit... Could be the same as with my Shadow. May be I should do such a drastic repair too.

Rest at high water on the Wadden Sea

I received many comments on my pair of Greenland paddles, mostly positive. For me they did a good job during the week, never missed a Euro paddle. They proved to be large enough for making strong low and high braces in the surf, a situation I couldn't test on my home waters. The only remark is that it is more difficult to paddle in very shallow water as you have to paddle at a very low angle to prevent the blades touching the bottom.

In front of the coast of Terschelling isle

It was a nice week with varying activities. We made a few longer trips, played in tidal races and surfs and did a lot of exercises like rescueing, reentry and roll and all kind of techniques.

Wide views

The Shadow in full wind

My first plan today was to make a trip with the Skarabee to try the sail with more wind. But as the wind appeared a hefty 5 - 6 Bft I thought it was safer to postpone my sailing ambitions for a while. So I took the Shadow for a classic, bouncy trip.

The trip to isle Hooft took long while working against the wind. I used my power blade greenland paddle the whole trip and had the smaller one as a backup on deck. I felt no need to change paddles against the wind. During the trip I realized I had become quite familiar now with the Shadow. It is very comfortable due to it's new seat and I can lay back on the aft deck because of the better backrest. The problem I first had with the initial stability has dissappeared totally, partly because of the lower seat. The Shadow is now my number one sea kayak and would be my choice to take to Vlieland in the summer.

There were a few moments now that I found the boat was leecocking. Especially in a quartering incoming wind there were manual corrections necessary that you wouldn't expect with a well trimmed boat. In comparison: with the Baidarka I would even put the skeg a little down in this wind as it still wants to weathercock a little.

Rest at isle Hooft

Also on the way back the trim could be better. As earlier stated I have the idea the skeg is too small. Even with the skeg fully down, the boat luffs to a quartering course before the wind. When surfing the waves today it needed many corrections to prevent broaching. Well, these were steep and short waves, on sea they would be longer and probably easier. But despite of all this, it was a quick and nice ride again. It still amazes me how fast the Shadow can ride down the waves.

Some weeks ago after doing some wet exercises there was a lot of water in the day hatch. Today I filled the day hatch with the fire hose to check for leaks. These appeared to be in the upper left and right corners of the bulkhead. Happily not the places I have adapted with the removal of the backrest bulb. But very unconvenient of course. Just as the leaks in the cockpit rim this make me doubt about the build quality. Made in Middelburg, The Netherlands, I can't be very proud on this product made in my own country. When the Legend is ready I can work on the Shadow again...

With the Shadow around Pampus isle

Today we originally planned a trip to the Marker Wadden but because of the wind we changed plans to a more safe trip to Pampus isle. Wind was a 4 Bft from the west. No sun today, but some rain. We went with a group of six.

I took the Shadow with both greenland paddles. A few days ago I had fixed the leak in the cockpit rim by filling it with polyester topcoat. This proved to be a good repair as I didn't feel any drops of water on my left leg today.

The first part of the trip was fully and partly against the wind. I used both paddles and both worked well to beat against the wind. Good to notice that I was able to make a lot of speed, also with the smaller paddle. Quite faster than most other paddlers in the group. As this was the first time I used the Shadow in a group it is another indication for me that it is quite faster than e.g. the Skarabee.

The Shadow did pound often on the steep incoming waves. I already had noticed this during other trips but compared today to the other boats it became quite obvious. The hull shape with it's rounded bottom between hard chines has apparently not the smooth entry lines as e.g a Baidarka. Besides the noise it is not really a problem. Even in this situation the Shadow has a dry ride.

Pampus isle, an old fortress

We took a short rest at Hooft isle as we couldn't land on Pampus isle because it is still locked down. Then we headed to Pampus into a quartering head wind and rounded the isle. On the way back we surfed a lot and again the Shadow proved to be rather fast compared to the other boats.

It was a really nice trip and I enjoyed the Shadow and both greenland paddles.

Paddling the Greenland power paddle

Last sunday I had the chance to test my new Greenland paddle with the experimental 'power blade'. I took my normal Greenland paddle as spare paddle on the deck to be able to compare. It was a nice day with a wind of about 3 Bft. I took the Shadow and enjoyed paddling this boat. Certainly on the way back I made quite a speed of about 9 km/h in a downwind 'surfing' over the waves. That was with the power paddle by the way.

The power paddle feels a bit less elegant to the hands as it is heavier (1000 g) compared to the normal paddle (800 g). I think now 1000 g is about the maximum weight for a fine Greenland paddle. More heavy and you will loose flexibility like my Schlegel Ozean paddle (1400 g) that is only suited to make simple forward strokes, no 'slicing and dicing', probably not only caused by it's weight but also the different cross section of the blades.

Rest on Hooft isle

The power paddle has also a slightly thicker loom (shaft). But the overall feel is the same, it is clear that both paddles are twins. So switching between both paddles is no problem. And the power? Well, it certainly has more power. No overkill, there is no need for downsizing. And it is not that I now missed power with the normal one, you compensate automatically with a higher paddling frequency to get the same back pressure. However I can imagine that in strong headwinds I will prefer the smaller one and the bigger one on downwind courses.

For now I expect the Greenland Power Paddle (GPP) will become my main paddle, and the normal GP my default spare paddle.

Nice, two wooden sticks on deck

An experimental power blade Greenland paddle

As mentioned in an earlier post: about-greenland-paddles I have a second greenland paddle that I don't use as it is clearly not as good as my first one. I think this is caused by the more blunt edges of this red cedar paddle without hard wood insets. Refining the edges could be an option but as the wood is very soft the edges would be prone to damaging.

it's the middle one

Some time ago the idea grew to extend the paddle with hard wood insets and in the same time making the blades wider. It should become a sort of a power blade Greenland paddle. There is a rule of thumb for the maximum blade width: you must be able to grip the blade with your hand in a C-shape. In my case, as I have long hands, I could reach to about 12 cm. With the current blade of 9 cm there is a lot to win.

In stead of glueing pieces of wood to the sides I thought it would be stronger to make a shallow groove around the edges to glue strips of wood in. So I tried but it appeared hard to make such a groove. I ended up by sawing completely through the blades because that is a lot easier. A very deep groove indeed...

sawing through the blade

Then I glued strips of wood in between both sides of the blade with epoxy. Of course around the edges but also one strip in the middle to prevent deformation while clamping both sides on each other. For this experiment I used some yellow pine, not really a hardwood like ash or oak but a lot harder than red cedar.

Wood strips glued into the blade

Unfortunately the strips were not a very good idea as there was a lot of filleting needed to make a well fairing profile. Glueing thicker pieces of wood to the sides would have been a better idea.

some epoxy filleting...

and a lot of sanding...

After a few times of adding epoxy fillets and a lot of sanding the result was a paddle with wide and thin edged blades. The width at the tip has grown from 9 to 11 cm. As the extensions taper the extra width reduces to 0 at the loom. By the way, my Schlegel reserve paddle is even wider with 11.5 cm. The result is promising but however not very attractive and it would need some paint to cover up the epoxy fillets. But before the final finishing I would like to try it first. You'll never know what changes have to be made yet...

The result left compared to my first paddle right

also compared to my Schlegel spare paddle

the Schlegel has no tapered blade

A few trips with the Skarabee

Last two weekends we have made a trip with our club. Both times I picked the Skarabee. Both times there was a lot of wind. The first time we didn't make a trip actually but played again around our sheltered bay. The second weekend we made a trip of about 18 km to the isle Hooft in the IJmeer.

The experiences with the Skarabee were not different than before. It needs a lot of skeg to correct weathercocking. Probably this would be better when loaded, as this boat has been designed for taking a bulk of load. Unloaded as I paddle it now it definitely needs a larger skeg. When you paddle across the wind and totally lower the skeg I want the boat to turn down the wind but it is not very eager to do so. Also downwind it is not very straight tracking. I will look if I can alter the skeg somehow to get it more effective.

Nothing new about surfing also. It takes some effort to get the Skarabee into a surf. But I managed to get the bow burried in the wave once. Exciting and fast. On sea, with larger wavelengths, it would probably surf better. Controlling the boat when surfing is still difficult as it wants to break out too soon. A larger skeg would help here of course. Or...why not make a rudder on it? and why not a sail? The Skarabee can have it.

Another idea I have is to lower the aft deck as I don't need all that volume. It could help diminishing the weathercocking and also for esthetical reasons this would be good idea. But a lot of work... And before I would make such a drastic change I first want to test the Skarabee when it is loaded. The first camping trip is planned with Eastern. However, this trip might be cancelled because of the Corona lockdown.

During the long trip I developed a few blisters on my hand. A few minor ones but one serious. The shaft of my Greenland paddle is made from soft wood. The spots where my hands are on have been abrased by wearing gloves with some antislip pattern.

worn spots on both ends of the loom

The bare wood absorbs water and these spots are pretty rough now. Not good for wet and cold skin. I already tried to fix the spots with linseed oil but this didn't help much. Now I try the hardwax oil that is used for wooden floors.

Rolling with the VKN Skarabee

Unfortunately I owned the NDK Explorer too short for taking it to one of our scheduled swimming pool sessions. So, the first action with the Skarabee was in the swimming pool for rolling exercises.

It was the first time after my test trip in December that I entered the Skarabee. Of course with high expectations of the seating position and stability. Well, the seat was now a bit wide and the back strap too loose but the thigh support was excellent. Stability was as reassuring as I remembered.

No problem with rolling happily. Also sculling seemed easier because the Skarabee proved to be stable on a side. Probably because of the high deck. Clearly better than the Orion that was more of a 'flip-flop' between up and down and that was more difficult to hold in position while sculling.

Downside of the high deck was however the impossibilty to do a re-entry via the aft deck. The hull is simply too high to climb on easily. And no place to fixate the paddle for making a paddle bridge: the deck lines are not in a position you can put a paddle under it. May be I can make some clamps for that. Well, then I have to rely on a 'wet-re-entry-and-roll', that did work quite well.

I used both the Greenland and the Euro paddle and found the GP easier for sculling and rolling. Another argument to keep using the GP.

Unfortunately the backrest fixation broke off where the strap is fixated to the sides of the seat... grrr, I thought this was such a high quality build boat... I am still thinking about a way to fix it without doing too much epoxy work.

Also, the keel strip must be replaced as it is broken on some places. Well, let's consider this as 'normal' maintanance. The good news is that all compartments appeared to be leak free after all the swimming.

Euro vs Greenland paddle

After the somewhat disappointing first experience against 6Bft in the Explorer, I had some doubts on the Greenland Paddle (GP) I then used. Ok, the main problem was of course the wrong adjustment of the footrests, but did the GP had also a contribution to it? I believed it did.

So, I picked a good Euro paddle (EP) that I could adjust to 0 degrees blade twist: an Epic Active Touring. I started using it during a few trips with Strava as GPS tracker. I had already used Strava sometimes with the Orion with GP. The results then show an average of 7.0 km/h. This is a "fast cruising speed": a speed you can hold for an hour or so, no sprinting. Yes, it is not very scientific indeed.

The Explorer and Epic taking their rest

The first results with the Explorer and the EP show a mighty 8.0 km/h. Wow, that's a huge improvement! But... is it the paddle, or the boat, or the person? Difficult to say and what a pity I didn't make records with the Orion with an EP.

So, to collect more information I made today a trip with the Explorer, but now with the GP. Actually I expected the GP would be a bit slower, or may be I hoped so. However, after examining the logs I came on an ample 8,0 km/h... just as fast as with the EP... So, it must be the boat then? Is the Explorer 1 km/h faster than the Orion?... Well, it could be.

Of course I have to record much more trips in the future to get some more measurements for a better foundation. But on this moment I really cannot blame the GP for anything...

Explorer with GP in action

About Greenland paddles

Let's talk about Greenland Paddles (GP). On internet, this discussion seems sometimes a dispute between believers and non-believers, almost religious. This must be a USA thing as here in Holland the people are less fanatic about it. Besides, you see hardly a GP here around. First: I like GP's, why? Just because you feel connected to the ancient history of sea kayaking and simply because they look nice. Very good arguments I think ;-)

In my first period of kayaking I made myself a Aleoetian paddle (AP). This is not a GP because it is not from Greenland but from the Aleoetian islands. However, from a distance they look the same. When you come close you'll see the AP has a ridge on one side. This makes it strong and stiff. I have always assumed the ridge should be on the power side (backwards). This way the blade will not flutter. However, if put to the front, you can make a better use of slicing the blade sidewards for creating lift. The GP's are symmetrical, so without a ridge. Therefore they scull better but they do want to flutter during the forward stroke.

AP, GP, GP, all made from Red Cedar

The right GP has insets of hardwood therefore I name it GP+

Since the summer I experimented a lot with them. I bought a GP with hard wooden insets (I call it GP+). It is 230 cm, the longest length available. When I first used it it felt so small and ineffecient, what a pity... But then I remembered the old AP must still be somewhere in the garage...and I found it. Because the AP is much longer (270 cm) it has more resistance in the water, so I started using it. However during the months I made many modifications: I shortened it several times to 248cm, made the loom longer and the edges thinner. You can see that on the picture where the old epoxy paint has been vanished.

When I then picked up the GP+ again, it appeared to be a complete different paddle compared to the first time I tested it. It was fun to use and it seems more efficient than the AP, probably because of it's thinner edges and no ridge. My technique has apparently developed somehow during time: I now use some kind of wing-paddle stroke: Pulling the blade sidewards under an angle. This way the blade doesn't flutter and it creates some lift (hopefully).

The GP without insets didn't perform as well as the GP+. I think it is because the edges are more blunt as they are made from really soft wood. I will use this paddle later for some experiments.

On the moment the GP+ is my favorite traditional paddle.
And until the first trip with the Explorer it was my main paddle.

NDK Explorer first trip

The next day we planned a trip with our club Aquavite. The wind was strong (6 Bft) and we went for an island on the Gooimeer. I could have taken the Orion (it was sold later that day) but I took the risk to take the NDK Explorer.

We started against the wind. Soon I got tired, I had trouble to sit upright and had to rest sometimes leaning backwards on the afterdeck. Strange, I never had this before. There must be something wrong with my seating position. And I got my doubts on my Greenland paddle, was it efficient enough for hard working against the wind? When we finally arrived at the isle I quickly recovered. We checked everything and came to the conclusion that the front hatch that I use as footrest was too far away. I couldn't put much force on it. Happily this Explorer has also adjustable footrests and by putting these in the far most position I could use these.

The Explorer and Greenland paddle

During the return I had no problem at all. We enjoyed the surfing very much. Happily, I was in the front now and not in the back of the group. I never felt unsure in the Explorer. Stability and maneuverability are somewhere in between the Dawn Treader Odin and Orion. A good compromise I think. The boat is a good surfer, and seems quite fast. And it feels "sporty"...

Nice surfing