Date:         Thu, 26 May 2005 22:50:10 -0400
Reply-To:     Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Joy Hecht <jhecht@ALUM.MIT.EDU>
Subject:      Re: traveling lighter, kayaks, and paddling Lake Superior
Content-Type: multipart/mixed;

Hi Stephen,

My Yakima racks are attached to the poptop.  With two people lifting, it's possible to raise the poptop with the boat up there, though I only have one boat.  (Had, actually - I got tired of carrying it.)  My boat is wood and weighs 47 lbs, plus another 10-15 for a bag containing paddles and other stuff that was also up there.  With two boats, and especially with plastic boats, you're looking at a lot more weight.  But it is possible to raise the poptop with the boats there.

I have seen people carry canoes on the vans using the foam and straps arrangements that are much cheaper than racks, and don't require drilling.  But of course you would have to take the boats off to pop the top.

I also met someone a while ago who had his kayak on a rack off the side of his van.  It wasn't a Vanagon, though, it was a high-top Chevrolet or Chrysler or something.  He had built the rack, and I think it was attached permanently to the van.  I don't think this would really work on a Vanagon poptop.

And the kayaker in me has to give you a speech about paddling in Lake Superior - apologies if you already know these things!  The water is COLD all year round.  I paddled and swam there in September without a wetsuit, but for earlier in the year you would want to think about cold water gear.  When I was there in July I was sometimes in my wetsuit and sometimes in my drysuit.  I didn't paddle without them.  Also storms can come up very suddenly on Lake Superior.  Be careful.  Do not go out on the water without your PFD on all the time.  Lake Superior is serious.

But if you're paddling on Lake Superior, definitely do visit the sea caves in the Apostle Islands, right near Bayfield, WI.  I found them utterly amazing.  Paddle back into the caves and listen to the sounds of the water.  It's like being inside of a drum, this incredible totally surrounding sound of water booming against the walls of the caves.

Check the weather report before you go.  Wear a spray skirt on your kayaks.  I wore my wetsuit for that trip, in July, and I was glad I did.  The park service warns that people should not go out in open kayaks or canoes.  The day after I went, the wind came up and no one was paddling at all.

Oh, and on the islands themselves keep your eyes open - I saw a bear prowling down the beach, fortunately after I was back out on the water!

Oh, and if you're passing Brimley, Michigan (right near Sault St. Marie, in the UP), do look up Barb Cotton (who's on this list).  She's in the process of selling her house to move into her Vanagon.  She lives a block from the lake, and has friends who will probably let you launch by their house.  She's very nice, too, and might invite you to camp in her driveway while you're there.  Especially if you play with her dog and her cat.

In Marquette, you might look up Brien Dews' friend Marcia, whose last name (and email address) I'm blanking on.  She's not a vanagonaut, but she's very sympathetic to them.  I spent five days in her driveway when my van was having troubles last fall.  She's also a block from the lake!  And if you like coffee, check out Dead River Coffee in Marquette.  It's the best.  And eat smoked whitefish anywhere along Lake Superior, it's also the best.

And definitely go up the Bruce Peninsula and take the ferry to the mainland from the end of the peninsula.  It's lovely up there, especially Manitoulin Island.

Painted (or maybe it's Picture rocks?) Rocks National Lakeshore, also in the UP, is very nice to paddle too.

Have a great time!  I really like Lake Superior, in case you can't tell!
:-)



Joy



****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon

For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://users.rcn.com/jhecht/gypsy

****************************************************************:::-----Original Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf
:::Of stephen steele
:::Sent: Thursday, May 26, 2005 10:03 PM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Traveling lighter... a goal... Kayak carriers?
:::

<snip>

:::Finally a question about kayaks, as we are heading to
:::the North Country and a circumnavigation of Lake
:::Superior (Jeff Earl...where's your travel blog?).
:::A fellow Listee and I will be traveling with wives and
:::young sons(one each). And we are discussing how many
:::bikes and kayaks we should bring along.  The bikes are
:::easy enough to carry. The kayaks aren't.
:::Neither of us have mounts for the boats and aren't
:::particularly interested in drilling our pop tops for
:::racks. While I already have Yakima high towers that
:::will fit over the pop top, I don't relish having to
:::remove the boats and the rear cross bar at every
:::camping stop.  Alternatives?
:::
:::Another question is has anybody used a reliable foam
:::and strap method of carrying smaller (Perception
:::Swifties) on their camper top?
:::
:::Your experiences and thoughts are appreciated.
:::TIA
:::Stephen
:::Chillicothe Ohio
:::
:::