Kayak Paddle

I just finished shaping the first of the two kayak paddles that I intend to bring on the trip, and it feels very good in my hands.  It is a Greenland style Inuit double bladed paddle made from quarter sawn sitka spruce.  I prefer long thin bladed paddles over the wide spoon shaped paddles.  I find them to be easier on your hands and arms during long distances.  I also find them more versatile during different weather conditions.  By shifting the position of your hands on the paddle, you can help compensate for waves or winds that are blowing you in one direction.  In addition, they can be used to pole through shallow waters, and hold up tarps in the rain.

The one problem that I still need to solve is wet hands, which could lead to blisters.  I need a drip guard that most commercially sold paddles have.  This should be easy to solve.  I can either buy one or make one from a couple plastic bottles and duct tape.

The second paddle I intend to bring on the trip is a single bladed modified canoe paddle that I can keep strapped to my deck.  Because I will be sitting so close to the water in comparison to a canoe, I'm thinking that a shorter paddle would work well.  This would be a paddle I can switch to when I feel like doing something different or would be a backup if I were to break or lose my main paddle.

Shaping paddles is one of the most meditative things I've ever experienced.  It feels good to just let me hands work with little to no thought on my part.  My hands do all of the work as I watch as a bystander.  The work of planing is also very good exercise, and makes me realize how close it is for my departure.  I do nearly all of the work with a hand plane and spoke shave.