I couldn't make it up to Port Townsend for the formal clan gathering, but I did get out to the San Francisco Bay Paddlefest this past Sunday. Lots and lots of boats, but very few home built. In fact, I only saw one each of the 3 major wooden varieties. The stripper was a very nice Outer Island with a neat drop skeg, and the only S&G was an Arctic Tern that spent the day on the roof rack - until the builder graciously offered me a test paddle at the end of the afternoon. Julio McWilliams had his Greenland skin on frame boat and did some demos throughout the day. I came in from a test paddle with a (shudder) factory boat at one point to see him laying out completely motionless in an excellent and impressive rest brace. All of the rest of you must have been out paddling elsewhere though.

I had a conversation with a guy from Feathercraft in Vancouver, and he mentioned that the breakdown Greenland paddle in their rack was the only one he used. His reasoning was that it was a bit slower than a euro-style paddle, but much better for rolling and control, even with the Feathercraft.

It was an excellent and interesting gathering, but needed many more personal boats to counterbalance all of the plastic and composites. Yes, yes, next year I will have the Greenland boat finished and in the water, and at least one of the dozen other boats I've been mind-paddling. Yes, really. I will, I swear.