: Hi Daan

: That is good looking boat. The more I see them the more I like
: lighter coloured boats, and the advantage of reflecting sunlight
: is an added bonus.

: If you check the specs on commercial boats of the same size as the
: night heron you will find that 22 kilos is not actually that
: heavy.

: My boats are not any lighter, the coasline around here is very
: rocky and steep and I have to be able to bash them around a
: little. If you have to be too careful then they don't get used
: enough.

: The trips you do sound great. I often wondered if it is possible to
: paddle up the Rhine Neckar system and cross over into the
: Danube. That would be a hell of a journey.

: I have just got hold of some poplar, some black walnut and some
: cherry. I thought I might go a little more jazzy on the next one

: Enjoy the trip

: Et

Hi Etienne,
Thanks for both.
I don't think you can paddle upstream on the Rhine. With 7 km/h stream you will have to paddle 10 km/h (to the water) and your ground speed will be 3 km/h. You would not keep that speed for longer than one hour. If you rest a moment you will be set back with 7 km/h. No that is not an option. You can paddle downstreams but not up streams. We paddled the Gelderse Ijssel and in the lower regions you have a 2 km/h stream. There yoiu can paddleupstream from the IJsselmeer to Kampen. Further upstreams I find it to heavy.
The Ems in Germany you can paddle in with the tide but than you have only 4,5 hours and it will flow back. The same on the Weser and the Elbe. We always paddle downstream and car upstreams. We leave the car at the start point and from the endpoint one goes by train to fetch the car. The other is watching the kayaks with camping gear. We are 64 and 66 years old but camping in small tents in the wild is the most beautifull activity you can imagine. On the Mecklenburger Seeenplatte wild camping is not allowed. So we do that only occasionally when we cannot find a camping place. But there are lots of campings with place for 'kanu wanderers'.

I never kayaked at see. I am thinking of a seakayak camp in spring next year.

Greetings from the Netherland.
Daan