Beautiful, bright Cold, still January day, with barely a breath of wind. Running down Strood Channel against the tide in our West Mersea DuckPunts. We would have liked to go as far as we could, until we ran out of water, but unfortunately ran out of time. It took 1½ hours to sail around 1 mile and 15 minutes to row back. What a way to relax!
Comment: Now that’s some time well spent, just barely ghosting along in the quiet sunlight. I’ve admired the utter simplicity of these West Mersea Duck Punts since i discovered them a few years ago. I don’t live near the extensive tidal flats and marshes that these craft excel in. My sailing kayak is better suited for my environment, but I still might slap one of these punts together for the sheer joy of it.
I don’t know how comfortable I can be lying about in the punt like this. When young, I could sleep soundly lying on lava rock. I think I’d use a Thermarest sleeping pad to be kind to my old bones. I did notice an ingenious solution to this problem at the 3:21 mark on this video. Two punts had simple backrests consisting of short sticks in the thole pin holes spanned by a length of canvas. I think that would be a major upgrade on a long sail. I’d still use the Thermarest pad for my butt.
As relaxing as this ghosting is, this punt can actually handle some wind. Here’s another video of a West Mersea Duck Punt doing eight knots. More thrilling, than relaxing and I’m sure it’s a wet ride. I’ve seen another video of a guy in Indonesia taking a duck punt out on the open sea in a fifteen knot wind. Damn little boats are sure versatile. Enjoy the videos.
TTG
I did notice an ingenious solution to this problem at the 3:21 mark on this video.
???? 3:21 ??? Sorry, guess I am repeating myself here: As my late partner kept telling me. If you haven’t read about something, you apparently seem unable to see it. đ
Sorry off topic:
but I enjoyed this. Hope you all set a calender reminder for the upcoming February 9’s. Impressive, how very, very MAGA of him. Bigger then the Super Bowl. Indeed!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y80dg4DRs00
Flooding the public with daily actions. How to stay in the news and keep everyone busy.
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5111638-trump-mega-strategy-overload/
Presidential Actions
Gulf of America Day, 2025
February 9, 2025
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
A PROCLAMATION
Today, I am very honored to recognize February 9, 2025, as the first ever Gulf of America Day.
On January 20, 2025, I signed Executive Order 14172 (âRestoring Names That Honor American Greatnessâ). …
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim February 9, 2025, as Gulf of America Day. I call upon public officials and all the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this ninth day of February, in the year of our Lord two thousand twenty-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-ninth.
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/gulf-of-america-day-2025/
It’s only a name, LeaNder. I don’t worry at all that the water between us and Ireland is called the Irish Sea, though quite a lot of it belongs to us.
And you know that moat that a benign Providence dug for us along the bottom of England? We call it “the English Channel” but if you enquire you’ll find that the foreigners call it all sorts of names. La Manche, ĂrmelKanal, whatever they fancy. Hitler and Napoleon even called it a damned nuisance. Makes no odds. The main thing is that it’s there.
Or is at the time of writing. Keep an watchful eye on UvdL and Starmer. They want to fill it in. As for the Gulf of America, I’d have thought “Trump Bay” would be more appropriate. The Americans name quite a lot of things after the other great American President – Washington State and so on – so also should with this one.
Returning to the subject of your enquiry below, those punts need thwarts. I’ve never seen a self -respecting punt without such. They also stiffen the boat, a consideration when venturing out into open water though this is the first time I’ve seen anyone trying that. Their natural habitat is shallow water and the usual means of propulsion a pole.
Willapa Bay where I hang out is a tidal estuary and I’ve floated with the tide there in my kayak. But never had the ability to lounge like your punter.
Did you see what apparently can be seen at the 3:21 mark, Leith? Is that some kind of oar in his hand? That’s not where I should look?
I could sleep on lava rocks too, at least I think they were lava rocks too. Roche bleu, près de la mer?
LeaNder,
What I was pointing out at the 3:21 mark were the back bands on the two punts to the front. These punts don’t have seats. Those back bands seem more comfortable than just lying awkwardly against the side of the punt. The bands appear to make use of the series of thole pin holes, a very simple solution. And yes, a short oar is used as a rudder on these craft, usually braced against a thole pin.
Ah, yes back bands, those two punts have back bands. Now I see. Good idea. Looks more comfortable than our main punt guy ‘lying about’. Thanks, TTG.
Saw a guy there with a sail on a kayak. At first I saw hum from a distance and assumed it was a hobie or a canoe or some such. But later saw him up close, it was a kayak. Googled it and it turns out there are groups devoted to it. You ever see that back east? Or in that FLA race you sometimes post about?
leith,
There are several companies making sail rigs for kayaks. I’ve never seen one other than my own around here. I built my own based on this design. I do not have outriggers or rudder.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3ygJ-O_mTU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgU5YlAOyG8
There are two classes for sailing kayaks (based on sail size) in the Everglades 300, one allows small downwind sails and the other is for full-fledged sailing canoes and kayaks.
One of my neighbors has a kayak with sail&outrigger. Looks great in the summer on the bay, but a bit of a job to get out of the canals into open water.
Fred,
Outriggers are great in the open water, but they’re a pain in close quarters as you note. More than outriggers, I rely on a spray skirt in open water. It’s not as watertight as on an Aleutian or Greenland kayak, I wouldn’t do Eskimo roles in it, but it’s perfect for heavy seas or the occasional knock down.
Thanks TTG
Everglades Challenge 2025 beach walk:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BfFXNptgq4
Crazy Ivan is running again.
Mark Logan,
The Challenge snuck up on me this year. Thanks for posting the video. It’s a good one showing how a lot of the boats were set up this year. I’m glad to see Crazy Ivan did well. He’s constantly tinkering with his Drama Queen as this comment of his shows. I wonder when his “electronic navigator” died? How much did he do with charts and compass?
“For those who follows my progress. I anchored for the night. So good bye my attempt of finishing under three days. Oh well.
Somehow I messed up my boatâs ability to go to weather with latest, mostly untested upgrades. She just wouldnât point. Something need to be figured out after the challenge. So I have poorly pointing boat, dead electronic navigator and strong cross currents. I decided I will wait for day time. So until tomorrow.”
TTG,
I would guess he’s done that route enough times that he’s good to go with just a chart during daylight, but without a moving map display night is a different ballgame. Lots of shallows that have to be navigated.
Seems to have felt he was doomed to a bad finish because he had to stop when it got dark. He posted a brief comment in one sailing board that he was surprised and very happy to have been the second one-man boat to hit the finish line.