This was one of my favorites. I still have it.
Adventure then was characterised a great deal different than today. We grew up with hero's of a different kind, Shackleton, Fuchs, Scott, Amundsen and of course Ed Hillary.
Comic books I read featured the crest of the SAS or maybe an ANZAC serving behind enemy lines dispatching Hun's, Krauts, and Nips with a trusty 303 or maybe a Thompson and in so doing saving lives of civvies and enlisted men. Not everyone survived these tales. (Achtung, Gott Mit ien Heil... Die Britisher Pig!) Reading these folk stories were adventures of the mind. The characters were no GI Joe's or Captain Kirks. They were plain folk doing exceptional
things. The influence of the literature one is exposed to builds the character of men we become. It's not that these were better times, its just that they were different and so too will be the outcomes.I am not sure where yet I will take this blog, but, there is part of the adventure in this too, there will be some paddling off into the unknown.
The path is not writ just because it has been done before. I've kayaked a few rivers... and every time they present different challenges. I have taken on a few big waves and won. The trepidations here are the same. (Thereagain, one is entirely unlikely to die playing PS II. But then... I see kids today somersaulting bicycles and motto-x. Insane! )
Give me a kayak (or if your influence is as British as mine, it's still a canoe) and a wild river....
Here's begins the story of a couple of wonderful Kayaks that came recently into my possesion, and in various states of disrepair.
One is a German Folding boat by famous 'faltboot' designer Klepper known as a "Liepzig" or LFB, the other is just so British that it reeks of Boy Scouts.
Klepper's incredibly light, strong and 'backpackable' design is still in use by Nato Commandos and even our own NZ elite SIS forces.
Percy W Blandford was a master woodworker and prolific author of the 50-70's. He was also a passionate small boat builder. His "PBK" single seater canoe of kanvas over wood is legendary, thousands were made. The plans are still available
(and sought after).Kayaking DownUnder, is the story of these two northern hemisphere craft, something of their history and the weekend adventures I'm planning on having in these two historic 'working' craft. (as and when I have them.)
Come back and see how wet I get.
