Goose News

It's time to paddle, but how DO I get that kayak on my car?

The Jenny Craig program for kayaks

It's that time again, the sun is getting warmer, the days are getting longer it's time to go paddling. Oh, but first I have to get that kayak up on my car.  Well if that was what you were thinking you are not alone. This is one of the most common concerns of folks who want to buy a kayak. So let's be honest right up front the truth is the smaller or lighter your kayak the easier it is to transport.  The flip side is performance, safety and cost.  

Let's start with the easy one cost, look at it as the Jenny Craig program for kayaks; it costs money to lose weight. There are many types of light weight materials such as fiberglass, Kevlar and lighter weight plastics and almost all types of kayaks from 9 foot recreational boats to 18 foot sea kayaks come in one or more of these versions. They are just more expensive than their run of the mill plastic counterparts. So what about size?  A shorter, smaller boat will be lighter and easier to handle. In many cases a 9ft boat can be put in the back of a pickup or SUV as long as it is secured well.  If your intent is to paddle lazily around the ponds then this may be your answer.  For those who might favor a bigger or longer boat the answer is a kayak rack, now you can carry that boat on your roof.   So, as I said, before how DO I get that boat up there?

There are many rack options ranging from foam blocks and straps which will run less than $50 but offer no assistance in hefting that boat, to hydraulic assisted side lifting racks which may run $750 for one boat but will make your life a breeze.  Choosing an appropriate rack is dependent on several things:

• the style of car you drive
• how many and what kind of boats you want to carry
• how much lifting assistance you require

Several rack manufacturers such as Thule and Yakima make systems  that allow you to slide a boat onto your car from the rear using a roller or gliding system. These work well with SUVs and higher profile vehicles and with a few practice runs can be mastered by most folks.  The addition of a bath mat or old rug on the back of the car to slide the boat across makes it even easier, because you can now slide the boat on the car without damaging the paint!  For lower profile vehicles and sedans you can use something called a boat loader which essentially extends your rack out to the side, allowing you to lift only one end of the boat at a time and slide it onto your rack. These options can run from $150 dollars if you have a factory rack to around $350-450 if you include the purchase of a rack system.   

Then there is the Rolls Royce of racks.  Thule makes several different types of hydraulic assisted racks that allow you to load boats from the side or back, but at close to hip level.  Once the boat is secured the hydraulics assist in lifting the boat and rack onto the roof. These are pricey, but in many cases still less then Kevlar boats and are worth looking at.

The Goose Hummock Outdoor Center carries a full line of Thule and Yakima water sports racks. The folks in the kayak shop can give you great advice on the system that will best meet your needs.  They will also install your rack for free!

Finally, now that it's up there how do I secure it?  The easiest way is a self tightening webbing strap like the one pictured.  If you secure it as in the picture, with the buckle facing down, you can use your body weight to tighten it simply by pulling down.  Bungees are a no-no they do nothing to secure the boat, it will move side to side and can slide off.

If you like ropes and knots an easy version of what some call a truckers hitch can be used to secure a boat.  The beauty of this knot is that it comes completely out by pulling the bitter end.  No knife needed! 

This is also a great knot for bow and stern lines which should always be used when you are going to drive any distance further then across town or anything over 30 mph.

If you do stop by the shop feel free to ask us about how best to secure your boat, we will even teach you how to tie this knot.

See you on the water...

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Goose Hummock Open House this Saturday April 12th

Unfortunately the forecast for Saturday is looking pretty wet.  But there is a  silver lining for all you fishing enthusiasts; it gives you a great excuse to put off cleaning the yard and come down to the Goose to talk about fishing!  We have an updated schedule of seminars as well as a complete list of the companies who will be on hand to demonstrate and talk about their products.

The seminar schedule will be:

• 11:00      Kayak fishing 101, Gear Tips & Getting Started - Tom Baney Ocean Kayak.
• 12:30      Tuna Trolling Tactics east of Chatham- Matt Zajak
• 1:30        Butterfly Jigging Techniques for Tuna and Bass - Jordan Paullo, Shimano

Product Representatives on site:

• Ocean Lures
• Shimano
• St. Croix
• Pt. Jude
• Bimini Bay/Tsunami
• Carlson Offshore Tackle

We will also have a representative from the Osterville Anglers Club here to talk about their Tuna Tournament.

Plus don’t forget food and door prizes and great specials on gear.  Feel free to call the shop for more information at 508 255-0455 or check the website.

And…if you need another excuse, we have a lots of great rain gear in the shop!

See you Saturday

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Goose Hummock Annual Kids Fishing Contest April 19th-26th

H

ere is a great way to get outdoors with your kids…take them fishing! How about the week of April 19^th through April 26^th, which just happens to be school vacation  for a lot of the Cape kids?

The Goose Hummock Kids Fishing Contest is an annual event where everyone wins a prize!  The rules are simple, you catch a fish, you bring it to the Goose Hummock Shop to get weighed and you win a prize. Plus fame and fortune by getting your picture posted on the internet! Well maybe not fortune, but it could be a good resume starter for all those aspiring young Charlie Moores out there.  In addition to prizes the 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd place fish in each category will recieve awards.  

There are two divisions in the contest; one for juniors up to 14 years old and one for seniors 15 to 17 years old.

  The categories for the juniors are:                       

• Rainbow Trout
• Bass
• Pickerel
• Perch
  

  For the seniors they are:

• Rainbow Trout
• Bass
• Pickerel

The awards ceremony for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place catches will be held at the Goose Hummock Shop on Sunday April 27th at 3pm.

You can find more information on the contest and loads more pictures from previous years at www.goose.com, just click on Kids Fishing Contest!

Good Fishing!

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It may be too early for the fish, but not too early to talk about them!

Looking for something to do to help pass the time before the spring, and the fish, actually get to the Cape?  Why not stop in at the Goose Hummock Shop for our Spring Open House.   If you can’t be fishing yet at least you can be talking about it and I can assure you, you will find no shortage of folks who will bend your ear about fishing at the shop.

 On Saturday April 12^th from 10am until 4pm we will be hosting an open house at the our main shop on Rt 6A in Orleans.  We will have many of our manufacturer’s reps on hand to talk about and demonstrate their products, but even better we will have informative seminars.  So far we have on the schedule:

•  Matt Zajak will present a seminar entitled: " Trolling Techniques for Tuna, East of Chatham."

• Jordan Palio from Shimano will have a seminar on Vertical Jigging, which is a fast growing new trend for the sport fisher.
• Tom Baney from Ocean Kayak will be presenting on Kayak Fishing
• Demonstrations from Shimano and Tsunami
  

 Plus food and prizes and did I mention it is all free!

For those who are not familiar with the shop we are located at 15 RT 6A in Orleans, right off the Orleans Rotary and directly across from the Stop and Shop.  If you would like more information on the event or directions you can surf over to our website or call the shop.  The phone number is 508 255-0455.

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Thinking about buying your first kayak?

Thinking about buying your first kayak?

There are several considerations you may be faced with when you think about buying a kayak.  Most likely the first one you will encounter is that kayaks come in different categories: Recreational, Day Touring and Ocean or Performance Touring.  An important thought to bear in mind at this point is that your decision regarding the type of kayak you buy should be based on what you want to do with the boat and not on your experience level. Different types of boats are designed for different environments and uses not whether you are a beginner or an experienced paddler.  To help you decide what might be right for you ask yourself these important questions:

• Where do I want to use this kayak?
• What do I want to do with this kayak?
• Where do I see myself going with my skill level?
  

The answers to these questions will help shed light on the type of boat you should consider. Some things to remember as you think about these questions are:

Ponds, lakes, and small rivers are very different from bays, harbors and the ocean as far as wind and currents go. You can take pretty much any boat into a pond and have a great time but you can not necessarily take a boat designed for a pond into water with more challenging elements and have the same result. The pond boat will not offer the safety and performance characteristics you will want in the more dynamic environment.

If you want to advance your skills both for enjoyment of the sport as well as more challenging water conditions consider buying a boat you can grow into.  Make sure the boat has the features you will need to learn and practice new skills.

The following information should help you get started identifying the type of boat that is right for you.

RECREATIONAL KAYAKS

Recreational boats are typically 12 feet and under and fairly wide, around 27-30 inches.  They are designed and well suited for flat water such as ponds, small lakes, small rivers, and around the edges of estuaries, in other words within swimming distance of shore.  They typically have flat bottoms and tons of initial stability on flat water. They are very maneuverable but conversely are not the best tracking boats. This means it is harder to make them go straight than to turn them. Within the elements they are designed for they are great, fun boats. Taken out of their element the stability characteristics change and that easy maneuverability starts to work against you.

DAY TOURING or RECREATIONAL TOURING KAYAKS

These boats range between 13 and 15 feet in length and are a little skinnier, usually 24 to 26 inches in width. They are designed with characteristics to handle larger bodies of water such as the bays and harbors we have here on the Cape.  They have safety features such as bulkheads and deck lines which allow them to be emptied of water and reentered by the paddler in deeper water.  They are also narrower and longer which improves the tracking. The hull designs vary, but generally provide good initial stability and acceptable to good secondary stability for rougher water. Secondary stability is what we rely on when the water gets choppy and the boat gets bounced about more. In other words it is not always sitting flat on its bottom! These boats typically come with an option for a rudder to assist the paddler in maintaining a course in wind or current.

OCEAN or PERFORMANCE TOURING KAYAKS

Ocean going boats are typically 16 to 18 feet long and skinny, 19 to 23 inches in width.  They are designed to handle ocean-type conditions and surf. They usually have 2 or 3 bulkheads, lots of deck lines and upswept bows and sterns to cut through waves and chop. The hull designs are more aggressive which provides adequate to good initial stability buts lots of secondary stability – which is what you want in rougher water. The length of the boat helps maintain course and keep the boat from broaching in following seas. Many also feature a skeg for directional stability rather then a rudder.  With a touring boat fit is also important as we control the boat with our lower body so good comfortable contact points are important. To provide a good fit they do come in different sizes, or as you will see it volumes.  For these reason it becomes important to “try it on for size”.

Hopefully this information will start you thinking but another avenue is always to ask questions.  Ask friends who paddle about their boats, what they like or don’t like. Ask a lot of questions at your local paddle shop.  The more information you can gather the better and start getting ready now as the season is fast approaching.

See you on the water!

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