TCSKA's Board of Directors

John Andrew           

Linda Campbell(Membership) 

Don Dimond                

Bill Newman              

Sarah Ohmann (Treasurer)

Rick Wright (Secretary)

Note on Board meetings: Club members are very welcome to attend and participate in board meetings. The next board meeting will be on May 12th, 7 PM at Midwest Mountaineering. Please contact John Andrew for an agenda or more information.

General News

Trip Committee
At the winter party/annual meeting a Trip Planning Committee was formed, which has put together the events calendar. The committee is open to all club members and if you would like to be involved in trip planning, we are having our next meeting on Tuesday, May 19th (time and place to be determined, call Dana for more information).

Trip ideas are needed, particularly for beginning trips. If you are interested in running a trip, call Dana. This year we are trying out the idea of "unofficial trips": trips that are spontaneous and informal. So far these have included day paddles on the North Shore, the Apostle Islands, and the Mississippi River. During the winter we mainly used phone and email to notify people, but now we have the MCA hotline to help get the word out. See the section on the hotline for info on how to use it. Please note that official trips are covered by ACA liability insurance and by TCSKA guidelines and policies, while unofficial trips are not.

Hotline
The MCA hotline provide TCSKA members a central messaging voice mail box that can be used by members as clearinghouse to either check on or post information regarding unofficial trips. To check on postings call (612) 985-1111 and select option 8. If you would like to post information on a trip (unofficial) you will need to call Duane Klinge (mail box administrator) @ 949-9629

TCSKA Web Site

Our webpage manager, Duane Klinge, would like more photos and trip reports for the webpage. Duane has access to a scanner for the photos. If you have some that you would like to post, contact Duane at "tcska@geocities.com".

Email List

!!Wanted!! Email addresses! Some of us put together an email list at the annual meeting in February and used it to contact members regarding informal winter paddling trips. If you would like to be contacted by email regarding club trips, events, etc., please send Linda Campbell (Chuck_Holst@compuserve.com) your email address for inclusion on the TCSKA member list. If you would rather not have it published or don't have email but would still like to be contacted Linda.

Sea Kayaking Trip Classification Trip Rating:
SK I
SK II
SK III
SK IV
SK V
SK VI
Geography (Fetch is defined as the unobstructed distance the wind can blow over the water and build up waves.) In areas protected from waves by nearby land forms, in case of wind. Fetches less than 10 nautical miles (nm) unless it is generally possible to land and walk out. Crossings less than 1/2 nm except for very protected trips. Crossings up to two nm wide and/or fetches longer than 10 nautical miles (nm). Crossings up to 5 nautical miles (nm).
Crossings more than 5 nm but less than 3 hrs. paddling time at the speed listed with the trip. Exposed ocean coasts are included when precautions are taken. Trips combining a long fetch with stretches where a safe landing may be difficult or impossible for most of a day. Hydraulics (Expected on route)
Insignificant currents. RK I: With 03 knot current. Max. predicted current up to 1 knot (kt). RK II: With or against 03 knot current. Max. predicted currents up to 2 knots. RK III: With or against current greater than 3 knots. Predicted currents may be more than 2 knots but less than slowest paddler's top speed. Currents may be faster than group can paddle against. Exposure to hazards at any other levels taken to extremes. Route
Day trips near shore. RK I: Little maneuvering; easy access to shore. Either has protection or intermittent places to get out. RK II: Some maneuvering; locks, dams; intermittent places to get out. May involve crossing eddy lines & tide rips. RK III: Significant maneuvering to avoid hazards; few places to get out. May cross strong eddy lines, tide rips, and upwellings. May include landing and launching in surf.

AcceptableConditions (No guarantees) kt = knot Calm
Generally try to avoid choppy water and/or winds above 10 knots. Generally will not start out in white caps, but be prepared for paddling into waves large enough to wash over the deck and be comfortable paddling in at least 10 kt. winds. May include steep waves & swells. Be comfortable paddling in 15 kt. winds. For groups prepared to knowingly set out in rough weather, white caps, and fast currents May only be negotiable with favorable conditions. Kayak rescues may not be possible. Skills & Experience Needed (The skills and experience required are cumulative with ascending levels.) Ability to swim. Except with the leader's permission: (a) previous kayak trip experience is required on trips more than 5 nm.; and (b) previous practice capsizing and wet exiting (or be willing to learn how before the trip). Participants must have practiced assisted sea kayak rescue techniques. Conditions may require bracing skills. Previous group and self rescue practice (both as rescuer and rescuee). Conditions may require anticipatory leaning, reflexive bracing, using the paddle to stern rudder, and the ability to read moving water. Familiarity with charts and navigation. Trip members must have tested their skills in rough conditions, know their limits, and be self-reliant in the event of separation from the group. The ability to Eskimo roll is highly recommended as conditions can make rescues difficult. Rescue practice with the kayak and equipment used on the trip. Extensive experience and skill including kayak surfing and rolling are required.

At its April meeting the TCSKA Board of Directors adopted a new sea kayaking trip classification system to replace the beginner-intermediate-advanced system previously used by the club. The new system, based on one developed by George Gronseth and others and used by several clubs on the West Coast, resembles whitewater ratings in that it attempts to rate trips by difficulty rather than by paddler’s skill levels. As in whitewater, there are six levels of difficulty, with SK I being easiest and SK VI being most difficult. The SK levels are for open water trips on “flat” water such as lakes, including Lake Superior. The board has also defined three RK levels for river trips, based on current speed, direction of travel, maneuvering requirements, such as to avoid floating objects, and access to the shore. Though the new classification scheme is not perfect (no trip classification scheme can be), the board hopes it will be more useful than the old one. The trip classification table is shown on another page. Trip organizers should use the first four rows of the table to rate their trips. On Lake Superior, probably the most important factors to consider are geography and acceptable conditions. Club members who are interested in going on a trip should be concerned mostly with the last row, which describes the skills and experience they will need for the trip. Since club policy has always required that participants in Lake Superior trips be able to conduct assisted rescues and self rescues, the minimum skill level for Lake Superior trips will normally be SK III. A possible exception that would require approval by the board would be a short day trip or class in a protected area. The board has also considered adding an A-B-C rating system to indicate the strenuousness of a trip, but has not yet acted on it. This system would add a letter to the SK rating to indicate how hard or fast members of the group might be expected to paddle. The main reason for the change is that the old system simply wasn’t working, mostly because of ambiguities that had some people almost literally in over their heads. TCSKA is a paddling club, not a guide service. People who want to go on a club trip must be able to keep up with the group and to look after themselves in the anticipated conditions—and, hopefully, in unanticipated conditions. This means, among other things, that everyone is responsible for evaluating their own skills as honestly as possible. Hopefully, the new classification system will better enable them to do this.

Please note that in this classification system the skills and experience for each trip level are minimal skills. Trip organizers may require additional skills and experience, and may reject an applicant who does not have them. Plus or minus signs can be used to further differentiate the levels. For example, a minus sign could be used for a trip that technically fits a given level but is on the easy side of that level. An asterisk designates training trips open to paddlers new to that level. The distance to be paddled and the expected paddling speed should be listed, but do not affect trip level. RK ratings are for river trips. Due to extra risk, the following factors increase the trip ratings 1/2 level each. These factors are cumulative:

• Water temperatures less than 55( F, unless participants bring wetsuits or drysuits to wear.
• A slightly faster current or longer crossing when all other conditions meet the criteria of a stated level.
• Overnight or longer trips, unless an alternative (such as hiking out or being picked up by a support boat) is available.
• Trips planned for times of year when the weather is at its worst and/or least predictable.
• Reduced visibility, i.e. night trips.
• Heavy boat traffic, or crossing commercial shipping lanes.
• Floating ice or debris on river trips.

Required Trip Equipment
For reasons of safety, the Board of Directors requires that individuals have the following equipment on club trips: Kayak with watertight bulkheads and hatch covers, and/or flotation bags, Spray skirt, PFD, Bilge pump, Paddle float, Compass (deck-mounted or hand-held), Whistle or air horn, Flashlight for night paddles (required by law).

At their discretion, trip organizers may require additional safety equipment, such as wetsuits or dry suits. Since dehydration and lack of nourishment are important contributors to poor decision-making, fatigue, and hypothermia, the board recommends, but does not require, that individuals also carry accessible drinking water and energy bars or other food.

Events Calendar
Once again there will be Wednesday night Rendezvous on Lake Calhoun. The meeting place will be the North beach. Plan on arriving at the parking lot at 6:00 or 6:30 PM. The Wednesday night Rendezvous' are intended as a time for learning and practicing skills. The forward stroke practice that is part of paddling out to Brownie Lake, the navigation, paddling with others are all skill development practice that will make the longer trips more enjoyable. To further the goal of learning and practicing the Trips Committee and the TCSKA Board of Directors are working on ideas for skills development activities during the Wednesday night Rendezvous. The suggested activities include Self Rescue, Group Rescue, Towing, Navigation, Night Navigation, Night Paddling, Sculling Contest, Backwards Paddling Race, Paddling with Passenger, and Games. The thought is that we can do one of these activities as a presentation and practice that would take up a portion of the Wednesday night activities. Participation in the skill development session is optional.

For Sale
Current Designs SS, one season light use. Mint over Ivory, very good condition, no dings on the hull or deck. Everything is in new condition. 1900$ OBO. rtull303@aol.com or

Yakima Hully Rollers: used 1 month 25% off list $85. Bonus: Thule Brackets (Set) 50% off list $10. First Need Water Filter: brand new (list $79) 33% off list $55. Jackie Call

Sea Lab 9000 handheld VHF marine radio with spare antenna, AC and DC battery chargers, and waterproof pouch. $60. Call Chuck or send e-mail

Feathercraft K1 Expedition Kayak. Call John Wheat for details.