More pre-trip planning and preparation

I went out yesterday with my good friend Ted Gornall to do a pre-trip photo shoot. My adventure is beginning to attract media attention, and I realized last week that I have very few kayaking pics of myself—I'm always the one behind the camera. The photo shoot also gave me an excuse to try out and show off some of my cool new gear. We launched from Island View beach, a few miles north of Victoria, BC. The day was kind of windy and overcast, but we still managed to get about 150 good photographs. I've posted 16 of these new images to my gallery. We were both rather pressed for time, so I didn't get a chance to set up the tent and unpack all my camping gear. But there will be plenty of 'live' camp images once I get underway. And I haven't received all my gear and supplies yet; some of my stuff is being shipped directly to St. Paul. I'll also pick up my Prijon Kodiak kayak there, so I'll be taking on the Mississippi in a different kayak, not the one I used for yesterday's photos.

When I talk to reporters and friends about my trip, the question of danger and personal safety enevitably comes up. There are five factors that can make kayaking dangerous: currents, tides, wind, boat traffic and stupidity. Of the five, boat traffic is the most unpredictable, and stupidity the deadliest. Large freighters and cruise ships can be intimidating to most inexperienced kayakers, but in reality they pose little threat. You can see them from miles away, so you have plenty of time to get out of their way; they stay in deep water, usually far from the shore and sensible paddlers; and they track a steady course and change direction slowly and deliberately, again giving you plenty of warning. As a rule, with a few notable exceptions on record, larger vessels have professional and sober crews at the helm, which removes another variable from the equation. I worry most about recreational power boaters when I'm on the water. Whenever horsepower and speed meet with a lack of common sense and consideration, somebody suffers—in this case the kayaker.

Kayaking is, generally speaking, one of the safer recreational activities. Very few people have died in kayak-related incidents, in spite of the exploding popularity of ocean kayaking in the past decade. Most, if not all, kayaking deaths are caused by errors of judgment and a lack of common sense, collectively known as stupidity. People get into trouble or die because they go out on the ocean without understanding tides and currents; because they don't take five minutes to check the weather forecast, or because they ignore signs that the weather is changing. Some drown because they take off without life jackets and spray skirts; others are killed by their inexperience, or more accurately, their ignorance of their inexperience.

The value of good navigation charts for this kind of undertaking cannot be overstated. I love maps, the more detail the better, and I am one of those rare individuals who enjoy map reading and navigation for their own sake. The US Army Corps of Engineers have been custodians of the Mississippi for more than 170 years, and they have the most accurate and up to date navigation charts. The charts show all the navigation features I need for my trip: navigable sloughs, open channel areas, hazardous areas, historical sites, small boat harbors, wildlife sanctuaries, state and national parks, campgrounds, locks, dams, and other features. The maps have a scale of 1:31,680. This translates into one inch on the map for every half mile of river, which allows for great detail. I will also be using a handheld GPS receiver.

I must confess that I'm a bit of a technology enthusiast, so I will be taking a fair number of gadgets (I prefer the term 'equipment') with me on this trip. I'll be making my way downstream fully armed with notebook computer, cellular phone, hands-free digital voice recorder, GPS tracking device, and on the other end of the technology scale, but still very cool, waterproof notebooks and paper. The GPS tracking is really neat: it will be possible to follow my progress in real time on my web site, courtesy of Eye-On GPS tracking technology, provided by The Real Security Company. I hope to have that up and running by the end of next week.

So far everything is on track to set off from St. Paul on Sunday, May 13th. Check out my web site for media news and press releases.

Jacob van der Merwe, a.k.a The Crazy Kayaker

This summer, I get to realize a childhood dream. I am embarking on a 2,000 mile Mississippi kayak adventure. My journey starts at St. Paul on May 13th and I plan to be in New Orleans by the end of August—a 100 day adventure! I'll be posting most of my reports here but to learn more about my journey and to follow my progress please visit crazykayaker.com.

All my life I have known that one day I will meet this river, and get to know its people, its places and its history, in an up-close and personal way. I can think of few more intimate ways than to make my way downstream in a kayak, paddle in hand, at the river's own pace. I will share my experience through my web site, blog and photo gallery. I'm also planning to a write book about my journey, the river and its people.

This venture would not have been possible without the generous support of my sponsors. My adventure seems to have struck a chord with many people, not just to the extent that they are willing to support me with gear and supplies, but I'm finding genuine interest and enthusiasm from people in general. I guess some things will always have the power to appeal to our more imaginative and romantic sides. For a complete list of my sponsors please visit crazykayaker.com.

I plan to use an ocean kayak for my voyage. It is not the obvious choice for a trip of this nature. Earlier and latter day explorers have typically opted for rafts, canoes, barges, inflatables—the kinds of vessel more traditionally associated with the Mississippi. I decided to use a Prijon Kodiak. It's the perfect boat for the task. At 17 feet long and 23½ inches wide at the cockpit, it offers the perfect balance between stability and speed. I can stuff eighty pounds of gear into the hatches and comfortably paddle along at three knots per hour. It is made from polyethylene plastic that is virtually indestructible, so I don't have to worry about logs or other debris doing a Titanic on my kayak. I pay a weight penalty for all this strength: my kayak tips the scales at 62 pounds empty; the same design in fiberglass weighs around 50 pounds. But I do not want to end up with a mile of river on either side and a hole in my boat, so fiberglass is not an option for me. Besides, when you're hauling a lot of gear it's easy enough to make up the weight difference by leaving a few non-essentials behind.There is something to be said too for being familiar with your equipment.

I've spend so many hours in a similar kayak that it feels like an extension of my body when I get into the cockpit. Knowing your kayak intimately means fewer surprises on the water. There are enough variables a paddler has to contend with; equipment shouldn't be on that list. I know exactly what to expect from my kayak, and how it will behave in different situations—whether I'm facing five foot waves, battling a strong current or doing a recovery roll in rough water. It's a comforting feeling.

Supply and other logistical arrangements for this expedition are straightforward and for the most part without the challenges inherent to wilderness or ocean trips. Food and other supplies will be cached and replenished as required en route. There are stretches along the last few hundred miles of the river that cut through undeveloped terrain, where I will have to be self-sustained for a few days. This poses no problem since my kayak can hold a seven day supply of food and water in addition to all my gear. I plan to camp most of the way. I will stay in touch with friends, family, the media, my sponsors, publisher and agent via cell phone and a laptop with wireless connectivity. More about logistics, maps and GPS tracking in my next blog post....

Jacob van der Merwe, a.k.a. The Crazy Kayaker