I used to keep my kayak in the hospital garden during the paddling months, but one year I was invited to paddle with the locals on Greenland’s Nation Day, June 21 (more on that in another post). Suddenly I was upgraded, by invitation, to put my kayak on the qajaq rack.
My kayak (there are two Folbots in this photo – mine is the one with the orange handle) is based on the traditional skin-on-frame Inuit qajaqs. But just look at the difference in size, and, importantly, the width!
The qajaq is built for speed. It cuts through waves, absorbing the wave’s energy through the skin cover (now painted cloth, for the most part) and in the flex of the frame. The traditional frame is built of wood, scavenged from the sea, and tied with sealskin cord.
I’ve mentioned this before.
Repeating myself. LOL
However, have a look a the photo and I’ll leave the rest to your imagination. 🙂
Now if I could only find a picture of a naked frame… Back to the hard drive!
Chris
Nope. Nope. Nope. There is not a snowball’s chance in hell you are getting me on the ocean in that dinky, thin-skinned, little … kayak. I hear there is such a thing as Greenland sharks. Or perhaps they don’t like eating frozen human?
I understand completely. I could never squeeze into them! But it’s not the sharks that will kill you… but I remember being very concerned when killer whales were spotted in the fjord. I didn’t paddle for days! 🙂