It was one hell of an event.  I almost skipped this year to go instead to the Mid-Atlantic Small Boat Show at the Maritime Museum.  Robin Snow, the event organizer, convinced me to go.  It really wasn’t that hard.  I missed a great show, but I participated in a most enjoyable 3-day event instead.  No regrets.  I’ll have to start going to the Mystic Seaport boat show so as not to miss next year’s Retreat.  Unlike the ACA and the BCU, the Greenland style of kayaking is passed on through mentoring.  Mentors like Pavia Lumbolt of Greenland, Greg Stamer form Florida and current Greenland Kayaking Champion.  Like Harvey Golden and Vernon Doucette, historians in Greenland boat building and traditions.  Charlie and Cindy Cole of Ocean View; Cindy’s a past Greenland Champion.  Margaret Killen, Rita and Gabriel Romeu, Jenny and Greg Welker, Chuck Sutherland and the list goes on.  Giving of themselves, tirelessly teaching all day, many times one on one.  It’s billed as an all Greenland event, but you will gain even if you only use a “Euro” blade.  Learn to carve your own blade.  Or borrow one.  You may just find it to your liking.

 The weekend started with Robin asking that I take Dubside and Pavia on a tour of Rehoboth Bay Friday.  There was a slight communication problem I guess, because we only paddled a few hundred yards when Pavia announced he’d paddle enough and began practicing his repertoire of 30+ rolls.  Dubside, who was borrowing a hard-shell boat, joined in and found a dozen new rolls he’s never attempted in his Feather Craft.  Sorry, no pictures were taken, so you’ll have to take my word for it.  For those unfamiliar with Dubside, his picture is in the 13^th Delmarva Retreat album.  He is well known for toting his folding boat through the mass transit system in Philly to get to the water.  Joy tried to lend him her Betsy Bay, but Dubside must have been afraid it would cause him to cross over to the hard side, and ran for cover.  We then all headed for Camp Arrowhead.  The evening brought a yummy dinner and a short program on building skin on frame boats at Mystic Seaport.  Much milling around and great conversations. 

 Saturday started with a beautiful sunrise and Kirby and Holloway sausage and pancakes.   Won’t be loosing weight this weekend.  Plenty of things to do but Joy and I decided to paddle across the bay to Thompson’s Island instead, and then back by lunch.  Um um good.  After lunch was a rescues course with Rita and Margaret.  They’ve been trying to get me wet for some time, and now was their chance.  I wanted go back to the basics so we started we the most basic, the wet exit and paddle float re-entry.  Then on to the t-rescue, the bow rescue and finally the scoop rescue.  Phil and I had paired up, we both have a fair amount of paddling experience, but the scoop rescue was new to both of us.  Margaret showed us how to get an injured paddler back in the boat and right them.  We had divided into two classes; Phil and I finished early but didn’t find the others who were doing advanced rescues.  So we paddled over to Dan Smith and practiced our harpoon throwing.  You just never know when something like this may come in handy.  All I was able to score was “Polar Bear Bait”.  Good thing we have a Super G close by, my family would starve if I had to return to hunter-gatherer.  After all day on the water, time for a beer, a shower and dinner.  More good food and peanut butter pie.   

Saturday evening started the Dan’s classic video on the reproductive habits of the barnacle.  You had to be there.  Then a presentation from Greg Stamer on Greenland and the Kayaking Championship followed by Harvey Golden’s slide show on kayaks he has surveyed in museums around the world.  Then off to the pool were Harvey and Pavia showed the rolls required to compete in the Championship narrated by Greg.  It really defies gravity.  Now the best part of the evening was upon us.  The bon fire, a sing a-long and just a little beer and wine.  Unfortunately, too much fun in the sun and this old boy was in bed, sober, by 10:30, but from all reports those that stayed had a fine time. 

Sunday brought cooler weather, more Kirby and Holloway and eggs.  I think I forgot to mention the sticky buns.  Mmmmmm.  I was signed up for a rolling lesson.  I ate sparingly, just one plateful.  Then it was off to the pool.  Chuck Southerland is a great teacher, I think I got it.  Chuck’s method was a little different; he focused on taking my roll apart into 4 distinct steps and then taught me how to continue to teach myself.  I’m closer now than ever to a reliable roll.  It’s up to me to practice.  Actually I think if I did practice after any of my previous lessons I’d be rolling now.  No time to do anything after the pool session, so it’s off to the showers to warm up and then to lunch and the auction.

 Every year the Retreat earns extra money to help defray the costs of bringing special guests in by holding a live auction, silent auction and a raffle.  Excellent items all around, but there were a couple of things on that raffle table that had caught my eye.  So there went my money; surely one of the fine sweatshirts, or if I were really lucky the Tuliq would be mine.  And true to being a B, by the time my raffle number finally hit they were gone.  I did pick up Ray Killen’s fine book on Navigation, so all was not lost by any means.  Noteworthy for its accurate and concise information, but most astounding to me was to see two pictures of Ray paddling with a bent shaft Euro Blade.   http://members.aol.com/kayakillen/katabasis/

 After lunch and the auction, it was off to kayak games.  Now comes the toss up, do I participate or do I take my camera and sneak in a few shots.  Camera won; after all I was dry and warm.  See the recent posts at Retreat 02 in the photo section.  http://photos.groups.yahoo.com/group/DelmarvaPaddlers/lst I’m glad I went with the camera.  See the Katrina and Rachel series.  Katrina’s Dad had arrived to pick her up just as she was entering the rolling competition.  Charlie Cole had taught her the roll on Saturday.  Her face at the end says it all.  She didn’t know her Dad was there to see it.  Rachel nailed 9 or 10 rolls in 30 seconds. 

 I can’t believe I even contemplated not going. 

 More images from Brian Scarborough http://homepage.mac.com/bscarborough/PhotoAlbum4.html

 For more info on the Retreat and to get on the mailing list for next year go to http://delmarvaretreat.com/ I’m sure Gabriel will have photos there too.

 Information on Greenland Kayaking see http://www.qajaqusa.org/

 Answers to my most frequently asked questions; No I don’t have a reliable roll yet, but I am closer. My new paddle is an $18 piece of quarter sawn western red cedar 2x4x8, $2 Linseed oil and 4hrs of my time. My newest blade matches the performance of my Artic Passage, a little more fine tuning of the grip and some drip ties and I believe I’ve found it’s replacement, especially as Perception does not make it anymore.  As before the original images in higher resolution are available for the asking.