New Jersey Kayaking

A Piece of Rope

First of all, if you're going to be a sailor now, you'll have to learn that it is called "line", not "rope".

99 cents buys ten feet of 1/4" braided poly line (which floats) at Harbor Freight, or anywhere else. You never know what you might need it for, always have some on the boat somewhere. And if you're going to be a real mariner, learn to tie a bowline.

A piece of line can be very useful in getting in and out of the boat in tricky places. Just tie the line to the bow handle, and hold it as you climb out. You can then use the line to pull the boat up behind you, or tie it off.

I can never remember

Ten feet is plenty, more than that is just going to make a big tangle.

Parts & Accessories,

Navigation

Do you have a cell phone? You'll probably want to bring it along, and it probably has GPS. This can be very handy out in the wilds of New Jersey. Even if your phone doesn't have GPS, it can triangulate off nearby cell towers and give you a general location.

The cheapest way to use your GPS is to install Google Earth on your phone. That will give you a bird's-eye view of where you are, and a compass. Pretty basic, but it's free. If you want more, you can get a mapping app. I use OsmAnd on Android. The advantage of this is that it can record your trip. Later, you can see how far you went, etc. If you're like me, you'll forget to turn it off and record your drive home too.

Like most phone apps, OsmAnd's user interface is like some sort of puzzle game. The trip recording function is actually a plugin. Figure it all out before you go out, and you won't end up wanting to throw your phone in the water. I've actually used OsmAnd for years, but the developer keeps making unnecessary changes, so every few months you get to re-learn it.

More: Navigation ...