Old Schooler's Prayer

Hi Ratt

The Hollowform is kinda ancient. My son and I got them as our FIRST plastic
kayaks in 1979 when we finished our kayaking course. They hadn't been making
them for more than a year. And they were TOUGH. After 4 years hard usage,
the nose tips were pointing up from rock boinking and the bottoms were well
worn by shallow streams, so we traded up.

The Hollowform was a GREAT boat for BIG, that's BBBIGGGG, water. Like 15,000
to 20,000 cfs on the Main Eel.in CA or just big water on smaller creeks. At
15000 to 20000 cfs on the Main Eel, suddenly a 15 to 20 foot high standing
wave will rear up and fall on you here and there with no warning a tall.
Pays to have led a virtuous life. Unfortunately, none of our friends was
ever that virtuous. Leaning forward to cover your spray skirt, preventing
pop-offs, was the recommended practice. A sudden, unexpected standing wave
that high makes you wonder about the efficacy of prayer - except there's no
time.

Best regards to you and your little friend Ratt. I still read your web page
with great delight. In several dialects - that's really neat.

John Adams

"Phat Ratty Ratt" <rivieraratt.TakeThisOut@aol.comRATT.BOY> wrote in message
news:20031009193655.13773.00000508@mb-m22.aol.com...
  > >mccrea@umbi.umd.edu (Mike McCrea)
 >
  > >The Old Schooler's Prayer
  > >
  > >My kayak, which art in pieces, Hollowform be thy name.
  > >Thy hull is sprung, thy last runs done,
  > >On creeks down in almost heaven.
  > >Give me this day my high top Keds
  > >And forgive me my duct tape and patches
  > >As I forgive those who float Prijons around me.
  > >And lead me not into Necky,
  > >But deliver me from Riot.
  > >For mine was the River Chaser,
  > >Early polyethylene,
  > >First roto-molded,
  > >For ages and ages.
  > >Amen.
  > >
 > Very nice.
 >
 > It's astonishing how quickly yesterday's Animal Playboat became today's
Old
 > School craft.
 >
 > Riviera Ratt, PITA
 > STILL Swimless in the 3rd Millennium! (almost)
 > Click of the Week updated 8/12/03
<font color=purple> > For A Good Time, call <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.americanwhitewater.org</font" target="_blank">http://www.americanwhitewater.org</font</a>>
<font color=purple> > and <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://members.aol.com/rivieraratt/ratthole.html</font" target="_blank">http://members.aol.com/rivieraratt/ratthole.html</font</a>><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Old Schooler's Prayer 

 > mccrea.TakeThisOut@umbi.umd.edu (Mike McCrea) wrote:
 >
  >>The Old Schooler's Prayer
  >>
  >>My kayak, which art in pieces, Hollowform be thy name.
  >>Thy hull is sprung, thy last runs done,
  >>On creeks down in almost heaven.
  >>Give me this day my high top Keds
  >>And forgive me my duct tape and patches
  >>As I forgive those who float Prijons around me.
  >>And lead me not into Necky,
  >>But deliver me from Riot.
  >>For mine was the River Chaser,
  >>Early polyethylene,
  >>First roto-molded,
  >>For ages and ages.
  >>Amen.
 >
Phat Ratty Ratt <rivieraratt.TakeThisOut@aol.comratt.boy> wrote:
 >
 > It's astonishing how quickly yesterday's Animal Playboat became
 > today's Old School craft.

Isn't the old school / new school thing just a false distinction
made up to sell plastic boats?

A stroke of genius, Mike. It's the kind of thing that should be on
Pete Staehling's <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.eruditium.org/pete/" target="_blank">http://www.eruditium.org/pete/</a> website.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Old Schooler's Prayer 

Best Damn boat ever made. I bought one in 1975. My first kayak.
Thanks for the memories, Allen
 >> Stay informed about: Old Schooler's Prayer 

In article <20031010120905.14985.00000120.RemoveThis@mb-m02.aol.com>,
kayakusa.RemoveThis@aol.comnojunk says...
 > Best Damn boat ever made. I bought one in 1975. My first kayak.
 > Thanks for the memories, Allen
 >

I miss enders.

The big, booming enders you can only get from a long, high volume boat.

Air... Lots of air. spins, flips, hand surfing air flting enders.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Old Schooler's Prayer 

Bill Tuthill <ca_creekin.RemoveThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message

 > A stroke of genius, Mike. It's the kind of thing that should be on
 > Pete Staehling's <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.eruditium.org/pete/" target="_blank">http://www.eruditium.org/pete/</a> website.

I sent it to Pete almost as soon as I posted it.

I also posted it to MCC's Paddle Prattle under a nom de plume (Joe
Ensphalls) and the MCC'ers proved to be quite a creative bunch, coming
up with a variety of paddling prayers:

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.monocacycanoe.org/mccboard/messages/18551.html" target="_blank">http://www.monocacycanoe.org/mccboard/messages/18551.html</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Old Schooler's Prayer 

After paddling happily in the Hollowform for four years, I was most pleased
when my next, more thoughtfully designed, boat would turn so effortlessly
(sometimes even when I didn't want to).

John Adams

"John McClenny" <spamjam.TakeThisOut@bebu.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.19efd273db8415699897ad@news.supernews.com...
 > In article <20031010120905.14985.00000120.TakeThisOut@mb-m02.aol.com>,
 > kayakusa.TakeThisOut@aol.comnojunk says...
  > > Best Damn boat ever made. I bought one in 1975. My first kayak.
  > > Thanks for the memories, Allen
  > >
 >
 > I miss enders.
 >
 > The big, booming enders you can only get from a long, high volume boat.
 >
 > Air... Lots of air. spins, flips, hand surfing air flting enders.
 ><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Old Schooler's Prayer