Stripper Therapy

[Conk]

Prior to rotator cuff surgery in December I milled a supplyof cedar strips for the next build. I felt that stripping a hull might prove to be favorable physical therapy for my reconstructed shoulder. I'm 12 weeks into my rehabilitation and progressing nicely. My goal is to have stacked hands on a vertical shaft by May; I hope to have a new canoe, to do it in. https://picasaweb.google.com/conk46er/TheGyr#

 

[daveo4]

Hi Conk,
I had rotator cuff surgery last June in the middle of a canoe build. I was at it again 3 days post op and paddling in September in the new canoe. Keeping up with the physical therapy is the key. Good luck with the shoulder and the canoe build!!
Dave

 

[Seeker]

Good to hear from you Conk. We met on Low's a few years back. I went to school near you. I think I was paddling my uncles un-canvased Old Town. Keep the photos coming! Love watching builds.

 

[stripperguy]

Conk,

Your attention to detail and quality of build sicken me...that's actually a good thing.
I am humbled by your aspirations and accomplishments, that's some really nice work.
Have you totaled your hours on your builds? It's really intersting to see the comparisons and contrasts between our methods...I too like to glue full size section drawings directly on the forms.
I'm looking forward to see how the build progresses, and anxiously awaiting photos of it on those last few waters in the five ponds wilderness.

As to the design, phew!! That's a pretty round hull, do you think it will be squirmy? I love the tumblehome, will it be finished bright?

 

[memaquay]

I haven't undergone the surgery yet, but underwent extensive physio for about 8 months for rotator cuff trouble and bicep tendonitis. Got through last paddling season with only minor aches and pains, hoping for the same this year. Stripping is definitely good rehab, I built my big 20 footer last winter while undergoing physio.

 

[Guest]

Conk, care to share any of the specs, dimensions or design intentions?

I’m hoping to paddle with you near E-town someday.

Edit - Never mind, I found the specs in photo caption. Looks like a nice hull for the Black or South.

 

[Conk]

Stretching, isometrics, rolling a big ball up and down the wall and yanking on rubber bands, therapy is boring but effective. My strength and range of motion are improving; I am now able to scratch places that have itched for a long time.

The ice has been gone for several weeks but I have yet to test the shoulder by paddling. Watching friends have adventure on local creeks from the sidelines is difficult. The Gyr project has proven to be better therapy for the mind than physical.

I'll try to keep the Gyr album updated for all my paddling friends who long for a little time in the shop. https://picasaweb.google.com/conk46er/TheGyr

 

[Guest]

Gyr?

Gyr?

Conk, is the Gyr named after the Falco rusticolus or the Zebu cattle breed?

 

[Conk]

It's the last of the falcons for which a paddle craft has not been named. Linguists debate the origins of the word. It's either a b*st*rdization of a German word for vulture or the Latin gyrus-meaning circular, referencing the manner in which Falco rusticolus hunts for its prey. Gyrus is also a convolution of our brain, a ridge on the cerebral cortex that, to me, looks very much like a meandering stream; the type of water where I believe this canoe will excel. I'll have to work on tying it to the Zebu cattle though.

 

[Guest]

It's the last of the falcons for which a paddle craft has not been named. I'll have to work on tying it to the Zebu cattle though.

This may help, perhaps with the choice of paint color.

Gyrs are considered to be the most gentle of the Zebu breeds. They love being with humans. They adore being brushed and scratched. They vary in color from pure red to speckles, yellowish red to white with large red spots. Their undercoat is red.

 

[yellowcanoe]

My wood dacron canoe loves to be scratched too by me..then I have to brush it (with replacement paint)

 

[Guest]

I’ve encountered Conk while on paddle trips and the falcon description sounds quite accurate:

“Gyrfalcons disperse widely after the breeding season, or in winter. Individual vagrancy can take birds for long distances. The Gyrfalcon is dispersed throughout much of the Northern Hemisphere. Its plumage varies with location, with birds being coloured from all-white to dark brown”

I have my doubts that Conk loves being with humans. I haven’t tried brushing him; I think you’d have to cut out the mats and burrs first.

 

[Conk]

Mike,

You have a very good handle on my breeding and vagrant tendencies.

 

[Guest]

You have a very good handle on my breeding and vagrant tendencies.

Conk, I expect that you are sporting whiter than usual colorization after a winter of shoulder rehab and shop stripper work.

I’m hoping to see you sunbaked dark brown sometime this fall or winter. Maybe E-town.