Piotr

Like the main movie character of the "Waterworld" - Mariner, from my early age I felt great on the water, often better than on the land. As a kid I was sailing on floating ice, rafts made of just about anything, and fund somewhere Styrofoam blocks. Most often it ended with a forced bath in the ice water and tempered health and character more than boating skills.
My passion for sailing, despite these awkward beginnings, has never expired in the icy waters of ponds and rivers. On the contrary, I was feeling a definite hunger of the sea, even more. In result, I tied my whole professional life with the sea and ships, but this is a different story, maybe even some of interesting? ...

Anyway, I started my first serious canoeing adventure not ealier than as a teenager. The canoe section, at the now-defunct "UNIMOR" Electronics Plant, in Gdańsk. They had an impressive fleet of epoxy resin kayaks. They soaked in water and leaked after a few hours of floating, they required drying, immediate repairs and even patching large holes. About contemporary super-tight kayak sacks, not many canoeists heard, at this time, if at all? In the spring of 1990, the section inaugurated a new canoeing season, organizing a rafting trip on the "Wda River", to which I was invited by a late friend - Piotr, a well-known Gdańsk promoter of all forms of qualified tourism, and much more. Thanks to him, symbolically honoring his memory, that I always have with me a "Book of Tourist Canoe Badges", often to the surprise and even amusement of other kayakers who see in this archaic way of documenting expeditions, generated in the era of (PRL) People's Republic of Poland. Especially, in times of computers, digital cameras, GPSs and smartphones, which of course I also have a full of my kayak, my stamp book, from places I visited with my kayak must arouse nostalgic - conservative associations. However, I will stick to these habits, because the culture and tradition of the sailor founding the legendary "romanticism of the sea", which I never got rid of, even after nearly 30 years of service In the navy and several dozens kayaking expeditions.

Sea culture has always seduced me. Not every professional or hobby group has developed a separate, not only professional, bibliographic department In the library or other artistic forms, such as painting, music and even fashion, etc. I cannot imagine a festival of loyer’s or even angling asociation’s or golfers songs, despite the fact that the fishing association in Poland is the strongest one with over one million members. However, this is not all. Canoeing and other forms of maritime activity allowes you to learn and feel the nature and your own limits and abilities. No less important is the sense of freedom and independence, which is less and less, but still, gives the oportunisty due to the vessel system connected with various open watercourses.

Someone asked me, once: "Do you count every, even one-day, no big kayaking?" I replied without hesitation, "There are not going out on the water of no importance – every journey matters." Each of them requires more or less, the same effort and preparation. It needs planning the route, weather check, completing the companion and equipment, provisions, arranging transport, and finally rowing safely for fiew, several or several dozen hours. There is often something unforeseen, something breaks, something is forgotten, you need to be able to control stress and overcome difficulties and most of all not forgot to enjoy the unique moment.

As on the water and not only, I always try to remember the sentence given to me by my friend and the best kayaking expeditions planner and manager, I have ever known, Michal: „No matter how good or bad kayaker you are, the sea will kill you anyway. But if you are good, you will know whre you are in that particular moment.”

Piotr Kozłowski
September 2020

Michał

This page is the result of mine many years of passion. Thanks, unfortunately to the late uncle Michal - which encouraged me then a teenager, to that - since 1993 I do kayaking. After spending nearly 250 days and nights on the water, I have travelled nearly four thousand kilometres during almost eighty canoeing trips on 36 rivers of Poland, Lithuania and Finland and about 300 nautical miles along the shores of the Baltic Sea, the ocean Atlantic as the Arctic Ocean.

This page is the result of mine many years of passion. Thanks, unfortunately to the late uncle Michal - which encouraged me then a teenager, to that - since 1993 I do kayaking. After spending nearly 250 days and nights on the water, I have travelled nearly four thousand kilometres during almost eighty canoeing trips on 36 rivers of Poland, Lithuania and Finland and about 300 nautical miles along the shores of the Baltic Sea, the ocean Atlantic as the Arctic Ocean.

The latter, seemingly obvious, since I live by the Baltic Sea, has happened only in July 2017, when I immersed the oars and the hull of my "ship" in ... the Sea Barents. In the northernmost inhabited settlement the tiny fishing village of Skarsvåg, a few km east of the North Cape (Nord Capp). After a few hours in the waters of the Arctic, I immediately swallowed the catch of this "niche in niche ”, which in our country is sea kayaking.

Following the blow, in September 2017 I started the implementation planned for several years the idea of a canoe trip along the entire Polish coast, POLSKI BRZEG. From the New Pasleka on the Vistula Lagoon to the Nowe Warpno on the Szczecin Lagoon. About 350-380 nautical miles (650-700 km). Currently, I have reached about half of the project.

In the meantime, there were also Finnish Allands, Norwegian Lofoten Islands and Dolna Odra with The Szczecin Lagoon. I have travelled with my friend, Piotr Kozlowski, the most persistent canoeing companion, also present here on the website. From time to time, join me or us, on the rivers Mirek, Cyprian, Adam, Mikołaj. I also like the lonely dimension of my sea adventures, that happens, at least quite often.

I have been using the PRIJON TOURYAK for several years. Although, this is not typical equipment sea, it works perfectly, being stable, fast and very packable. Perfect for expeditions, from small rivers to sea waves.

Canoeing - apart from my other interests - is my springboard, an escape from everyday life stressful work in a specific profession of a prosecutor. It is also the realization of my childhood, unfulfilled dream to become a sailor.

This blog was created primarily to showcase photographs of beautiful sights from a rare perspective of a barely above water kayak and to please the eye of all those who do they love the sea and for some reason they ended up here. Maybe it will inspire someone to going the same way.

dr Michał GABRIEL-WĘGLOWSKI
September ‘2020
canoe7@wp.pl

Rowy - Ustka

Date: 21.10.2022
Start: Rowy (Port Rybacki)
Finnish: Ustka (plaża wschodnia)
Distance: 16.7km (9 Mm)
Wind Strength: wiatr SSE 19 Kph, 2-3°B
Weather: 7 °C
Average speed: 4,3 km/h.
Time spent on the water: 3:51

Wisła 2022

Włocławek - Gniew 27-31 August 2022


Start: Włocławek
Finish: Gniew
Distance: 199km (107.4 Mm)

Averrage Speed: 7 km/h. Time on the water: 28 godzin. Laps: 5

Camps:

Zabłocie

Górsk

Grabówko

Tryl

Training in Self Rescue

Trening obejmował:

Opanowanie stresu podczas wywrotki kajaka, opuszczanie kokpitu pod wodą.

Doskonalenie technik odwracania kajaka i ponownego zajmowania miejsca w kajaku.

podawanie linki holowniczej i holowanie kajaka.

Ruggia (Germany) - Cap Arkona

Date: 08.07.2022
Start: Freizeitcamp (Plaża Wschodnia) Half Loop: Cap Arkona
Finish: Freizeitcamp (Plaża Wschodnia)
Distance: 19.4km (12 Mm)
Wind: wiatr NW 28 Kph, 4-5°B
Weather: 17 °C, precipitations
Averrage speed: 4,6 km/h. Time on the water: 4:24

Water Virus 2022

Date: 03-06 July 2022 Start: Nowe Warpno (Przystań jachtowa)
Finish: Wolgast (Germany, camping)
Distance: 68.7km (42 Mm)

Averrage Speed: 4.5 km/h. Time on the water: 25h godzin. Laps: 3

Campings:

Nowe Warpno (Yachting port - camp)

Grambin (Semi wild camp on the beach)

Quilitz (Private sailing club)

Wolgast (Town camping)

Yantar - Stogi

Date: 20.03.2022
Start: Yantar (beach, entrance no. 80)
Finish: Stogi (beach)
Distance: 21.2km (11.4 Mm)
Wind: North 15 km/h, sea state 2-4°B
Weather: 15 °C, partialy clouded
Averrage Speed: 4,7 km/h. Time on the water: 4:33

Sarbsko Lake

Date: 22.05.2022
Start: Przybrzeże Marina
Finish: Przybrzeże Marina
Distance: 12.2km (6.5 Mm)

Time on the water: 2:52

Karwia - Lubiatowo

Date: 20.03.2022
Start: Karwia (kanał Karwianka, plaża, wejście nr 48)
Finisz: Lubiatowo (plaża, wejście nr 44)
Distance: 24.6km (13.3 Mm)
Wind: south - east, 2-4°B
Weather: 11 °C
Avarrage Moving Speed: 5,3 km/h

Paddling Time: 4:38

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