I’m always on the hunt for great resources out there on the net and I recently stumbled upon a real gem. If you have an interest in boat and gear modification then Gnarly Dog News will really appeal to you.

Topics on the blog include great directions on how to replace your existing factory foot pegs with carbon fibre foot brace that you can build yourself. While you are there, also take the time read his article on how to build your own solar panel charger that fits on the backdeck of a kayak.

For about a year now I have been following along with the website, Universe Today. It's a great about anything to do about space and what's going on up there along with news about related matters down here.

Most times, it's pretty technical and over my head though recently they have been expanding my favourite section of their blog, Astronomy for Kids.

Got back from a week and a bit of vacation the other day and still trying to get a few things sorted out. The pile of emails is still rather large...ugh.

Over the past couple of days, I found a couple of really cool resources that I thought I would share with you.

Sailwx is a really simple online tracking system for Ocean Liners, Cruise Ships, Research Vessels and Tall ships.

Presented in almost real time, you can zoom in on any ocean map and you are presented with the ships location including a link to the Universal Licensing System website which can give you a huge amount of information on that ship including it size, owner, purpose, number of crew, etc.

Let's face it, sea kayakers are about the worst judge of wave height ever though not quite as bad as fishermen judging the length and weight of a fish. For fishing the general rule of thumb is add 2 inches for every mile away from home and for paddlers, just double the height and add 6 inches for good measure.

Surfline recently posted a great article on judging eave height and they posted example photos to boot! Just keep in mind they are standing up when riding the waves so they use slightly different language then we would but it is a good starting point for beginners.

Here is their measurement chart:

I was extremely pleased to recently get in the mail the latest issue of Family Camping and Canoeroots. Printed by the same publishing company that brings you Adventure Kayak, Rapid and Kayak Fishing Magazines.

Canoeroots has a different feel then many of the other canoe magazines out there on the store shelves. It's a lot less corporate and seems a lot more down to earth. Reading it, I get the impression that I'm out on a trip and suspect it is due to the fantastic layout and great photos.