What People Say -

The Delmarva Difference,

by Virginia Holman

The first kayak class that I ever took was a mistake. Somehow, I was placed in a class that instead of educating me about to make good forward and turning strokes, kayak nomenclature, rules of the road, or chart and compass reading, demanded that I teach all of these things I had never been taught. I was frustrated and baffled and had it not been for a combination of my own muleheadedness and the kindness and pity of a few of my fellow classmates, I might have forsaken kayaking forever. Everything seemed inaccessible. I left the class with a righteous indignation, a couple new friends, but most importantly a sense that, if given the right kind of assistance, I could go places and do things in my kayak that I'd never thought possible.

When I decided several years later to try Greenland kayaking, I began with the paddle, since I did not have access to a Greenland kayak. And I knew this time that I wanted a class that was student focused, not a class that was aimed at teaching me to teach. I also knew that if I wanted to learn well, I should start with the best interaction possible. I live on the Southeastern coast, not exactly a hotbed of Greenland kayaking, so when I saw a class offered by Alison Sigethy in Charleston, I knew that I wanted to attend and learn.

The Greenland kayaking class was much more suited to my personality. Not only did Alison teach and teach well, she respected each student's desires and needs. My learning style is "glacier"--slow but relentless. I would learn a few things, then max out and go off on my own to process and practice, coming back into the group when I was ready. I felt no pressure to be any other way from Alison or the group. In fact, when Alison was working with other students one on one, those of us practicing exchanged useful information and taught one another. I left that weekend happy.

After paddling all summer long with a Lumpy Paddle that owner Bill Bremer loaned me while mine was being made, I knew I wanted to learn more about Greenland kayaking. Again, I thought that learning from the masters was the best way to go, so I signed up for Delmarva Paddlers Retreat.

I was intrigued by the scene--when I looked at the website I wondered who were these strange Bergman like creatures with skinny sticks? What was a Dubside? What if I mispronounced Maligiaq's name? Would this strange tribe of people welcome a southern, middle aged woman who had just learned how to pronounce norsaq?

My fears were unfounded. There was no cliquishness at all, only a welcome. I took classes with Jules Bodnar, Maligiaq, Helen Wilson, Greg Stamer, Kerry Pflugh, and others. Everyone teaching and in attendance was immensely knowledgeable, kind, smart, and open. I knew that I would not master every maneuver that I undertook, but each teacher gave me essential bits and pieces and all of them offered encouragement. I tried the ropes with Dubside, David Sides, and the Apgar kids and had a blast; I met kayakers in their twenties and thirties and kayakers heading toward eighty; I slept and ate well and left longing for a Greenland boat of my own as well as a thirst to learn more about Greenlandic history and customs.

My first experience at Delmarva has assured me that I will be back but mostly it has given me a sense of how the beautiful traditions of this culture are passed down and how I hope to pass them along as I move about in the world. That's a big gift to get in just three short days.

"Wow... thanks for organizing a great weekend. What a trip! I was able to do back braces, side skulls, and my standard roll like a dream...maybe there is a skin on frame boat in my future. The guide format was ideal. I was able to pick up small trick from lots of different instructors as well as work closely with one or two. The guide format also allowed me to work on my own and fine tine the few basic things I was trying to learn as well." - Henry Coffee

QAJAQ Building Workshop -  

Few kayaks can match the skin-on-frame type for simplicity, elegance, and performance. These kayaks are custom-fitted to the individual, bringing you closer to the water and the paddling experience.

During this rewarding six-day course, students will have the opportunity to build a replica of a traditional Greenland-style skin-on-frame kayak based on museum surveys. Participants will have a choice of building a reproduction of the FRAM Museum #176 kayak from 1888 which measures 17'10" in length by 20 ½" in width, or a replica of the Canadian Museum of Civilization IV-A-375 Disko Bay kayak from 1931 which is 16'4" long and 20" wide. Minor sizing adjustments will allow the builder to custom-fit the kayak. Traditional construction techniques will be blended with modern materials to create a kayak that is fast and light. The finished kayaks, constructed from Western red cedar with steam-bent white ash ribs and a stitched-on synthetic skin, will weigh between 25 and 28 lbs.

Instructor Mark Kaufman will create a materials/kit package that includes pre-machined Western red cedar gunwales, stringers, deckbeams, stems, white ash rib stock, laminated white ash masik deckbeams, finished cockpit rim, adjustable foot braces, seat slats, deck lines, nylon, urethane coating, and a partially pre-shaped Western red cedar paddle blank.

Skills Mark will teach include procedures for accurately replicating the original profile of the kayak from line drawings, layout procedures, mortise-and-tenon construction, steam-bending, hull shaping, sewing on a skin, and, time permitting, carving a Greenland-style paddle.

Mark promises a fun, fast-paced, intensive week as each kayak takes shape. Students can expect some long, very productive days so that each day’s goals can be met, and by the end of the week each participant will have a stunning kayak that is ready for the water.

Note: Particpants must register for QAJAQ Workshop Stay, as well as both Standard & Extended Delmarva to participate.  Registrations are limited.

An Older Approach
The manner in which knowledge is passed on from one person to another at the Retreat is different than that which most people have experienced at other kayak retreats. Instead of top-down "instruction" We advance a principle that we are all learners, acknowledging that virtually all of us have knowledge we can share with other paddlers.

Space is limited!

Delmarva Registration is OPEN!

We are adding on-line registration this year.

All registrations must go through this process by going to the "Purchase/Register" Options on the User Menu.

You will be given the option of using PayPal or by mailing in a check with your custom printed form.

Preferences Profile

ACA Waiver Form - Adult
QUSA Waiver Form - Adult

ACA Waiver Form - Minor
QUSA Waiver Form - Minor

Cancellation Policy
Please note that this event has ceilings on number of attendees, and registrations are accepted on a first-come first-serve basis. As such, due to deposits & instructor scheduling, the Delmarva Paddler’s Retreat has a no-refund policy after the Registration deadline of September 7th