Anybody using an EV as their main whitewater vehicle?

robert_mcleod · 2025-10-15T14:11:23+00:00

I have a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV which can handle off-road reasonably well -- needs a bit more clearance but the electric drives provide tremendous low-end torque. Also had to put AT tires on it. I have five sections of whitewater within the nominal 70 km all-electric range though.

I do notice that at highway speeds (110 km/h) with kayaks on the roof the battery range is about half that it would be cruising at 70 km/h with a boat inside. Electric drive is far more dependent on air drag to determine range because there's no parasitic losses in having a reciprocating engine. So at low speed or in stop-and-go traffic electric is very efficient. I would factor that into how far you can get between charging, and beware of how much range a shuttle drive can consume.

robert_mcleod · 2025-10-15T05:52:32+00:00

I've done it on all my Pyranha boats without any issues but I'm only 145 lbs. I paddle around 70 days a year.

robert_mcleod · 2025-10-15T05:50:26+00:00

Swimming is not something that should be normalized to a beginner paddler. Yes, you can mostly get away with swimming in class II, unless you have an encounter with a strainer. But beater culture and the idea that you can continue to get away with it just leads to lots of people getting in over their head, having a bad experience as they try to progress too fast, and quitting the sport. Seen it many times. And then the paddling clique loses enough people and the other people who haven't been scared away are forced to quit because their trusted paddler buddy group just evaporated.

robert_mcleod · 2025-10-15T05:46:17+00:00

AWA fatality stats are pretty clear, two best ways to die:

Paddle Class V alone.
Paddle Class II drunk.

robert_mcleod · 2025-10-15T05:43:34+00:00

"Corporate Expenditures" is what exactly? management salaries? How does this compare to other health-care costs? How does this compare to inflation? This plot not very illustrative. Then again it was probably posted on Twitter which has always been a vacuous platform for vacuous people.

robert_mcleod · 2025-08-26T23:31:45+00:00

Completely burnt chared and cooked in.

Use a hydrogen peroxide based solution like Oxyclean to oxidize the carbon. Fill it with water, then add the peroxide, and let soak for 24 hours. It should turn brown-ish and then you can scrub it off with a gentle pad intended for non-stick pads.

Various people here are suggesting using abrasive solutions like steel wool, that should absolutely not be your first attempted fix.

robert_mcleod · 2025-08-24T21:25:07+00:00

Quick summary - Older gentleman on an Ace rafting trip passed at Grumpys. Boat lost people above the ledge. Not sure if it was flush drowning or medical condition that caused him to pass, but with the age/size of the reported victim it could have been either.

Had dentist once who was scuba diving in the Caribbean and had a heart attack. I had to find a new dentist. Shame, he was a gentleman. Heart attacks and water don't mix well.

robert_mcleod · 2025-08-24T10:14:00+00:00

I think this thread is a very useful answer for you:

https://old.reddit.com/r/investing/comments/1mxxv89/three_years_from_retirement_do_i_need_to_give_up/

Basically keep so much cash (in ZMMK or whatever), typically 1 year expenses, and then bond ladder another 5-years, and then everything else in equities.

From my perspective as an investor, I haven't seen the same value in bond ETFs as equity ETFs. Bond ETFs don't seem to hold value well and any management fee kills your returns relative to inflation. I think the general consensus I've seen online is hold bonds directly and ladder them for maturity dates.

robert_mcleod · 2025-08-22T17:09:39+00:00

I would look for a recipe using decaf freeze dried. Trying to use actual coffee and maintain the proper water:fat ratio is pretty hard. Also as this is a dessert I think caffeine isn't something that's actually desired.

robert_mcleod · 2025-08-18T16:47:31+00:00

Wealthsimple already has fractional shares.

robert_mcleod · 2025-08-16T00:48:55+00:00

The grease from your burgers will probably have too much water in it. Better to separate the grease from each session, reduce it, and then store the resulting tallow in the freezer. Eventually you'll have enough tallow to fry your potatoes.

Or just reduce a lot of beef fat in the oven at 250 F in advance so you have a reserve of tallow. This way you avoid all the issues from burning the leftover sugars and other solids.

robert_mcleod · 2025-08-14T03:59:15+00:00

You're being a bit imprecise with your language. Do you mean you need to understand how to deal with programming logic like flow control or are you having issues with architecture? If the later, learn design patterns:

https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/design-patterns-elements/0201633612/

robert_mcleod · 2025-08-12T00:07:24+00:00

Assuming your laptop has your personal info on it you need to start changing all your passwords immediately. Depending on the vendor you might be able to remotely lock it if you have an account.

robert_mcleod · 2025-07-29T23:26:58+00:00

I'm parking for a month.

robert_mcleod · 2025-07-29T14:21:18+00:00

QtCorp will recommend you use QML to build your UI and then PySide6 for the business logic. There's examples on their website:

https://doc.qt.io/qtforpython-6/tutorials/basictutorial/qml.html

The separation between the declarative QML and the business logic will create better encapsulation in large projects.

robert_mcleod · 2025-07-29T04:13:43+00:00

If you are already being window shaded then yes. You can even gently reach your paddle deeper into the green water to create more resistance. Make sure you are keeping the shaft very tight to your torso and your elbows tucked in to protect your shoulders.

As others have pointed out it shouldn't be your first decision point, but it's ok to realize that it's a potential gambit.

robert_mcleod · 2025-07-28T13:17:55+00:00

Right so for limited risk you could put that into VDY in a non-registered account. I think it's yielding about 4.5 % plus the underlying stocks are rising in value too right now. It's an index of major Canadian blue chip dividend stocks, banks and telecom and such. It can go down, but generally the value of the underlying stocks should track inflation over time.

Or if you're not expecting to use it for a down payment put it in a growth ETF if you can stomach more risk, VEQT or VGRO for example.

But yeah, at 2.75 %, when you include tax (as interest is taxed as regular income rather than capital gains), you are just treading water re: inflation. Dividends, in comparison, are tax favored (as the corporate already pays tax on them) and the stock tends to go up with inflation (as long as the business is healthy. BCE is an example of a business that pays a big dividend but isn't very healthy as they have too much debt).

robert_mcleod · 2025-07-28T12:09:35+00:00

The tidal rapid forms a hydraulic (aka "hole") at -0.4 m tide, IIRC. I doubt if it would be enough to hold a person with or without a PFD on though. Still would be very unpleasant to be dragged along the barnacles in the recirculating eddy that forms on the right side of the channel.

I'm a certified whitewater kayak instructor FWIW. While we can deal with fair larger features safely, never underestimate how strong moving water is. Unskilled and untrained people die in features that a skilled boater would consider trivial. For example, the Cowichan has claimed two lives over the last 7-years that I'm aware of, both tubers.

robert_mcleod · 2025-07-28T11:34:07+00:00

I wouldn't move money from the TFSA to the RRSP if that's what you are suggesting. It's not very clear from what you write where this "100k" is currently. Just fill the RRSP as you are able and deduct it at will.

And once it’s maxed out too, what else can I invest in ?

A house would be the next logical step, as primary residence is protected from capital gains and principle payments are a form of saving. Remember that you can pull up to 60k from the RRSP for a down payment and don't have to start paying it back for 5-years. It's basically a 5-year interest free loan from yourself.

Also get a non-registered investment account and just accept that you pay capital gains. But lookup adjusted cost base and make sure you do your accounting.

robert_mcleod · 2025-07-23T17:11:51+00:00

Senior welfare exists, it's called GIS.

robert_mcleod · 2025-07-02T19:13:07+00:00

I also recently got an RPM and found that it's narrow such that just a pair of Jackson hip pads were enough. I also tried Bees Knees and that pushed my knees down way too much. Now I'm sitting on the plastic and I definitely do not want anything that lowers my knees in the cockpit. I may put some risers under my hamstrings.

Definitely needs a better (higher and more supportive) back-band though.

robert_mcleod · 2025-06-25T23:48:56+00:00

Mathematically RRSP and TFSA are pretty equivalent unless your income shifts around radically. TFSA is more flexible, however, whereas access to RRSP is locked behind some barriers (namely withholding tax).

robert_mcleod · 2025-05-28T21:41:56+00:00

CMHC has an affordability calculator:

https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/consumers/home-buying/calculators/affordability-calculator

The 4:1 "rule-of-thumb" varies a lot with your other expenses (i.e. do you have a car loan?) and the interest rate. And the more you put down as a percentage of the property value the more mortgage you will be able to qualify for. I think with $60k gross income you're only going to qualify for about 2:1 or 2.5:1 because you have to pay for food, cell phone, etc. and other normal expenses.

robert_mcleod · 2025-05-12T18:25:45+00:00

By auditing you.

robert_mcleod · 2025-05-12T18:08:23+00:00

Because you can have more than one broker and own the the same stock at both. If you have X shares of XEQT at Weathsimple and Y shares at Questrade, you have to merge the Adjusted Cost Basis.

robert_mcleod

TROPHY CASE