Kayak 8/11/06

I bought a Mopar roof rack for my PT cruiser - fits like a glove and is very solid. The kayak, at 17' 6", hangs over the front and back quite a bit, but it gives a lot of longitudinal stability with the bow and stern lines. I built a pair of very rough cradles out of pressure-treated lumber, but I will build a pair of Leidy-style cradles (with a few planned improvements of my own) in the near future.

Getting in the cockpit was more of a challenge than I had anticipated. This was multiplied by the fact that the bottom of the river was approx 9" of the thickest mud possible.

Several times, I almost dunked myself trying to get in. Here is one of the closer times. I guess I need to perfect my technique!

Finally in, off I go! I have to thank my wife for her camera skills and company!

Things were a little tipsy at first, but the kayak has excellent secondary stability. Trying as much as I did, I didn't tip enough to start taking water into the cockpit.

The place I picked for my first paddle is on the Touissaint river in Oak Harbor, OH. It's a slow-moving river with plenty of sheltered spots. I took a few laps around the 100 yard x 100 yard sheltered area that we were in. The sides of the area I picked are flanked by HUGE lily pads. The deepest the water got was about 4'.

My dog, Butcha (a 125lb male black lab), followed me the entire way. He doesn't swim as well as he used to, but he sure loves every second of it.

I'm not sure if it's my paddling style or the wind (or even a small twist of the stern that I caught too late in the building process), but the kayak seems to favor left- hand turns.

My daughter came along for the trip. She asked me this morning if I could build a boat for her for today. I had to explain that it takes a little longer than that unless she wants to float around in a plastic tub (in my case it took two years!)