Friday, April 25, 2014

A New Kayak

I've been looking for a kayak for some time and have been helped in my search by Bruce, a friend who recently retired.  Bruce has a fleet of boats which constantly call my name in violation of the 10th commandment.  When he took early retirement early this winter, his wife made him promise that he would buy no more boats.  Today, he surfs Craigslists for his friends and spotted this one kayak that he thought I might like.  I did and we drove up north (about an hour away) to look at it.  We came back with it on top of my truck.  The guy had two boats for sale and Bruce was tempted.  I told him there would be no problem throwing another boat on my racks, but he decided that he loved his wife more than another boat...

When I brought the kayak, the rivers were still blocked with ice and the lakes frozen.  Last week was the first time since the thaw that I could get the boat out on the water and I took it out Friday morning on a lake and then Sunday afternoon, after Easter worship and lunch, on the river.  I forgot just how nice fiberglass boats paddle.  This one is a jewel.  It is a Phoenix Isere that's 14 and a half feet long.  It has enough storage (using dry bags) that I could easily do a 2-3 day trip.  I think I'm going to love it.

Yesterday, I got an email with another Craigslist link from Bruce.  Mentioning it to my wife, she remarked, "Now that he can no longer bankrupt himself and his wife with more boats, I think he's going to try to bankrupt us."  I may have to let this one pass...

The last couple of years, I have taken to winter paddling, summer sailing.  However, this is the first winter in many that I didn't do any paddling.  My last river trip was in early December.  From the time I got home after my Christmas trip south to March, there was ice blocking parts of the Thornapple River that flows through our town.

When I learn how to get photos from my ipad to blogger, I will post photos...  I am traveling and only have an ipad with me.