A New Boat!

B-I-L is brother-in-law for now on because I am tired of typing it. He really got lucky on this boat. It is in excellent condition and came from a woman that knows paddling like Bo knows baseball. It has two dry storage compartments and tons of deck space for strapping things onto. This kayak looks like a freighter cutting through the water. As an ex-coastie, I had to check his compartments to make sure he wasn't smuggling any Haitians*. We took turns paddling the thing around and both really enjoyed it. My shorter boat is more responsive, but his longer yak cuts through the water with minimal effort. The only concern we have is the fixed skeg on that 14' beast. We are a little worried about faster water taking over his stern and not allowing him to control the boat very precisely. If that turns out to be the case, we may not paddle through the sections of the James in Richmond around Belle Isle. That is to be determined.

My sister-in-law with B-I-L that is going on the trip with me. Here they are putting together a folding kayak for her. It's a great looking boat and extremely light weight, but us plastic yakers are standing around twiddling our thumbs thinking, "What can I do...hmmmm? I know, I'll snap my paddle together...Ok, that's done." More thumb twiddling...Put on lifejacket...Drink most of water...Take some pictures...Watch them ratchet the longitudinals in place...Talk to other kayakers who are arriving and leaving in the time this thing is being put together...Re-apply sunblock...Play in the dirt with a stick.."Oh, your finished?"





The completed boat is really nice and fairly stable. "Now that you got that thing together, let's go paddle!"






Here's a good picture of our boats drinking from the reservoir. A picture of three or more colorful kayaks always turns out well. They really are graceful and photogenic.


Swampy. In this area I usually see galloping deer and dancing butterflies but we were being much too loud for any wildlife viewing. "Hey B-I-L, how's that boat doin'?" "Not bad," he would answer. I would call back, "You still like it?" His wife asked if he loved it, yet. He replied, "We don't know each other enough to be in love. We're still courting." Hmmm, ooootay.








A quick break on top of the dam. Call me a chicken, but I HATE dams. This really was a quick break. "Hey, where's the other kayak?"








A quick shot down the length of the dam. B-I-L is on the other end taking a stroll.






Downstream of the dam. Rt 29 can be seen in the distance.











Upstream of the dam. Ooohh, pretty. Ok, back in the boat.







The new kayak is going to work well on our trip down the Rivanna to the James River. The cockpit is a little tight, but we figured out ways to adjust the seat and foot pedals to make it more comfortable. We also agreed to switch boats for a while if his feet became too cramped. We now have the boats, gear, and time. All we need are six more charts (in the mail) and some luck in order for the trip to be successful. Wish us luck...

Fair winds and following seas.


*That was purely a joke. Any immigrant, but especially Haitians, deal with extremely horrible conditions to get into our wonderful country. People just don't realize.