Well, I had been dying to get out on the water and drop a line in since my last outing, but events conspired against me. Sunday after work, it was forecasting thunderstorms, and I decided not to go. Well, I got home and the sun was shinging, the weather was cool, and I couldnt resist. So I loaded up the truck (subaru), and we headed to Ripley. The kids wanted to see their grandma, so we all went. I figured they could drop me off at Rollins Lake, which is en route to my moms. Rollins is a smaller lake, and I figured if it started to rain really hard, or there was bad lightning, I could get to shore quickly, and have the wife drive back down to get me. Well, about 3/4s of the way there, it started raining... hard. Not to be deterred, I got off at the Kenna exit and got gas, and bought worms. The power of positive thinking paid off. By the time we got to the lake, the rain had stopped. I got the 'yak loaded up with gear, and went to put in my new scupper plugs. They did not fit... not even close. Oh well, I set off regardless, as the wife and kids headed off to my moms. I paddled out a bit, and went to rigging my lines. I rigged the wife's Ladies Ugly Stik with a bobber and worm, and cast it to let it soak while I got rigged my light rod with Powerbait. In the 60 seconds or so that it took me to get the UL rod ready to go, I couldnt find the bobber from my other rod. The wind had picked up, and had blown me over it... Reeling, in, I decided to head close to an island, and put my brushgripper to use on an overhanging tree. This began a comedy of errors... poor casts (beause of the overhang and wind) caused endless snags in the weeds/fallen branches I was trying to cast in front of. It took me awhile to get settled in my spot, but casting blunders aside... I was glad to be under the cover of the trees, because it started to rain pretty heavily.
I stayed at this spot about 30 or 45 minutes, then the weather calmed down a bit. I decided to head out towards the middle of the lake. I saw a couple of logs out there that I wanted to fish off of. I paddled out and again, used the brushgripper to grab onto a mostly submerged stump. I fished this spot for about an hour, again leaving the worm and bobber to float around, and just casting various power bait all around. I had no luck at all. The sun was setting, and it was very pretty. I decided to stow my gear, and just paddle around a bit. I tried to creep up on a heron, and got pretty close... but my phone has a crap camera, and I couldnt get a good shot of it. I saw a total of three herons out on the lake. I even saw one snag a fish. Damn things had a better luck than I did.
Overall, it was a little bit of a frustrating evening. The Aegean is a tandem boat, and tracks like hell. I wont blame it completely on the boat... I might just need a wider oar, and more paddling experience. But I am constantly having to stop and correct to stay on course. That coupled with the other inconveniences of it NOT being a kayak built for fishing is a pisser. The cast foot wells, no rod holders, the inconvenience with the low set scuppers, lack of storage. (space <> storage) all get on my nerves.
Ah well, I need to focus on socking away some cash, and finding post season sales on something more my speed. I really want the Ultimate 14.5, but may have to settle for the Big Game Prowler. I shouldnt say "settle", because the more I look at it, the more attracted I am to it. I have an aftermarket seat already, it is 15" shorter than my Aegean, and 2" wider (it is a barge), it has a couple of rod holder right behind the "cockpit", a front covered storage area, as well as the bungee storage behind the seat. I can get a rudder for it, to help with wind/current, and a cockpit hatch to access/store gear in from the seat. It has foot rests, as opposed to the cast divits for your feet, so would allow for a little more manueverability inside the boat. It is also a couple hundred bucks cheaper. So as of this second, I think I have myself convinced to go with the Big Game... We will have to see what the next second brings.
Here are a few pics from my outing. Fuzzy because its a phone, and because it was humid!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Unrelated to kayaking... My sweet ass new razor.
I hate to shave. I hate to shave, and I hate to spend the cash on ridiculously overpriced replacement blades. I have been using the same Gillette Mach 5 razor for months now. After all this time, the blade is as sharp as a nerf football. It pretty much just pulls the hair out of my face, rather than cuts it. I have a couple of friends who have pimped the idea of old school wet shaving to me for awhile now. Wet shaving is a little bit more involved than the standard shave most of us perform now, and I think part of the draw to this style of shaving is the entire shaving ritual. Prepping your face (that is to say shaving right out of the shower, or applying a hot towel to your face for a few minutes to soften your whiskers), using your boarbristle brush to work up a lather using your shaving soap and mug, then the application of the lather... and of course, shaving with the old style safety razors. Some people add to it with pre-shave oils, and post shave applications of various cremes or lotions.
So I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy into the wet shaving thing. I was a little put off, because of the high buy in... But from everything I understood, after my initial purchase, the double bladed razors were very economical, less of an environmental impact, and provided an extremely close shave, with a less chance of razor burn. The down side is that you need to take your time with the shave, and not just smack your face around like you would with the more modern razors. It is a little more time intensive, but not much. And it is worth it to take your time, because a rookie could easily nick the hell out of himself. I decided to shop via Amazon, and bought everything I figured I would need.
This included:
I was pretty stoked to get my goods, which arrived about three days ago. I had read instructions on the proper way to shave with the safety razor, and figured I would walk away from the bathroom looking like a feral cat attacked my face. I prepped by soaking a towel in hot water, and wringing it out to where it was less than soaking wet, and wrapped up my face. I repeated this a few times to make sure that the whiskers would be soft. Then I went to work with the brush and soap in my shaving mug, to try to work up a good lather. I kinda failed on this. I did get a lather, but it was not as thick as I thought it would be. I think I just needed to spend more time whisking the soap. However, I "painted" my face, and took the razor in hand. I was quite pleased with the sturdy construction and weight of the Parker 22R. All of the advice I had gotten from friends, or from online indicated that I didnt need to apply much more pressure to my face, than the weight of the razor provided. That was definitely the case.
My first pass I shaved "with the grain", and got a very good shave. As good with one pass as I ever got with the 5 blade Gillette. I rinsed with hot water, and relathered, and did another pass against the grain. I was very pleased with the closeness of the shave, and the lack of burn. I did not nick or cut myself... but I did have a small pimple that was hiding behind my goatee. It was lopped right off, and was bleeding. I rinsed my face off with warm water to get all of the shaving cream off. Then rinsed with cold water, and ran the alum block under the water, and then rubbed it over my face. There was a slight sting, but that was about it. It did stop the beheaded pimple from bleeding, immediately.
It makes me look forward to shaving again. Never thought I would say that. Anyhow, I hope to get the kayak today, and throw a line in. I dont plan on catching anything, but it would be really nice to get out on the water. I work until 430, and it looks like it will probably be pissing rain... So it may not happen.
So I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy into the wet shaving thing. I was a little put off, because of the high buy in... But from everything I understood, after my initial purchase, the double bladed razors were very economical, less of an environmental impact, and provided an extremely close shave, with a less chance of razor burn. The down side is that you need to take your time with the shave, and not just smack your face around like you would with the more modern razors. It is a little more time intensive, but not much. And it is worth it to take your time, because a rookie could easily nick the hell out of himself. I decided to shop via Amazon, and bought everything I figured I would need.
This included:
- a Parker 22R Safety Razor, which came with 10 blades.
- the Van der Hagen shave kit, which includes soap, mug, boarbristle brush, and stand.
- I also picked up an alum block for post shave. I had read that it is an old school remedy to soothe the face after a shave, and it works to stop bleeding from nicks, like a styptic pen... but cooler.
I was pretty stoked to get my goods, which arrived about three days ago. I had read instructions on the proper way to shave with the safety razor, and figured I would walk away from the bathroom looking like a feral cat attacked my face. I prepped by soaking a towel in hot water, and wringing it out to where it was less than soaking wet, and wrapped up my face. I repeated this a few times to make sure that the whiskers would be soft. Then I went to work with the brush and soap in my shaving mug, to try to work up a good lather. I kinda failed on this. I did get a lather, but it was not as thick as I thought it would be. I think I just needed to spend more time whisking the soap. However, I "painted" my face, and took the razor in hand. I was quite pleased with the sturdy construction and weight of the Parker 22R. All of the advice I had gotten from friends, or from online indicated that I didnt need to apply much more pressure to my face, than the weight of the razor provided. That was definitely the case.
My first pass I shaved "with the grain", and got a very good shave. As good with one pass as I ever got with the 5 blade Gillette. I rinsed with hot water, and relathered, and did another pass against the grain. I was very pleased with the closeness of the shave, and the lack of burn. I did not nick or cut myself... but I did have a small pimple that was hiding behind my goatee. It was lopped right off, and was bleeding. I rinsed my face off with warm water to get all of the shaving cream off. Then rinsed with cold water, and ran the alum block under the water, and then rubbed it over my face. There was a slight sting, but that was about it. It did stop the beheaded pimple from bleeding, immediately.
It makes me look forward to shaving again. Never thought I would say that. Anyhow, I hope to get the kayak today, and throw a line in. I dont plan on catching anything, but it would be really nice to get out on the water. I work until 430, and it looks like it will probably be pissing rain... So it may not happen.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
New seat? Let's go fishin!
I ordered my GTS Expedition seat on a Thursday or Friday, so it took it awhile for the order to process and ship. It arrived late the next week, and I was anxious for my day off to hit the water. The weather had been stupid hot, but I wanted to get out on a larger lake. This time I had plans to hit one of the bodies of water near Ripley, WV. There are a few impoundment lakes (read: dammed up hollows) near there, all 30-45 minutes from my home. O'brien Lake, Woodrums Lake, Frozencamp Lake, or Rollins Lake, four to choose from. I decided to pull the trigger, and head to Woodrums. As with many of these flooded valley type of lakes, these are generally narrow, with loads of stumps waiting to catch your hook, and drive you batshit. I did what seems to be standard kayak fishing practice. I zip tied a couple of PVC pipes to a milk crate, threw a bunch of crap in it and headed for the lake. I had my light weight open spinner, and my wifes medium weight pink rod, with a closed spinner reel. Prior to leaving, I fitted the GTS Expedition to the boat, and was please with how easy it was to adjust. I also cut up a pool noodle to try for some cheap, DIY scupper plugs, to try to keep the inside slightly less damp than the lake.
Now, this was a fishing trip, and I generally use live bait. I love to fish with helgramites, but generally only get those when we seine for bait at my friends camp. I haven't done any serious fishing in years, so I planned on stopping for some easy nightcrawlers. Instead, I opted just to get to the damn lake and use some power bait, and cheap lures I had stuffed into my old fishing vest. All in all it was a good day. I had a few highlights, and learned a few things.
Check some pics I took from my phone. Not great, but something is better than nothing.
Now, this was a fishing trip, and I generally use live bait. I love to fish with helgramites, but generally only get those when we seine for bait at my friends camp. I haven't done any serious fishing in years, so I planned on stopping for some easy nightcrawlers. Instead, I opted just to get to the damn lake and use some power bait, and cheap lures I had stuffed into my old fishing vest. All in all it was a good day. I had a few highlights, and learned a few things.
- The GTS Expedition was money WELL spent!!! I was out 4-5 hours, and felt fine!
- Next time bring live bait
- Getting a hook in the bungee straps on the front is a bad idea. My light rod was out of commission for half the trip. I got it firmly stuck, and my fat ass laying in the boat, trying not to roll out was an experience I care not to repeat.
- I need to take some paddling classes. I also think that I could use longer oars. I was having trouble holding a line. I would be trucking along great, then start to veer off suddenly. Getting my track righted usually required me slowing the boat a great deal by stickin the paddle in the water on the left side... dragging me back straight.
- The DIY scupper plugs did not work worth a crap. I have since ordered scupper plugs from the good people at ACK. Havent had a field test yet though.
- I need an anchor of some kind. Dont really wanna drag one around though. I bought a Blakemore Brush Gripper when I got the scupper plugs. Anxious to see how well it works out. I thought the jaws on the device would open wider. I will report after the next trip.
- I brought my towels to wipe the boat down, and to try to get rid of the excess water while out. I need to replace with a couple of good sponges.
- Buy a float for my keychain. I was so damn worried over my keys the whole time, I could hardly relax.
- The design of the Aegean is not really conducive to a big man moving around in it. Reaching around and moving the gear box/milk crate back and forth was easy, but there was no way I would be able to get itmes behind me/arrange them unless they stuck up out of the boat.
- I need to get some other sort of case to carry my crate in. I saw that Surf to Summit had a crate caddy that would allow me to zip my gear up when not in use, to keep everything secured in the bag, but it would still sink like a rock. Yeah, I know... tie it down. Just seems like alot of cash for a bag for a milk crate. Maybe I am missing a key feature... who knows. Maybe I can DIY something.
- Until I get something better, I need to at least zip tie some pool noodles on the bottom of the crate, to quiet the damn thing down.
- Maybe put my hydro pack in the mesh back of the seat... so I dont have bottles rolling around the boat.
Check some pics I took from my phone. Not great, but something is better than nothing.
Poor Mans Kayaking III-Found a boat!
In my last installment I whined and moaned about my financial woes in looking for a kayak. I want to underscore the fact that even though this is titled "Poor Mans Kayaking", I am not destitute. In fact I have a good paying job that takes care of my family. But my hobby money comes out of my rainy day account... and my rainy day account is (though my wife would disagree) a sad, malnourished thing. :) Hence my fishing for deals, and my endless review-reading to make sure what I (finally) buy is something nice, and not a piece of junk.
At any rate, I talked about my ACK tie down kit, and the Yakima Landshark saddles, for my Yakima Railgrab Rack system. My main complaints regarding the Railgrab was the noise it made, and my unwillingness to shell out another $70 for the fairing to possibly quiet the thing down. Well, I was quite pleased to discover that the Landsharks were not only very easy to put on and adjust, but they killed the noise completely. WOOT! Double win!
The Landshark purchase proved to be timely. As I mentioned in the last update, my friend Tom happened across a question I posted on Ocean Kayak's Facebook page about the Prowler Big Game. He said that he had an OK tandem, was not sure of the type, but he had it stored at his parents place for years. We did some looking around online and determined that it was a retired model, the Aegean. With it came some other accessories, a Comfort Pro seat, cart, a couple of paddles, and a strap that I could attach to the yak to carry on my shoulder. Tom sold all of this to me at a great price... I was, and still am ecstatic. This was my chance to get on the water, without blowing $1000.00 on something I might not enjoy at all.
The Aegean (like any big yak) is a beast... Over 14' long, and ~70ish lbs it is awkward to carry around. I used the shoulder strap, and could not get it centered to my liking. I tried the cart that it came with (it looks the same as the one in the link above, but it does not have the orange straps, and is unbranded) and it was a piece of crap. If I had a long distance to drag the boat, I would need to use it... but through grass, it is less hassle just to drag it along. I will be buying the bits necessary to butcher that piece of junk, and DIY my own scupper pup style cart. Less weight, less space, and no straps. Strapless is sexy. Getting it on and off the Subaru is a little troublesome sometimes... I have only done it a few times, so I am still sort of learning the technique to it, but it is not overly difficult.
It was a day or two before I had the chance to take the Aegean out on its maiden voyage. I didnt want to go to a public place, to display my noobness to the entire planet. I needed a smaller, private venue... I remembered reading that the good people at the Coal River Group had recently rehabbed an eight acre pond in Tornado, called Pettigrew Lake at Meadowood Park. After some searching on Google Maps, I finally located the place, and packed up the family and headed out. It was scorchingly hot outside, and rolling the 'yak that day may have been a blessing. It was miserable. We arrived, and I unloaded the 'yak, and drug her down to the water. I had no problem getting in, and was pleased with the ease of moving over the water. I had read that the Aegean was prone to a wet ride, and it didnt disappoint. No problem in the warm weather, but as the seasons change, it could get chilly. I was somewhat disappointed with the Comfort Pro seat. It is probably a good seat, that offers good support to a person of normal size, but that is not me. My lower back was hurting pretty badly after about 30 or 45 minutes on the water. That was a real bummer. However, on the plus side, I was able to get around, without capsizing, and I took the kids out for a spin around the pond as well... they both enjoyed it, and want to get back out. The wife, I could not convince to get in. She hates the water. It was around 95 degrees, and the sun was hot. The heat had really sapped me. I pulled the boat up to the parking area, loaded up and headed home.
All in all it was a favorable experience. The thing that concerned me the most was the back pain. There was no way I could go fishing in this thing for a 4 or 8 hour trip. I knew there were aftermarket seats available, and set to looking at them for reviews. I found a thread somewhere regarding Expedition seats, by Surf to Summit. So I took a look, and was a little shocked by the price tag. I am not sure why, I should have expected it. Any recreational item marketed to adults is ridiculously inflated.I still cant believe what I paid for my Real Doll. But after having read several reviews on it, I decided to contact the company to get some more information on them. I sent an email explaining that I was trying to purchase a seat on a restrictive budget, and how the OK Comfort Pro was not working out for me. I got a speedy response from a fellow named Brandon, who detailed his kayaking experience prior to owning one of the StS Expedition seats. He is a tall man, who was active in martial arts, and had sustained a shoulder injury, as well as having major back problems. He said that he had the same pains that I had, until he started using one of their seats. He explained that the extra support and cushioning made it so he could go on extended fishing/float trips. Alot of folks might think that he was just trying to sell me something, and I am sure he was. But his email had a note of sincerity to it. He asked me to give him a call to discuss it more... Which I did, but he had gone for the day. I was sold already though. I knew I was going to have to blow a wad of cash, so why not aim for the stars, and get what everyone reports to be the best. But once, cry once... And I could use the seat in another kayak on down the road. I called and spoke to a very friendly representative named Teresa, who helped me close the order. Overall I was very pleased with my experience with Surf to Summit. A speedy response to my initial inquiry, from a rep who was very familiar with my problem, and personable assistance from both him and Teresa during the sales process. Now I just had to wait for it to come in.
In the meantime, I had also sent an email to Ocean Kayak. I wanted to know if there was a way I could have mucked up the seat install. Maybe the problem was with me. I didn't figure there was... connect the snaps, tighten buckles... pretty straight forward. I also asked about what size scupper plugs the Aegean took. I got a response a couple of days later with the size of the plugs, and a description of how the seat fits. Though not nearly as personable, still a serviceable response.
So now I was waiting for a spendy new seat, that I was afraid would end up a waste of money. I had also learned a valuable lesson from my maiden voyage on Pettigrew Lake. That lesson is to take a towel with you to the water, so when you get out, you can wipe the hull down immediately. Pond slime is much easier to wipe off at the scene of the crime, than it is when it has spent about 30 minutes baking in, on the roof of your car!!!
At any rate, I talked about my ACK tie down kit, and the Yakima Landshark saddles, for my Yakima Railgrab Rack system. My main complaints regarding the Railgrab was the noise it made, and my unwillingness to shell out another $70 for the fairing to possibly quiet the thing down. Well, I was quite pleased to discover that the Landsharks were not only very easy to put on and adjust, but they killed the noise completely. WOOT! Double win!
The Landshark purchase proved to be timely. As I mentioned in the last update, my friend Tom happened across a question I posted on Ocean Kayak's Facebook page about the Prowler Big Game. He said that he had an OK tandem, was not sure of the type, but he had it stored at his parents place for years. We did some looking around online and determined that it was a retired model, the Aegean. With it came some other accessories, a Comfort Pro seat, cart, a couple of paddles, and a strap that I could attach to the yak to carry on my shoulder. Tom sold all of this to me at a great price... I was, and still am ecstatic. This was my chance to get on the water, without blowing $1000.00 on something I might not enjoy at all.
The Aegean (like any big yak) is a beast... Over 14' long, and ~70ish lbs it is awkward to carry around. I used the shoulder strap, and could not get it centered to my liking. I tried the cart that it came with (it looks the same as the one in the link above, but it does not have the orange straps, and is unbranded) and it was a piece of crap. If I had a long distance to drag the boat, I would need to use it... but through grass, it is less hassle just to drag it along. I will be buying the bits necessary to butcher that piece of junk, and DIY my own scupper pup style cart. Less weight, less space, and no straps. Strapless is sexy. Getting it on and off the Subaru is a little troublesome sometimes... I have only done it a few times, so I am still sort of learning the technique to it, but it is not overly difficult.
It was a day or two before I had the chance to take the Aegean out on its maiden voyage. I didnt want to go to a public place, to display my noobness to the entire planet. I needed a smaller, private venue... I remembered reading that the good people at the Coal River Group had recently rehabbed an eight acre pond in Tornado, called Pettigrew Lake at Meadowood Park. After some searching on Google Maps, I finally located the place, and packed up the family and headed out. It was scorchingly hot outside, and rolling the 'yak that day may have been a blessing. It was miserable. We arrived, and I unloaded the 'yak, and drug her down to the water. I had no problem getting in, and was pleased with the ease of moving over the water. I had read that the Aegean was prone to a wet ride, and it didnt disappoint. No problem in the warm weather, but as the seasons change, it could get chilly. I was somewhat disappointed with the Comfort Pro seat. It is probably a good seat, that offers good support to a person of normal size, but that is not me. My lower back was hurting pretty badly after about 30 or 45 minutes on the water. That was a real bummer. However, on the plus side, I was able to get around, without capsizing, and I took the kids out for a spin around the pond as well... they both enjoyed it, and want to get back out. The wife, I could not convince to get in. She hates the water. It was around 95 degrees, and the sun was hot. The heat had really sapped me. I pulled the boat up to the parking area, loaded up and headed home.
All in all it was a favorable experience. The thing that concerned me the most was the back pain. There was no way I could go fishing in this thing for a 4 or 8 hour trip. I knew there were aftermarket seats available, and set to looking at them for reviews. I found a thread somewhere regarding Expedition seats, by Surf to Summit. So I took a look, and was a little shocked by the price tag. I am not sure why, I should have expected it. Any recreational item marketed to adults is ridiculously inflated.
In the meantime, I had also sent an email to Ocean Kayak. I wanted to know if there was a way I could have mucked up the seat install. Maybe the problem was with me. I didn't figure there was... connect the snaps, tighten buckles... pretty straight forward. I also asked about what size scupper plugs the Aegean took. I got a response a couple of days later with the size of the plugs, and a description of how the seat fits. Though not nearly as personable, still a serviceable response.
So now I was waiting for a spendy new seat, that I was afraid would end up a waste of money. I had also learned a valuable lesson from my maiden voyage on Pettigrew Lake. That lesson is to take a towel with you to the water, so when you get out, you can wipe the hull down immediately. Pond slime is much easier to wipe off at the scene of the crime, than it is when it has spent about 30 minutes baking in, on the roof of your car!!!
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Poor Mans Kayaking part deux: Finding a 'yak
Here was where I really started having problems. Opinions wildly varied from one fellow to another about what kind of kayak would suit my giant ass. The most popular, and the one that came up most often was the Ocean Kayak Prowler Big Game. Being inland and such a large boat, it was hard to get much info on these locally. Most locals do sit inside 'yaks, whitewater 'yaks, canoes, or johnboats. My primary interest is in the lazier rivers in the area (Elk River, and Little Coal), and small lakes. I dont need something that is going to be taking heavy wake/waves, or rapids. So I reached a little farther out (to California) and found a fellow named Jim Sammons. As I later found out, Jim is the owner and a guide at La Jolla Kayak Fishing Adventures, and offered a good bit of advice, reinforcing the value of the aforementioned Prowler.
I wanted to do my best to exhaust my options, so I continued to look. Some folks loved the Cobra Fish 'n' Dive, others loathed it. I also uncovered a third option... the Native Watercraft, Ultimate 14.5 (solo). This was brought to my attention by a local outfit called Coal River Kayak and Canoe Rental, out of Tornado, Wv. The owner wanted to sell me (at a great price) an Ultimate 12.5, but I was afraid at my weight, I would be pushing my luck... as well as the kayak. (down to the waterline)
So now I had three boats to choose from. My heart was, (and is), with the Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5... That was primarily due to a couple of amenities. The first being the seat. Every owner of one of these bad lads raves over the comfort of the seat. The other being that it is a hybrid of a kayak and canoe. This meant that the storage was a little more accessible. It also seemed like the most complete, and comfortable boat "out of the box". Another thing I appreciate about the Ultimate, is that there is a Native Watercraft Owners Group. A very friendly community!
The Big Game Prowler sounds like a fine boat, with several addons available. It also has scuppers, which make it nice when you dont mind getting your butt wet. It is also very wide, and has some built in features. A common complaint with this boat was wave slap on the hull... but that is a non-issue for me.
The Cobra Fish n Dive looked like a really nice boat to me. But people either seemed to love it, or hate it. I was neutral on it.
Out of the three, the Ultimate was probably the one I wanted the most. My primary love of it was the seat, but that has since become a non-issue (to be explained in another entry). The only other reason I can think of that I would prefer it, is that it has no scuppers... Which means it would offer a dryer ride. It would suck if I swamped it... But anywhere I am floating, I am not going to be but a short swim away from shore. The lakes and rivers I would be on are narrow. The Ultimate wouldnt sink, but it would be a pain to tow in, half submerged.
Really, at this point I would have been happy with a hollowed out log. I am not known for my patience, and as I said, I was pretty obsessed with the subject. It was pretty much consuming me, so I was trying to wheel and deal. Emailing vendors looking for any of the above models, that were used or blemished, for cheap. I was having no luck. Craigslist and local papers turned up nothing that I could use, anywhere within range of me. I had to distract myself and get real, so I decided to look down the barrel of the next piece of necessary equipment I would need to haul a boat... The carrier for my rack.
To make a long story short, I checked several resources, and reviews. I went back to the well, with ORS 'yak racks, I also checked out Malone's line of kayak racks, and was generally indecisive. I had to balance safe transport, with my budget. I finally decided to go with the Yakima Land Shark saddles. I got these from another great web-store, Austin Kayak and Canoe. I bought from them, because I also wanted to get straps, and they had a great bundle with this kit. It was a considerable value over the Yakima branded straps, and came with more bits, including the ratcheting blocks for tightening up the bow and stern straps. I also picked up the Seattle Sport's Hood Loops for easily accessible tie down points for bow/stern straps.
These items were all shipped quickly, and were at the door within a couple of days. All the while I continued researching 'yaks. I had posted a question on the Ocean Kayak Facebook page. A friend of mine happened to see it and said he had an older OK tandem, that he used to float solo. He said it was mouldering in his parents storage shed, and he wanted to sell it. I had no idea what he had.... and even though it was not one of my dream boats above, it was still SOMETHING!!!!
Sorry to end on such a hair raising cliff hanger... but I am tired of typing. You will get more later.
I wanted to do my best to exhaust my options, so I continued to look. Some folks loved the Cobra Fish 'n' Dive, others loathed it. I also uncovered a third option... the Native Watercraft, Ultimate 14.5 (solo). This was brought to my attention by a local outfit called Coal River Kayak and Canoe Rental, out of Tornado, Wv. The owner wanted to sell me (at a great price) an Ultimate 12.5, but I was afraid at my weight, I would be pushing my luck... as well as the kayak. (down to the waterline)
So now I had three boats to choose from. My heart was, (and is), with the Native Watercraft Ultimate 14.5... That was primarily due to a couple of amenities. The first being the seat. Every owner of one of these bad lads raves over the comfort of the seat. The other being that it is a hybrid of a kayak and canoe. This meant that the storage was a little more accessible. It also seemed like the most complete, and comfortable boat "out of the box". Another thing I appreciate about the Ultimate, is that there is a Native Watercraft Owners Group. A very friendly community!
The Big Game Prowler sounds like a fine boat, with several addons available. It also has scuppers, which make it nice when you dont mind getting your butt wet. It is also very wide, and has some built in features. A common complaint with this boat was wave slap on the hull... but that is a non-issue for me.
The Cobra Fish n Dive looked like a really nice boat to me. But people either seemed to love it, or hate it. I was neutral on it.
Out of the three, the Ultimate was probably the one I wanted the most. My primary love of it was the seat, but that has since become a non-issue (to be explained in another entry). The only other reason I can think of that I would prefer it, is that it has no scuppers... Which means it would offer a dryer ride. It would suck if I swamped it... But anywhere I am floating, I am not going to be but a short swim away from shore. The lakes and rivers I would be on are narrow. The Ultimate wouldnt sink, but it would be a pain to tow in, half submerged.
Really, at this point I would have been happy with a hollowed out log. I am not known for my patience, and as I said, I was pretty obsessed with the subject. It was pretty much consuming me, so I was trying to wheel and deal. Emailing vendors looking for any of the above models, that were used or blemished, for cheap. I was having no luck. Craigslist and local papers turned up nothing that I could use, anywhere within range of me. I had to distract myself and get real, so I decided to look down the barrel of the next piece of necessary equipment I would need to haul a boat... The carrier for my rack.
To make a long story short, I checked several resources, and reviews. I went back to the well, with ORS 'yak racks, I also checked out Malone's line of kayak racks, and was generally indecisive. I had to balance safe transport, with my budget. I finally decided to go with the Yakima Land Shark saddles. I got these from another great web-store, Austin Kayak and Canoe. I bought from them, because I also wanted to get straps, and they had a great bundle with this kit. It was a considerable value over the Yakima branded straps, and came with more bits, including the ratcheting blocks for tightening up the bow and stern straps. I also picked up the Seattle Sport's Hood Loops for easily accessible tie down points for bow/stern straps.
These items were all shipped quickly, and were at the door within a couple of days. All the while I continued researching 'yaks. I had posted a question on the Ocean Kayak Facebook page. A friend of mine happened to see it and said he had an older OK tandem, that he used to float solo. He said it was mouldering in his parents storage shed, and he wanted to sell it. I had no idea what he had.... and even though it was not one of my dream boats above, it was still SOMETHING!!!!
Sorry to end on such a hair raising cliff hanger... but I am tired of typing. You will get more later.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Poor mans kayaking take 1 : The Roof Rack.
I have obsessions that run in spurts. I will get wrapped up in something, and it is all I can think about. It makes me miserable, since everything I want is generally out of my price range. My most recent obsession has been kayaking. As with most things with me, this is a challenge, since I am such a big guy, and have a limited budget. Those things do not go well together. I am currently tipping the scales in the 335 range, and am 6'3ish, at 39 years of age. Unfortunately, everything I wanted to float & fish out of, (that can fit me) is in the $1000.00 range... I am a working man with a family of five. While $1000.00 is not a fortune, it is a fortune to me, and out of my immediate (this season, & possibly even NEXT seasons) range. I was pretty bummed out.... But I decided to go ahead and work on getting the things I needed to have a 'yak. So I began saving.
The first thing I needed, was a way to transport the thing. I have a 2008 Subaru Forester. A very "responsible" car. :) It has built in rails for a roof rack, but no actual rack system on it. I checked out Thule and Yakima mounts for it, but they were so $teep, they made me itch. Especially the Thule racks. So I checked for "factory" rack systems, but couldnt find much info on them... That is to say how much weight they could hold, and if they would be adaptable to boat carrier systems... Being a noob, I didnt want to make the mistake, and buy something that was a piece of junk... Luckily I found Onion River Sports Racks. Some playing around on that site, and crossreferencing other sites lead me to buy the Yakima RailGrab Roof Rack Kit. Yes it is still Yakima, and it is more cash than I WANTED to spend... but with this kit, I pretty much knew what I was getting. Plus, this particular package is shipped with 58" cross bars, and was about $30 cheaper than the RailGrab package where you choose the length of your bars. BONUS! So it was a win for me. I also blew the extra money on the locks for the mounts. Money wasted, or money well spent... I am not sure. I do live in an urban area, and though the neighborhood is not bad... I felt like a few extra bucks could save me a couple hundred.
A few things regarding the rack. Yes, I could have gotten that same system cheaper from another site. I opted not to for a few reasons.
1) The service that I got from ORS was great. I had questions and they answered them promptly.
2) their webpage is "busy", and (to me) looks like hell, but it is packed with information. The fit guides, customer reviews, and pictures really made it a good shopping experience.
3) This didnt happen until AFTER the purchase, but I had left a comment in my purchase, regarding the length of the tubes. I cant recall exactly what it was, but before the order shipped, ORS made an effort to contact me regarding my question. The guy offered advice on how to cut the cross rails down if I didnt like the length.
I will almost always pay a hair extra, for good customer service. So the interactive and helpful nature of the website, and that one call went very far with me.
Once the racks arrived, now I needed to get them mounted. I thought that it would be a pretty easy process, but it took a little more effort than I had imagined... partly my fault of course. I thought that the kit would be easy on and off, but nah, not so much. I had heard that they have an adverse affect on my gas mileage, and wanted to be able to take them off when not in use. But once I got them on, I lost any desire to remove them.... ever. Also, I was a little disappointed that I couldnt slide the front rack all the way forward, due to the clamps rubbing the paint on the roof. However, all in all... for the money I paid, I appreciate what I got. They are sturdy, and arent moving around.
Once mounted, I wanted to take the car for a spin, to see how loud the new rack would be. I didnt expect it would be too bad, and it was not... but it was far louder than I wanted them to be. My only option was to spend the ~ $70 for a fairing. Well, not my only option. The other option was NOT to buy it, and deal with it... which was what I did. I had other junk to save for. The sound of the air rushing around the tubes was pretty irritating, but not intolerable. It sounded like road noise from my tires... but on my roof. I did ask a couple of friends who are DIY'ers if they had ever crafted a fairing from Lexan, and one had... but didnt seem too interested in DIY'ing one for me... oh well. I obviously need to get friends who are more willing to do things for me for nothing!
That is enough blabbering for now, next installation will be about my search for a kayak, and a carrier system for it. Hang onto your seats!
The first thing I needed, was a way to transport the thing. I have a 2008 Subaru Forester. A very "responsible" car. :) It has built in rails for a roof rack, but no actual rack system on it. I checked out Thule and Yakima mounts for it, but they were so $teep, they made me itch. Especially the Thule racks. So I checked for "factory" rack systems, but couldnt find much info on them... That is to say how much weight they could hold, and if they would be adaptable to boat carrier systems... Being a noob, I didnt want to make the mistake, and buy something that was a piece of junk... Luckily I found Onion River Sports Racks. Some playing around on that site, and crossreferencing other sites lead me to buy the Yakima RailGrab Roof Rack Kit. Yes it is still Yakima, and it is more cash than I WANTED to spend... but with this kit, I pretty much knew what I was getting. Plus, this particular package is shipped with 58" cross bars, and was about $30 cheaper than the RailGrab package where you choose the length of your bars. BONUS! So it was a win for me. I also blew the extra money on the locks for the mounts. Money wasted, or money well spent... I am not sure. I do live in an urban area, and though the neighborhood is not bad... I felt like a few extra bucks could save me a couple hundred.
A few things regarding the rack. Yes, I could have gotten that same system cheaper from another site. I opted not to for a few reasons.
1) The service that I got from ORS was great. I had questions and they answered them promptly.
2) their webpage is "busy", and (to me) looks like hell, but it is packed with information. The fit guides, customer reviews, and pictures really made it a good shopping experience.
3) This didnt happen until AFTER the purchase, but I had left a comment in my purchase, regarding the length of the tubes. I cant recall exactly what it was, but before the order shipped, ORS made an effort to contact me regarding my question. The guy offered advice on how to cut the cross rails down if I didnt like the length.
I will almost always pay a hair extra, for good customer service. So the interactive and helpful nature of the website, and that one call went very far with me.
Once the racks arrived, now I needed to get them mounted. I thought that it would be a pretty easy process, but it took a little more effort than I had imagined... partly my fault of course. I thought that the kit would be easy on and off, but nah, not so much. I had heard that they have an adverse affect on my gas mileage, and wanted to be able to take them off when not in use. But once I got them on, I lost any desire to remove them.... ever. Also, I was a little disappointed that I couldnt slide the front rack all the way forward, due to the clamps rubbing the paint on the roof. However, all in all... for the money I paid, I appreciate what I got. They are sturdy, and arent moving around.
Once mounted, I wanted to take the car for a spin, to see how loud the new rack would be. I didnt expect it would be too bad, and it was not... but it was far louder than I wanted them to be. My only option was to spend the ~ $70 for a fairing. Well, not my only option. The other option was NOT to buy it, and deal with it... which was what I did. I had other junk to save for. The sound of the air rushing around the tubes was pretty irritating, but not intolerable. It sounded like road noise from my tires... but on my roof. I did ask a couple of friends who are DIY'ers if they had ever crafted a fairing from Lexan, and one had... but didnt seem too interested in DIY'ing one for me... oh well. I obviously need to get friends who are more willing to do things for me for nothing!
That is enough blabbering for now, next installation will be about my search for a kayak, and a carrier system for it. Hang onto your seats!
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