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Piragua 18

It floats.

I strapped her right to the top of my Chevy S-10 with no roof rack whatsoever (couldn't wait that long) and grabbed a young lady neighbor of mine in route, offering a "boat ride" in exchange for taking some snapshots.

I loaded and unloaded the boat singlehanded. Manageable, but a reminder that I have to lose about 40 lbs and get in better shape. The young lady weighed about 150. I weigh 265.

It was a really windy day. First with the neighbor forward, I
paddled about a half mile up the creek against the wind and tide. My first time using a kayak paddle. Gonna take some getting used to. I imagined us quietly slipping upstream, seeing the sites. Instead, I struggled against the wind, and my ineptitude with the paddle trying to stay in the channel. My passenger kept shifting her balance unexpectedly, stating her desire not to "swim today."

Egrets and Herons, well accustomed to casually getting out of the way of outboard motors, hastily vacated with worried expressions as I windmilled, churned, slapped, and splashed upstream. After becoming quickly winded, I returned with much better technique traveling mostly with the wind and tide. At one point, backing out of a narrow inlet we decided to explore, I actually wacked the poor girl on the head with the other end of the paddle-instilling a valueable lesson regarding accepting rides in experimental, amateur piloted craft.

After letting her off at the dock, I then scooted to the middle of the boat and paddled about solo. MUCH EASIER. I was still blown a little, but it responded much more quickly to my compensating paddle strokes. It really moved, and I began to feel much more comfortable and competent. The neighbor snapped about 8 shots of me as I passed to and fro, none of which came out worth a damn. Here are the least worse three of the eight. You get the general idea, but you cant see much detail of the BOAT. I will have to try again this weekend (gosh darn it :). Maybe less wind and more pleasure. In any case, it was a fine hour of life.

Rav