One man's rush to jump on the kayaking bandwagon

Boat ramps scare me. I could describe a scene where I dodge drunken rednecks who drag race up the ramp, their bass boats in tow, but that's not really how it is. Most people at the boat ramp just seem nervous and embarrassed. You can't exactly practice pulling a bout out of water in the privacy of your own home. Most spin their wheels on the oil and fuel soaked ramps and figure it all out while other boat owners watch and wait. When I figure out some way to remember to get all my kayaking gear from my car before I get my boat in the water, I'll think about coming up with some redneck jokes. That said, boat ramps still scare me.

We had no intention of going as far as we did, but it was our first trip up the lake, and we just needed to see what was around the next bend.

Looks like I'll be in the market for a new paddle pretty soon. My Werner Skagit just doesn't feel right to me.

Today was the first day using my new GPS tracking software. After a couple of false starts writing my own, I found Cetus GPS. It doesn't have mapping (or even real time track visualization), but it does the job. Its trivial to convert the track files to GPX format and then upload it to GPS Visualizer.

Since I have little time to go out in the kayak, I want to be able to go no matter what the weather is like. While Heath has a strict no rain policy, I'm fine with it. It means there will be fiewer boats on the lake.

I didn't go very far, but I went far enough to realize my "water resistant" jacket needs replacing. My new gloves worked well. I really need some way of keeping my feet dry getting in and out of the boat. I was fine this time, but I'll need something when it gets colder.

On my way back to the boat ramp, I encountered a lone bass boat camped out underneath the bridge. One of the fisherman commented, "You're getting wet." I replied, "Yes, I am, but that's okay." That pretty much sums up today's paddle.

Heath, Jean and I drove up to the Appomattox River Company in Farmville, VA. It wasn't at all what I expected. It looks like its in an old lumber yard. Stacks of lumber have been replaced with stacks of kayaks, still in their shipping wrappers. Its a great place to go if you want to pick up a new kayak, but if you're just browsing, its a bit of a disappointment.

The main "showroom" is very small, but it seems that everything you could ever want is "in a box upstairs somewhere". I got a skirt, Jean got a new paddle, and Heath got a new drybag.

Heath and I went out together for the first time today. The weather was great. We launched from the Upper Barton Creek boat ramp. Its very busy, but we don't have to haul the boats down a large hill like we do when we launch from the dam.

Today was the first day in my new kayak. I'm sure I made the right choice with the Wilderness Tsunami 140. Now comes the quest to find which kayak accessories define me as a person.

I think I hate my paddle already.

My mother died in a car crash today.

Makes you wonder. If the computer had been right, if there really was a yellow one without a rudder, I'd be getting there just about the time it happened. She would likely have been at home waiting for me to get there.

I got my kayak today. It is a used/demo blue Wilderness Tsunami 140. I hope to take it out tomorrow. A Werner Skagit was included in the package. I'm not sure I like it, but I have no idea what I'd want instead.

It's odd that I got the kayak so close to home. After spending all day on the phone, planning to drive to Greensboro, or Newport News, driving half a mile up the road makes it feel like an impulse buy. I guess it kind of was.

The October 2006 issue of Sea Kayaker Magazine has a photo of a kayak in front of a leaping dolphin from Morrea Island. And then I found the summer issue of Adventure Kayak has a similar photo. I was there, did that, but didn't get the picture. But, I did get these.