Found my kayak. The one.

[Cataboo]

Okay, so this is a cycling forum - but the people on kayaking forums I get on aren't very chatty.

I've been trading up kayaks for a few years now - getting the best model that I can afford for my skill level and what I do with the kayaks - I do a lot of distance camping/touring via kayak - so I do need a longer one with storage space - and at the same time, being a small female, I like having a narrow fit and a kayak that I can roll... I also really like playing in waves and rock gardens, and like a nice maneuverable kayak.

The solution for the last year or two has been to have one plastic yak that's smaller & more maneuverable for day tripping or playing in waves (but is slower being shorter & can't hold so much), and one longer one for tours - that's not nearly so much fun.

But I happened to see a kayak listed on craigslist on Friday night without much details, but from what I googled, it looked intruiging - P&H vela kayak for small woman, 16 foot x 21.5" wide, for advanced paddlers not scared of a tippy boat and either fiberglass or kevlar...

So I emailed and sat biting my fingers hoping noone else had already bought it - was ecstatic to get an email in the morning that it was still available, in great condition, was fiberglass, and was 5 years old, only used for a couple of years till the owner was injured & couldn't paddle anymore.

She offered to email me pictures, but from the few reviews and info I could find on the web - it seemed pretty much to be just about my dream boat - A really good compromise between the 2 boats that I already had.

So I drove an hour to go see it without even knowing what color it was. It cracked me up that it was pastel purple with a green stripe, seat and cockpit combing. I swear I will never actually manage to get a red kayak or a red bicycle. But I can learn to love the easter egg boat.

But I was so happy I hugged the lady I bought it from and made immediate plans to go kayaking with it even though it was a bit on the chilly side & the water temps were a bit cold still.

So, it felt very fast, very maneuverable, tracks really well at the same time and was a lot of fun. It looks like there's more than enough storage space for me to camp out of it - and the fiberglass is in almost pristine condition. I still have to try it out in waves and rolling, but I'm going to wait till the water temperatures warm up for that - but I think it'll be great.

So now it's time to sell a plastic kayak or two and I think I'm set for a good long time now. It's kinda like when you finally manage to ride the right bike instead of just getting the best you can afford for a while.

Here's the boat:


It matches my car pretty well:

[KnottedYet]

Congratulations! The colors are kind of cute! (and yes, very easter egg!)

I have "my" favorite rental kayak at a place near me. (Necky Chatham 17 in plastic) It is so very much like finding the right bike! Sudden perfection! Instant love!

Have fun with your cutie!

[Cataboo]

The chathams are nice.

After an unfortunate incident renting a kayak that ended up with a shattered bow in Costa Rica, I generally don't rent boats (even though it was my friend that did the damage). I generally know how much UV damage my boat has had and what other sorts of mistreatment it's had, which you don't always know with a rental fleet (but since you have a favorite boat, you probably tend to go to this place often enough that you know the age of boats, etc.) It really sucks ruining someone else's boat.

I've been planning on making a folding/inflatable boat for travel with some plans I found on the internet, but haven't quite gotten there yet.

The deck lines are a bit loose, so I'm going to go ahead and replace those instead of just tightening - I found some cute purple and blue pastel colored rope that will probably end up getting braided in certain spots on the boat to complete the easter egg. There's one dolphin (vela) graphic on the boat.

[lph]

Ohh, but she's pretty! I like purple

Congratulations! Lovely feeling to be "at home" in the right boat.

[kmehrzad]

What a beautiful kayak. I love the color combination and the lines/shape of the craft. Excellent find!!

[Melalvai]

Don't try to light a fire in your kayak, because you know the saying:
You can't have your kayak, and heat it too.

[tulip]

Beautiful! I love the color!

Sooooo, like, what kayaks ya' selling? (not that I'm buying, of course, just askin')

[OakLeaf]

Nice!

[tulip]

There's a kayak festival in Kilmarnock, Virginia (Northern Neck/Chesapeake Bay) on June 5. There will be vendors and demos there...I won't be buying a kayak, but it sure will be fun trying a few out.

[Cataboo]

*cough*

Well, that lasted a few months! Then there was an arms race & I found another MY KAYAK.

Actually, I love the vela & I'm keeping it - and as long as I was paddling with people in plastic boats even if they were a couple feet longer - I was faster.

But then I started paddling with people in 18 foot kevlar racing kayaks or surfskis... And I'd be paddling all out getting to hull speed on the vela, while they were just cruising.

Then R bought a 17.5 foot fiberglass boat and my 15'8 one just wasn't quite fast enough....

So when someone mentioned they were selling their custom made nigel foster silhouette (bulkheads are moved closer for a short person to have more storage space, etc.), I kinda decided that instead of having 1 fiberglass & 1 plastic boat, I'll just have a short fiberglass boat for daytrips or fun on my own and a longer one for touring & paddling with the faster one. So away went the plastic boat and a new boat was adopted.

And... the fact that it's red just sealed the deal. I've wanted a red kayak or bike FOREVER. It's actually got pretty similar lines to the vela, so behaves in the same playful manner despite being more than 2 feet longer (it's 17'11"), it's slightly narrower, so it cuts through the water better, definitely faster, and rolled for me the first time.

So here's the new "used" one:

[divingbiker]

Congratulations! It's gorgeous.

Red bikes and kayaks rule!

[lph]

OMG That is a BEAUTIFUL boat. Congratulations!

[Zen]

I have a feeling this is not the last bump for this thread

[NoNo]

That's puuuuurty! Happy paddling

[tulip]

Soooooo...which ones ARE you selling??