It's been a busy month. Our family went back to Lake of the Springs for one last summer camping trip. We had a great time making new friends, paddling and fishing. The only down side was that for 7 out of 8 days, temperatures were above 100. The upside was it made for wonderful nighttime paddles! We even watched some of the Perseid meteor showers from our kayaks.
We made it home last week but haven't had a chance to get out and paddle until yesterday. My daughter and I headed to Lodi Lake so that I could try out a used boat that Dan from Headwaters was selling. I've decided to buy it and I'm soooooo excited!
It's the P&H Capella 166. I've been wanting to get a sea kayak for awhile but don't have the funds for a new boat. I told Dan what I was looking for - a boat that I would use primarily for touring, fairly fast, good storage capability and would work well for using on the Delta and San Francisco Bay. When I called him he said he had the perfect boat for me. Soooooo, I just had to go and see for myself.
We arrived at the lake around 2:00 and the weather was on the warm side, about 92 degrees. Dan was nice enough to bring the boat down to the lake for me. After getting in and adjusting the foot pegs, which were very easy to adjust, I launched with no issues. I paddled over to the dock to test the primary stability. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the boat leaned quite far before going all the way over. The seat was very comfortable although I got it a little askew when I pushed on the foot pegs but it was an easy fix. After checking the stability I just floated and snapped my hips back and forth to get the feel of the boat. Once I was comfortable my daughter and I headed up the Moke. After about 20 minutes or so I started to not feel so good and needed to rest in the shade. I hadn't realized how warm it actually was. After a power bar and water I began to feel much better and we set off again. I felt very comfortable in the cockpit and the boat moved effortlessly through the water. It has three sealed compartments for storage which will be great for long day trips and maybe a kayak camping trip down the road. Another plus for this boat is that it has a skeg and a rudder. The rudder can be removed easily if I want to take it off. Overall we paddled about 4 miles and I spent nearly three hours in the cockpit and felt relaxed and comfortable the entire time on the water. I can't wait to spend more time in it and learn new skills and improve on the skills I've been working on.
I am truly blessed to have a husband who supports and encourages me in everything I do. I look forward to spending more time on the water with him and the rest of my family and friends. Maybe someday I can become an instructor and share what I'm learning with others. Kayaking is an awesome sport!
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