Well, I got a few days off of work, and it looks like it's supposed to be pretty decent out on Saturday. Weather.com is calling for 64 degrees and mostly sunny with currently zero percent chance of rain.
I may try and get the TK-1 up to Sleepy Hollow State Park and do a little bit of kayaking out on Lake Ovid.
Here is the description of Lake Ovid according the trip report at Paddling.net:
"Lake Ovid is a 410-acre lake (Lake Lansing is a 450 acre lake for comparison), which was developed from the Little Maple River. Lake Ovid is a no wake lake and may be the best inland lake kayaking destination in the Lansing area. There are two or three islands in the lake, which create some interesting airflow on windy days and add some additional enjoyment to the kayaking experience.
It is not uncommon to share the lake with many fishermen. Since they are normally fishing from a stationary point, however, they are not a problem. And, because it is a no wake lake you won't find anyone going much faster than trolling speed. There are usually a few other canoes and kayaks on the lake, and even a sailboat will stop out now and then. On occasion the parking lot is quite crowded, but the lake is always peaceful. Lake Ovid may not be the best place to practice rolling or wet exits as there is a fair amount of underwater plant life. However, this does not interfere with paddling and if you really want to practice some in the water exercises, you can go to the swimming area for a fairly weed free experience.
Lake Ovid is home to a large population of birds and other wildlife, including Sandhill Cranes, Blue Heron, geese, ducks, muskrats, turtles, and deer. Unlike other lakes where all the wildlife has been run off by powerboats, you can expect to see most of these creatures on every visit to the lake."
It sounds to me like a pretty good destination to get the TK-1 out in an area where I will be able to see something other than houses!!! I'm looking forward to making this quick trip, and then I will probably stop by my parents house to hang out for a little while before returning home.
Showing posts with label TK-1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TK-1. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Kayaking...
I know that I literally just bought the first set of kayaks for Cathy and myself, but I have found it to be incredibly interesting researching reviews and information about other kayaks and the sport/hobby in general.
I know I'm jumping the gun quite a bit, but I've already picked out the "next" set of kayaks for us. Well, I've definitely picked out the next one for Cathy, and I've got the next one for myself narrowed down to 3 different models.
For Cathy I will be getting her a Stearns Spree. From the information over on Paddlesheep's blog, it seems like it will be an excellent craft for her. Small and easy to paddle, but good quality and good tracking characteristics.
For myself I've got it narrowed down to the Stearns Spree 2, the Stearns Cordova, or the Advanced Elements Expedition. Right now I'm leaning towards the Spree 2. I've read that it's a good boat for being paddled solo even though it's technically a tandem. It's got good weight capacity and is a good size. The Cordova I worry might not carry the things I would want my next boat to carry. It's capacity is 50lbs lower than the Spree 2. I've also been told that despite it's different type of floor, it still doesn't track all that well. I've also been told it's not exactly the best value for it's cost, although I believe it's cost has come down considerably since some owners purchased it. The AE Expedition looks like a great boat, but it's at the top of the length window that I'm looking at. I've read that with an inflatable it's not generally a good idea to go with anything over 13', and the Expedition is right at that. I also don't like the bungies on it...they seem too far forward. It also lacks the removable spray skirt option that the Spree 2 and the Cordova have, as far as I can tell. So for now the Spree 2 is the one I'll be interested in...that is, unless I win my $2 million in Vegas next month...then I'm going for the Innova Sunny!!!!
The best parts about having the Spree 2 at the top of my list of boats right now are that it's also the least expensive of the lot...by a margin of over $50. Which is a good thing. It's also the same boat as what Cathy will have, albeit the larger one. So we will have matching kayaks in slightly different sizes and maybe different colors.
But this is all getting way too far ahead of myself. I need to learn the basics more and more with my TK-1...and I need to get Cathy out on the water once before she can determine if she is really even interested in this sport.
But it's still fun for me to research...
I know I'm jumping the gun quite a bit, but I've already picked out the "next" set of kayaks for us. Well, I've definitely picked out the next one for Cathy, and I've got the next one for myself narrowed down to 3 different models.
For Cathy I will be getting her a Stearns Spree. From the information over on Paddlesheep's blog, it seems like it will be an excellent craft for her. Small and easy to paddle, but good quality and good tracking characteristics.
For myself I've got it narrowed down to the Stearns Spree 2, the Stearns Cordova, or the Advanced Elements Expedition. Right now I'm leaning towards the Spree 2. I've read that it's a good boat for being paddled solo even though it's technically a tandem. It's got good weight capacity and is a good size. The Cordova I worry might not carry the things I would want my next boat to carry. It's capacity is 50lbs lower than the Spree 2. I've also been told that despite it's different type of floor, it still doesn't track all that well. I've also been told it's not exactly the best value for it's cost, although I believe it's cost has come down considerably since some owners purchased it. The AE Expedition looks like a great boat, but it's at the top of the length window that I'm looking at. I've read that with an inflatable it's not generally a good idea to go with anything over 13', and the Expedition is right at that. I also don't like the bungies on it...they seem too far forward. It also lacks the removable spray skirt option that the Spree 2 and the Cordova have, as far as I can tell. So for now the Spree 2 is the one I'll be interested in...that is, unless I win my $2 million in Vegas next month...then I'm going for the Innova Sunny!!!!
The best parts about having the Spree 2 at the top of my list of boats right now are that it's also the least expensive of the lot...by a margin of over $50. Which is a good thing. It's also the same boat as what Cathy will have, albeit the larger one. So we will have matching kayaks in slightly different sizes and maybe different colors.
But this is all getting way too far ahead of myself. I need to learn the basics more and more with my TK-1...and I need to get Cathy out on the water once before she can determine if she is really even interested in this sport.
But it's still fun for me to research...
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Drying Out the Inflatable.
Well, I don't really have an awful lot going on today. I called in sick to work due to a few things...mainly I had a nasty headache and my throat was sore, but I also had a sore back and sore legs due to the kayaking I believe. But man, the headache was bad. It set in last night (Wednesday night) and I didn't get rid of it until late this afternoon (Thursday).
Anyways, I thought I'd take a minute to post about how I've been drying out the TK-1 after I get done with it.
First of all, both times I've used it I basically just rolled it up and threw it in the car and came home. When I got home was when I did my drying. Both times I've done it the same way and each time it's turned out pretty well.
First, when I get home I take the boat out onto my back deck. The back deck faces east, so it's shaded by the time I get home. I lay the boat out, top side up, on the deck. I leave it like that for a few hours then go flip it so it's bottom side up. I leave it like that for a few hours. This gets it pretty well dried out, but to make absolutely sure, I take it into my garage and hang it from a hook on the ceiling. I leave it hanging like that for a few days just to make sure it's completely dry.
I believe hanging it works well because the garage isn't really insulated so it gets pretty warm in there. It also faces west, so the sun heats it up even more...however, the boat is out of direct sunlight so there's no issues with that. That, and the hanging aspect allows any leftover water to work it's way down out of the part that is hanging down, which is the front of the boat.
Both times after only 24 hours the boat has seemed as dry as when it was new. This method wouldn't work very well if the boat were any longer, because as it is the tip of the front is touching the ground just barely. But it works, so I'll keep doing it!!!
Anyways, I thought I'd take a minute to post about how I've been drying out the TK-1 after I get done with it.
First of all, both times I've used it I basically just rolled it up and threw it in the car and came home. When I got home was when I did my drying. Both times I've done it the same way and each time it's turned out pretty well.
First, when I get home I take the boat out onto my back deck. The back deck faces east, so it's shaded by the time I get home. I lay the boat out, top side up, on the deck. I leave it like that for a few hours then go flip it so it's bottom side up. I leave it like that for a few hours. This gets it pretty well dried out, but to make absolutely sure, I take it into my garage and hang it from a hook on the ceiling. I leave it hanging like that for a few days just to make sure it's completely dry.
I believe hanging it works well because the garage isn't really insulated so it gets pretty warm in there. It also faces west, so the sun heats it up even more...however, the boat is out of direct sunlight so there's no issues with that. That, and the hanging aspect allows any leftover water to work it's way down out of the part that is hanging down, which is the front of the boat.
Both times after only 24 hours the boat has seemed as dry as when it was new. This method wouldn't work very well if the boat were any longer, because as it is the tip of the front is touching the ground just barely. But it works, so I'll keep doing it!!!
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