Lee's had a huge boat demo today, and Paul went shopping for a kayak. We test drove all sorts of models, from plastic canoes to little twirly creek boats to 18' fiberglass touring boats that'll set you back four grand (and that's before you get to the kevlar option). After trying many many boats, Paul finally settled on a Pungo 140, with an additional bow bulkhead that Lee's will install. And hey James! You and Paul can be boat buddies now.
Even after padding in all sorts of spendy fancy boats, it turns out that I'm really happy with my Tsunami. It's a good little boat, with excellent stability (it *is* kind of a pain in the ass to edge it, but I'll take that in favor of having a solid seat in the water -- for now anyway), it's roomy enough for my backside, and it's a joy to paddle. I had some real fun in it on Thursday night, threading it through a couple of tight strainers, and getting a feel for what the boat could really do. Of all the boats I test-drove, I really enjoyed the P&H Cetus the most -- but between its cost and the extra fussing I'd have to give a 'glass boat, I strongly doubt I'll be trading in my big red plastic tank anytime soon.
I also looked in the mirror today and discovered that my wobbly bingo wings were gone, in favor of nice tight muscle. Nothing sculpted or defined -- my arms are still big and roundish -- but they're on their way. And that's a darn good feeling.
Posted by Janer