The Kayak Ordeal

Well, I got it. after no small amount of frustration, let me tell you (I am, I am). Thanks go to my good friend K. who was able to pick it up in Halifax for me easily while I rocked it up at the Shoreline Festival. She even left it out for me to pick up today on my day off. So off I went to put the roof rack on and bring home my kayak. Well, for the fit kit, no words included...a 3 step photograph of how it might look is all. Great. The aero feet that attach to the car, somewhat better but no recommendations on how things would go easier if you just did this or that first. Complicating factors were the heat, the deer flies (several new bites, thank-you), not ever having seen one of these racks up close before to see how it went, K.'s dog and his incessant barking each time one of the many people trafficking in and out of the house, leaving him behind...oh, and lets not forget the fact that I am totally hungover and lacking coordination. I think it waited through yesterday to jump on me today the minute I made an efforts at physical tasks.

anyhow, got the rack finally on, and realized that the covers for the mechanism were not on. Ripped the whole fucking thing off again, and put the covers on, then put it all back on again. The load bars were driving me insane though, moving about. Apparently if I had read the directions correctly and when necessary, I would have discovered that there was a "cam" tension thing that allowed the bar to move freely. I definitely should have know that before I was pounding them through with a rubber mallet. And the measurements need to be exact (spacing of bars and feet) in order to fit my car properly and it wasn't until this happened that everything finally fell into place.

I got it home and it took me about 3 minutes to get it off the car. phew.

I love the kayak. The seat is taller than my friend K.'s and is padded! What a bonus. I sat in it on the grass and motioned paddling, surely in much amusement to my neighbors who likely thought I was still drunk.

now point me to the best spots on the water for a recreational kayak. I'm there. Just not today.