Mehbe a little addicted

Its All Hallows Eve, a full moon night, and the clocks reset tonight.

Some are thinking this may be the reboot to the horrid year that was kicked off back March with the clocks moving forward on a full moon night.

I dunno. But its slated to be a nice night with minimal cloud cover, and I did that whole Fakebook promo for a moonlight float on a local lake. Lots of thumbs up but only a couple ‘I’ll be there”s. It’s all good. Its a kiddies night more than anything. I’m single with an empty nest: I can go have some fun of my own.🎃🛶🌕👍

New arrows in the quiver.

And one yet to be born.

Its there in the upper right of that pic. Those are the forms and the two ‘horses’ will hold the strongback while I assemble things.

Going a different route this time’round. Strip built,not skin boat.

19′ expedition craft from Guillemot kayaks. Using coffeewood for the strips. Lighter than WRC and seems to hold up better as well. (All of my WRC paddles have split and cracked in short order, while my CW paddles just flex and bounce. ) The log is already cut and waiting for a trip to the mill, then I will begin building.

But I’m gonna have to find somewhere else to put all of these boats!!! LOL the porch is 8’x24′ and its getting just a might crowded.

I may be adding a small out building near the driveway as a kayak house. Doesn’t need to be much, just keep the sun and rain off ’em. I prefer the porch since snakes don’t frequent there, and I know from experiance that snakes will harbor in boats if they think its safe. But, space,,,

Yeah, theres a bit of addiction here. Its not like any one kayak will fill all the roles I play in. White water boats dont like open waters and distance, sea kayaks can handle rough stuff but dont do the tight twists and turns of river running very well. And the skinboats will do most all of it to some extent, and handle waves like a living creature, but they aren’t built like tanks like the WW boats are. They are also built around the hunting tool concept: not built for comfort so to speak.

The new WW boat is a trial of sorts. Its a creeker boat, meant for fast wild water. Similar in use to Betty Boof, but shorter and higher volume. Larger steeper bow shape to ride over any crazy stuff where Betty will submarine.

I don’t know that this is the direction I want to go in, but if I dont at least try it,,,,

I do know I want wide open living water in my future so the strip boat is a definitely on course. If I find I don’t want to follow a serious WW route, the Jefe is marketable. (Betty won’t be as she is 24 years old and ‘old skool’, and I like the way she fits me and the little rivers I do run.)

6 kayaks. One pilot. 3 totally different use-niches. A truck that may be able to haul 3 possibly 4 of those boats at any one time, but it works. I can haul a set of choices and decide by conditions what I’ll be playing in. Or load up a pair if partnering up in something specific.

(And I hear my ol-man grumbling “ya can only paddle one at a time,,,”) 🤣