March 30, 2013 - Dagger Axis Maiden Voyage
Getting the new boat's feet wet. And also testing out Sue's new paddle.
Well, we needed to take the new kayak out and also we needed to test out the new paddle that Sue got for her birthday. So despite the wind and the not-quite-warm temperature, we loaded Sue's new adopted Ride 135 and my new Dagger Axis 12.0 onto the Toaster. This is the first time that we attempted to strap down two kayaks on the car at the same time. The Malone J-Cradles along with the existing cradles made the process fairly simple. We strapped both boats down and they were rock solid on the roof.
We headed over to Old Pungo Ferry Road and it was, as we expected, quite windy. The wind was about 20 - 25 mph out of the northwest, so it was coming at about a 45 degree angle to the shoreline. We unloaded the boats without any problems. No one else was out. :) Note that the water was a bit low. Also the Osprey were creating quite a racket in their nest on the platform over by the bridge.
This was just going to be a quick shakedown cruise (out and back) so we were not too concerned with the wind. (I wouldn't want to paddle in these conditions over any great distance. Ouch.) Also, as I mentioned, it was not quite warm. But it wasn't too bad as we were all dressed in layers. Silks, polar fleece, windbreakers, neoprene shoes, hats, gloves, scarves. The water was a bit cold on our feet as we were launching and landing. Neoprene is not exactly waterproof. Once in the boat, it wasn't too bad.
The new kayak handled great. It's a bit more "tippy" than the Ride, which I expected, but it paddles great. The chines on the hull and the drop-down skeg help to keep the boat tracking straight.
Sue also tested out her paddle. It's a Werner Kalliste straight-shaft paddle. It's super light weighing in at only 24 ounces. And it's fairly stiff being constructed out of carbon fiber. It also has a multi-variable feather angle allowing adjustments left or right to 75 degrees in 15 degree increments.
One of the other goals of this trip was to determine where to mount the GPS. I duct-taped the base to the front of the boat just in front of the cockpit as a test. That seems to be the right place to mount it. Now comes the drilling. :)
