Hey, Curtis, I looked up "dealers" on the site and one of the outdoor stores here in Eureka carries the line but all they had was one of the canoes from the company and not the advanced frame like you have. Although I've been planning to build one of the Pygmy Boats kayaks "someday" it requires a garage which I don't have so I've been also checking out the different boats whenever I go to one of the outdoor stores (of which we have many here in Humboldt).
So yesterday, when I went to check out the inflatable from the company that makes yours I saw this little item that caught my eye, http://www.hurricaneaquasports.com/santee-100.html It's a little 10-footer made out of Trylon that I could throw in the back of my small pickup and drop into the bay after work. It's not as sweet looking as the Pygmy kayak but it's as light as yours and small enough to stash behind the house and when I can't go surfing I can still be on the water. And as Rat says in Wind In The Willows, "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats." Well, maybe not *nothing*, but I appreciate the sentiment and am seriously thinking of putting my Economic Stimulus check where my mouth is. ** --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <reavismarek@> > wrote: > > > > Curtis, I like your boat a lot and I looked all through the site but > > couldn't find out what the costs were; can you give me an idea of > > what your model costs? > > Around $400. A good paddle will cost about 80 more. I also got a > skirt, not for Eskimo rolls which are impossible with this wide boat, > but to keep chilly water from dripping on you in the Fall. I have > gotten so much pleasure from this boat. I got my GF one for Christmas > so we can paddle down the Swanee river together. (once I find the > Swanee River!) > > > > > > > ** > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > What a great looking boat! I really like the look of wood. I am > > > suspicious of the claimed weight. For a wood boat that size 39 > > pounds > > > seems too light. That is the weight of my much shorter boat. > > Here is > > > my boat: > > > http://www.advancedelements.com/advancedframe.html > > > > > > It has an inner frame so it tracks well in the water unlike many > > > inflatables. It's portability is the main feature, it is much > > slower > > > than a rigid boat. But for the water I go for, it works great. > > > > > > Great topic! I hope to hear your music soon. I have my CD launch > > > party and show for my second CD tonight at a local blues club. > > Here > > > is a link to my site with my new CD info and a link to hear the 6 > > > originals on the CD. CDbaby.com will have the CD up this week. > > Music > > > is sooo worth the effort. > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" <reavismarek@> > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > Great story, Curtis, and extremely resonant. Surfing has been > > like > > > > that for me. The first time I backpacked alone in Death Valley > > was > > > > like that for me. Every time I venture across a downed tree > > that > > > > spans a river or a gorge is like that for me. I feel that we > > become > > > > far more potent as human beings as we expose ourselves to > > situations > > > > and circumstances outside our comfort zone; and, as a > > consequence, > > > > the comfort zone expands, too. > > > > > > > > I'm planning on my foray into music making to be one of those > > busta- > > > > moves for me. So far I've been negligent in putting the energy > > in to > > > > practising as much as I should have, but this topic may have > > injected > > > > the extra boost needed. > > > > > > > > Are you still using an inflatable or something rigid? For a > > long > > > > time I've planned on building one of the Pygmy Boats kayaks, the > > Coho > > > > ( http://pygmyboats.com/mall/coho.asp ), and that's still my > > plan. > > > > The investigator in my office built one, the Osprey, and it's > > > > beautiful. He goes out all the time and once I arrange the time > > and > > > > the place, I'm planning on having a kayak be my "other car". > > > > > > > > Marek > > > > > > > > ** > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "curtisdeltablues" > > > > <curtisdeltablues@> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Great topic and great stories Marek and Turq, > > > > > > > > > > I have used objects as anchors for states of mind. One that > > comes > > > > to > > > > > mind was a simple oyster shell that I picked up from the water > > off > > > > > Jane's Island on the Chesapeake Bay. It is not a collector's > > shell, > > > > > it is downright ugly. I keep in my car and run into it when I > > am > > > > > rummaging around looking for something else. > > > > > > > > > > It is tied to a decision I took a few years ago to stop > > telling > > > > people > > > > > who told me that they kayaked that " I would love to do that > > > > someday." > > > > > Living in an apartment, I didn't see how it could happen > > until I > > > > > found a fantastic inflatable kayak. I pumped it up and went > > out on > > > > > the Potomac like a leaf in the ocean and it changed my life! I > > > > > planned a solo trip to Jane's Island which is on one of the > > world's > > > > > biggest estuaries, a primal source of life. > > > > > > > > > > I hadn't camped since I was a kid so I bought a tent and > > headed > > > > out. > > > > > While paddling through the tall marsh grasses,I found myself > > looking > > > > > into the water where so much life begins, crabs, oysters, > > etc. I > > > > saw > > > > > a complete oyster shell, sun bleached out. My voyage around > > the > > > > > island was only impressive for me, because it was so far > > outside my > > > > > box at the time. I didn't wait for someone to do it with me. > > I just > > > > > rolled the dream with what I had, an inflatable boat and an > > idea. > > > > > > > > > > Seeing the shell immediately brings me back to a moment of > > dream > > > > > fulfillment and self re-creation. I became the kind of guy who > > > > > inflates a kayak and heads out to a new body of water just to > > look > > > > > around. It reminds me that such choice points are always > > available > > > > > even though I too rarely, take the plunge down the rabbit > > hole. My > > > > > shell reminds me of that self creative power. > > > > > > > > > > Thanks for the reminder of its meaning. I'll have to figure > > out > > > > what > > > > > other area of my life could use a little busta-move energy! > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, TurquoiseB <no_reply@> > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Marek Reavis" > > > > <reavismarek@> > > > > > > wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Great topic, Turq, I'm interested to hear what people > > write > > > > about. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > An important object for me along these lines is natural > > rather > > > > than > > > > > > > manufactured, but the circumstances of finding it and it's > > > > resonance > > > > > > > with me and its link to my dearest friend has kept it in a > > > > place of > > > > > > > honor wherever I've lived for the last 25 years or so. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > It's a single, six-point antler from a Roosevelt Elk. > > It's > > > > about 15 > > > > > > > lbs., approximately 40-inches long, entirely intact but > > along > > > > three > > > > > > > of the tines shows the gnaw marks of the small animals who > > use > > > > > > > fallen antlers as a source of calcium in their diet. The > > marks > > > > of > > > > > > > their teeth on the tips of the antlers are like the chisel > > > > marks in > > > > > > > a stone sculpture. Over time they would have reduced the > > > > antler to > > > > > > > nothing. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I had left Fairfield with my family in 1983, after living > > there > > > > for > > > > > > > 2 years. We had auctioned off everything we had, bought a > > > > trailer > > > > > > > and headed out west as gypsies. A few weeks later we > > found > > > > > > > ourselves in the Pacific Northwest on the Olympic > > peninsula of > > > > > > > Washington staying with a friend, an artist (see, > > > > tocfetch.com), who > > > > > > > had a little house on the cliffs overlooking the Straits > > of > > > > Juan de > > > > > > > Fuca. We parked our trailer in the yard and stayed for > > several > > > > > > > months. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > One day during that period my friend and I were > > bushwacking in > > > > the > > > > > > > interior of the Olympics, along a ridgeline not too far > > above > > > > the > > > > > > > Elwha River. Somewhere along the way we got separated > > from one > > > > > > > another. As I was walking through the forest by myself I > > found > > > > the > > > > > > > antler, all by itself, just pure and pristine. For some > > > > reason, I > > > > > > > had always wanted to find a full antler; it was just a > > long- > > > > standing > > > > > > > desire I had. I was elated and about an hour later, when > > I > > > > joined > > > > > > > up again with my friend I brandished it over my head in > > > > greeting and > > > > > > > in triumph. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > He had found pieces of antlers in the past, but never a > > full > > > > rack > > > > > > > and he couldn't believe that I had stumbled across such a > > > > specimen > > > > > > > in one of my first outings while he hadn't been as > > fortunate > > > > even in > > > > > > > a couple of years of looking. He demanded to know where I > > > > found it > > > > > > > because he wanted to go back and search for the twin. I > > told > > > > him I > > > > > > > had no idea where in the forest it was where I had found > > it and > > > > no > > > > > > > telling whether the elk had dropped the mate in the same > > area > > > > anyway. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > But he wouldn't take no for an answer, and as best I could > > I > > > > led us > > > > > > > to a place in the forest that "looked" like the place, but > > I > > > > really > > > > > > > had no idea. I sat around for over an hour as he > > > > systematically > > > > > > > pored over the forest floor, moving farther and farther > > away in > > > > his > > > > > > > search until he was gone from view. After a long time I > > heard > > > > > > > whooping and hollering and he came back to where I was > > with the > > > > mate > > > > > > > to mine. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > His antler has been prominent in his studio, wherever he > > has > > > > lived > > > > > > > since then, and mine similarly. A good, powerful bond. > > > > > > > > > > > > Cool. That's exactly what I had in mind. Such > > > > > > objects somehow become a way for us to "link" > > > > > > to moments of power in the past. > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >
