A taste of freedom

Kayaking in winter poses its hazards, but the quiet solitude is quite enticing.

A friend said ‘poor risk management, Brenner’, which from her point of view is perhaps true, but I am aware of the risk by being on the water in cold temps. November is finally bringing snow with it. Yesterday was snowy and foggy on the water with my deck getting covered with snow and ice.

I wear a wet suit, gloves, booties, and spray-skirt to help stay warm. Under my deck lines rests a bilge pump in case of a roll-over. Yesterday posed no problems of a roll-over as the winds were very calm and no white-caps while I was out on the water.

Getting back in the kayak after a wet-exit is pretty easy, but on initial dump it’s important to control your breathing. Once relaxed I was able to seal-crawl up to the cockpit, sink into a flooded seat and get the remained of the water out of the craft. Not the most opportune time to practice a wet-exit, but I made it and practiced throughout the summer.

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the start of it all

Why wait until retirement to satiate curiosity? See something of interest? Go for it! Figure it out. Ask questions. Make mistakes. Most of all - LEARN!

12 years ago my watercraft building began with a cedar-strip canoe. At the time my daughter was a newborn and many days she slept in an Osprey kid carrier on my back as I worked. I enjoyed her company even though she was primarily in dream land.

Once the canoe was complete I was itching to try my hand at a kayak. But almost a decade passed before I could get to the build because, as you may know, raising kids is a marathon effort!

My first kayak turned out really well and I am quite pleased with my builds since then. Each kayak is unique and a pleasure to paddle.

Now onto the paddleboard build!