While on my recent road trip visiting family and friends in Wisconsin and Minnesota, I was keeping on eye out for a second kayak. One that I would be robust enough to handle the abuse of paddling the Cumberland river. I stopped at kayak outfitters in Northern Wisconsin and Minnesota, hoping to find an end of season sale. During a normal year, they will sell off the summers rental boats to make room for the new boats for the following year. Just like with cars and boats, the kayak market has dried up thanks to covid.
Our old gourmet group had a happy hour for us last Friday. It was so great to see the gang again. While talking with Mike Mason at the party, he mentioned that he had five kayaks that were not being used much. He said he really needed to thin out his fleet. I was happy to help him with that! I paddled over the next day to check out his collection. I really wanted a boat with a ruder and dry hatches. I was so excited to find Mike happened to have a 14 foot Wilderness Experience Tsunami that was everything I was looking for.
Mike and I agreed on a reasonable price and I helped him haul the boat up his winding staircase and out to my car. The hull of the boat was in good condition, but the deck lines were all sun damaged and had lost their elasticity. The seat is well used and the hatch covers were sun damaged as well.
Since I had an empty kayak saddle on my rooftop carrier, bringing back a second boat was not a problem at all. I stopped at REI in Chicago to pick up a cockpit cover to keep the rain out.
Yesterday, I spent the day giving the boat some well earned TLC. I scrubbed the inside and outside with simple green and water, polished the hull and replaced all the sun damaged deck line's. It really looks much better. I still need to replace the rudder pull up line. I'll have to do some additional research to find a replacement. Eventually I'll need to replace the seat and hatch covers, but it's in good enough shape to that paddled this season.
Now, the boat is looking good. Thanks again to my friend Mike Mason, for helping me fill this need.
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