I guess all that time out on the water finally got to us. Only a day after our guided kayak tour out of Rockport harbor we found ourselves back at Northshore Kayaks loading up two new-to-us Wilderness Systems Tsunami kayaks.
Our new kayaks!
It wasn’t a completely spontaneous decision. We’ve been seriously considering purchasing kayaks lately. And since we were about to spend six weeks on the Maine coast, it only made sense to do it now. When we arrived for our kayak tour on Friday, I immediately noticed the sign outside the rental shop advertising used kayaks for 20-30% off. We bought our used mountain bikes from a rental shop in Hood River, Oregon and found it to be a great way to get good quality gear for a reasonable price.
North Shore Kayak and their fleet of boats
After spending several hours and paddling 5 miles in the rental kayaks, we both felt that this brand and model was a good fit for us. The Tsunami is a 14.5 foot long kayak that glides easily through the waves while maintaining an incredibly stable feel. We liked the adjustable seats, ample cockpit space, and three bulkheads to store our gear. After the tour we chatted with the owner of the shop about our options and prices, and then went home to think about it. A quick Google search confirmed that these were indeed considered to be good quality kayaks that get great reviews all around the Internet. So we went back the next day, made a deal for a pair of kayaks at almost 40% off the new price, added in some used paddles and new life jackets, and we were in business!
Looking good on the beach
We still need to purchase a better system for carrying the kayaks on the truck. Right now we have them sitting on top of the cap with foam blocks underneath and lots of ratchet straps holding them in place. It works fine, but since the truck will be their permanent home we need a system that makes it simpler for us to put them on and take them off. The good news is that I can (just barely) reach the roof of the truck to lift them down. And even at 55 lbs each, with Tim’s help I can lift it up over my head to get it back on the truck. Tim has narrowed the options down to a rack and carrier system that he likes (I let him deal with this kind of stuff), and we’ll keep out eye out for a used set up before shelling out the bucks for a new one.
All of this happened just in time for us to leave Gloucester and head north into Maine where we’ll be spending the next six weeks on the coast. Our first stop — Winslow Memorial Park in Freeport. I haven’t taken many photos of the campground yet, but here’s my outdoor office set up from yesterday.
Water view!
As you can see we have a pretty sweet site with a view of Casco Bay. Within an hour of arriving we had the truck unhitched, the kayaks unloaded, and we were in the water.
First paddle in Maine
We paddled around a nearby island and pulled up to a sandy beach for a look around. There was a couple with a dog who had anchored their small power boat off shore. Just as I was taking a picture of the beach from my boat the dog ran over to say hi.
Doggy photo bomb
We went out again on Monday afternoon. The tides around here are pretty extreme. At low tide the boat ramp is completely inaccessible so we have to be careful about when we go and come back. Dragging our boats trough 50 feet of mud to reach the shore doesn’t sound like fun. We calculated that as long as we were back by 6 pm (about 3 hours before low tide) we would be fine. Turns out it was plenty of time to paddle out and around two islands.
Approaching crab islands – no crabs in sight
The shore in front of the campground a few hours before low tide
The weather is looking perfect this week for lots of kayaking, and we’re already planning a long paddle adventure for this Saturday. Yup, I think these kayaks are going to get a lot of use.
17 comments
Oh what fun! I am envious! Looking forward to your water posts over the next few weeks!
How are you able to use your laptop outside? I find the glare makes it impossible. Do you have something over your screen to improve outdoor viewing????
Oh yeah, there will be a lot of kayaking posts coming up! I can only do some things on my laptop outside. Anything with photos is impossible, but since I was only using a text program it was fine. The awning helps with glare, I would never even attempt it out in the open. That said, a few hours is the limit for my eyes.
Great purchase! We love ours, and like you, are almost always around water. We wouldn’t be without them!! Enjoy!
Yup, we seem to gravitate to campgrounds with water. So excited that we now have a way to get out and enjoy it.
Congrats. There are days I really miss our canoe and long for a good paddle. I know you’ll enjoy them.
It’s great to have another way to be active. Especially in this part of the country where the hiking it limited.
Try the hullivator rack system by Thule. We just got ours, not installed just yet for our 16.5 current design kayaks that we adore up here in New Hampsha.
A few other people recommended that rack system. Thanks!
Oh yay!!! You guys are going to have so much fun with your new kayaks — you already are! We love traveling with our kayak — we’ve paddled everywhere from the San Juan Islands to the Florida Keys and many rivers and lakes and swamps in between. Can’t wait to see where you’ll be paddling in Maine. Congratulations!
We are excited to use them all over the country and Maine seems like a great spot to start!
Very cool kayaks! I love the orange color. What fun you’ll have!
Thanks! We love the orange color too – the official name is Mango :)
Congrats! How fun. Love to be out on the water. Enjoy!
Thanks! We’re pretty excited about out new toys!
With the additional weight of kayaks and a new rack how is the Tundra holding up to the additional payload?
So far we’ve only driven about 2 hours with them up there, and at the time we didn’t yet have a rack (only foam blocks). We plan to get rid of some un-needed items from the back of the truck to even out the extra weight. Will give a full report after the rack is installed and we spend more time driving around with them.
Good looking kayaks indeed!