Evidence That I Need a Sugar Daddy...

[liz_marcs]

ME WANT!

May I present the Wilderness Systems Zephyr 155:



The odds of this boat being available at a discount at the end of the year...actually pretty good.

Odds that it will be reduced by 40% and in a price range which I can afford without draining my savings account and resorting to the credit card to buy a paddle ($300 more or less)...absolutely nil.

I just spent an hour-and-a-half after work today falling in love and doing the kayaking equivalent of donuts in the middle of the Charles in this boat.

*cries*

I need to marry rich.

I may have to settle for buying a season pass for another year...

Doesn't it figure that when I settle on a sport I love, it happens to be a horrendously expensive sport.

*cries*

Comments

[lee-rowan.livejournal.com]

Pretty! Can you offer to buy a rental model at the end of the season, or something?

I keep wishing we could get a canoe, but we lost space when we moved--there is literally nowhere to put one.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

That is with buying a rental model. *cries*

In all seriousness, where I have my season pass they always sell of rentals at the end of the year for 20% to 50% off. I had my heart set on a Necky Manitou 14, since it's borderline within my price range without a discount, would be just within reach at the low end of the discount, and would be WAH-HOOOOOO! at the high end of the discount.

Then I test-drove this one. *cries*

I'd be perfectly happy with a Necky Manitou 14, to be honest. But this was a sweeeeeet boat.

Of course, any and all plans to buy a boat depends heavily on how much money I manage to sock away by end of summer, and barring any unforeseen problems.

So even in my dreams it was a 50-50 shot that I'd buy this year due to some heavy expenses in May and June.

[enemyfrigate.livejournal.com]

I don't even kayak and now I want one of those. (I would kayak if I didn't already have an expensive sport - riding horses - to dominate my recreational hours. Hell, with horses, it's not even about buying the beasts, its keeping them that costs and costs and costs. Talk about needing to marry rich. Luckily, a friend of mine shares her two nice sport horses with me.)

I sailed on the Charles a bit when I lived in Boston, through the sailing club on the Esplanade. What area are you kayaking around?

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

The lakes region of the Charles, which is the stretch of river between Newton and Waltham.

I've also done a little urban kayaking in the Charles River basin within the city proper (a little up-river from the Esplanade).

I've also kayaked Beverly Harbor up on the North Shore in (get this) a sit-on-top kayak which is nuts.

At least you don't actually have to feed the kayaks, so that makes my sport cheaper than yours at least. :-)

I know someone who rides horses, so yeah, I hear that horseback riding ain't called the sport of Kings for nothing.

[enemyfrigate.livejournal.com]

You also never have to muck out behind a kayak. Bonus.

Horses take up land, and specialty food, they get hurt easily, and you can't really automate their care, so it does add up.

I'm a little familiar with the lakes. Nice area to get on the water.

I've seen sit atop kayaks. Personally, I think that's a little more challenge than I want from my watercraft.

I always wanted to rent a canoe (or kayak) and go out on the river to watch the fireworks Fourth of July. Never seemed to have the money that month when I lived up there.

[lillian13.livejournal.com]

There's an even more expensive one in the latest Wired:
http://www.woodenkayaks.com/image/gallery-handmade-wooden-boats/petrel/petrel-bow

Sure is pretty, though.

[adpfromga.livejournal.com]

thats a sweet boat, ya know Liz...

The only reason I was able to buy my Romany (which I just got back from lake paddling and Thai food this evening) was my kid managed to pass his exit exams from college and do more than walk through in May.

See, they were going to let him walk through, but he'd have had to pay (I'd have paid for) for another semester where he just took his exit exams repeatedly.

But he passed, and I added the Romany to the quiver.

Anyway, back to the Tempest. I know the designer from a sea kayak board we both frequent, and its a boat they are proud of designing. Its a real ocean boat, agile in surf, but at 17' by 22" really practical for boat supported camping.

I know its a stretch $-wise, but its a boat you will be happy with for a long time, much more advanced than the Tsunami, which I've outgrown.

And, I'm tossing around the idea of coming Nawth at the end of July, and bringing with the Romany as I'd like to paddle Boston Harbor and the islands. I'll be BCU level 2 by then, so its just a matter of finding some folks to paddle with.

My best buddy in NH would be game for a rental and some fun on the Charles too.

[liz-marcs.livejournal.com]

Awwww! I'd LOVE to do some paddling. Just forgive my lack of boat. *smiles*

As for paddling the Charles, depends on where you want to go Charles-wise.

The boathouses where my membership is good:

Newton: This is the Charles River Lakes region where I usually go. It's kind of bisected by the boathouse itself. The upper half starts out somewhat urben before going suburban, but the pluses are that the river narrows and becomes a swift river with minimal white water (you can navigate around it in a regular kayak). The lower half is nicer in that there are some bird sanctuaries and parks around. The river's 5.6 miles (11.2 round-trip if you do the whole run). (Map link: http://www.paddleboston.com/newton/map.php)

There's also two boathouses for the "urban" Charles River (which I've been dying to do) which takes you through the heart of the city (i.e., Back Bay, Esplanade, and right on through to the Science Museum basin). One of the boathouses is in Alston, and they'll be just opening a new boathouse in Cambridge on July 3. I've done some rowing from the Alston site, but everyone I've gone with has always wanted to head upriver towards Watertown, which makes me sad. (Map link: http://www.paddleboston.com/boston/map.php)

I can tell you that the Lakes Region is a pretty relaxing row, mostly because of the wildlife quotient, and because the scenery from the water is constantly switching between pastoral, suburban, and urban. The urban basin strikes me as an unusual row because it's so urban with a water's eye view of some pretty famous landmarks.

In short, I'm good for any option you want. :-)

[rin-x-x.livejournal.com]

Goaltending is worse. Pads can range from $900 to $2000 a pair. And thats not even the really really good quality shit or the pre-used gear of NHLers (which in actually were prolly only used for a practice or two).

I already know where MY money is going when I win the lottery. :D

[iyalode.livejournal.com]

Ooh. The lean, mean kayaking machine. That is sweet.

I really do love reading the kayaking stuff, Liz. My bro and I had a two seat bright orange (what were we thinking!) when we were kids. Used to take it down to the river on a trolley we made, across 3 roads and a nightmare of a blind corner. Heh.

[phyr-nyt.livejournal.com]

it's probably cheeper then keeping a salt water tank. :3

*psst* the millionaires club has free membership for women...

[lmzjewel.livejournal.com]

I don't Kayak although the way you talk of it, it does look like it would be an enjoyable sport. I've always loved the horses though. Prices range depending on the discipline and level of expertise anywhere from $5,000-upwards. Trailers and trucks to haul the horse to competition are not cheap. Of course, ya gotta to have a place to board the animal. Some places are as high as $500 a month and higher with training involved. It's a little cheaper if you've got your own farm to keep the horse on but farms aren't exactly cheap. There is cost for training the horse and training the rider. Western pleasure show saddles can range around $2,000 and that's not including, bridle, bit, breastplate, and the show pad that goes under the saddle. There's cost in competing in competition and cost in traveling to competitions. There's cost in vet care, grooming supplies, and feed and supplements to keep the horse healthy. It's an ongoing thing, too. I've finally had to sell my horse cause not only can I not afford it, with my family obligations I don't even have time for it. So, I'm no longer dealing with any of it but I can definately appreciate how annoying it is to want and need a piece of expensive equipment and not be able to afford it. I hope that eventually you can buy the kayak that you want, it looks like a very nice one.

[yanagi-wa.livejournal.com]

It looks so sleek and ... stuff. Not my cup of tea as I hate boats and water, but I know how you feel. I just had to spend my Copic marker money on my cat. *sigh* Poor thing.