Do I need a kayak?

Posted by James on Oct 10, 2005

Hi everyone,

I'm a sailor that's realized he can't justify a keel boat in his life right now. I've been looking at sailing dingies, but due to the fact that I'm a little inland right now (Sacramento) and there's plenty of rivers around here, and I'm thinking of doing some inland passage making, and getting a bit more upper body strength, I thought, perhaps a kayak is the best idea. (sorry, that was one horrible run on sentence)

Anyway, I've lived on a 19' sloop before, I've spent lots of time backpacking, and I've survived living out of a backpack and a motorcycle for some time, so I don't think I'll have issues paring down for a kayak level trip, and I've spent enough money renting kayak's in the local harbor back when I had my boat to have bought a CLC kit, so I know I would enjoy spending time working up to journying in a kayak, my only big fear is sleeping. Alot of the areas around here don't realy have beaches per sei, and I was wondering if there's enough room in a kayak that one could pull into the reeds, tie off to something, and slip down into the cocpit in a mummy bag or some such to sleep. I'm fairly thin, and perfectly fine in the smallest of seaberths, but I know this is a step beyond.

Am I looking at this entirely the wrong way? Someone who's done some kayak touring want to tell me what lines I should be thinking along if I'm going to be using a kayak to do touring?

Thanks for any and all ideas and help.

Most Sincerly,

-- James

Replies:

• Re: Do I need a kayak? by Jim S on Oct 10, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by Greg Swarthout on Oct 10, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by FrankP on Oct 10, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by paul on Oct 10, 2005
  • Re: Do I need a kayak? by Laszlo on Oct 10, 2005
    • Re: Do I need a kayak? by Rex on Oct 10, 2005
      • Re: Do I need a kayak? by RogerJ on Oct 10, 2005
  • Re: Do I need a kayak? by FrankP on Oct 11, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by Randy Knauff on Oct 10, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by RonC on Oct 10, 2005
  • Re: Do I need a kayak? by RonC on Oct 10, 2005
  • Dovekie = Birdwatcher by Randy Knauff on Oct 11, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by Dave Combs on Oct 10, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by Mark Camp on Oct 11, 2005
  • Re: Do I need a kayak? by John Foster on Oct 11, 2005
  • Re: Do I need a kayak? by FrankP on Oct 11, 2005
    • Re: Do I need a kayak? by Mike D on Oct 11, 2005
  • Re: Do I need a kayak? by FrankP on Oct 13, 2005
    • Re: Do I need a kayak? by Mark Camp on Oct 13, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by Lenny Flank on Oct 11, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by Dave S on Oct 12, 2005
  • Re: Do I need a kayak? by FrankP on Oct 13, 2005
    • Re: Do I need a kayak? by Mike D on Oct 14, 2005
      • Re: Do I need a kayak? by William Allen on Oct 14, 2005
• Re: Do I need a kayak? by jamie on Oct 13, 2005