More Kayaking - Showing off my new toy!

FeelFree Moken-12

Last weekend was filled with a bunch of activities, and one of the most fun was taking my new Kayak out for a spin on the Bow River.  You might remember that I previously owned an older Sit Inside Kayak (SIK for short) that I had rigged up for fishing.  http://bitgeek.blogspot.com/2010/10/kayaking-on-bow.html I've owned that one for almost 2 years and had a great time taking it out on the water.  I had purchased the green one for about $400 and then added about $100 worth of fishing rigging to it.  On the old Kayak I had installed 3 fishing rod holders (2 for behind me and one in front with a Scotty rod holder attachment).  I had also configured it with an anchor system (and anchor of course), as well as some additional webbing, and cleats for line tie offs.  The last thing I had added to the old one was a set of clips to hold my paddle to the side of my Kayak.

Francie, Perry, Darren on the Zebec

Now the new Kayak is a completely different beast.  It is a FeelFree Moken-12 (12 footer).  As you can see from the picture above, it is a nice bright yellow Sit On Top (SOT for short) which came with a few fishing items already installed.  It has a couple of rod holders behind the seat and places to mount a couple more in front of the paddler.  The open storage area in the back has plenty of room to carry gear and even has pre-molded framework for crates to fit in that storage area too!  The front storage area is currently open but it has the option for a soft cover or a hard cover.  I'm not sure that the hard cover would provide dry storage but would definitely keep your items secure if the Yak happened to tip over.  On the sides of the Kayak are slings to hold a paddle when not in use.  There aren't too many down sides so far.  No drink holder.  Not a lot of places to tether things to (like a rod leash or paddle leash).  So I think I'll have to obtain some extra rigging for this Kayak to round it out a bit.

One of the big advantages of a SOT versus the SIK is the stability that a wider bottom and dual channel keel offer.  The Moken-12 is stable enough to fish off the side with your legs dangling in water or to even stand up on and cast from if you're in relatively calm water.  It is a bit heavier than the old green Kayak I had though.  So that means I will have to be more careful when transporting it on my roof rack on my truck.  Luckily I still have the extended hitch so that makes transportation a heck of a lot easier.  I am really looking forward to the next time I get to take it out for a run down the Bow again.

Lori on her Vapour 10

What happened to my old green Kayak you ask? Well, a good friend of mine has been interested in getting a Kayak for himself.  So I offered him a deal he couldn't refuse!  He ended up taking my SIK for $250 (plus an un-used shower rod bar worth $100).  I even delivered the darn thing right to his door! ;o)  We haven't had a chance to put them both in the water together but you can bet that is on the list of things to do.

A lovely self portrait!

In the meant time I did manage to take my new Moken-12 out for a float on the Bow this past weekend with a few other friends.  Darren brought out his Zebec and floated down the Bow in his raft with his sister and brother-in-law, while his wife Lori, floated in her own Kayak.  What a fantastic day for a trip down the river!

Maybe we'll see you on the river or even out on Glenmore Reservoir one of these nights! Don't be shy and be sure to say hello. :o) Oh! and here's a link to the YouTube video I put together that has more pics from our float! :o)