Chuckanut 15 Kayak is Launched

After several weeks of building and finishing it was nice to see the kayak in the water.
For the initial launch I put it in the Elk River just west of town at Sportsman's Park. The river is wide there and hadn't been affected much by the recent heavy rains. It is easy to get to the water and  seemed like a good place to try things out.

It looks quite different with water and natural scenery as a backdrop instead of garage clutter.

The kayak really sits high on the water surface. I was amazed how it floated in an inch of water.

I noticed right off the bat that the kayak feels very stable. While seated I was unable to turn it over and going through the wake of another boat was a breeze. It will be interesting to see how it handles a little rougher water someday.

Miss Tammy got in on the fun after it was verified that the kayak would actually float and there were no sharks, piranha's, alligators or crocodiles in sight. There was plenty of room for both of us in the cockpit. Other than a little water on the back of Miss Tammy's neck (which she enjoyed because of the heat) there were no surprises. The boat really handles well.

Well I have to admit feeling a sense of accomplishment sitting out there in the river thinking through the building process for a minute or two. A few weeks ago this day was still on some sheets of paper sitting on my workbench.

Mission accomplished!

  

Who knows where the kayak project may lead?