On Oct 8, 10:06 pm, andrei....@
gmail.com wrote:
> On Oct 8, 6:16 pm, "Dominic T."
gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>>> On Oct 8, 5:23 pm, andrei....@
gmail.com wrote:
>
>>> On Oct 8, 4:14 pm, Lewis Perin
panix.com> wrote:>
>>>>> [...]
>>>>> I'd like to try kayaking, is it possible to rent one? Or buy a cheap
>>>>> one and store at whatever boating center or marina or the place
>>>>> where you got it?
>
>>>> You're in New York, aren't you? If so, you can try kayaking gratis on
>>>> the Hudson. Every weekend (unless they've shut down for the long
>>>> winter by now) the public is invited to go out on the river from one
>>>> of the piers below Houston St. Sorry, I don't remember which one, but
>>>> it shouldn't be too hard to Google for this.
>
>
>>> I'm in brooklyn, close enough.. I'll try to find out about this,
>>> sounds
>>> awesome!
>
>> And a new paddler is born! It really is a great "sport" I know it may
>> seem OT but honestly kayaking is as close to the relaxation and
>> enjoyment of tea as anything I've done. Calming, relaxing, beautiful,
>> simple, but can be exhilarating and adventurous too. Don't be put off
>> by high prices either, an Old Town Otter or Victory Blast or Pelican
>> Brand Kayak will cost less than $300 and work fine to get started.
>> Large touring kayaks are a different ballgame and while heavenly to
>> paddle can cost a fair bit. I gained my love by renting one on the
>> Shenendoah river, a bit more scenic and beautiful than the Hudson, but
>> a start is a start. If you are ever on vacation somewhere with a nice
>> river, ocean, or bay, give it a shot there too.
>
>> - Dominic
>
> Oh, totally. I always thought kayaks are great, even though the name
> itself is a bit clumsy. I only used a row boat a few times and have
> been on a yacht a few times and I love being near the water. I can
> absolutely dig that chapter in wind in the willows where the water rat
> talks about the river. But row boats are clumsy.. motor boats are much
> too loud, if you're making so much noise, you don't get the river. I
> like to sit on the beach on staten island sometimes and frequent boat
> noise detracts somewhat from the pleasure. Tea is a lot like kayaking,
> I imagine. I always thought of a good place to have tea as a misty
> mountain or a rain soaked forest, but a kayak trip crash spot can be
> just as good, I guess, especially since it can also be misty and rainy
> at the same time! Hehe.. Drinking a truly good tea in the city is a
> little perverse.
The quietness is the key. I can cut through the water so silently that
I can pass within a paddle length of egrets, deer, fish, etc. Also on
my initial trip on the Shenendoah we had the pleasure of having a bald
eagle fly above us and swoop down to grab a fish every now and then,
we could just paddle over to some slack water and watch him eat... it
was amazing. I laugh when people try to extol the virtues of HDTV with
some nature channel, I can get the real thing any day of the week...
except I tend to see my office in HD more often. The nooks and
crannies and otherwise inaccessible spots you can get to in a kayak
are what makes it. No rowboat, yacht, or even canoe can get to some.
Everyone I've ever taken out has been hooked.
A small UL stove like a Coleman F1, or a SnowPeak and an Olicamp space
saver cup cost about $40 together and allows you to make and enjoy tea
anywhere and pack up into a pocket.
- Dominic
