I would like to say that our first water excursion went well, as do the vast majority of our adventures, but I cant make that claim today. An idiot on a jet ski buzzed by us a half dozen times at 30 plus mph, well within 10 feet of our starboard side, and then the port side. Outraged, I called him every foul name that I could think of. Ordinarily reserved, I could not contain my rage against this maniac that was jeopardizing our safety, in fact, our very lives. Numerous other boaters were present within the confines of the no wake zone, and immediately took my side against the offender. One couple in a boat pulled along side of us and allowed me to hang on to their boat to stabilize the kayak against the wakes that were rocking us nearly to the point of capsizing. I gave the idiot the finger each time he buzzed us, making sure that we made eye contact. He continued his reckless boating in spite of several boaters trying to flag him down. I released from holding the benevolent couples boat and paddled to the dock, where the jerks friends had called him to dock the jet ski. As soon as I made landfall, I stepped out of the boat and let the ass hat have some more expletives, daring him to bow up. My fists were clenched and I was ready. I removed my tether from Rudy and secured him to the now docked kayak. His friend kept repeating, He didnt know, he didnt know. (This refers to the no wake zone). I asked the other ass hat if he was the offenders instructor, and he said he was. I told him that I now hold him responsible as well as the other guy. I told him that this was NO EXCUSE! I also told him that if the s.o.b. couldnt read English, then he had no business on the water anyway. After about 5 minutes of cursing out these two idiots, they quickly loaded the jet ski and left. I am a writer and poet, (according to some), and not a prize fighter. But even I can only be pushed so far. I also noted that apparently someone had called the TPWD, as they arrived in a Law Enforcement boat, running lights and sirens, about 5 minutes after the two idiots left. They did not launch the boat or call me in to interview me, but Im sure others told them what had happened. Determined to finish what I came to do, which is to try out our new vessel in the relatively calm waters, I gave Rudy a short walk, and we boarded the kayak again. From the dock at Dalrock road, I paddled Eastward to the end of the rock embankment alongside Interstate 30. From there, we cut across the open water to the other point near the Dalrock Road beach area. The boat did fine, but it is a rather wet ride with the water dripping from the paddle. I didnt mind at all. It was cool and refreshing. Rudy was a bit nervous, as I noted his tail down nearly the whole trip. He carefully picked his steps inside the kayak, and was uncertain of his footing and balance for the most part, but apart from that, he calmly took it in stride, not trying to jump out of the boat at any time. He spent the first part of the trip nearly in my lap, and though I was bemused by his confidence in me to keep him safe, it made for difficult paddling to say the least. I finally got him to move forward, and he eventually made his way to his Captain Morgan spot on the boat, and there he remained for the duration. I have found that if he stays on the starboard side, the kayak tracks to the left, and if he stays on the port side, the kayak tracks to the right. It is slightly annoying, in that I have to offset the paddle to the far left or far right in my hands in order to maintain a moderately straight direction of travel. It can also be tiring paddling primarily from one side or the other. This is a minor inconvenience, and I think I can tolerate it. Rudy doesnt know right from left, or the consequences of his position in the boat. This is new to him, and me as well. Well eventually get things worked out amicably for both of us. Well just have to keep working at it until then, which I dont mind at all. I took very little gear with me on this first outing. I need to learn the boat and its reaction to everything. I need to learn weight and balance, as well as shifting my own position when on the water. I didnt want to permanently scare Rudy from getting in the boat with me by intentionally tipping it over, so I refrained from doing so. Maybe when hes adapted better to the idea of being in it, well, perhaps later. The boat sits higher in the water than what I had expected, but all in all, I believe that I, too, will learn its characteristics and handling with each time out. Today, I only took a small field bag with two water bottles, a large canteen of water, and an empty cooler, nothing more. I kept my camera in my pocket, and once I was reasonably comfortable in the boat, I took a few pictures. Many more pictures will follow, but the scope and intent of the day was to familiarize myself with the workings and operation of a craft Ive never been in before. I will take advantage of every opportunity I have to get back in the water in preparation for a camping trip via the kayak. I am confident that this has opened up a new chapter in our never ending search for adventure. Thank you for listening. P.S.-Im going to need quite a few more tie down points in the kayak. Anything put inside the storage compartment in the deck will end up at one end of the boat or the other. Took me 20 minutes to get my deck plugs back from inside.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 19:31:24 +0000
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