Tag: <span>kayaking</span>

two women paddling a sea eagle 370 inflatable kayak
Sea Eagle 370 At Play

Estimated reading time: 19 minutes

Sea Eagle brand inflatable kayaks are among the most popular recreational kayaks in America. I’ve owned a Sea Eagle model 370 sports kayak for ten years and decided it’s time I post a review.

The model 370 is essentially the same as the model 330. I have also owned a 330, and although this review is on the 370, most of what I write also applies to the 330.

Reviews

USS Scamp (SSN 588) Official Navy Photo
USS Scamp (SSN 588) Official Navy Photo

Estimated reading time: 15 minutes

Winnie and I are back from vacation and back to work this week. We had a short but relaxing vacation spent camping, and kayaking, and attending reunion dinners all last week. The big event was my second Navy reunion with former shipmates of the first submarine I served on, USS Scamp (SSN 588). We also springboarded off this event for some enjoyable extracurricular side adventures.

We ended up with a week of camping and kayaking and reunion dinners with friends and family.

Family Stories

Inflatable kayak with light mast, floating on a lake
Kayak With Light Mast

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

My latest kayaking hack is a simple mast made of PVC piping, used to hold a safety light for nighttime kayaking. This mast can be assembled in about one hour, once you’ve collected all the pieces, and costs less than $30. It mounts in a fishing rod holder, which are fairly common on many recreational and fishing kayaks. As added bonus, this mast can also be used to display a flag or pennant, which may be useful to increase your visibility if you paddle in open water around lots of power boats.

How-To On The Water

This And That - Catching Up On All The Family News for Autumn 2021
This And That

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

So yesterday was our wedding anniversary – this one marking eighteen years together. Over our years together we’ve been flooded out, moved across country, performed multiple home renovations, and worked at multiple jobs. We survived two years apart and now we’ve survived eighteen months of near-house arrest. We’re still together so that’s a good thing.

In other news; We’re getting into autumn with cooler autumn weather and shorter days. Such is the cycle of life.

Family Stories

Two kayaks on a beach
Going Kayaking With Company

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Winnie got me hooked on kayaking ten years ago when she bought me a kayak on my 55th birthday. Since then, I’ve mixed power boating with kayaking as my warm weather water sports. I’ve also added two inflatable kayaks to my fleet. But almost all my kayaking has been a solitary activity. Until this year.

This spring, Winnie announced she wanted to go kayaking with me. So for this season we’ve been kayaking together and having a lot of fun.

Family Stories

A Bride To Spring and New Life
A Bridge To New Life

Spring has sprung, and with it comes new life. Mother nature is dressing trees with new greens while early season flowers bloom. Birds are returning to their summer habitats, being nominally welcomed by their year-round feathered residents.

Here inside the on-going pandemic lifestyle, there are signs life is also returning after a year-long winter of frozen plans and lives put on hold. The spring weather seems to be building a bridge from the pandemic to post-pandemic life. People are slowly springing back to life.

Family Stories

Honey Bee
Honey Bee

A few weeks ago I was out for a late season kayak run up the Bull Run River. It was a warm sunny day, as nice as it gets around these parts in late September. On this particular day, I also had the opportunity to make a difference in the life of another creature.

Family Stories

This And That
This And That

We’re in the dog days of August but time still seems to be flying by. So many chances of fun have passed without actually seizing the moment. Those few moments of fun that actually happened stand out like jewels in the cluttered mass of routine that hardly vary from one season to the next. It seems there’s just not enough time to do fun stuff, but always enough time to do the chores of daily life.

Family Stories

Shipwreck In Mallows Bay
Shipwreck In Mallows Bay

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

As I’ve been exploring the Potomac River by water, I’ve discovered some interesting spots and learned some interesting history. One spot that is rapidly becoming my favorite is Mallows Bay, on the Maryland side of the river, which is the location of the largest ship graveyard in the Western Hemisphere. 

Family Stories

I was in Las Vegas, Nevada, last week attending a Navy reunion with the crew of USS Scamp (SSN 588), the first submarine I served on during my Navy career. In addition to sitting around with old shipmates drinking, sharing sea stories, and generally catching up on 35 years of living, I chartered a kayak trip down the Colorado River. And what a trip that was!

Family Stories On The Water