Sunday, September 20, 2020

A Retirement Gift to Myself

Livin' the Dream
Last weekend I bought a present for myself -- a retirement gift. I retired three years ago, so this gift has been a little slow in coming. In fact, I have waited far longer than I can believe for this.

I bought an ocean kayak!

I am now the happy owner of a beautiful Seaward Costa Grande. She's named "Sunny Side Up."

Sunny Side Up

First Launch










There it is, loaded into the back of Rob's pickup truck on the day we brought it home. It's a fibreglass kayak, gently used: 16.2 feet long and 52 pounds. I was looking for a kayak suitable for a smaller paddler, and lightweight enough that I will be able to manage loading and unloading it.

Seaward is a local Vancouver Island company. Today I took her out for her maiden voyage.  

Heading out into the Bay
 

Rob helped me launch at a favourite beach not far from where we live. I spent about an hour paddling along the shore and around some little islands. I cruised past a sea lion up on a rock, who watched me with a wary eye. Porpoises were swimming at a distance. It was really fun.

When I say that this purchase has been a along time in coming, I am not exaggerating. I first tried kayaking 35+ years ago in the early 1980s when I lived in Vancouver. I instantly fell in love with the sport. Two of my close friends bought themselves kayaks around that time and began going on expeditions to remote locations along the west coast of BC. 

My Friend W out for an Evening Paddle

 As much as I wanted to join them, I did not because year after year, there was always something that stopped me. I had no money. I moved to the prairies to accept my first career job. I moved back to the BC coast and had a baby, and then two more. I moved up north to the interior of the province. I became a single parent. I worked long hours at my job -- 60 or more hours a week. I became an empty-nester and almost immediately moved to the prairies again. Because of these various circumstances, it never seemed to be the right time to invest in a kayak. 

Bowron Trip: First Portage

But whenever I had a chance, over the years, I rented or borrowed a kayak and went out on the water. 

My friend W, one of the two friends that bought a kayak in the early '80s, has lent me her kayak many times over the years. I rented a kayak and went on a overnight expedition with W and some other friends in those early years. 

In 2009, Rob, my son, and I paddled the eight-day Bowron Lakes loop with friends B & V and two other people. In fact, Rob and I were in an 18-foot freighter canoe set up with oarlocks, and we rowed the Bowron.


Bowron Trip: Enjoying the Sunshine

Three of our party were in kayaks and the two others were in a canoe as well. My son used a kayak borrowed from my friend B, the red kayak in the header photo for this blog post. Sometimes my son and I switched for a while and I kayaked while he rowed the canoe with Rob. 

In the photos to the left, top to bottom, you see our group beginning the first portage. In the middle photo, we've stopped at a sandy beach for lunch and to bask in the sun. Our freighter canoe is in the foreground. In the bottom photo, my son is paddling down the Cariboo river.


Bowron Trip: Son Paddling Down the River
This was a five-mile stretch of river that connected two of the lakes. For this part of the trip, Rob and I paddled rather than rowed the canoe. It was a very special trip, and it reinforced my desire to get a kayak. But then I moved to the prairies, again.

 In 2015, Rob and I went on another fabulous trip -- an eight-day sailing trip on a 75-foot schooner in the ocean waters around Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands). We travelled from Moresby Camp down the east side of Moresby Island through the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve to SGang Gwaay Llanagaay (Ninstints) and back. Ninstints is a Haida village site that is a UNESCO World Heritage site. 

Burnaby Narrows: Sea Life

I had always intended to write about this amazing experience here on my blog, but still have not done so. The schooner had two kayaks on board, so I had several chances to paddle around.

I spent a lovely afternoon paddling through Burnaby Narrows on Haida Gwaii. It is an area with incredibly rich sea life. I took these photos with my phone looking down through the clear plastic viewing window on the kayak. The photo below is of a moon snail egg casing -- it looked like a rubber tire.

Burnaby Narrows: Moon Snail


Morning Paddle


While I was paddling around in Burnaby narrows, a group of kayakers came through. I chatted with them and found out they were members of the Nanaimo Paddlers. I said to them, some day I will move to Vancouver Island and join a paddling group!

In the photo to the right, I was out for an early morning paddle. I saw a commotion onshore and paddled in to see a raccoon in its natural habitat. Haida Gwaii is a very special part of the world and I feel very lucky to have spent time there. 

Since retiring to Vancouver Island, I have made a couple of friends here who are kayakers.  I have joined a small kayaking group.

This is a story of delayed gratification -- 35 years of waiting.  And now I finally have my own kayak!

22 comments:

  1. Congratulations! Better late than never, to use a terrible old cliche.

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    1. Anabel, yes. Having recently turned 64, I decided that I simply could not wait any longer or it was never going to happen.

      Jude

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  2. Congratulations Jude. It's never too late to realize a dream. Malcolm and I purchased a tandem kayak a few years ago and love being out on the river together. Enjoy it for many years to come!

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    1. Hi Suzanne. I haven’t tried river kayaking. All of my kayaking experience (such as it is) has been in lakes or the ocean.

      And, sadly, sometimes it is too late to realize a dream. An example for me is helicopter skiing. This is a form of backcountry skiing where a helicopter flies you to a remote mountain top somewhere, and you ski down in fresh untracked powder with a guide. About ten years ago, Rob used to backcountry ski, but a less dramatic version where you hike up and ski down. I really wanted to try helicopter skiing at that time, but kept putting it off. Now I can no longer do it because I am not strong enough and I have arthritic knees. The moral of the story is, don’t put off for tomorrow what you can do today!

      Jude

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  3. Congratulations, Jude! Sunny Side Up is a beauty. May you have years of pleasure with her!

    Deb

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    1. Deb, now you just need to buy yourself a kayak and we can go out kayaking together. Hint, hint.

      Jude

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    2. I noticed that Seaward presently has a Costa Grande like mine on its website at a discounted sale price. Also, a friend of mine who knew I was looking for one just told me he is selling one of his kayaks (a very basic model). So it is possible to find them now, even though they were all sold out mid season.

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  4. Congrats on your purchase. I love that you are buying a kayak at an age when too many are sitting on their ever-broadening laurels. You go, girls!

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    1. Thanks Janis! I really should have bought one years ago when I was younger and stronger. But I have one now!

      Jude

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  5. Congratulations, Jude.
    This gift is very well-deserved.
    I love the new name!

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    1. Hi Donna. The previous owner ordered the kayak and had it built for her. So she chose the colours and the name. But I really like the name — it’s so cheery, and also, I prefer the kayak to be right side up in the water.

      Jude

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  6. Congratulations, Jude! May you have many years of fun with Sunny Side Up. You look great together.

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    1. Natalie, if only you didn’t live way on the other side of Canada, we could go kayaking together.

      Jude

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  7. Wonderful! I’m so glad the right one popped up and you went for it. Love her name as well. Wishing you both a lot of fun together. This is the perfect time and the perfect place for you and your new toy! 35 years of waiting (in anticipation) is a long time. Mark and I debated getting electric bikes for only two years, before we bit the bullet! :-)

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    1. Hi Liesbet. Yes, you’re absolutely right. These years of retirement really are the first time in my adult life that I’ve had much time for leisure pursuits. Always before, I was having to squeeze fun things in around work demands and child raising. You and Mark have had lots of enjoyment with your electric bikes, so I’ll bet you’re glad you bit the bullet. Plus they give you a means of transport when you’re camped somewhere, without having to break camp.

      Jude

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  8. Although I didn't wait nearly as long you as did, buying my kayak last year was one of the best gifts I ever gave myself. Sunny Side Up is a beauty and I just know that every time you get in her, you'll be reminded of why you love this sport so much.

    btw - I was soooo jealous at your comments about sea lions and porpoises. I saw many turtles and herons today. It doesn't sound nearly as cool as porpoises 🙂

    Happy paddling, Jude!!

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    1. Joanne, yes, it is so wonderful to have my own kayak! I can’t believe I put it off for so long. I was worried about how I would get it to the water, and who I would go kayaking with, given that Rob isn’t into kayaking. (However, he’s been talking about getting a rowboat so that he can follow along and be my rescue boat!). But I’ve been getting to know other people here who kayak and I’ve joined a kayaking group.

      I gave that sea lion a fairly wide berth, as they are huge and if it had a mind to, it could easily tip my boat over. However, it had a cute face, and it kept a close eye on me as I went by. I only saw the porpoises from a quite a distance and at first thought they might be a pod of orcas. But a woman on shore later told me they were porpoises and that they came quite close to me. However, they must have come up behind me because I didn’t notice them up close.

      What type of kayak do you have? How do you get it to the water? And - I think herons and turtles are really cool too.

      Jude

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  9. An ocean kayak! A perfect gift for you, Jude! Did you name her “Sunny Side Up?”

    Sea lions and porpoises in real life. It never grows old.

    I have rented kayaks and canoes in the past. We also rented the canoe for the Bowron circuit. A few years ago we bought a Nucanoe - positives, yet heavy. The sailing trip around Haida Gwaii would have been a highlight. An area we have not yet explored. Wow, rich sea life. You remind me, Jude, how I miss seeing starfish. I look forward to reading and seeing more photos of your kayak adventures. (By the way - reading through the comments, I see my answer about the name)🙂

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    1. Erica, I think the west coast is the perfect place to have an ocean kayak. There are so many beautiful bays and little islands to explore right near where we live. Today, I just got back from kayaking with the kayaking group I mentioned. This is the first time I have been out with them because our earlier trips were cancelled due to the heavy wildfire smoke a few weeks ago. We went to a lovely little lake called Spider Lake. The water was so calm and reflective.

      I had forgotten that you had also paddled the Bowron Lakes circuit. What year did you go? My friends that we went there with are avid kayakers and have done it several times now.

      Jude

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  10. Jude, We paddled the Bowron Lakes twice. A happy place and a challenge. It rained a lot every single day on our first circuit. I would have to look the years up (10 years ago?). You likely have heard about the Sayward Forest circuit. Great opportunities for us on the Island.

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    1. I think it would be fun to do the Sayward circuit. We have camped at Morton Lake a couple of times, and it is on that loop (or, more accurately, Mohan Lake beside it is on the circuit. See you soon!

      Jude

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