Voyage I

My first float went very well! Lenore didn't want to be a part of the first voyage (I can't imagine why), so she opted for documenting and also picking me up at the end, which was much appreciated. Oh, and also helping me schlep the vessel down to the river. I decided to pump it up at home this first time, just to make sure I did it right in the comfort of my own driveway. Next time, I'll carry it down all folded up and pump it up on the river bank. The foot pump actually worked better than the battery operated one.

Anyway, we put 'er in at the end of my street and I floated down to a forest preserve in Elgin. I think it's around 4 or 5 miles by bike. There's still a nice current, so I didn't really paddle all that much. I definitely need a longer paddle, and I think the skeg I ordered will also help in steering. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it was to paddle and keep on course though. I was half expecting to float down in uncontrollable lazy circles, but it stays pretty straight with minimal effort. I only had one nervous moment when a motorboat sped by, but thankfully the driver slowed down a bit, so the waves were manageable. My dad drove down to South End Park (about half-way) to wave as I went bobbing by. He threw me a baseball that he found in the weeds, which I managed to catch without capsizing. Along the way I saw a couple of great blue Herons and a couple of fish jump.

When I got to the end, Lenore was waiting. We got the boat deflated and stuffed in the back of the mini in about 5 minutes. Sweet! Here are some of the photos Lenore took. The ones from above are from the footbridge. I think I will christen my new boat Ducky III, in keeping with the theme of yellow toys (car, computer and boat). Thanks again to Laurie for the inspiration :)