Foldable Kayaks
At this point in our refit of Yara, we aren’t easily able to take her out sailing. We’ve ripped out most of the old steering system to prepare for replacement, one of the diesel fuel tanks has been removed, she doesn’t have a dedicated engine starter battery, and our anchor rode doesn’t fit our windlass. So unless we’re forced to move her via side-tie dinghy power or we call for a tow, she’s going to sit at the dock until we complete these boat projects.
And while we have a yacht of love for our boat projects we also need to balance our boat work with rest and relaxation. Eventually, our R&R will come in the form of swimming and snorkeling, while we’re at our home port R&R means watching movies & shows, playing tabletop games, or hanging out with friends. We also want to enjoy the nature and beauty we’re surrounded by at the marina. And if we can’t explore with Yara right now, we’ll explore somehow.
We do have our dinghy that’s a good explorer. A rigid inflatable boat (RIB) with an 8hp outboard. And while she turned out great with her own refit, the gasoline engine is loud & smelly. And rowing a RIB is not fun.
We tried paddling in the past with a cheap used canoe. But it was bulky and heavy, and Devin couldn’t lift it for transport nor would it be practical to paddle with just one person.
We considered traditional rigid fiberglass or plastic kayaks and while they are nearly indestructible they also take up a lot of space. And we would either need roof racks for the car to transport them or a trailer to tow them behind the car. The amount of space they required for storage was an instant elimination.
We also looked at inflatable kayaks or those with an internal frame and skin. Those are more portable and can be collapsed down, they are prone to puncture, and seam separation, and sometimes the inflatables can be extra bulky. And we all know that after the first use they can never again be deflated again to the same size from the factory.
Therefore, we felt the rigid folding kayak from Oru was the best fit for us (https://www.orukayak.com/). The hard plastic construction helps avoid punctures to keep us afloat. And the origami-style folding system means they will take up less space on the boat here at port and when we untie the lines we won’t have to carry rigid kayaks on deck.
So while we do love our boat projects. We also love our fun. Oru Kayaks seem to tick all our boxes at least with the unboxing and first paddling. We will give a full update at the end of summer to confirm if we still have a yacht of love for Oru.
Video Link: https://youtu.be/y4GYjVSL3vY
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