The Old Grey Mare
(She ain't what she used to be)

I paddled the old Romany today and was surprised how it felt after these many weeks in the Cetus. Or course there was less initial stability, but that feeling was gone in 30 seconds. What did strike me was how cramped I was in the smaller boat. Then, too, it didn't accelerate as does the Cetus. What surprised me most, however, was that it didn't seem all that much more maneuverable since I couldn't rotate my torso as freely.

The seat made me feel as if I were slightly leaning back, so I fatigued faster as I tried to hold a vertical position. Finally, the tracking without the skeg down was slightly better than the Cetus, but not all that much. After all, the Romany does have a good deal of rocker.

I will be going to Madison to teach a weekend kayak progressions course and need to decide what boat to use. In the end, I make take neither and use one of the shop's many kayaks.

Paddle safe...
DS