Father's Day Float

Queen Shoals Gage Height = 6.26

I decided to treat myself to a Father's Day float on the mighty Elk River today. I did my normal trek from Blue Creek to Mink Shoals. The trip normally takes four hours, but the water was higher than normal and I made the trek in record speed, two and a half hours.

I took the Rhythm 11. It was her first trip on the river, although she has been on Mud River Lake numerous times. I credit the quickness of the trip more to the water level than I do the boat, but it could have been a combination of both. I did experience the poor tracking problem again, but it was not as bad as I thought it would be. Or am I just getting better at compensating for it? I don't know.

Even though the water was brown and muddy, I liked not having to worry about dragging my bottom on the shallows. It was a satisfying, pleasant ride at this level.

Spring Paddling on Upper Mud River Lake

The family had a chance to get together recently and do some spring paddling on Upper Mud River Lake. I have had the new Rhythm 11 out on the water three times now. I like the boat, but it does not track well at all. See the comments on the last post for more information.

Perception Rhythm 11 Kayak

Yesterday, I bought a new Perception Rhythm 11 kayak. It is white/blue. I will post some pictures soon.

I have not had it on the water yet, but it looks sweet. It has a large cockpit opening; a nice, padded, adjustible seat; knee padding; bungee cord deck rigging on the bow; and a deck hatch for access to a watertight stern bulkhead. Like I said, it is sweet.

I hestitated to buy it because there is not a lot of information online about it. In fact, it is not even listed on the Perception web site at this time. Apparently, it is manufactured by Confluence Inc. According to Answers.com, Confluence is the world's third largest canoe and kayak manufacturer with sales exceeding $30 million. They market their products under several brand names including Wilderness Systems®, Perception®, Dagger®, Wave Sport®, and Mad River Canoe®.

I can't wait to take it for a spin!