Travel by Paddle

GETTING AROTJND
CAR CURRENTSa OTHER TRANSPORTATIONTRENDS
Travelby Paddle
Kayaking
theCapeis funforallages
Even though most have his customers
have never navigateda kayak before,
John Mccrath saysthat doesnot deter
Cape residentsand visitorsfrom grabbing a paddle, hitting the water, and
occasionallycoming back for seconds.
"Folksfrom all over the world can seea
differentside of the Cape from a kayak," saysMcGrath, the owner of the
Chatham Kayak Company. 'Just last
week I had an lrish couple come out
speed.But novicesand kayakerspre-
boats light, durable,and abrasionre-
ferring stability to speedshould take
a look at hard-chine kayaks, whose
sharperanglescreatebetter handling.
sistant.Tandemvessels,like the Loon
15T or the Twin Otter, both weigh
around70 poundsand haveadjustable
There are two types of hard-chine
kayaks. The ftrst featuresan opencockpit with either one or two seats.
\il/aterstaysout of the boat, and you
front seatsfor two paddlers.VildernessSystemsoffersa similarkayak,the
Pamlico 145T,a tandemwith an adjustablefront seatand foot braces,and
can simply swim free if you capsize.
The second option, a sit-atop, uses
a waterproofhatch perfect for storing
your weight to keep you onboard.
The water lapsaroundyour legswhile
a cameraor cell phone.Old Town Canoesand Kayaksareavailableat Goose
for a tour on the Oyster River. They
had so much fun that they returnedthe
you paddle.Many newer recreational
HummockShops,SeaSportsin Hyannis,and MadaketMarineon Nantuck-
next day with their smallchildren."
kayaksare made from recycledplastic
et, \/ilderness Systemskayakscan be
and polyethylene;McGrath saysthese
materialsadd durabiliry.All told, the
cost of purchasinga kayak and safety
found at SeaSports,EasternMountain
Over the past severalyears,kayaking Cape Cod hasbecomean increasingly popular pastime,with the region'sendlessponds,coves,bays,and
marshesfacilitatingan entire industry.
Kayak shopsacrossthe Capeoffer les-
equipmentcan rangefrom about $ZOO
to $2,000,McGrath says.
To get started,check out the hard-
Sportsin Hyannis,and IslandVater
Sportsin VineyardHaven.
If you'd like to get more experience beforeyou put down somecash,
take lessonsat a local kayakshop.At
sonsand group tours in the watersof
PleasantBay,NausetMarsh, and Bass
chine kayaksfrom Maine'sOld Town
Coose Hummock Shops,the instruc-
Canoesand Kayaksand South Caro-
tors are certiftedin kayak instruction,
River,among other locales.Julie Mar-
linas Vilderness Systems.Old Town
Canoe and Kayak hasconsistentlyad-
FirstAid, and CPR."Eventhe mostap-
tin from Orleans' Goose Hummock
Shops estimatesmore than 10,000
visitors between eight and 80 years
old paddle with them each year. "lt's
common to have our entire fleet of
100 kayaksout on the water during
the summer,"shesays.
Todayi kayaks can accommodate
just about anyone,thanksto developmentsin the chine-the edgebetween
a kayak'sside and its bottom. taditional kayaksweremulti-chinevessels,
with roundedhulls that glided effortlessly through the water with great
www.capecodlife.com
vancedits techniquessincethey built
their ftrst kayak in the 1940s.Most of
the hulls have a base made of polyethylene,a type of plastic that makes
KAYAKRESOURCES
Chatham
Kayak
Company
391BarnHillRoad,
WestChatham
-5389
508-241
pany.
r|ww.chatham
kayakcom
com
Goose
Hummock
Shops
Town
Cove,0rleans
508-255-0455
,1/.g00se.Com
l/1,,V1
prehensivepeople can develop solid
kayaking skills in about two hours,"
Martin says.
Once you have the skills and the
equipment,idyllic views and an unforgettable kayaking experience
are just a short drive down Route
6. "ln Chatham, we are fortunate to
have easy-to-paddle rivers, coves,
and marshes,all chockablock with
nooks and cranniesto explore,"says
McCrath. "The sealife and shorebirds
are spectacula.."
f
-Tom ker
C A P EC ODLIFE 163