A big boat needs some little boats!

Malo is a "Big" boat in my eyes.  Big boats are great, but so aren't little boats.  Little boats are "play" boats and that is what I like to do.  I enjoy getting out on the water, feeling the waves, the movement and physically moving the boat forward.  I like to exercise, in fact, it's a necessity for me. Thus, the first "play" boat I purchased while in Alameda, California was a Stand Up Paddleboard  otherwise known as a  "SUP".  Dan and I looked at inflatable ones and while they've progressed greatly, there are still issues.  At the local West Marine shop, there was one that had a rubber top and sides, but was a hard shell.  Dan thought it would be a good style to have on the boat, as it would not ding the sides of Malo as I got on and off the board.  So, I bought it. It is not a high performance boat, but it is stable, wide and I can do yoga on it.  I am very thrilled.




Dan decided he wanted a board too and ordered one over the winter months.  Here he is trying it out on Dexter Lake in Oregon.  We are both looking forward to many hours of fun using our boards in Mexico.

I found another SUP board for the sand!

Here I am rowing my Alden Rowing Shell on Dexter Lake, Oregon.  

I grew up on a lake in Connecticut - called Coventry Lake or Lake Wamgambaug . My siblings and I learned to row wooden boats, aluminum boats and my Uncle Gorden's duck boat at a very early age.  I absolutely loved rowing.  When I saw my first single rowing shell, 30 plus years ago, it was love at first site.  I bought the Alden Recreational Shell in Maine and rowed on Coventry Lake many a morning. It was magical, as I was usually the only one on the lake in the early mornings.  Now I live in Oregon, and because I am no longer living on a lake, I have to transport the shell in order to row, so sadly, I do not row much any more.  

Hauling my Alden Rowing Shell to Dexter Lake.

We needed to buy a dinghy for our sail boat.  This will allow us to leave an anchorage and head into town, explore smaller coves etc, etc.  Based on previous research, Dan knew he wanted an Achilles inflatable.  In January, we took a trip Northwest Inflatable Boats in Portland, Oregon.  The owner, Joe was very helpful and definitely knew his product.  We left with a new Tohatsu 9.8 horsepower motor and a 10 ft Achilles Inflatable.

Joe explaining the boat options to Dan.

Dan trying our new motor on the transom.  

We put wheels on the back of the boat, to make it easier to haul the boat up on the beaches.  Then we had to put the registration stickers on the boat with a special adhesive.  It looks pretty official now.

Bev putting the registration sticker on.

We decided to try the boat on Lake Dexter.  Dan used his car battery to blow up the dinghy and we than rolled it down the ramp and into the water.  It was easy to roll down, but coming back up the ramp was more a challenge.  We decided what was needed, was a shoulder harness that would attach to each side and then we could both haul the boat with our bodies.  In case it has not been apparent, Dan is a solid foot taller than me, and it made for unbalanced hauling loads.  We hope the shoulder straps will help even things out.  I know it will be easier for me use my body rather than just my arms to pull the boat.  I later made the straps our of two inch webbing with adjustable buckles.

Dan putting air in the dinghy.

And here we go!  It worked well.  But wait....I really prefer to row.  The oars that came with the boat seemed a bit too short to really get a good sweep.  So Dan looked on line and we found a longer pair of aluminum oars.  He drilled oar lock holes into the longer oars, and it appears to be better.  I really have not tried them on the water yet, but I am hopeful.

These longer oars feel better, but where's the water?