Why don’t we paddle more often? Here’s why:
- You get the notion to go for a paddle.
- You think of where you can go.
- You get excited.
- Then you think about lugging the boat out of storage, about muscling the boat onto your roof rack, about making sure the beast is tied down both to the rack and to the front and rear of your car, about driving somewhere that’s got enough water to paddle in these dry days of summer, about the fact that place likely will be a busy boat ramp with access deeper water that’s popular with big power boats, about muscling the boat off the roof rack when you get to your destination, about competing with those big, wake-making power boats once you’re on the water.
Whew! You’re exhausted and you haven’t even left the driveway. Maybe you’ll watch some paddling videos instead. (You’ve heard there’s a good kayak fishing blooper reel circulating on Facebook.)
It’s an understandable scenario — unless you have Perception’s Rambler 9.5.
Here’s a point-by-point discounting of why you won’t find the thought of paddling the Rambler exhausting:
… lugging the boat out of storage — Finding room to stash a looong boat can be a challenge. But the 9-foot, 6-inch Rambler can be tucked into any number of small spots. Plus, the boat is extremely durable and doesn’t need babying.
… muscling the boat onto your roof rack — It’s short (see above) and weighs just 47 pounds. In addition to handles fore and aft, it has hand-holds molded midway in both sidewalls. Easy to cary, easy to hoist.
… making sure the beast is tied down both to the rack and to the front and rear of your car —Because the Rambler is short, two tie-down straps should keep your boat from going anywhere you prefer it not go in transit.
… driving somewhere that’s got enough water to paddle — One big beauty of a sit-on-top such as the rambler is its minimal draw; that is, how deep the boat sits in the water. Because of its flat bottom, you can get into areas with a foot of water (or less). Results may vary depending upon your personal heft.
… a busy boat ramp in deeper water — Because of the boat’s shallow draw, your put-in options expand significantly. For instance, have you ever been driving around Jordan Lake, Falls Lake, Lake Norman, or any of the large, regional “finger lakes,” seen an opening down to the lake and thought, “Wonder what the water’s like down there?” With the Rambler 9.5 you can find out. Pull off onto the shoulder and use the molded hand-holds to cart the boat down to the lake. Boom — instant put-in.
… muscling the boat off the roof rack — See “muscling the boat onto your roof rack.”
… competing with those big, wake-making motor boats — Curiously, one of the best places to explore with the Rambler 9.5 are the big lakes, where the multitude of fingers quickly eliminate motorized boat traffic with their dwindling width and depth. You may only be able to paddle up a half mile or so, but it’s usually a half mile of primo paddling, through cord grass, under willows over barely submerged snags that keep out all traffic but folks in your position. When you eventually do run out of water, it’s maneuverability makes it easy to back up and retreat. If you love wetland wildlife, the Rambler 9.5 is a solid option.
The little Rambler is a great option if you simply want to paddle without thinking about it. When it comes down to it, isn’t that why we get on the water in the first place?
Learn more about the Rambler 9.5 by going here.