Kyook
I see there’s a guy in Lincoln on the Sacremento Craigslist selling a Necky Kyook (which has had some positive reviews on here for the kind of paddling you are describing). But he is asking twice what it’s worth for such an old boat, even one in good shape (has not been made for at least 15 years). I’ve bought several kayaks of that type and vintage and the going rate is $350 to $450. Might even be worth $500 since it appears to be well cared for (rudder looks clean and bottom is not oil-canned). He does say “or best offer”. Might be worth looking at if it isn’t that far away.
https://sacramento.craigslist.org/boa/5822509923.html
Reviews of the Kyook are here:
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=386
Kyook
Reviews looked very good so I am going for it.
I offered $500 she countered with $600 and said she would throw in a fancy paddle.
If I am overpaying I don’t care, I just want it done so I can try and squeeze in another trip before daylight gets too short.
A sincere thanks for all your help.
paddles
– Last Updated: Oct-12-16 9:33 PM EST –
Are you getting the Cyprus paddle or the Epic? Either is a good deal for a carbon paddle and the boat.
Be sure and inspect the boat for any UV damage -- the plastic shouldn't look dry or cracked. Although I've noticed over the years that the plastic used in rotomold boats from the late 1990's and early 2000's seems to be a little heftier than in many current models.
On the other hand, judging from the quality of the gear the seller has posted, I would guess that they took good care of their stuff.
Let us know how you like the boat and paddle once you get them out on the water.
Thank you
Thank you
suggest a sea kayak class
Tomales Bay and SF Bay both have some serious safety considerations, more than just the waves and wind you found. I suggest taking a day long sea kayak class with a reputable kayak shop to make sure you understand the risks and have some of the basic knowledge.
The two good shops closest to you are California Canoe and Kayak in Rahcno Cordova and Headwaters in Lodi.
I teach for a shop called Sea Trek, in Sausalito. As an idea of how we consider the risks and knowledge needed for an Angel Island trip, we teach the basics needed to get there safely as a 3 day-long classes.
Angel island
We were struggling to get past Suisan Bay and Port Chicago. Once we hit the SF bay proper we knew we were way over our heads. From Richmond we could not even see the other side of the bay, there was no way we were proceeding even if our boats were up to the challenge of open water. But it was an awesome trip nonetheless. Everything else was so much bigger than us. Container ships, barges, tugs… I don’t think they even knew we were there.
I very much want to go around the lighthouse point of Point Reyes and head down the coast to “secret beach” and the amphitheater there. I think it would be pretty wild to go into the amphitheater on a negative tide and hole up there until the next one. Maybe a class is in order, but I don’t believe Rancho Cordova or Lodi are near the ocean. I live on the river and have no fear there, it is the ocean that intimidates me. Does your school offer ocean classes?
classes
Headwaters and CCK both do coastal classes, even though the store locations I gave where Central Valley. CCK does also have Oakland and Half Moon Bay sites.
Sea Trek does not have all the classes you want. There are significant currents at the mouth of Tomales. Our Angel Island series would give you the info on how to deal with those.
But you also will want to take classes on surf zones - how to get in and out through surf breaks. You likely would have surf at the beach, but also possibly at the mouth of Tomales. Some places also do a coastal tour class, with info on just being on the open coast.
Fewer shops are now teaching the very high level classes. An organization called River and Ocean (http://www.riverandocean.com) is now leading many of these. But, there are prerequisite for these advanced classes. All require the basic intro class I suggested. Many require more. Might as well take those classes local to you - they are basically the same at all places if the follow ACA or BCU standards (the shops I listed all do).
Having read the above info
The stuff on your experiences. You need than the right boat, you also need some skills work to handle that safely. Strongly agree with Peter-CA that you should take whatever steps are needed to get ocean classes before you mess around with some of those areas. Dry suit wouldn’t be a bad idea either, when you can afford it.
Hey neighbor!
I live in Sac off S Land Park and have paddled down to the Freeport marina 3 times this summer, so right near you there in Clarksberg. Check out our kayak groups: Sac Yakers and Paddle Pushers as we often go to Pt Reyes/Tomales, Mendo, and pretty much everywhere in N Cal and beyond. Good luck with your new kayak