For hauling gear in open hull boats, I use watertight dry bags that can be inflated. So I have the full volume of the stern and bow compartments for gear (and it is easier to fit in awkward or bulky items than through the hatches on my hardshell boat.) The main reason for the bags is to displace water from filling the hull so having cargo that fills the space works just as well as empty inflated bags. My folding kayaks have inflatable gunwale sponsons that provide buoyancy.
Yes. I am 10 minutes from Fort Point pier, at Post Office Square. If you are
at Fort Point, then it would be convenient, especially if you were able to leave the boat as described. Iāve used the launch at the Schraft to fish the inner harbor. Not sure I would leave my boat there unattended (shrug, just the city boy in me).
Lots of public docks in the Charles. You just have to deal with inner harbor boat traffic and going through the locks (done it before, kind of a pain if you are commuting with a schedule). Again, if you trust leaving your boat at the water, thatās cool. Otherwise itās a long carry to cross over Storrow Drive to get to downtown area. Cambridge side would be possibly easy if you work right at MIT or the Galleria area businesses.
Anyway, if do this commute, keep us updated on how it works. I am still intrigued whether you or any one else decides this a viable alternative to the transit issues facing Boston residents and workers.
When water weather/water warms, I would be willing to meet up if you are interested. Spot Pond is out as that is limited to the rental boats.
Johnny Smoke offered a good suggestion with NSPN. Way back when I was active with them, itās a good club to learn safety procedures and early kayaking skills.
sing
Be sure to use Johny Smoke and Sing as resources, both are long time posters and dedicated salt water paddlers. Sing has been posting here for years and he is very practical and non-dogmatic (ie he usually has the same opinions I have. (joke)) He is also very experienced in your local waters. There are ways of getting around not having a roof rack if you have a car, especially if you are OK with shorter kayaks; folding options can be pretty expensive. The kayak commuting idea is interesting. I toyed with it a bit here in San Diego just for fun on the coast, but storage of the kayak safely is too big an issue near the coastline.
Not at Fort Point anymore, unfortunately. Iām back in Cambridge between MIT and Central Square. I do love this area though. So if I were to leave the boat while at work it would be at the Kendall MIT docks.
The put in where I would start and then pull out at end of day would either be a boat ramp near the Assembly T stop or the boat house further down on the Mystic. I need to do some scouting before I decide what to do, and I definitely want to work on self rescue skills before I make this trip on the inner harbor again. Thus becoming a member of a better club that teaches skills. I think I was a little foolish to make the trips I did before without the proper skill proficiency and was lucky I didnāt get into any trouble.
No, I agree, I wouldnāt be comfortable leaving a boat at Schrafft either. Iām not sure Iād be comfortable leaving at most of the docks to be honest. The Kendall MIT one thoā¦ At least while CRCK are in business it seems more protected. But again, this is a big reason in my mind for a foldable/collapsible kayak. I know it works well with the Oru, I just donāt feel the Oru is safe enough for the inner harbor, and itās definitely not as fast as I would like. Iām really looking forward to starting to paddle and get used to my Pakayak and see if that is as viable an option as I had hoped.
I will definitely update on it then. =)
I didnāt know that about Spot Pond! Good thing Iāve never been caught thenā¦ but then people also swim there all the time when theyāre not supposed to and no one stops that so why am I surprised. Still, good to know. I will avoid it going forward, I donāt like to break laws.
Yes, I am thrilled to learn about NSPN! Iām really surprised previous online searches never turned them up for me.
I registered for the class that he linked, so that weekend Iāll be going to 2 different ones! And I am looking at officially joining as well.
Hi! Thanks for your reply!
Honestly, the foldable/packable kayaks Iāve seen fall into the same price range as hard-body one-piece kayaks, from low to high. Some like the Oru are around $1,200 - $1,300 and some can range into the $3K range. I feel like in the end if youāre going to buy a non-entry level Kayak, whatever the form factor, you have to be ready to pay between 1 and 3K. Sure you can get some nice rec boats for less, thatās just not the type of boat Iām looking for is all.
That said, when I do finally drop over $2K on a boat itās going to be for a really nice one-peice hard bodied touring or sea kayak. But I need to buy my car first, and thatās not likely until summer at the soonest.
I feel you on the boat storage issue. Itās the other big reason to have something collapsible/foldable I think. But weāll have to see in practice. Hopefully Iāll start feeling more confident to start really giving it a go this summer. More important than anything tho I want to be safe, so Iām going to wait until I feel my skills are good enough to be the level of safe I feel I need.
Hello Jumping Spider, or Salty!
I work near in Kendall station and my office overlooks the Charles River. I would offer you the same that Sing (my mentor) offered you. We can all meet on the same day. My cell is seven13 eight 05 zero 17 five. zzffnn at h0tm8il dot com
You can try my new drysuit too, but I am 5ā9" (US male medium-sized) and 140 lbs; my stuffs may be too large for you.
Kayak fit / handling is personal and it depends on preference, body types, techniques, hull design, ect. I personally prefer the handling /agility / speed of my 17ā long 22" wide Epic 17x kayak (older version of 18x) over my Pakboats 135 (which willowleaf kindly helped me with). My Epic is more of a flat water racing (little rocker/multi-chine/oval) design, rather than a sea kayak design with steep rocker. But I took off its rudder and found it perfect in ocean (I donāt mind a wet ride and found it easy to turn in my hands).
I had storage concerns when I started, so I went with my Pakboats 135 (looked at Our, Pakayak, Point 65 modular kayaks and high end drop stich inflatable).
nspn has a classified section that offers good used kayaks and gears. Many great deals there. For around $1200 you can buy a very nice light one-piece sea kayak.
You donāt have to have a roof rack. I simply strap removable foam block on my little Honda Civic and have used it to to carry a 18.5ā long racing canoe across states at over 60mph driving speed. I can show you when we meet.
It is more important to get a light kayak. Preferable 40lbs or less.
Low volume kayaks should be what you look for. Deck height (or overall height) should be low, since you are small in size overall.
Buy foam block and put them between your thighs and the kayak to enhance fitting. I donāt find it necessary to glue the foam.
Have you tried your commute paddling route yourself? Sometimes currents under bridges can be difficult or even dangerous, if you paddled against them. A 3-mile paddling against 15mph wind and strong current can feel like a half marathon (13 miles) in calm water sometimes.
You can drill a small hole into your kayak and lock it that way. Again, I can show you when we meet. Or I can email you photos.
I am a macro photographer and previously a biologist, so I like jumping spiders 
A paddler lady friend of mine is about 5ā3" and she bought a used Impex Mystic for no more than $1500: http://www.lakegeorgekayak.com/impex_mystic_specs.htm
It looks great and weights 36-46 lbs depending on the material. There are other brands and models. Some previous forum posts have mentioned them.
Hi there work neighbor! 
I dabble in hobby macro photography and spider identification myself! I enjoy photography in general. And old friend used to call me āNational Geographicā, not always fondly. 
Iām very excited for the day I can look at a one piece hard body kayak. Thank you for the advice and thoughts on what and where to look when I do. I suppose I could theoretically put a full kayak on the roof of the car I have now, but I still really canāt. The main reasons is that the car I am currently using is not mine. Embarrassing as it is to admit, Iām currently borrowing my Momās car until I can get my own - she is super kind and generous, and spends winter in FL so doesnāt need it this time of year anyway. I was divorced last year and the car went to my ex. Iām working on getting back on my feet and the car is the highest ticket item, so itās taking time.
So it might be a different story if it were my own car I would risk potential damage to or liability if I messed up securing the boat well enough, bit I donāt want to risk it on someone elseās, especially my Momās.
Also, even at 38 lbs, trying to get a boat on top of any car all on my own at my size and upper body strengthā¦ yeahā¦ probably not. It would be difficult enough doing it alone with a rack, but without one I really doubt I could do it. As it is Iām planning on a Thule Hullivator or something similar.
So I do have a plan! And in the meantime I hope that the boat I have is a good middle ground to what I will eventually want and need - especially if I end up being able to pull of the commute thing.
I love the idea of creating a hole for a lock - kind of like a bike lock? That sounds like a great idea if someone wanted to leave a boat at a dockā¦ Something to consider!
Thank you so much for the offer to help with the foam modding, and to meet up sometime! Very kind! And I really do want to get to know more Kayakers here in my area. Iād very much like to take you up on that. Iām a little tied up for the next couple of weekends, but Iāll be in touch with both you and sing soon! I plan to join nspn as soon as I can. I already signed up for their intro course in April.
Greetings, oh Eight Jumpinā Legs Up On theā¦and How Could Anyone Not Be Fond of Natty Gee and the Golden-Bordered Monthly? (āWith Great Maps To Boot!ā)
She that plays with spiders
through many webs must weave.
Or do the spiders jump for her
through spinning hoops to grieve?
Or is it all in Natureās way
to spin as mix-n-matcher?
Someday weāll all just sleep on this
and weave in her dream catcher.
Happy Hullān on the Hahbu 'n Pahkān in da Pahk,
A Sub-Orbital Weaver of Charm 'n Harm City
(or Baltimoron of Bawlamer, hon, if brevity suits ya)
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S4ltcid,
I use the following slender lock. It is slimmer than all regular bike locks that I have seen. With that, you donāt have to drill a big hole in your kayak:
The key to life kayak over car roof top is lift one end at a time (using your legs, not arms) and have the other end rested on ground (then push up the lower end with your legs / core muscle). I can show you later.
There is, on YouTube, a very slender short lady who lifted her 90+ lb Hobie kayak over car top that way. I have lifted a 40lb weight the wrong way before and hurt my then 35yo back.
I donāt know how fast the current/wind is on Charles River (for your commute, you may want to try the route a few times leisurely to gauge feasibility). Especially under those bridges. Fighting fast current may require some muscle; last month when we paddled as a group, a skillful/experienced but less muscular paddler had difficulty passing under a bridge with fast current.
When you have a drysuit or it is summer time, you may join our paddler group as well. They donāt teach much like NSPN though.
You can check out photomacrography.net for macro (insect) and micro photography. Lots of expert photographers / biologists there. There is at least one spider expert there; he is German, if I remember correctly.
Sing and I are surfing this Sunday at Nantasket Beach! If you are willing to drive to Quincy, MA 02170 one day, I can show you my kayaking logistics. I helped a new kayaker figuring logistics last weekend and enjoy the experience.
Charles River Canoe and Kayak has a season pass rental program. If youāre not looking to purchase a boat just yet, itās a good option for getting out on the water, and trying a lot of different boats.
That lock looks excellent! Iāll want to wait and see what looks like the best idea later in the season, but I love this idea!
Iād like to see the method for getting on the roof, but I still am not willing to risk it on a car thatās not my own. And since I did pull the trigger on the Pakayak and it arrived last week, I canāt afford to buy another boat any time soon. 
Really need to keep saving to get my own car first.
I am working on training better upper body strength too, so maybe by the time I get a boat that I need to worry about mounting I will have the ability to do it.
I havenāt had any issues with currents under bridges either on the Charles, Concord or the Mystic yet but you said this was recently, and I have never tried these areas in winter conditions and winter winds - we have had some seriously windy days too! I havenāt even paddled in winds like weāve had the last couple of weeks. I think the highest Iāve gone out in was 15 knots on a large open area of the Mystic, and that was certainly something of a challenge. Higher than that would be difficult for me. Iāve been on the Essex Estuary during tidal shifts and been OK too, but again not in wind.
Given a few weeks to get back up to strength I can sustain a pretty good clip for a long time, even in moderate conditions. I donāt think I would want to try the commute in difficult conditions for some time.
The biggest challenge for me when I did it before was the Oru. The drag on that boat makes it super hard to sustain in moderate currents or to get anywhere in any real time. Itās great for training your stroke and core strength tho.
I have done the commute a few times, though at the time I tried it I was going from Assembly to Fort Point and back, not Kendall MIT. That was a longer commute. Iāve been through the Charles Locks a few times and have years of experience on various areas of the Charles, including around Kendall and all the way up to Alston. My favorite area on the Charles is Newtonās Nahanton Park though. Thereās really only one bridge on the Charles that would be in this commute and thatās the Museum of Science bridge. I love that in summer when thereās Duck Boats going through there.
Anyway, the commute itself isnāt hard. I had 2 issues with it. The first being I didnāt feel my Oru was a safe enough boat to be out in some of the areas of the inner harbor I had to cross and it was darned slow as sap in winter. The second being I worry a lot that my own self rescue skills are just not there. Thatās not a place you want to get stuck after a capsize and not able to re-enter your boat. The Pakayak (for now) fixes problem 1. Now I need to personally work on problem 2. Then I will feel safe to try the commute again, in nicer weather, and maybe come fall I can even think about some winter paddling gearā¦
Thank you so much for the offer to join in your group! Iād like that very much. Iād like to come down to Quincy this weekend but have planned commitments I have to keep. Another time though, I would love to! Thank you so much for the invitation. And thank you as well for the link! I look forward to checking it out!
@Johnnysmoke Thank you for the link. 
I was a member of CRCK for years, Boating in Boston as well. They were the main group I have been looking at lessens through, actually. Essex River Basin Kayaks too. But since you pointed out NSPN and I signed up for their entry course and also the one from Newbury Kayak, Iām going to start out with those and then see about the others. =)
I decided to buy my own boat this year instead of joining CRCK because while as a member you can either rent free if itās at one of their boat docks, if you do want to take a lesson off-site - which I do - then you have to still rent the boat at a discount and also transport it yourself. Much better to just have your own boat, and one that I can easily transport in the vehicle I have in that case. And that boat is also a better idea for the commute plans I have as well.
Iāve tried every boat CRCK offers, and truly itās not that many. The boats I liked best that they have were Neckys. Now with Necky gone, IDK what theyāl replace them with, but I never liked the other boats in their fleet nearly as much. The WS Tsunamis were OK, as were the Daggers, but they just feltā¦ heavier and less maneuverable to me. I want to try something lighter and slimmer and they just donāt have them. That said, Beverly Kayak, Newbury and I think Essex River may have more.
I spotted this (while looking at listings in the Boston area for a friend ā a larger guy too big for this one): this 38 pound Perception Sonoma is scaled to someone your size and they are only asking $600 for it. Itās an n older model but has some very positive reviews on here (oddly some larger guys claim it fits them but so do several women from 5ā to 5ā 6"). All report that it handles well and is quite fast.
Nice!
Looks like a nice boat but I have no way to transport it. I also canāt afford it right now after getting the pakayak.
Good to know you can find good deals tho. Iāve seen others on local craigslist too.
Iāve never tried the higher end perceptions, only the rotomolded plastic ones. Not terribly impressed with those but this looks like it might handle much better. Iād still want to test it before buying, if I could buy it tho.
That was how I got my start. One day, after riding my bike behind too many diesel fume belching city buses (in Seattle), I saw a sign for ākayak rentalsā, and decided to get off the road. One hour flailing away in a kayak, and I was hooked. Came back the next day when they opened, and purchased a season pass. Any boat, any time I wanted. For the next two weeks, I was in every day at opening, and brought back the boats at closing.
By then, I was already paddling out the locks, into Puget Sound nearly every day.
After two weeks of this, the owners of the shop did some math, and decided it would be cheaper to pay me, so they offered me a job. Now I had the keys to the shop! I was paddling before work, and into the wee hours after work (many midnight and beyond paddles). Paddled every boat they had, and every boat a couple other shops had that summer.
By the end of summer, I purchased my first boat ā a Current Designs Caribou (pre-skeg ā as is my preference ā no moving parts besides me and the paddle). By that December, I moved myself to an oceanfront house on the outer coast (Washington), and spent every day of the next 12 years paddling with my ācouch potatoā gray whale friends (this group didnāt bother to migrate).
23 years after that first flailing away, Iām still flailing away ā in Seward, Alaska!
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Sounds great! I hope you can access what you want given the times.
If you can get in-person training, I strongly suggest you pay the extra bucks if involved so you can try out different boats. Especially if you are a small paddler in height or weight, may have better luck being in one that makes the skills work easy than using your own first boat. The better fitting and lower volume the boat, the easier it is to do this stuff. Up to a reasonable point of course, like a wet exit does have to be possible.
You will like the Hullivator - I lived w/o such as a device for decades but love having it now.
Good luck!
Sorry I disappeared.
Coronavirus hit us hard here and my work sent us to work from home starting March 16. Of course both the intro to sea kayaking classes I had signed up for were cancelled and as far as I can tell they havenāt been allowed to start up again this year.
Then in mid April all the parks were shut down - including any and all nearby parking - so I couldnāt go for my daily hike or run for about 2 months.
I live alone and even though Iām somewhat introverted and not the most social person, being stuck at home with zero physical contact with anyone for months is not good for me, it turns out.
I tried to adopt a new pet - something I had been planning to do but not till next spring - but all the shelters were shut down to adoptions.
And it was a super cold spring for a looong time this year and I have no dry gear so I couldnāt go paddle even IF I could find parking to try.
So, basically ALL my priorities shifted in the space of a few weeks. I was kind of depressed for a while too. So I just didnāt reach out to interests I couldnāt participate in.
Anyway, things are getting better. Itās hot and nice out and I finally went for my first real paddle in my new Pakayak.
Itās a REALLY nice boat for a plastic form-mold! Handles (to my taste) close to a Necky or Perception. Perhaps not quite as fast because it is a touch heavier, but on my first paddle all year (meaning Iām still pretty weak) I was able to move at a nice clip when I wanted to.
I was able to connect with the boat and maneuver pretty well without pads, but I think I would still like some to really solidify that. She edges wonderfully and despite the apparent height of that cockpit rim I actually donāt hit the boat with my paddle.
I was SO nice to be able to get out again! Iām looking forward to my next paddle!!
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Goid to hear you are out and,enjoying yourself!
Welcome back and thanks for the update!
Glad you made it through the Covid hurdles and connected to the water in your new boat.
Pulling this out of the archives as Iāve now seen a Pakayak in action. Pretty cool for what it is - A very valid choice where roof racks & trailers arenāt a good option. We have had a very dedicated new paddler out for several covid safe training sessions . He practices paddle float self rescues successfully and did so today on Lake Michigan in 1 -2ā swell. The kayak moves right along (at with a pod of Delphins) and seems to be right at home on the lake. @S4ltcid I hope you are enjoying yours.