Kayakety-yak

 I was starting to give up hope of finding a kayak that wouldn't break the bank. The shops near here have very few used ones, and while I thought the internet would be helpful, I haven't found anything that would solve my problem. I contacted K-san, a friend who lives down the coast and someone who seems to have connections everywhere and told him my dilemma. He called me back two days later and said he had a friend who might be willing to sell one of his old kayaks. Yesterday we went over to the friend's house, loaded it on to his van and brought it back to Akiya. We stopped at the local kayak center and asked the shop owner to give us his opinion and see if he could help me come up with a good price to offer without screwing myself. He looked at it and right away said it was a Mariner kayak made by the British company Northshore, and it was a very good fiberglass kayak in spite of being a bit banged up and missing the hatch covers.

By the time I brought it home to try it out, the sea, which had been very calm in the morning had gotten very choppy, and it's stayed that way the rest of yesterday and all day today. I've got a life vest but I'd like to get used to it in calmer waters, so I've been trying to stay patient. . . .  but this is getting seriously frustrating. Spent a day doing chores, including shopping at the newly opened farmers' market, which is very decent, making some Spanish marinated sardines, and getting an old motorbike tire for the rope swing I've made for m. 

Tomorrow's supposed to be better; rainy but with little wind so I've got my hopes up. If I like it after trying it out, I have to find a way to talk the owner into a decent price for letting it go. K-san said the owner seems to be living in Tokyo and doesn't come down much anymore, so we'll see.