Canoe Chaos to Kayak Dreams

I am the proud owner of two kayaks. My family heard me talking about wanting to try kayaking, and they thought I’d love it. At first, they bought me two small ones—only later did I notice there was a weight restriction. So those went back, and we replaced them with two larger ones.

I wanted two because I imagined my husband and I paddling together, sharing this new adventure. But I waited too long. My husband has since passed, and now the kayaks sit at our cottage on Lake Michigan. Honestly, they’d be better suited for our calm local lake—but no, we apparently thought braving five-foot waves would be more thrilling. And to top it off, they aren’t even in the water yet. They’re gathering dust, stored away in a shed, waiting for their big debut.

The only other boat I’ve ever really had is a canoe—but not just any canoe. This one is called a Sportspal. It’s short, wide, weighs only twenty-five pounds, and has floats on the sides. It’s nearly impossible to tip over. (My kind of recreation!)

Even though it’s considered a “safe” vessel, we still managed to get some adventures out of it. One of the most memorable was paddling down the Beaver Dam River. Not the Colorado River or anything glamorous—just the Beaver Dam River. When my husband first mentioned this outing, I thought it was hilarious. I couldn’t imagine there was even enough water to float a boat.

Well, I was wrong. There was plenty of water—but the day we chose was one of the most miserable of the year. Overcast skies, cold rain, sleet, even a few snowflakes for good measure. The Sportspal was not built for speed, so at times we paddled furiously only to realize we weren’t moving at all. It felt like we were canoeing in place for hours.

Somehow, we eventually reached our destination without anyone getting killed—or drowned. My daughter, however, wasn’t so lucky. She was in a canoe with two teenage girls. They tried to duck under a fallen tree, grabbed a branch to stop themselves, and over they went—canoe capsized, all three dumped into the icy water.

So yes, after all that excitement with our “unsinkable” canoe, I still hold out hope that my two dusty kayaks will someday give me a smoother, calmer adventure.

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