# A Great Day of Peddling and Paddling



## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

For Christmas I got an Intex "Seahawk 2", which is a small inflatable raft. I think of this as the Trumark S-9 of boats: mass produced, inexpensive, flexible and not terribly efficient but a great way for beginners to get started in the sport. I've wanted a small boat or a canoe for a while but have never put it together to have one, so this was a great present for me. When I opened it I figured it would be spring before I got to use it. I was wrong 

I've had my life to myself for a couple of days as my wife is on a mission trip in Honduras and my kids have been spending time with their grandparents. Since it's too cold to shoot slingshot (too cold for the elastic, not for me) I decided I would try my boat out. I took it on a couple of short runs on consecutive days last week and found it to be fun, maneuverable and basically un-tippable, which is good for a novice like me.

After my second outing I devised what I considered an epic plan: I would drive to the nearby Granville public access site on the Wabash River with my raft in a duffle bag and my bike on a bike rack, ride the bike 7.5mi to West Lafayette and the Tapawingo Park access site from where I would paddle downstream 10mi back to Granville. This plan was made even more epic by the fact that there's a large bicycle shop adjacent to Tapawingo called Hodson's Bay Company and with any luck they would let me use their air compressor to inflate my boat. Why have a real plan when a series of what-ifs and maybes will do? :lol:

Did I mention that it was 13 degrees when I left the house?

So here's a sort of slideshow of my day yesterday:

Loaded up and ready to go. You can't see it but I'm layered up as if for an artic expedition.









I made the 7.5mi in about 45min and stopped at Starbucks to fuel up. I'm sure to all the professor-types in there I looked very strange indeed!









Hodson's was indeed open and very graciously let me use their compressed air.

Store manager- "That looks like fun, you're not taking it out today, are you?"

Me- "Yep."









After a short carry across the parking lot (which someone has probably put on YouTube) I was ready to shove off from the landing.









This is what a contented person with no schedule looks like:









This is a picture of a large flock of cranes taking off. You can't really see them because they blend in, but they're there. I also saw scads of ducks and one bald eagle.









I pulled up on as island about halfway through the trip for a break. I like the idea of being somewhere that you can only access by boat. I did get to shoot a few marbles at floating debris while I was there.









Probably the nicest section of the journey.









Docked and ready to load up.









The Wabash is wide and slow moving over this section (and generally) so I paddled at least a little for most of the way. At one point the breeze fought the current to a near standstill, so I paddled (rowed, really) harder but I did make sure to just float and enjoy the experience when I could.


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## ghost0311/8541 (Jan 6, 2013)

thats pretty cool


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## V-alan-tine (Nov 12, 2013)

I have a Seahawk, never thought of putting it on the back of my bike. :banghead:


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## quarterinmynose (Jan 21, 2012)

Epic solo plan, seen through to completion. Nicely done.

I wish I coulda been there. I enjoy a good paddle or peddle sometimes, I have never put them together though.


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## LVO (Sep 25, 2011)

Awesome day, bud!


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## Mrs. Clever Moniker (Nov 3, 2013)

Jealous. So. Jealous.


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## August West (Jan 21, 2012)

Careful, I hear banjos, oh wait that is only in the south. 

I have a Wenonah prospector that I dearly love and a local river that I spend a lot of time on. I don't think there is anything on the planet more peaceful. Thanks for sharing.


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

Looks like a proper way to see out 2013, MJ! Glad to see another cold weather enthusiast, too...


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## Btoon84 (Nov 22, 2011)

Good read MJ, thanks! Looks like u had a bunch o fun!


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

Tentacle Toast said:


> Looks like a proper way to see out 2013, MJ! Glad to see another cold weather enthusiast, too...


No bugs, no people and it's always easier to dress warm than it is to cool off.
Winter is becoming my favorite season!


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## Tentacle Toast (Jan 17, 2013)

M.J said:


> Tentacle Toast said:
> 
> 
> > Looks like a proper way to see out 2013, MJ! Glad to see another cold weather enthusiast, too...
> ...


THANK YOU! Plus, it's quiet, & beautiful, too...if you do get cold despite the layers, a few jumping jacks is all it takes to get the furnaces roaring again, no? I love winter..


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## rockslinger (Nov 16, 2010)

Cool adventure!


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## treefork (Feb 1, 2010)

I peddle/paddle also. I'm no to crazy about the cold water in this weather. I have some of the best mountain biking in the mid west just a few minutes from the house.


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## ndspecial (Nov 28, 2012)

Rivers are frozen here but i'm going to do it here on the rideau river in the summer. i was going to use the transit but biking sounds much easier. only difference is i'll bring my fly fishing rod

Thx for sharing your adventure


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## Sherman (Oct 2, 2012)

Very nice. I recently got an inflatable kayak (Innova), but I have yet to bike it out to water (although that is the plan).


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## TSM (Oct 8, 2013)

best. day. ever. I dream of days like that.


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## M.J (Nov 1, 2010)

TSM said:


> best. day. ever. I dream of days like that.


Yeah, it was pretty great 
If I had a battery-powered inflater I would have ridden and rowed further, which is the only way it would have gotten better.


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## Sherman (Oct 2, 2012)

M.J said:


> TSM said:
> 
> 
> > best. day. ever. I dream of days like that.
> ...


They have high volume hand and foot pumps that work great. I can inflate my 2 person kayak in about 5 minutes. The Scoprega Bravo 2 is the foot pump I have and it works great if you want something compact that you can fit on the bike.


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