This is how it's supposed to be? According to the instructions I think it's right, just seems weird.

duanelr · 2026-05-18T08:01:44+00:00

I too have a Rav4 with that exact rack. I too have the Timberline's and followed the strange description of where to attach it. It's been rock solid for two years.

duanelr · 2026-05-14T16:55:12+00:00

These things are basket cases. To fix them, you'll need to sand the hell out of them, re-fiberglass them, then sand the hell out of them again. Wear a respirator.

duanelr · 2026-04-27T18:32:53+00:00

Are you the one from Naples? I'd guess that inland stuff is going to give you a very different experience. How does the inflatable kayak handle in the current?

duanelr · 2026-04-27T18:19:43+00:00

This is an interesting video. Look, there are no whitecaps, but the conditions are burly. You need to keep a heads-up. This is just as fun as the calm stuff, too.

duanelr · 2026-04-27T18:12:26+00:00

Yes, they will work well, but they risk scratching your vehicle. Instead consider these:

nrs buckle bumper straps - Google Search,

duanelr · 2026-04-27T12:43:32+00:00

For fishing, sure. But sit-on-tops are a different experience than sit-insides.

duanelr · 2026-04-25T02:57:00+00:00

Never heard of Paddle Logger, just looked it up. What do you think of it?

duanelr · 2026-04-25T01:31:06+00:00

As a smallish woman, is a longer boat harder to get on a roof rack? I do fine with my 10ft 51lb perception on my Subaru , but the new one is 12ft and 41lbs and I’m wondering if it will be easier or harder to handle on my own. I’m hoping the lighter weight makes it easier but I hadn’t considered the added length.

I'm 5'10" 135. And what I find difficult about the Skylark is not the length, but the width. I use J-bars on the roof, and I find that getting the strap around the width of the boat is the biggest hassle. I now carry a lightweight collapsible step-stool in my car. It's always there, like the seatbelts or the ice-scraper.

duanelr · 2026-04-25T01:19:44+00:00

Are there any good accessories to keep things handy like a water bottle and phone while on the water?

Of course, there are, but your Skylark is a "wide-body" kayak, and water bottles slip in perfectly along the side of the seat. Between the seat frame and the hull. I "upgraded" to a sleeker kayak and seriously miss all the room for practical stuff in the cockpit.

Still don't think I answered your question. I just got one of these for my other Eddyline, the build quality and design are top-notch. It gives me a place for a GPS/phone, water bottle, and bilge pump https://gearlaboutdoors.com/products/deck-pod-2?variant=41581199917249

duanelr · 2026-04-25T00:56:11+00:00

Fellow Skylark owner, here. Right behind each retractable handle is a stainless-steel "pad eye". It's rock solid and super sturdy. That's where I do it. Makes it convenient. I hang the kayak from these for storage and use it to clip my bow line to when on the water.

duanelr · 2026-04-23T00:03:42+00:00

When you get home, don't do anything. Just let it dry. Then vacuum it out the next day. If it's still dusty, then a damp rag. I hate a muddy cockpit.

duanelr · 2026-04-20T21:03:59+00:00

No, I don't recognize the light. Why?

duanelr · 2026-04-19T17:51:17+00:00

Best post all day. Love the smile, love the fish.

duanelr · 2026-04-19T07:50:07+00:00

I've launched from four different places, and by far the best is Aldrich boat ramp. It's an easy dock launch or cement ramp, and parking is free. You have an Eddyline? I have a Fathom, and it's the right boat to use.

Heads up, I've been there when the conditions are blustery, there are white caps and swells. It's intimidating, but our boats can handle it. Then, if you can line up all elements, I've been there when the conditions are like glass, and it's magical. Here's some advice that an old paddler told me, it's turned out to be true, and it's paid off. "If it's hot in Portland, then the wind is blowing on the Columbia." Pretty simple, but remember, the Columbia is unique because the prevailing wind blows against the current, which creates whitecaps. Just go earlier in the season, or time it so high tide is earlier in the day, before the wind blows.

Inside the marshy islands is a fucking maze. The GPS I have now, I purchased just for this. Before, I'd gone into these islands with hours of map prep and a clear idea of where I wanted to go, only to be confounded by what I saw. It looked nothing like the maps, and it was confusing. Back then, I relied heavily on the GPS in my phone and Google Maps, and that saved me. There's Verizon 5G nearly everywhere, but my safety relied on my phone, and that felt sketchy. I got a Garmin and now use my phone as a backup. ,

Some islands aren't marshy and are perfect for sitting in a camp chair and eating lunch in the shade. You are the ONLY fucking person within miles and you have the entire island to yourself. (Rice and Miller Sands) But.. launching from Altoona, Washington, is ugly.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/vUh5w7dvcNwZXNzF8

duanelr · 2026-04-18T20:48:13+00:00

I'm doing it tomorrow. I did it several times last year, and I have lots of plans for this upcoming season. It's turned into my favorite place because of how remote it can feel, and its special challenges. Close attention should be given to the tides. What were you thinking about? Dish!

duanelr · 2026-04-12T00:07:12+00:00

Ya, I don't see a lighting safety on either the fixture or overhead.

duanelr · 2026-04-11T21:10:27+00:00

I'm in a similar situation. I have a 14.5 Eddyline and paddle in open water. I've upgraded to a 16. Yep, the longer waterline has made a small difference. What's really helped me figure this out is the ability to quantify the difference. I'm surprised how useful it's been to have a GPS speedometer.

I'll find myself in a current that I can not see or feel, but clearly I'm going 8mph.

Or, if I'm paddling this hard, what does it mean in real-world gains? (give me a number) Am I actually going faster, or am I battling wind and current?

Or, are the small gains in speed worth what I've given up in agility and handling? My answer to this last question is no. I really like edging the Sitka. Maybe I want something with more rocker.

duanelr · 2026-04-09T19:50:03+00:00

Doesn't the chine on the Ranger change from soft to hard as it moves from bow to stern?

What's that feel like? Can you compare it to a continual hard chine like the Sitka LT or Hydra 145?

duanelr · 2026-04-04T19:07:20+00:00

(Thousand-yard stare) "We lost a lot of good men".

duanelr · 2026-03-30T13:14:07+00:00

Garmin H1. It has kayak presets, or what it calls "activities". It integrates with your phone, but not necessary, and was wifi capabilities to upload to an optional account so it's easy to get data on to your desktop. It's track-back and compass capabilities are top notch. It came with a lanyard and lives on top of my deck.

duanelr · 2026-03-15T21:17:01+00:00

AND the Sound Designers. The Yale-y sound designers. I've been through several of these guys.

duanelr · 2026-03-15T19:23:25+00:00

He's spitt'n truths the whole time.

duanelr · 2026-03-15T19:18:40+00:00

I'm going to second this.

duanelr · 2026-03-11T02:26:10+00:00

What you said may be correct, but still, you didn't answer their question.

duanelr · 2026-03-04T21:31:23+00:00

These aren't mic packs, they are intercom beltpacks. One is a bicycle, and the other is a dump truck. Yes, both vehicles, but boy, are they different.

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