I’ve been out in the Viviane three times now. Each time has been a very short and leisurely paddle just to get the kinks out. And there are a lot of kinks.
I’m too stiff, too fat, too weak and too old for this. I have a lot of work to do.
The good news is that the Viviane’s front and back storage compartments are bone dry. The bad news is that the day compartment just behind the cockpit isn’t. Also, the skeg worked fine for the first two paddles and quit working on the last paddle. For a kayak that is about 10 years old she is in great shape but needs a little work just like me.
The skeg will be an easy fix. The glue or whatever used to keep the cable sleeves in position got brittle with age and broke loose. The cable got out of position which caused a jam. Easy to fix.
I’m not sure why the small storage compartment leaks.
I am adding a rudder system because I plan to sail downwind. It is possible to sail without a rudder, but in some conditions it will be nice to multitask: steer while using an aggressive brace. Sometimes that is the difference between surfing a wave or being in a washing machine.
I’ve also started working on my body. Stretching, P90X, Kettlebells, and paddling 3 times a week.