We took the K2 on the Cam, with our full protective gear and practised capsizing and getting back in.
There were a few "hazards" we wouldn't expect to encounter off the Scottish coast..
We had to reassure a flotilla of Chinese students in canoes, who were very anxious that we might need them to rescue us!
Then a duck brought her flock of ducklings along to have a look at what we were doing.
As usual, before trips to scotland with the Feathercraft K2, we assemble it at home to check it out, and practise our self rescue techniques.
But this time it was even harder than usual to assemble.. .the skin seemed to have shrunk!
A bit of googling confirmed our suspicion... its 20yrs old, and we haven't used it since 2024, so the urethane hull and deck may well have stiffened and shrunk.. The recommended solution is to soak the skin in water overnight (some would say for 24hrs)
We got the hosepipe out, wet the skin from the inside, and left it overnight. Thankfully, this worked.
But, to avoid a similar struggle when we arrive in scotland, we think we'll keep the kayak assembled, and car-top it to Scotland.
Once it was assembled we had a very pleasant paddle up the River Cam from our local nature reserve.
