I just had to check again today. So during my work lunch break I typed in the tracking number... OMG... it had arrived! The message read that they were to call the owner and schedule a pick-up time. Hey now! How come nobody called me as soon as it arrived at the warehouse? Didn't somebody inform the warehouse workers, their children, their spouses, and their high school sweethearts that someone was to call me as soon as it came off the truck??? Oy vey!
So I took matters into my own hands and I made the call. Yep. It was there all right, and I could pick it up any time; they would be open until 7 pm...
It was a long afternoon at work. I informed people in the office that my new kayak had finally arrived. They didn't seem near as exited as one would expect. If you had walked into the office this afternoon you would have thought it was just another ordinary day, unless you came to talk to me.
Four o'clock came and that was enough... after all, I did have to get ahead of the after-work traffic...
It was well wrapped, I'll tell you. Those guys at The Complete Paddler know how to package a kayak... No fooling around....
She was wrapped in clear plastic and every seam of it was taped... and under the plastic was a white blanket, also taped in place. I cut away the plastic and then the tape holding the blanket with nearly the same anticipation of a newly married fellow trying to get his bride out of her wedding dress...
I finally cut through the tape and threw open the white blanket expecting to see her in all her fine glory... But there was another blanket of fabric, also taped, but this time it was black... Oh, the contrast! Oh, the anticipation!!!
The black blanket came off and there she was, well most of her anyway. There was a layer of cardboard completely wrapped and taped in place around her mid-section; her travelling corset, no doubt...
Someone at The Complete Paddler (Kelly or Julia I am guessing) must have known a lot of our days are still chilly here in Newfoundland. They put in a toque for me... that'll come in handy on a lunch beach before our summer comes...
It was time to bring my new kayak into the house. It was a little cool outside and I would need to do some outfitting.
When I removed the cardboard there were more presents; a Jackson nalgene water bottle and a sponge...
I set to work adjusting the seat position, the back band, and adjusting the uni-shock footrest system. I did not need the hip pads so I removed them altogether. Then I removed the footrests, dug out and installed my flotation bags into the bow, and put the footrests back in place. I had a look at the skeg system as well... seems simple to use but I don't think I will be able to work it easily if I paddle this kayak in the winter months with a pair of neoprene mitts on... I will have to make an adjustment later on.
The Karma RG comes with grab loops behind the cockpit... it is just a piece of deck line inside plastic tubing to make grabbing them easy...
The front deck has the hardware in place, but for some reason they do not install deck lines. It was just a simple matter of making an adjustment to the bungee at the bow and then run a deck line around the perimeter on each side, leaving enough slack to be able to grab the line. Perhaps later I may add some plastic tubing over the deck line like the way it is done on the rear...
Well, there you have it. The wait is over and the initial adjustments are made.
Now, those who know me know that I name my kayaks.... the CD Sirocco was named Kay, the Pyranha Inazone 232 is called Ina, my skin on frame is Sofie, and my Valley Nordkapp is named North Cape Jenny (but I generally just call her Jenny).
So what will the name of my new Jackson Karma RG be? Well, I can think of no other suitable name other than... Karmalita....
I wonder how she will paddle?
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