Marc Bourgoin, CEO, Lincoln Canoe & Kayak, asked me for a recommendation for the wonderful, snappy little Quoddy Light LV kayak that I own and love. Here it is – with pleasure.
As I segued from equestrian sports to skiing and, when single-parent finances dictated, to running, it never occurred to me to try a water sport. Then came surgery that stole my running shoes. So if I was to be permanently grounded, I’d try water.
My first boat was a plastic tub that served only to get my attention. I traded up, really up. A friend in the business found me a great deal on an elegant Epic18. She was beautiful, swift and, though light, a pain for me to maneuver on land or to the roof of my car. But I was hooked and even dreamed dreams of joining a local recreational racing group.
That was 6 years ago. In the interim I fell in love again, this time with road cycling. Normally I am a one-sport woman, but I have learned the perfect formula – dedicated training hours on my bike balanced by any extra hours I can find to paddle.
I have finally acquired the perfect bike and absolutely the best kayak for me, a low profile Quoddy Light.
It all began when, on vacation, I met Marc Bourgoin in Freeport, Maine. I wanted to test the local waters and he sent me out with a Quoddy Light. In fact, he wanted to share his love for a Chebeague, but once I had paddled the Quoddy Light, I was snared.
Why? My Epic was serious. I am serious. Paddling the Quoddy Light made me laugh out loud. The day I tested it, the wind was up and the boat should have been unstable. It was not.
Mind you, I am small, not brave or super strong or highly skilled. I am also a grandmother. But in that boat, on that day, I sliced through wind and waves that should have alarmed me. Instead I returned wet, salty and exhilarated. So much from so little.
It didn’t make sense. Anyone knows you should paddle at least a 16’ boat if you want performance and stability, right? Wrong.
The fun I had that day haunted me. Bottom line? Marc was patient. Finally I let go of my beloved Epic. The sale made the new owner very happy and financed my new, custom built Quoddy Light.
Each and every boat that comes out of the Lincoln factory is meticulously finished and embodies a spirit, a personality, of its own. The lucky ones are those of us who connect with our boat. I love mine. She rides on top of my X-Trek along with my bike. I can go anywhere and ride on land or water. These two are my friends, my training partners, my playmates. And we trust each other. We fit. We work hard and celebrate big. We live life the way it is meant to be lived.
Who knows, maybe someday there will be room in my “stable” for a Seguin. But whatever, it will be a boat built by Lincoln, maybe even by Rusty himself.
