It Fell Out Of The Truck

[PJohanson]

Had a good time paddling in my Lagoon today. That's a nice kayak, even if it is little. Today was a saltwater paddle in Cooper's Cove, which you can see on a map at
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&g ... &z=12&om=1

My husband suggested we should take the boat home and let it dry in the yard, so we put the Lagoon into the canopy on back of our pickup truck, closed the tailgate, and left the cove. At the highway, we paused for a break in traffic, then my husband accelerated sharply while turning onto the highway.
Bang! the tailgate lowered.
Fwip! the kayak flew out the back.

"I guess we didn't have the tailgate latched," my guy said ruefully. "I'll go get your boat." He pulled off the highway, and walked back. Luckily, the kayak had landed out of traffic and was lying beside the road.
When he handed me the kayak, I undid the main valves and let about half the air out, so the kayak could be folded in half in the back of the truck. This time the tailgate was closed properly! And the canopy door was latched tight.

At home I inflated the kayak about 3/4 full of air and inspected it while drying in the evening sun. There was a tiny scratch on the hull that might have come from earlier when I bumped a barnacled rock. This boat is awesome!