Magnetar

My new kayak. 6.2 glorious metres of carbon fibre craftsmanship.

If only I was half as good as the boat. This is a multisport racing boat - designed specifically for New Zealand's rivers. It's good for going fast in a straight line and can still handle reasonable rapids. Ideal for the coast to coast and the like. It's a lot faster than my last boat, but the inevitable price you pay is that there is a direct inverse relationship between speed and stability. Bluntly put, it's tippier. So I need lot's of practice. Unfortunately, the Avon River, which is ideal for practicing (flat, shallow) is currently the city's main sewer (since the earthquake). So the nearest flat water now is Cass Bay on a calm day. Today was superb and I had a terrfic paddle (and stayed dry).