The winds were far too gusty to paddle on the sea today. Instead, Krista and I spent the day exploring the region around Whitstable. Hearing our accent, people have asked if we were on vacation. We had to say: “Well, no. Not really. We have been having an adventure. We have been paddling the River Thames…” Folks seem impressed.

And so, in the absence of any news about our paddling progress, we would like to offer you our thoughts on the relative merits of travelling by open tandem canoe versus a tandem sea kayak. You will quickly gather that I favour the former, and Krista the latter.

- Glen: When it is time for a pee, I can leap out of a canoe, empty my bladder, and be back in a canoe seated comfortably in about thirty seconds. In a kayak, this is a forty minute exercise.
- Krista: That is what Nalgene water bottles are for.

- Krista: In a kayak, your lower half and gear remain dry, regardless of the conditions. In an open canoe, you and your gear are exposed to the elements.
- Glen: “Dry” is why the British invented riverside pubs with fireplaces.

- Glen: Canoes are lighter than kayaks.
- Krista: That depends on the construction material and length.
- Glen: No it doesn’t.
- Krista: Yes it does.

- Krista: The ergonomic fit of a kayaker in the cockpit allows maneuverability. The paddler is at one with the boat. In an open canoe, it feels like you are sitting in a bathtub.
- Glen: I rather like bathtubs.

- Glen: If you need to look around, it is possible to stand up in a canoe.
- Krista: That is what maps are for.

- Krista: A kayak is less influenced by the wind than a canoe. An open canoe is easily tossed by the wind.
- Glen: If it is that windy, find a coffee shop and wait to paddle another day.

- Glen: Canoes are cute. In Wind in the Willows, Rat and Mole had fun in an open boat, not a kayak.
- Krista: Kayaks are cool. Fisher Price Adventure Sets include a kayak, not a canoe.

- Glen: You can take your dog along for a ride in a canoe.
- Krista: It is tricky, but not impossible, to train a dog to sit in the cockpit of a kayak.
- Glen: I’ll bet that dogs get sea sick in kayaks.

- Glen: Canoes are Canadian.
- Krista: That’s true, eh?

More news tomorrow.

- Glen