A Kayak’s First Voyage

After a week of spending nearly all my free time developing and scanning film from the Lake District trip, I decided it was time to step away from the chemicals, reels, and scanner for a day.

Just over a week ago—before I’d even unpacked all the camping gear—I bought a “new-to-me” kayak, a Perception Triumph 13. I’ve been looking to upgrade for a couple of years, and one finally popped up at a decent price. It was, however, a bit of a project. When I picked it up, it was absolutely caked in mud and home to every creepy crawly imaginable, having been stored in a garden for years. After a good scrub and some maintenance, it was ready for its first outing.

This morning, I took it out on its maiden voyage. I’d considered bringing along one of the pinhole cameras, but decided I needed a real break. Instead, I packed a fishing rod.

It turned out to be the perfect call. The water was flat, the air was still, and the morning light was soft and calm. I paddled along, casting lures, catching absolutely nothing—and enjoying every second of it.

Sometimes you need a day like that. A day with no frame counts, no development times, no chemicals or scanning queues. Just the quiet rhythm of paddling and the sound of water against the hull.

It was the perfect way to clear my head and recharge before diving back into the film work.