Can you deliver to a kayak?

May 13, 2009 12:33 PM

Does anyone remember a documentary, or show on PBS about someone researching an old kayak design, where the people doing the building paddled around Manhattan Island?

This probably would have been at least 20 years ago. A highlight was the paddlers ordering a pizza delivery mid-paddle, receiving it on a dock, and eating on their kayaks.

The design in question was one where there was a projecty bit below the prow that some really old Aleutian Kayaks had that apparently made the kayak a bit faster, or a bit more stable.

I'd really like to watch it again, but of course the first step would be to figure out what it was called.

posted by fnerg to sports, hobbies, & recreation (10 comments total)

I have no idea, I'm afraid, but you might enjoy John McPhee's excellent The Survival of the Bark Canoe
posted by kestrel251 at 12:43 PM on May 13 [1 favorite]

I can normally find things like this but wow...I'm really stumped.
posted by jlstitt at 12:58 PM on May 13

fnerg, if no one else remembers this for you, tomorrow at lunch I can ask the guys over at New York Kayak Company on Pier 40 if they know what it was...I'd imagine they may have been involved.

I take my lunch over there most nice days.
posted by JaredSeth at 1:03 PM on May 13

Hmm, now that I look at their site, I see they've only been in business since 1994, but I'll still ask. Maybe someone over there knows what you're talking about.
posted by JaredSeth at 1:07 PM on May 13

It sounds like something involving George Dyson and his Baidarkas, but I can't find any documentary with him/his kayaks/etc.
posted by gyusan at 1:15 PM on May 13

Is this it?
posted by fixedthefernback at 1:54 PM on May 13

I remember that the kayak looked similar to a baidarka, except that the fork extended straight out, instead of curving up.

JaredSeth, that would be awesome. Thanks!
posted by fnerg at 1:55 PM on May 13

fixedthefernback, that could very well be it. I'll have to try to hunt down a copy to see if it actually is.
posted by fnerg at 1:58 PM on May 13

Well the gentleman I spoke to hadn't heard of the show, so hopefully fixedthefernback's got it.
posted by JaredSeth at 9:52 AM on May 15

JaredSeth, thanks for checking that out. As it is, I'm probably going to have to wait until I'm in Florida to even think about getting that tape from the library there.
posted by fnerg at 5:07 PM on May 16