: I only post it here because I know you guys get a lot of the same
: and you won't think I'm bragging, but rather just passing on a
: funny story! Feel free to post your funny story of the attention
: your wood kayak gets.

I'm sure you're not bragging. It's happened to me a hundred times. I avoid other paddlers on the water so I don't have to answer the same questions time after time.

One of my best stories happened on the way back from the March Kayak Symposium in Charleston SC. I had three kayaks and a canoe on my car.

Driving through NJ, I realized I didn't get a chance to paddle at the show and if I just headed home to Massachusetts I'd be driving back into winter. So I found a park at the end of one of the barrier islands to launch from. I checked the tides and times so I could make sure to get past New York city before rush hour. I paddled out to some islands and laid in the sun for a while. On my way in I realized I hadn't figured on the tides continuing to flow out from behind the barrier island, so I had to fight my way in and eddy hop to my take-out.

I was late. The island was all summer homes, now deserted, so no one was around. I sped down the side streets until I hit the causeway back to the mainland and put the pedal to the metal. Then I noticed someone behind me. There was reversed writing on the car hood, P-O-L .. SHIT! There was cop on my tail and another police car suddenly pulled along side on my left, and motioned for me to pull over.

I couldn't believe I got caught speeding so flat footed, it was like they were waiting for me. I was really shook up, my heart was pounding, I was thinking about how many hundreds of dollars the ticket was going to be, as the cops walked over to my car and asked me to get out. Then the first cop said, "my sergeant told us to make sure we stopped you to get a business card before you left the island. He really likes your boats!!!!"

I couldn't believe it. They didn't give me a ticket!

Rob