Software Architecture Action Guide

Sara (8) navigating among the flooded trees in her Hobie Sport; the water is fully a paddle-length deep, but she's using her paddle because there are branches and small trees underwater. I guess the next Hobie kayak will be called Independence, so they can directly target 8 year old girls!

Ryan's Hobie Revolution is much longer than Sara's Sport, but Ryan (10) is quite handy with the paddle. Away from the trees, Ryan speeds off with fins and rudder deployed. It's like riding a bicycle uphill without gears, so it's a great workout; the kind I most like, with lovely scenery and no cars to worry about! It's not a circular motion like pedaling a bike, though Ryan did immediately figure out how to transfer that kind of lateral stair-stepper like motion to circular motion, translating the concept from his Singer treadle sewing machine which he has because that is what he begged Santa for several years ago. He is attracted to antique "machines" and has an odd collection of old stuff including cameras, a sewing machine, looms, typewriter, phone, and so forth (and he has made off with my vintage Macs). I guess it's because the mechanism designs were so much more transparent back then. Simple. And transparent.

The lotus field that was so dramatic (above left) last summer (8/07), is now under water (above right). It's a much bigger lake right now.

The picture above left is Sara hauling a passenger (taken yesterday); that may not seem like a big deal, but letting an 8 year old be responsible for a passenger says a lot for the stability of these kayaks, not to mention the leg power on that little girl--she's hauling three times her weight (48lbs of boat and over 100lbs of girls) and keeping up.

The picture above right demonstrates another advantage of the Hobie kayak--with fins and rudder deployed, one hand is free to eat a bagel; and in my case, one hand is free to use a camera.

Actually, I've read that both hands are supposed to be free, so we have to check the tension on the steering/rudder line for all 3 of our Hobies because they do take constant steering to hold a straight line even without wind. And... the fin mechanism on one of the kayaks simply snapped out in open water today. That's not good! The kayaks are not even a year old! As downsides go, there's also the weight of these things--I'm totally astounded that Dana can get the Revolution and the Sport lifted onto our SUV roof by himself, but I have to help him with the tandem Hobie Outfitter--72lbs is a lot to lift above your head! We have to get a trailer, but vacationing in the Scottish highlands and the Cotswold have deferred other outlays for a while!