First time on the water with my new boat

Automne's Maiden Voyage

I purchased my boat from Edon in Perth. The whole process was a bit of a kerfuffle, and it took some time for the boat to arrive. Saying that, I feel this boat is perfect for this mammoth expedition. I normally would not have chosen such a heavy boat (37 kg) as I am very light, but given that I will be taking a pack of about 50 kg, the boat will keep me stable. I tried many boats for the purpose of the expedition, but Edon, Ken Edwards, was the only one really taking time to understand my needs and amending the boat to my own specifications. I did consider the Leo Coastal Single, which was a lot lighter (25 kg), but I was concerned that the carbon shell would be too sensitive and at higher risk of damage given the shallow parts of the Murray and the number of beach landings it would have to manage.

Beverley and Tim were present for the maiden voyage of my boat named Automne, which translates to Autumn in French. My racing scull is named Printemps, it means Spring in French. Spring and Autumn are my favourite seasons. I was quite nervous trying out my new boat for the first time and it was quite a different experience from the racing scull, but what a wonderful sensation it is to be struck by a large wash and simply keeping afloat.