Easy! Take this kayak:



and fold it in half!

Then, fold the seats down in the MINI, push the passenger seat up, and viola!





I was shopping for a multi-tool at the Sports Authority, when I spied a Bic Sport (yep, the same people that make pens and lighters! ) 'Yakka' kayak on sale! I talked to an employee who passed me off to the manager. I told him that if it would fit in my MINI, I'd buy it on the spot! He smiled after I told him that I wanted to cram it in a MINI, but he was willing to try. I pulled my MINI up to the front of the store, and with a small crowd gathered, he slid it right in!

Everyone (including me) was impressed! Two years plus of owning this car, and it still amazes me!!


-Paul!

 

Unbelievable......where is the oar?

 

I love MINI's....

-Cody

 

how cool is that!!?? I want one!

 

it's called a paddle!!! and most are two-piece for transport

 

Hey, Paul! I think Yucca needs a Yakka!

 

That is fantastic! Yes, a Yakka for Yukka would be great!

 

MiniMargie is correct! The paddle comes apart into two pieces. The paddle, a rigid seat providing back support, and a life jacket all fit inside the folded kayak!

It was also fun bringing the kayak to the river and watching peoples expressions while taking it out and setting it up!

-Paul!

 

Which river did you Yakka on, Paul!?

 

The maiden voyage was on Blackwater River in Milton, FL. It's about a half hour or so drive east from P'cola. It's a fairly slow moving lazy river.

Myself and a couple of folks that I'm going to school with down here found 'Blackwater Canoe Rentals' (Website). We've gone a couple times and rented canoes and kayaks (and they also do tubes). We had a bunch of fun, especially with the kayak I rented. I was playing with the idea of getting a kayak for myself, but wasn't really considering it since I had no desire to purchase a roof rack. But then I discovered the Yakka and its MINI-sized portability, and couldn't resist!!

Since they're a rental place, they charged 1/2 the price of a kayak rental for transportation of myself and the kayak to the starting point, $12, which I thought was fair. It's a 4 mile float down the river from the 1/2 day starting point, which we've done every time we went. We're probably going to take advantage of their overnight trip too, where they would rent us a tent.

And, up until the last half mile or so which is state park land, there's plenty of sandbars all down the river to stop off and have a beer or two*! Even had a couple of random folks offer us jello shots on one sandbar!


-Paul!

(*Disclaimer: We have had, and always will have, a designated driver who consumes *no* alcohol of any type during the trip! Having a few beers while lazily floating down a river in non-motorized vessels = fun! Having a few beers and driving a motorized vehicle = not fun at all, dangerous and illegal!!!!!)

 

I know Milton and the Blackwater very well! I visit friends in the FL Panhandle nearby several times a year, and love to drive through Milton...what a cool little town!

Sounds like you had lots of fun!

 

The Yakayaka looks cool...how does it compare in maneuverability and weight to other kayaks? how much$$ ?

 

Man, that'd be perfect for fishing after work!!

 

49 pounds, and around $600, according to a quick Google search.

 

As chrisneal said, 49 lbs. Maneuverability wise, it's comparable to other rigid kayaks its size. On the slow moving river, it was simple to navigate, and tracked very well. One reviewer said that he took it on a fast moving river, and had little trouble negotiating the current.

And list is $600, but there's a sale going on at Sports Authority for $100 off. Plus, the manager was so impressed/amused with the kayak fitting in the MINI that he took another $50 off for a grand total of $450!

-Paul!

 

I fit more in the MINI than my husband does in the trunk of his 4-door sedan.

Right now, I have a kid in a car seat and a stroller. I also used to cart a big golf bag and clubs around. :D Gotta love the MINI...

 

I fit a tall bookcase and a bunch of other stuff from IKEA ..with a passenger!