Thanks everyone for the input! For anyone curious, I ordered a Perceptions Rambler 13.5 tandem kayak. This one looks a lot like the ones at one of our rental places and we like that one. $719 for the kayak, and about $1200 all up with carbon fiber paddles, car carrier, garage hoist, cart, and life vests. Should arrive before the end of kayaking season so I hope to get it in the water once or twice. The smart thing to do would have been to order it at the beginning of kayak season three rentals ago. Que sera, sera.
It looks more like a comedy. I’ve always wanted to watch Nanook of the North, even knowing it was almost entirely staged. I never thought to just stream it on Youtube. I’ll get around to it someday.
Somehow I missed this on my first read through. Cranky Dog has a life vest. We got it before the first time we took him kayaking on the assumption that the rental places don’t stock them. He’s surprisingly amenable to wearing it. Much better than the car harnesses, of which he chewed through two in a combined total of 30 minutes of use. He doesn’t have a car harness anymore.