…for my kayak.
I understand that kayaks are typically not named vessels, but calling it “the boat” or “my kayak” seems so cold and impersonal. My kayak is a Hurricane Santee XL that I play on local lakes and rivers with. I am looking for something shortish, somewhat cryptic, perhaps with a pirate-y feel.
First to post, and first for the obivous: they don’t call me captain for nothin’
Old Yeller
Fred.
RAYAR.
Like KAYAK, it’s a palindrome, and you can transform one to the other by adding or subtracting a few strokes of the pen/paintbrush. And the YAR provides the pirate feel you mentioned.
My brother (quite the white-water kayaker) gave me the suggestion of “Mr. Paddles,” but I’d go with “White-Water Slasher” or “Rapids Raider,” or “Stone Ripper.” If it was a Dagger I’d say “Demon Dagger,” but seeing as it’s a Hurricanee I’d have to go with “Death Twister.”
Darth Vader!
And sing the Imperial March whenever you paddle out onto the lake.
(What, you want a serious answer? When have I ever had one of those?)
I chrsten thee Karnak the Kayak.
man it must be late and i must be tired if that’s the best i could do…
What’s local? Give us a state to work with.
Yorick.
No, wait. That’s for sculls, not kayaks. If you were naming a racing team you could be the Kayakitty Cossacks. Oh, well. Here’s a maybe-helpful source of ideas: http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/eskimonames.htm
Good luck.
King of Soup’s link has many excellent choices from the Inuit language.
If your kayak is indeed yellow, then perhaps you would consider “Tullik” which means Yellow-billed Loon. This could either refer to your boat or yourself!
Bob. For obvious reasons.
Slitherer
Wonderful! Fred is my family’s default name for pets and pretty much everything else. My mom currently has a Fred the Betta (fish). In my family, the “Fred” imprimateur dates back to a Steve Martin routine in which he made reference to “Fred’s Bank” as a name with insufficient gravitas to inspire confidence.
I, on the other hand, favor the name “Zelda,” after both one of my dogs and Zelda Fitzgerald, who was both talented and unpredictable. Also, I’ve always wanted to name a boat “Foamfollower,” but people will probably assume that it is a reference to beer (it’s the name of a seafaring Giant in Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever).
It’s a pity you asked for short. Otherwise I’d suggest the Polysyllabic Designation. Saw that on Schlock Mercenary (webcomic). If I ever get a boat, that’s going to be the name.
Otto
“EatIt”.
Just to show that you can have your kayak and…
::d&r::
Ironically, Wisconsin, USA (as if there was another Wisconsin somewhere?)
I don’t like the “I knew him well” past tense connotation…it seems ominous
I actually considered Bob for a awhile
Ummm…do we know each other? My boat is indeed yellow and I love the double meaning. This one is going to be hard to beat!
I once named a canoe Wave Eater.
You’re welcome to use that if you so wish.
Nanook. For the most famous of all kayak owners. 
I try to include USA as a curtesy for non USA poster’s on all sites.