New Napa Yak Co.

Longtime Napa residents launch kayak rental business

Tom Stienstra, Chronicle Staff Writer

Thursday, October 16, 2008

(10-15) 18:39 PDT -- A new kayak company, Kayak NV, is offering low-cost, easy-paddle trips in the Napa River and adjacent Napa Marsh and Napa-Sonoma Wildlife Area.
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Trips cost as little as $30 for two hours, and include all gear, and feature very stable flat-water kayaks, both singles and tandems.

Kayak NV stands for Kayak Napa Valley and was started last month by Elizabeth Pearson and Laurie Aboudara-Robertson, who have lived in Napa for most of their lives.

"We've been paddling on the river for our own pleasure, and then one day, it hit us, 'Why aren't more people enjoying the beauty that's right here in our backyard?' " Pearson said. "It's five minutes from my backyard and it took me 20 years to realize I could do this.

"I've been shocked at how beautiful it is. One day my husband and I were in the slough and a river otter came up right next to our boat, and stayed with us for 20 minutes. It was magical."

The river, marsh and wetlands here are among the best for seeing waterfowl, shorebirds and raptors. Egrets, herons, mud hens and grebes are the most common, and red-tailed hawks, kestrels, falcons and owls are spotted on a regular basis. Hundreds of species have been identified at one time or another.

The primary put-in and take-out is at Cuttings Wharf Marina in the Carneros District of southern Napa, which is located on the Napa River off Highway 121 between Napa and Sonoma.

Each kayak comes with a mesh bag so paddlers can pick up any trash they might come across. "We want to be stewards of the river, to leave the river cleaner than we find it each day," Pearson said.

The company is donating 12 free kayak trips for Oct. 18, "Go Green Saturday," as part of Napa's mission to keep the river clean. They were snapped up in hours.

If you want to go: kayaknv.com or (707) 501-8585.

E-mail Tom Stienstra at [email protected].

This article appeared on page D - 8 of the San Francisco Chronicle