I am a pretty lucky girl these days and I thought I would share my joy with all you Whitehall fans out there.

Since May, my family and I have been living in a waterfront townhouse on the upper Gorge Waterway known as Portage Inlet here in Victoria. It’s a 10-minute bike ride for me to get to work and my two children go to school 2 blocks from the Whitehall manufacturing facilities and corporate office. I work at Whitehall doing sales. I might have spoken with you! Soon after moving in, Marie Hutchinson and Harold Aune offered one of the first Solo 14s ever made for myself and my family to use and let me say this… that slide seat stays warm as the boat gets so much use!

Sage, my 12 year old son, took sculling lessons through his school last spring. He is the smoothest at coming in and out of the private pebble beach where we keep the boat, at the foot of our back yard. He and his 6 year old sister Kestrel, are out in the boat most days rowing around, exploring the waterway and getting to the playgrounds along the Gorge Inlet that are accessible by water. They take their lifejackets, water, snacks and walkie-talkie and off they go. I love to watch them and the neighbor’s kids out enjoying their summer on the water. Kestrel is keen on learning to row, but for now she enjoys being the “bow” singer…. row… row… row… your boat… (As a round if others will join in).

I row most mornings with my new friend Carol who has been rowing shells for over twelve years and is a great coach. Carol flagged me down as I was rowing by and we have been friends ever since. She introduced me to a few other women in my “waterhood” that row regularly so it’s fun for me to buzz her dock and yell for her to “come out and play?” We are out there in all sorts of boats… kayaks, canoes, rowboats and shells… too much fun!

Another great thing about living next to the water, in an urban setting, and having a practical boat like the Solo 14 is the ability to incorporate the boat into everyday things such as getting groceries and videos and whatever else we may need as well as visiting friends along the way. Instead of jumping in the car, we can jump in the boat, and tie up while we do our shopping about a mile from our place. It’s fun, the kids love it and everyone stays in great shape. I also love to row in the evenings to unwind. My husband, Herve, enjoys being out on the water and also loves what rowing is doing for my mind and body (booty!).

We keep our boat right on the beach on some boat skidway trax secured with an anchor plate/bungee system and a Python cable lock so “Nimble” is always ready to go! I only hope that those of you who own a boat like this one are having as much fun as we are.

If you are considering a boat for yourself or your family I am even more excited and ready to go over the details after the last few months of having fun with our Solo 14. By the way, we named her “Nimble” because she’s fast and so easy to maneuver.

“Row with the flow” And give me a call at the office!

Andrea Guyon
International Sales and Marketing