Re: [Paddlewise] new Feathercraft K-1

Dan Hagen wrote:
> 
> Greetings fellow PaddleWisers (or is that wise paddlers?)
> 
> I am thinking of adding a folder to my expanding fleet of paddlecraft,
> and am considering a Feathercraft K-1 because of its high capacity and
> good reputation for handling.  I see, however, that Feathercraft has
> recently redesigned the boat (with the most prominent change being a new
> upswept bow).  Does anyone know anything about the handling of this new
> boat?

Hi, Dan...

The boat has only been in prototype and the production boat is not due
out until Feb or March.  It stands to reason that it will carry a bit
less because of the upswept tapered bow.  I suspect that it will not
track as well as the older version of the K-1, which really hung on in
there in the worse conditions, rear quartering winds and waves.  But it
really is hard to tell what a boat will do unless in it.
> 
> I am also considering a Khatsalano, which is more similar to the narrow,
> hard-chined boat that I usually paddle.  I am concerned, however, about
> the carrying capacity of the Khatsalano.  (I will be using this boat
> primarily for long wilderness excursions in remote parts of SE Alaska.)
> Does anyone have any comments on the ability of the Khatsalano to carry
> 2-3 weeks worth of food and gear?  (I realize that this depends on how
> much stuff one takes.  Based on other folks with whom I have paddled, I
> would say that I am about average in terms of the volume of gear that I
> like to bring along.)

I really followed the development of the boat and tested it two years
ago or so.  Doug Simpson, prinicipal owner of the company, paddled it up
north in a fall trip in which he managed to get something like 140
pounds of gear in it.  I published his packing list in my newsletter
back then with precisely what went in what size bag and where in the
boat.  I saying this from memory but I recall that the difference
between the Khats and the K-1 (older model) was the matter of two bags
or so.  Anyway that is listed also in the article.  As the article has
columns, I prefer to send it to you (or any one on the list) by regular
mail or even fax.

In sum, all of these boats, even the K-Light are capable of supporting
fairly extensive trips.  I have had several readers report to me on
two-week trips with the K-light up north.

If a website ever gets created in conjunction with PaddleWise, I would
be happy to place some of this boilerplate stuff on it regarding how to
pack a folding kayak.  I am particularly a fan of doing this with
smaller boats such as the K-Light.  I think we think too much that big
is better when it isn't necessarily so.

best,

ralph 
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-- 
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Ralph Diaz . . . Folding Kayaker newsletter
PO Box 0754, New York, NY 10024
Tel: 212-724-5069; E-mail: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
"Where's your sea kayak?"----"It's in the bag."
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