Re: [Paddlewise] wide folding kayaks, design restriction?

> Date: Wed, 28 Jan 1998 15:14:29 -0800
> From: rdiaz_at_ix.netcom.com
> Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] wide folding kayaks, design restriction?
> 
>  
> > Ralph, do you remember what the beam width of the Khatsalano without sponsons
> > was?  I don't think they sell it any longer and now have two different
> > thicknesses of sponsons.
> 
> The original, which came out without sponsons, was around 22 inch in
> beam.  Prototypes were real tough to paddle and, even the production one
> that came out, scared the bejeez out of all but the most skilled of
> greenland-accustomed paddlers.  I know when I first tested the first
> prototype, I could hardly let go of the dock and quickly switched to a
> hardshell!!!  As I learned later, the boat wanted to rest on somewhat on
> its side.  Given winter paddling conditions and even wearing a dry suit,
> I didn't want to learn how far to the side it wished to rest!!!

I'll second this.  Adding lots of ballast to the bottom of my Khat is the
only thing that makes me able to paddle it at all.  Once I actually did
capsize in calm water.

> The reason that they no longer offer a strictly non-sponsoned one was
> the delicate nature of the boat's stability.  The replacement with
> smallish sponsons is convertible, i.e. you can blow up the sponsons or
> not depending on conditions and your own comfort factor.

Fortunately, Feathercraft tells me that I can send them the skin and 
they'll sew in the small sponsons for me.  I gotta get that done.... that
boat is just not seaworthy for me as is.

> > time) to see which one he'd rather spend three weeks touring in.   As far
> > as size issue, don't backpackers head off into the woods for weeks at a
> > time?  I would think the KhatsalanoS would have at least the equivalent of
> > two large packpacks worth of room ? 

2 large backpacks?  Maybe, but weirdly distributed.  I don't really
think there's quite that much usable room.  Some of the space in the
extreme bow and stern is nearly impossible to use.  Also you
need to be very careful about weight distribution....

>  The Khatsalano S was one of the boats
> > we used on a multi-day trip to Horn Island off the Mississippi coast (story
> > and pictures at http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/hornIs.html )  Bob had some
> > difficulty in paddling the Khat in some windy conditions, if I remember
> > correctly (or it could have been currents but the problem was lessened when
> > he repacked the boat and redistributed the weight). 

Poor packing on my part at first, coupled with an unfamiliarity with the 
boat.  This is a boat that needs to be packed stern heavy, IMHO.  It was
just fine once I put all the weight in the stern.

Packing a kayak is an art form, I'm convinced.

Currents aren't an issue for weathercocking.


-- 
Bob Myers                          InteleNet Communications, Inc.
Email: bob_at_InteleNet.net           18101 Von Karman Avenue, Suite 550
Phone: 714-851-8250 x227           Irvine, CA 92612
Fax:   714-851-1088                http://www.intelenet.net/
***************************************************************************
PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List
Submissions:     paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subscriptions:   paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net
***************************************************************************