>OK, just this once. I have a Mariner II with a custome seat replacing >the sliding seat. I have had this boat 11 years now, and have taken >some nice trips in it, one to Russia via the Bering Straits. For >that trip I managed to cram 36 days worth of supplies into the boat-- >with only a sleeping pad on the stern deck. I still use this boat >for trips, because it's fast and seaworthy and has quite a bit more >capacity than my newer > >Romany Expedition. This is more maneuverable than the Mariner, but >weathercocks more, so that the skeg is sometimes welcome, and is a >little slower. It is a little easier to roll than the Mariner (the >Mariner is also quite easy to roll). It is >the boat I take on shorter trips, where I'm more likely to be exploring >all the nooks and crannies along the shore, or where I'm more likely >to experience strong currents or other rough conditions. > >Dave Carlson > >Keith Kaste wrote: >> >> There have been about 50 respondents to the "My Boat" survey. I'm I have a couple of boats, but the one I use the most is a Q Craft Freedom - 5.4m, 24kg glass tourer. Good coastal and estuary boat, 3 hatches, medium sized cockpit. The same model has been used for the Tasman crossing and similar long journeys. (There's a photo etc at http://www.qcraft.com.au if you want to see some Australian boats.) It is similar in general specs to one of the Solstice GT models from memory. Weathercocks a bit if unloaded but is deceptively fast and stable enough for day-dreaming in. Very good in large rolling swells and cuts through chop quite nicely. It does handle much better with about 20kg of weight onboard. The rudder is operated by toe-pads on top of the fixed footrests which is very useful, as if I'm reduced to using the rudder it means I'm feeling either pretty stuffed or particularly lazy and don't want to have to cope with moveable footrests. It's getting a bit old and banged up now but I haven't found anything to replace it with yet. Looks superb... Dave. -- dgw_at_camtech.net.au - David G. Wallace - Dr D, space alien. "Yes," said Piglet, "Rabbit has Brain". There was a long silence. "I suppose," said Pooh, "that that's why he never understands anything." *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Feb 25 1998 - 00:34:23 PST
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