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From: <BearWalk99_at_aol.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] my boat(s)
Date: Thu, 19 Feb 1998 15:34:15 EST
Been paddling around 8 months -- 
#1 started with a 13' fiberglass former river rental  
  
#2 old used  Hydra Sea Runner --17'..6"x24"..... this boat is fun - stable-ya
can bang it -- scrape it -drag it across the  beach-- fish out of it ,and it
has enuff room for gear for small trips -

#3-16'x25" stitch and glue that i bought used for the wife - she has just
started paddling ,and absolutely loves this boat because it is so stable -she
sez its like a canoe with power steering and an automatic trans !!!<G>....
This boat is shaped similar to a Wilderness systems Poquito

#4---18' x22" Stich and glue similar in shape to an arctic hawk -- i have only
paddled this boat 2 times -and it feels really tippy -- but that is my
inexperience showing !!
It leans-carves turns terifically , ya can put yer ear in the water and not
tip over !!!! 
This boat is fast as hell ,and is gonna take some gettin used to - the deck is
really low compared to the other boats and its kinda scary havin the coaming
in the water. 
  
 And a comment on the cost of all this..... according to my wife who is
thrilledSez... " Its cheaper than Harley Davidsons"!!-- i figure that i can
buy about 15 more boats and gear -and not be up to what 1 new Harley would
cost!!!<G>
Also the dollar figure does not come close to the Peace and Sanity , and
Spirituality I find while paddling....
  Safe Passage........Steve


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From: <KiAyker_at_aol.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] my boat(s)
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 10:17:45 EST
In a message dated 98-02-18 09:20:57 EST, kkaste_at_slip.net writes:

<< 
 This is potentially a great thread. I am keeping a copy of everyone's
 post who responds to the "what do you paddle" request.  I will compile a
 summary of all these responses and publish it back to the list for
 everyone.  So far, though, there have only been 16 responses.  There
 must be more than 16 subscribers out there with boats.  Come on you
 Guillemot and Laughing Loon owners, come on you rotomold owners,  and
 Coaster owners.  Let's hear it.  Even if you rent only, post an email
 describing which boat(s) you like the most. >>

Oh, all right. I'll come out from lurk mode to contribute in the name of
science. My touring boat is an Arluk II. It's an old model (ten years old)
with vcp front hatch, a tied down back hatch and a small cockpit. I love
everything about this boat and can't imagine a better boat for my purposes
(except recently I've been fantasizing about something narrower, perhaps a 19"
beam). I have an Umiak for the kids, although the oldest now needs a full size
boat, and the youngest isn't too far behind. My main surfing boat is a Sabre.
I also use a custom made surf boat and a wave ski for various conditions. 

I work part time as an instructor for a retail outfit so I have an opportunity
to "play" with a large variety of boats in varying conditions. This satiates
my need to try new boats.

Scott 
So.Cal.
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From: Bruce Winterbon <bwinterb_at_intranet.ca>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] my boat(s)
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 12:47:38 -0500
I don't like touring with a jealous boat (pay attention to anything else,
and it gets upset). So although I have a downriver kayak that sometimes get
used, I don't have flatwater racers like Richard Culpeper's.

Most of my paddling is day-tripping on small bodies of water -- wandering in
the bush -- and for that I prefer one of my "little boats", double-paddle
canoes, 15' long, 24" beam, about 24 lb weight. Move very easily on the
water or off. Come to a beaver dam, take boat and daypack in one hand,
paddle in the other, and get to the other side. No decks, so I can walk out
the end. It's a development project, so I have loaners. Number Nine is the
most recent, and my favourite. If I have work to do, e.g. requiring a chain
saw _and_ a power brusher, I take Six, the fat one, with 28" beam.
Sometimes, just for a change, I'll take Seven or Eight, with a 22" beam. I
have used them for overnight, but I may build a slightly bigger one for that.

On bigger water (The Ottawa River is over a mile wide in various places near
here) I like my original Mariner sea kayak, from '82 or '83. I loan the
Seafarer if someone else wants to come along.

Whitewater, a Dagger Crossfire, even if I do need to take my shoes off
first. (6'2", long legged, size 11 or 12 feet). People here go paddling on
the Petawawa after work on Wednesdays, during the soft-water season.

Paddling tandem, usually a USCA stripper cruiser, my first stripper, 18 1/2
ft and much too heavy at c 60-65 lb. Maybe this year I'll make myself a
lighter tandem.

If stability or payload is an issue, I'll use the ABS Dumoine, but it's even
heavier than the big stripper, and doesn't have the same feeling of going fast.

There was a wood-and-canvas copy of a boat (#199, I think) from Adney and
Chapelle. I decided it was too much of a pig to sell or give away -- it
might turn someone off paddling. So it went up the chimney this winter.
Saved a couple of pieces.

And there are several others which sometimes don't leave the garage during
the year. I should either get rid of the Hydra Mustang or put some effort
into fitting it out properly, for example.
Bruce Winterbon
bwinterb_at_intranet.ca
http://intranet.ca:80/~bwinterb

Carpe diem -- crastinum!

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From: Mark Zen <canoeist_at_netbox.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] my boat(s)
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 11:42:11 -0700 (MST)
On Tue, 17 Feb 1998, Keith Kaste wrote:

>>
>>This is potentially a great thread. I am keeping a copy of everyone's
>>post who responds to the "what do you paddle" request.  I will compile a
>>summary of all these responses and publish it back to the list for
>>everyone.  So far, though, there have only been 16 responses.  There
>>must be more than 16 subscribers out there with boats.  Come on you
>>Guillemot and Laughing Loon owners, come on you rotomold owners,  and
>>Coaster owners.  Let's hear it.  Even if you rent only, post an email
>>describing which boat(s) you like the most.

there was a good thread like this on the CPA kayaker list, with a small
twist... "if my boat was a car..." that was a really good one. also a
thread on which boats you've owned in the past, and why you bought it, or
got rid of it...

paddlewise is a much bigger [i think??] mailing list, we could have fun
with this

mark

#------canoeist[at]netbox[dot]com--------------------------------------
mark zen                      o,    o__              o_/|   o_.
po box 474                   </     [\/              [\_|   [\_\
ft. lupton, co 80621-0474 (`-/-------/----')      (`----|-------\-')
#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~
http://www.diac.com/~zen/cpr   [Colorado Paddlers' Resource]  
http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmskc [Rocky Mtn Sea Kayak Club]  
http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmcc  [Rocky Mtn Canoe Club Trip Page] 
http://www.diac.com/~zen/mark  [personal]
--
Fortune:
Now I lay me down to sleep
I pray the double lock will keep;
May no brick through the window break,
And, no one rob me till I awake.


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From: Kirk Olsen <kolsen_at_imagelan.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] if my boat was a car..
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 14:43:32 -0500 (EST)
On Wed, 18 Feb 1998, Mark Zen wrote:

> there was a good thread like this on the CPA kayaker list, with a small
> twist... "if my boat was a car..." that was a really good one.

Interesting concept:

Futura Carerra Surfski - More like a motorcycle, a kawasaki ninja sort of
  boat.  Great in a straight line, extremely fast, unforgiving.  But with
  skill can handle rougher conditions. (19'6" 17.25" beam, and about 30 
  pounds)

VCP PinTail - A miata.  Just plain fun.

VCP Nordkapp HM - something with manual steering.  I've got to either lean
  this hard or have it on the crest of a wave to turn it.

Old Town Oltonar kayak - Lada or Yugo. According to a president of the local
  whitewater club the worst kayak ever designed.  Heavy, slow, poor 
  turner, loose seat, bad footbrace, bow heavy cockpit placement.  I can't
  say anything good about this boat, other than my mother has it and she
  likes to use it to explore the quiet water river adjacent to her house.

Old Town Tripper - Ford F350 pickup, big sturdy and it will hold a ton.

WeNoNah usca tandem marathon boat circa 1978 - How about a '75 impala 
  owned by someone who lives in a city.  This boat rates among the more
  highly "loved" boats, outside of a plastic whitewater boat, that I know
  of.  Cracked gunnels, compressed foam core, no portion of the bottom is
  unscratched.  Bow is "modified" where we had 2 different collisions which
  both resulted in the bow paddler flying over the bow into the water, in one
  incident the bow paddler was a professional arm wrestler...

WeNoNah J200 - Corvette, with skinny tires.  I have trouble with this boat
  in waves over about 8".  Light and quick in flat conditions, unnerving (for
  me) if it's at all rough.

18' Old Town Laker - older suburban - it's 90 pounds with a flat bottom.
  big and stable (in mild conditions).  I've sold this to a friend, but it's
  still in my yard, my wife won't help put it on the car she wants a lighter 
  boat. 

I haven't figured out what the newer wenonah usca tandem or the dyson 5.7
aluminum/nylon baidarka would be.

kirk
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From: Jackie Fenton <jackie_at_intelenet.net>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] my boat(s)
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 11:05:44 -0800 (PST)
> From: Keith Kaste <kkaste_at_slip.net>

> 
> This is potentially a great thread. I am keeping a copy of everyone's
> post who responds to the "what do you paddle" request.  I will compile a
> summary of all these responses and publish it back to the list for
> everyone.  

This is a good idea, Keith.  After you put your summary together, I'll
set it all up on the PaddleWise website in the articles section along
with the sponsons thread.  I think I'll also add the tent articles and
ballasts, too.  Great topics and some really nice contributions from
this group.

My primary boat is a plastic Sea Lion.  Why?  

- Manufacturer's reputation and warranty
- Appearance and feel (handles confused and beam seas nicely as well as
    easily carves a turn)
- Price
- Don't have to worry about cracking it on the rocks when rock gardening 
   or landing in surf
- Large hatches
- Resale value for a plastic sea kayak
- After four years, bulkheads are still watertight even through a lot of
   use and some abuse (I've heard a lot of complaints, guess I've been 
   lucky).   

Drawbacks:

- No chines, tends to broach (I suppose the lack of chines may contribute
   as I paddled two boats with heavy chines that surfed nicely in beach
   landings and in following seas but were almost impossible to turn and
   the designer thought it was a plus that they required a rudder to 
   turn  ??? )
- Heavy
- Weathercocks (sometimes requires rudder in quarter winds)

Will I ever sell it?  Probably not :-)  Too much like a pet.  But still
looking for the "perfect rudderless boat."  

Just my .02

Cheers,

Jackie
                                 _                        _   _
       _   _                     \\                      / \0/ \
      / \0/ \                     \\                        "
         "                         `\         
                               ,sSSs,\,      
                  )\w/(       ,sSS..)/{)    
                  <<..>       sSSS_v)/ \   
                   )<*>      sSS[(\_]___\
               <(_/_o_o_     'sS[_`-+---+)  
           \----+-------+-------'---`-----\-------------')
 ~~~~~~~ ~~jf ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~\~ ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~
        o                                   \
              o                             \\     o      o
                                             \\  o
           o                                  `
                 (\                                o
          o   >jf:-)       o
                 (/                               o

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From: Hank Hays <lhays_at_canby.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] my boat(s)
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 15:41:28 -0800
At 11:17 PM 2/17/98 -0800, Keith Kaste wrote:

>This is potentially a great thread. I am keeping a copy of everyone's
>post who responds to the "what do you paddle" request.  So far, though,
there have only been 16 responses.  There
>must be more than 16 subscribers out there with boats.  

Solo Boats:

Mad River "ME" -- Kevlar 15'4" dated open canoe design that I don't paddle
any more.  Came out about 1976 or so.  Lots of rocker, a whitewater boat.  

Millbrook Boats "Hooter" -- 13'2" older Kevlar slalom racing open canoe
design that got replaced by newer hotter models several years back.
Massive rocker and very asymmetrical.  Too much boat for me as my shoulders
no longer allow as much offside paddling as this one requires.  I'm back to
being a stern pry paddler.  

Bell "Wildfire" -- 14'6" Carbon/Kevlar sort of a freestyle-type open canoe.
 Not whitewater.  

(ex) Perception "HD-1" -- 13'6" old Royalex highly rockered slalom style
whitewater open canoe design from about 1977.  Great boat, but way ahead of
it's time, so it died.  Has since been replaced by some other better designs. 

Several old decked C-1's but I don't paddle decked any more.  And the
designs are all so old that Rich K would just snicker... (they're even
older than that Gemini C-2 he's got.  And I'm not even going to tell you
about all the old end hole C2's I've had!).  

Tandem boats:
We-No-Nah "Oddysey" -- 18'6 Kevlar wilderness tripping open canoe, okay for
rivers, great for lakes.  

Clipper "Sea Clipper" -- 18'6" Jensen designed as an ocean going open
canoe. Doubt that it's used as one very much.  This one is Kevlar/glass and
I use it as a river wilderness tripper.  

Ralph Frese "Canadienne 17" also might still be made by Old Town.
Symmetrical open canoe, but I don't paddle this one any more as I've beat
it up too bad.  The first boat I ever owned.  Another wilderness river
tripper.  

Dagger "Venture 17" -- Royalex open canoe wilderness tripper.  Nice dry
boat for heavy whitewater rivers. ABS layup is a bit light and floppy but
still useable.  

Home built 18.5' cedar stripper -- Also used as a wilderness tripper, both
river and lakes.  

Anyone interested in my opinion of the construction and performance
characteristics can contact me and I'll respond.  

Hank Hays


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From: <outdoors_at_biddeford.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] my boat(s)
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 21:36:02 -0500
At 05:03 PM 2/18/98 +0200, Ari Saarto wrote:
>... My motto is: good kayakers are also good in samba!
>
I agree wholeheartedly with Ari!  As a matter of fact, I learned the samba
before I learned kayaking.  I think to do either well requires a fit and
supple body.
			Bill Ridlon
			Southern Maine Sea Kayaking Network

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