RE: [Paddlewise] Help wanted on finding a good 2 seater recreational kayak

Gary
	I can relate to your quest. I went through the same thing about 6
months ago. My wife and I decided on a Wilderness System Pamlico Lite.
It is fiberglass and fast. We decided to go glass because the way I
figure it is the easier it is to do something, the more likely you will
do it. If you have to work your butt off to go out in wind and do a 3
mile crossing, you may do it once or twice but that's it. If you have a
boat that is fast and tracks well and is just plain enjoyable to be in,
you will do it allot. I can load and unload my boat with ease, and since
my wife is prego, I paddle it allot lately. I can easily paddle at 4
knots. Wind and current are not much of a problem as I thought they
would be. The glass boat costs twice as much as a plastic boat, but look
at the long term. It will hold its value better, and IMHO is much better
looking. We almost bought a Loon 160T until we saw the glass Pamlico
lite.
	I paddle the bays and mangrove island here on the west coast of Florida
and any river I can make it to. (Florida rivers are calm, a Florida
rapid is where you can see the water moving (-;  )
	Cough up the extra money, buy a couple of beautiful wooden paddles and
enjoy.


Sir Gary Nilsen
Wilderness System Pamlico lite


-----Original Message-----
From: Gary Tabor [mailto:ratracer_at_rust.net]
Sent: Tuesday, December 08, 1998 9:03 AM
To: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
Subject: [Paddlewise] Help wanted on finding a good 2 seater
recreational kayak


I wonder if someone can provide a better view of the big picture where 2
seater fun boats are concerned.
 
My girlfriend are looking for a way to get out on the water together and
let me say right up front, we've heard all the 'divorce boat' references
and are still determined to buy one boat not two.
 
We'd like to paddle the calmer waters near Houston.  To date we've
checked out:  Ocean Kayak Malibu 2 (I think), Hobie Odyssey, OK Zest 2,
Dagger Bayou 2, Old Town Loon 160T and some kinda Cobra boat.  
 
I'm leaning toward the Hobie.  It is set up for either double or single
paddling, has decent stability and good tracking, reasonable internal
storage and is somewhat less wet than the other sit-on-tops.  There are
some other less quantifiables like being easier to get back in/on than
the other direction (see below) and may present fewer problems if we
push our limits (see below).
 
Kim prefers the Dagger Bayou 2 canoe/kayak mutation largely because of
the perception of sitting-in rather than the sitting-on (she refers to
sit-on-tops as unprofessional which isn't quite as rude as it sounds).
I worry that even with a spray skirt the Dagger's minimal freeboard due
to our combined weight (approximately 460 pounds) will cause problems.
 
I think I could wrap my mind around the cayak/kayoe concept if only we
found one with good freeboard/tracking/stowage etc. ... perhaps
something like the Loon 160T with the ability to go straight in a
friggin' breeze.  Certainly we could add the rudder, but aren't these
things supposed to track straight out of the box?
 
Anyway, we plan to rent a Hobie and a Dagger and drag 'em to the water
this weekend for a coupla hours of back2back.  We might try and dig up a
Perception Jocassee and throw that into the mix.
 
Suggestions?  Comments?
 
Gary Tabor
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